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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
This short book opens with 3 tenderly written character studies beginning with the refuge Farouk who is attempting to get his family to safety, and then moving on to young Lampy who is struggling to grow up in Ireland with no father and finishing with John who is a master manipulator with a tragic past. As each character's story unfolds with such specific narration the reader wonders at connectors between them and finds some in universal places such as their self-doubt, guilt, heartache and humanity.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An absolutely beautiful story, going through the trials of human experience from multiple perspectives. Just an absolutely gorgeous telling of three men's lives and how they intersect in the most peculiar of ways, and how life is all a matter of perspective.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
I loved these stories and was surprised by the way they came together. All the characters were extremely interesting in their own ways, although I didn't find anyone likeable. This one needs to go on a to-be-read-again shelf.
I’ve thought about how I felt about this book for awhile and ultimately found that it was a big let down (I dnfed part way through the third part). I loved the writing style, and the first few pages were absolutely stunning, but the treatment of the female characters in the story left me feeling grotty.
The male characters perceived the women in their life as selfish and uncaring and felt threatened by them (especially the wife in the first story, ex-girlfriend in the second).
I can sympathise with a husband wanting to keep his wife and young daughter safe, but to go so far as to say that he could sympathise with the terrorists covering up and locking away their daughters and that he sometimes wanted to do that to the women in his life!? None of the characters showed growth or empathy.
I would like to try to read more work from this author as I love his style, but I didn’t enjoy this book.
The male characters perceived the women in their life as selfish and uncaring and felt threatened by them (especially the wife in the first story, ex-girlfriend in the second).
I can sympathise with a husband wanting to keep his wife and young daughter safe, but to go so far as to say that he could sympathise with the terrorists covering up and locking away their daughters and that he sometimes wanted to do that to the women in his life!? None of the characters showed growth or empathy.
I would like to try to read more work from this author as I love his style, but I didn’t enjoy this book.
medium-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very, very good.
But this novel did not get as many high marks for me, perhaps because I've recently finished [b:The Spinning Heart|15995144|The Spinning Heart|Donal Ryan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349169242l/15995144._SY75_.jpg|21753684], which strikes me as superior in the integration of multiple perspectives and narrators.
But this novel did not get as many high marks for me, perhaps because I've recently finished [b:The Spinning Heart|15995144|The Spinning Heart|Donal Ryan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349169242l/15995144._SY75_.jpg|21753684], which strikes me as superior in the integration of multiple perspectives and narrators.
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From a Low and Quiet Sea is my second read from the Booker Long List. It is the telling of three men, Farouk in Syria and Lampy and John in Ireland. Each man is afforded his own chapter wherein lies the major events in their lives. Each story on its own is enjoyable in its own right. The characters are drawn concisely and clearly. Their circumstances and the people involved transported me to their plight. As I came to the final pages of the third gentleman, John, I wracked my brain thinking, "Ok, where's this going, what's the connection these stories share?" Perhaps other readers won't have to wait till the final chapter "Lake Islands" to discover the twists of fate but I need to be hit over my head with it. When it is revealed, it sent shivers down my spine!
An awesome well paced read.
An awesome well paced read.