Scan barcode
savvylit's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Doireann Ni Ghriofa is an immensely talented author. Her past experience as a poet shines through in her lyrical and often rhythmic prose. Many of the sentences in this unique book are both delectable and gorgeous.
A Ghost in the Throat is an intertwining of personal memoir and embellished biography. The most powerful passages in this narrative are those that are the most personal. For instance, when Ni Ghriofa's daughter is born prematurely, Doireann spends a harrowing and fevered period at the NICU alongside other worried mothers. The sense of uncertainty and hope in that particular section was palpable and unforgettable.
Overall, the way in which Ni Ghriofa connects to her fellow mothers - whether it be Eibhlin Dubh or the women at the NICU - is what makes this book work. That being said, I personally struggled to be interested in following Eibhlin Dubh's story. Ni Ghriofa ultimately learns quite a lot about Dubh as time goes on, but not anything that seemed to me to be particularly enlightening. For that reason, I finished the book feeling like I had missed something. Ultimately, though, I loved Ni Ghriofa's writing style and skill. I'd love to read some of her poems at some point. Perhaps I'd enjoy those more!
A Ghost in the Throat is an intertwining of personal memoir and embellished biography. The most powerful passages in this narrative are those that are the most personal. For instance, when Ni Ghriofa's daughter is born prematurely, Doireann spends a harrowing and fevered period at the NICU alongside other worried mothers. The sense of uncertainty and hope in that particular section was palpable and unforgettable.
Overall, the way in which Ni Ghriofa connects to her fellow mothers - whether it be Eibhlin Dubh or the women at the NICU - is what makes this book work. That being said, I personally struggled to be interested in following Eibhlin Dubh's story. Ni Ghriofa ultimately learns quite a lot about Dubh as time goes on, but not anything that seemed to me to be particularly enlightening. For that reason, I finished the book feeling like I had missed something. Ultimately, though, I loved Ni Ghriofa's writing style and skill. I'd love to read some of her poems at some point. Perhaps I'd enjoy those more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Murder, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
yilliun's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
“This is a female text.”
I cried with Ní Ghríofa and I rejoiced with her as she followed the life of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill. Adding in the Caoineadh at the end felt like such a triumph. The slow and circular writing always comes together and unlike many many other slowly paced books Ní Ghríofa pulls it off. She makes Ní Chonaill come to life again and seamlessly melds her modern life with her beloved poet.
Past becomes present again. Absolutely my favorite genre of modern literature.
I cried with Ní Ghríofa and I rejoiced with her as she followed the life of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill. Adding in the Caoineadh at the end felt like such a triumph. The slow and circular writing always comes together and unlike many many other slowly paced books Ní Ghríofa pulls it off. She makes Ní Chonaill come to life again and seamlessly melds her modern life with her beloved poet.
Past becomes present again. Absolutely my favorite genre of modern literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
Strong content warning for pregnancy/ near miscarriage. It would be difficult to read this book without reading those sectionsbooknerdbetty's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Pregnancy
feralbookwife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Just when I was ready to take a break from memoirs, this one knocked my socks off. Went into this one completely blind, just liking the title and cover style, and could not have picked a more poignant book. This is a powerful, deeply honest text with lots of tears along the way.
CW: animal death, pregnancy, birth trauma, murder, violence, sexism, mental health, autopsy
CW: animal death, pregnancy, birth trauma, murder, violence, sexism, mental health, autopsy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Grief, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Car accident, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Colonisation, and Child death
hanz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Interesting and strange book. I think the blurb is misleading and the book is more memoir than about Eibhlín Dubh, but it is partly about the authors relationship to Eibhlín Dubh and the poem Caoineadh Art Uí Laoghaire. It is also about motherhood, pregnancy and obsession and about connecting to women throughout history. I enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Grief, Murder, and Miscarriage
saintsaens's review
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
Disappointing retelling of a woman's fascination with a poem and its author.
The poem is very interesting, the search for the woman who first sang it in memory of the assassination of her own husband and the informations found about her are as well, but 80% of the book is more interested with how Doireann Ni Ghriofa is obsessed with being a mother and focused on her own self and her own life.
While slight parallels can be drawn by her very poetic (at times) writing between her experience and the woman she's fascinated by, more often than not it's a digression about herself, her life as a mother and a housewife, her troubles with understanding her husband and her constant need to feel helpful. The first lines are stricking, the rest of the text is inconsistent in writing style at best. And again, the poem has nothing to do with her own self reflection, which is considerably disappointing considering the themes of the poem (passionate love, thriving against social/political pressures, murder and a woman bent on revenge in her husband's name). In contrast, her life is painfully plain. And the text feels imbalanced as a result.
The stars are for the wild poetic lines that are scattered in the text, the information about Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, the text of the poem. Considering what she says in the book, I'm really not partial to her own translation of the poem (how much is artistic licence? how much is her status as a woman speaking? how much is her own knowledge and understanding of the working of Gaeilge? impossible to tell).
The book is described as "feminist". It's feminist in that it speaks about a woman. But honestly, nothing in her words and her behaviour shows a sign of understanding on the feminist movement, or maybe its bare minimum.
The poem is very interesting, the search for the woman who first sang it in memory of the assassination of her own husband and the informations found about her are as well, but 80% of the book is more interested with how Doireann Ni Ghriofa is obsessed with being a mother and focused on her own self and her own life.
While slight parallels can be drawn by her very poetic (at times) writing between her experience and the woman she's fascinated by, more often than not it's a digression about herself, her life as a mother and a housewife, her troubles with understanding her husband and her constant need to feel helpful. The first lines are stricking, the rest of the text is inconsistent in writing style at best. And again, the poem has nothing to do with her own self reflection, which is considerably disappointing considering the themes of the poem (passionate love, thriving against social/political pressures, murder and a woman bent on revenge in her husband's name). In contrast, her life is painfully plain. And the text feels imbalanced as a result.
The stars are for the wild poetic lines that are scattered in the text, the information about Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, the text of the poem. Considering what she says in the book, I'm really not partial to her own translation of the poem (how much is artistic licence? how much is her status as a woman speaking? how much is her own knowledge and understanding of the working of Gaeilge? impossible to tell).
The book is described as "feminist". It's feminist in that it speaks about a woman. But honestly, nothing in her words and her behaviour shows a sign of understanding on the feminist movement, or maybe its bare minimum.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse
She is clearly abusive towards her husband, emotionnaly manipulative and very childish in all other aspects of her life. Everything of those behaviours transpire in her writing even if she doesn't own up to it.qqjj's review
challenging
hopeful
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, Medical trauma, Grief, and Medical content
penofpossibilities's review
4.0
The first half of this book struck more heartstrings, especially the beginning is phenomenal. This author is very clever and her writing is clearly honed with skill and wit and emotion. Not a favourite, but highly highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Animal death, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, and Medical content
carabones's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer and Sexual content
alicia_c's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Body horror