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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
2.5/3* Good writing but the storylines didn't come together well.
This had such a great premise and the writing was absolutely gorgeous, but I ended up being so disappointed and frustrated by this book. It was SO slow-paced, which I didn't mind overly in the first section as I liked Farouk and was interested in his story, but then Lampy's and John's sections just absolutely dragged because they were both such awful people that I had no interest in reading about other than to eventually find out how their stories would tie in with the other characters' stories.
I did think that the way everything weaved together in the final section was clever, and I found this section the most engaging and didn't feel so much that I was forcing myself to get through it as I had previously. There were still elements that confused me though and I wasn't quite sure what the overall point was other than a vague 'we're all connected in some way' type vibe. I also can't ignore just how offensive a lot of this book was and how it felt like the author was trying to get us to root for the awful characters of Lampy, John, and Lampy's grandfather. I could've easily read a whole book about Farouk's story, but the rest of this book just let me down so much and was such an effort to get through that did not pay off.
I did think that the way everything weaved together in the final section was clever, and I found this section the most engaging and didn't feel so much that I was forcing myself to get through it as I had previously. There were still elements that confused me though and I wasn't quite sure what the overall point was other than a vague 'we're all connected in some way' type vibe. I also can't ignore just how offensive a lot of this book was and how it felt like the author was trying to get us to root for the awful characters of Lampy, John, and Lampy's grandfather. I could've easily read a whole book about Farouk's story, but the rest of this book just let me down so much and was such an effort to get through that did not pay off.
From a Low and Quiet Sea takes the stories of three very different men and allows each of them to be told individually before finally connecting them touchingly together. Although not a long novel, I was swallowed up by its richly immersive prose for a few hours, lost to all but the lives of Farouk, Lampy and John.
The first part of the book is told is set in Syria and follows Farouk, a doctor who is persuaded by a people smuggler that the only way to keep his wife and family safe is to pay to flee the country. Lyrically told in the third person, this is a harrowing account of the human costs of war. The writing here is powerfully beautiful, evoking both a sense of anger and melancholy at the brutality and hopelessness of lives torn apart by violence. As Warsan Shire says in her poem, Home; "No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark," and Farouk knows he has little choice but to try to escape the closing jaws. He is a man tormented by bitterness and guilt who still clings to hope and it's this that makes his story so affecting.
Lampy's story is more familiar. He's a young man who didn't quite get the grades he needed for college and is slowly stagnating, trapped by the love of his family. If Farouk's story is one of leaving, then it's juxtaposed perfectly by Lampy's static existence. He once had the chance to move to Canada but the emotional bribery of his family, particularly his grandfather, meant he never left and now drives a bus for a retirement home. Lampy first became aware that life is unfair at school, on the day he was called a bastard for not having a father. For a short time he fell madly in love but teenage love affairs end as they do and now he has to decide whether to settle for the nice girl and the safe life.The thought of making decisions like this make him want to drive the retirement bus too fast around corners so that he loses control but what could be a bleak character study is lifted by the wit of Donal Ryan's writing here. The claustrophobia of small town Ireland is told through disarming humour, from the funny but cruel jokes of Dixie, Lampy's grandfather to the colourful array of residents of the retirement home, there's a bittersweet feel to this part of From a Low and Quiet Sea.
Lampy and Dixie may use humour to cope with their anger and frustration but in the third part of the book we discover that John became twisted by the tragedy that occurred in his childhood. Now an older man, we hear him seek penitence for the crimes he has committed. John is the hardest character to like; his life has been marked with acts that have been cynically calculating or cruel. However, as he says his prayers at the end of his life we learn that he felt cheated of love, first from his parents - and particularly his father, then from the woman he fell over over heels for.
The stories of the three men eventually come together in the tragic conclusion of From a Low and Quiet Sea, each of them brought to the same place through their earlier actions. They are men linked only perhaps briefly in life but their stories are all connected by anger, fear and love. The importance of fatherhood is also sensitively explored; whether through Farouk's memories of his own loving father and his desire to protect his daughter; in Lampy's relationship with his grandfather, having never known his father or through John's sense of rejection by a father lost to sorrow. During Farouk's part of the book, his wife tells their daughter a sad fable that makes her cry but her mother explains that its moral is how useless it is to blame others for things not being as we'd like them to be. Perhaps as it says in the passage at the top, we are all connected and so the most important thing is to be kind. This raw, honest and poetically beautiful novel will stay with me for a long time; it is an unforgettable look at fate and choice and one that I thoroughly recommend.
The first part of the book is told is set in Syria and follows Farouk, a doctor who is persuaded by a people smuggler that the only way to keep his wife and family safe is to pay to flee the country. Lyrically told in the third person, this is a harrowing account of the human costs of war. The writing here is powerfully beautiful, evoking both a sense of anger and melancholy at the brutality and hopelessness of lives torn apart by violence. As Warsan Shire says in her poem, Home; "No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark," and Farouk knows he has little choice but to try to escape the closing jaws. He is a man tormented by bitterness and guilt who still clings to hope and it's this that makes his story so affecting.
