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kavanaughcori's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Digital audiobook performed by the author.
From the book jacket: In the dark waiting room of the ferry terminal in the sketchy Spanish port of Algeciras, two aging Ireishmen – Maurice Hearne and Charlie Redmond, longtime partners in the lucrative and dangerous enterprise of smuggling drugs – sit, none too patiently. It is the evening of Oct 23, 2018, and they are expecting Maruice’s estranged daughter, Dilly, either to arrive on a boat coming from Tangier or to depart on one heading there. This nocturnal vigil will initiate an extraordinary journey back in time to excavate their shared history of violence, romance, mutual betrayals, and serial exiles.
My reactions
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2019, I had high hopes for this work. But the dark, bleak tenor of the prose, the underworld inhabited by these characters, their despair and inability to lift themselves out of the mess they’ve made of their lives …. Just not my cup of tea, especially not at this stage of my life and given the current events (COVID 19 pandemic, and the US presidential election).
There were moments when the writing captured my attention. Barry’s ability to put the reader into the time and place his characters inhabit is admirable. But I really didn’t want to go there. So it was clearly the wrong book at this time. I finished it only because it is a selection for one of my F2F book groups.
Kevin Barry narrates the audiobook himself. He does a marvelous job. I’m not sure anyone else could have done better.
From the book jacket: In the dark waiting room of the ferry terminal in the sketchy Spanish port of Algeciras, two aging Ireishmen – Maurice Hearne and Charlie Redmond, longtime partners in the lucrative and dangerous enterprise of smuggling drugs – sit, none too patiently. It is the evening of Oct 23, 2018, and they are expecting Maruice’s estranged daughter, Dilly, either to arrive on a boat coming from Tangier or to depart on one heading there. This nocturnal vigil will initiate an extraordinary journey back in time to excavate their shared history of violence, romance, mutual betrayals, and serial exiles.
My reactions
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2019, I had high hopes for this work. But the dark, bleak tenor of the prose, the underworld inhabited by these characters, their despair and inability to lift themselves out of the mess they’ve made of their lives …. Just not my cup of tea, especially not at this stage of my life and given the current events (COVID 19 pandemic, and the US presidential election).
There were moments when the writing captured my attention. Barry’s ability to put the reader into the time and place his characters inhabit is admirable. But I really didn’t want to go there. So it was clearly the wrong book at this time. I finished it only because it is a selection for one of my F2F book groups.
Kevin Barry narrates the audiobook himself. He does a marvelous job. I’m not sure anyone else could have done better.
ktaylorhurley's review against another edition
2.0
This book wasn’t for me, largely because I didn’t find it to match any of the descriptions I’d read about it before I picked it up. On to the next!
chriswright39's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Many of the reviews focus on the humour but I found it wildly emotional and sad.
reemap's review against another edition
4.0
Want to give it 3.5 stars! I was pretty sure I was going to give it 3 stars but the last third of the book did win me over. The author has a gift of setting scenes, often transporting you to places that are more like emotions. Piecing together the story was enjoyable, and the ending was very appropriate. I know the feeling of this book will linger with me for a while.
ellengraceward's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
aliena_jackson's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve wanted to read this for years. I’m glad I finally did.
gj377's review against another edition
2.0
This book's cover jacket describes it as melancholic and witty... Well, the melancholy I get. The wit, perhaps lacking?
Night Boat to Tangier stages two men waiting in the ferry port at Algeciras, waiting for the daughter of one of the men to appear, in a very Waiting for Godot-esque fashion. As they wait, the narrative dips back into the past, detailing stories about the men, and how they came to be in this place.
My problems were two-fold. One, this book has no dialogue punctuation . So, while this lends an almost ethereal quality to the book (you are maybe not always sure if someone is speaking, or merely reminiscing), I firmly believe that speech marks were created for a reason. More damningly, none of the characters are likeable. The two old men are the worst of it, but they paint none of the supporting characters in a particularly flattering light either. So I just didn't really care...
Some turns of phrase were very poetic, but not enough to keep me engaged. Have a read if you care about the ramblings of two drug-addled old men.
Night Boat to Tangier stages two men waiting in the ferry port at Algeciras, waiting for the daughter of one of the men to appear, in a very Waiting for Godot-esque fashion. As they wait, the narrative dips back into the past, detailing stories about the men, and how they came to be in this place.
My problems were two-fold. One, this book has no dialogue punctuation . So, while this lends an almost ethereal quality to the book (you are maybe not always sure if someone is speaking, or merely reminiscing), I firmly believe that speech marks were created for a reason. More damningly, none of the characters are likeable. The two old men are the worst of it, but they paint none of the supporting characters in a particularly flattering light either. So I just didn't really care...
Some turns of phrase were very poetic, but not enough to keep me engaged. Have a read if you care about the ramblings of two drug-addled old men.
kt_clover's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0