Lampy's story is more familiar. He's a young man who didn't quite get the grades he needed for college and is slowly stagnating, trapped by the love of his family. If Farouk's story is one of leaving, then it's juxtaposed perfectly by Lampy's static existence. He once had the chance to move to Canada but the emotional bribery of his family, particularly his grandfather, meant he never left and now drives a bus for a retirement home. Lampy first became aware that life is unfair at school, on the day he was called a bastard for not having a father. For a short time he fell madly in love but teenage love affairs end as they do and now he has to decide whether to settle for the nice girl and the safe life.The thought of making decisions like this make him want to drive the retirement bus too fast around corners so that he loses control but what could be a bleak character study is lifted by the wit of Donal Ryan's writing here. The claustrophobia of small town Ireland is told through disarming humour, from the funny but cruel jokes of Dixie, Lampy's grandfather to the colourful array of residents of the retirement home, there's a bittersweet feel to this part of From a Low and Quiet Sea.
Lampy and Dixie may use humour to cope with their anger and frustration but in the third part of the book we discover that John became twisted by the tragedy that occurred in his childhood. Now an older man, we hear him seek penitence for the crimes he has committed. John is the hardest character to like; his life has been marked with acts that have been cynically calculating or cruel. However, as he says his prayers at the end of his life we learn that he felt cheated of love, first from his parents - and particularly his father, then from the woman he fell over over heels for.
The stories of the three men eventually come together in the tragic conclusion of From a Low and Quiet Sea, each of them brought to the same place through their earlier actions. They are men linked only perhaps briefly in life but their stories are all connected by anger, fear and love. The importance of fatherhood is also sensitively explored; whether through Farouk's memories of his own loving father and his desire to protect his daughter; in Lampy's relationship with his grandfather, having never known his father or through John's sense of rejection by a father lost to sorrow. During Farouk's part of the book, his wife tells their daughter a sad fable that makes her cry but her mother explains that its moral is how useless it is to blame others for things not being as we'd like them to be. Perhaps as it says in the passage at the top, we are all connected and so the most important thing is to be kind. This raw, honest and poetically beautiful novel will stay with me for a long time; it is an unforgettable look at fate and choice and one that I thoroughly recommend.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5*
An enjoyable commuting/train read, with convincing POV writing and craftful weaving of the story strands together at the end.
An enjoyable commuting/train read, with convincing POV writing and craftful weaving of the story strands together at the end.
Let me start off by saying: the writing in this was phenomenal. The literary power,,,,that is 5 stars. I loved the way Ryan weaved these storylines together and gave each character a personality through his writing style. HOWEVER. This is a 4-star for me. :/ I had really hoped Farouk to be more....central to the book? When his part was over I was like alright he's gonna narrate the last bit right and then,,,he didn't. I just didn't really see how his character was necessary--he felt more like a prop than a fully-fleshed out character, and his story was way less intertwined than the other two men were. Overall, I'm kind of :/ about that. But the other two main characters, Lampy and John, had such a good story and that was really powerful. Also the perspective of Mrs. Coyne at the end?? Amazing.
Sad but very compelling literary fiction. Highly recommended!
(For my complete review of this novel visit: https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2019/03/26/from-a-low-and-quiet-sea-by-donal-ryan-book-review/
Although the cover clearly states that this is a novel, it doesn't really read like one. It is comprised of four distinct parts. Three separate stories, with a fourth story tying them together to make one cohesive whole.
"Armoured they came from the east, From a low and quiet sea. We were a naked rabble, throwing stones; They laughed, and slaughtered us."
The title is very fitting when you read the above lines. The entire book was about people who were defenseless against their fate. Thrown about life like flotsam on a beach.
The fourth and final part of the book ties the disparate stories together in a profound way. A way that made my breath catch.
The writing was skillful and the prose almost beautiful in parts. Imagery was crisp, and characterization strong.
In summation, a very worthwhile read which I would definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Penguin Books via Edelweiss.
(For my complete review of this novel visit: https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2019/03/26/from-a-low-and-quiet-sea-by-donal-ryan-book-review/
Although the cover clearly states that this is a novel, it doesn't really read like one. It is comprised of four distinct parts. Three separate stories, with a fourth story tying them together to make one cohesive whole.
"Armoured they came from the east, From a low and quiet sea. We were a naked rabble, throwing stones; They laughed, and slaughtered us."
The title is very fitting when you read the above lines. The entire book was about people who were defenseless against their fate. Thrown about life like flotsam on a beach.
The fourth and final part of the book ties the disparate stories together in a profound way. A way that made my breath catch.
The writing was skillful and the prose almost beautiful in parts. Imagery was crisp, and characterization strong.
In summation, a very worthwhile read which I would definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Penguin Books via Edelweiss.
My second read from the 2018 Man Booker Prize long list. It was slow, but painfully beautiful. It’s the separate stories of three men that tie together at the end in a way that might be slightly predictable, but is nonetheless heartbreaking.
There’s no real resolution, just a slice of time character study. It’s a book, though, that I think is going to haunt me for awhile.
There’s no real resolution, just a slice of time character study. It’s a book, though, that I think is going to haunt me for awhile.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced