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annemariep68's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook: I think this book will affect you differently if you are young instead of older. I thought of my parents in their 80s as I listened to this book and wondered how they would look back at their lives. What are the regrets, the triumphs? Who are the people who left the biggest impression and what are the stories they never told us? It was a lovely book and the narration brought it to life beautifully.
debstyner's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
rhubarbguru's review against another edition
DNF about 50% of the way through. What an absolute slog. Books are subjective to every individual so what someone might find great, someone else might find dreadful, but this was just straight up “let me make this sad” over and over and over again. The author just goes out of her way to constantly hammer home “see! This is SAD! Cry darn you! CRY!” - but it just comes off cheesy and cringey. Also, there was just way too much of an attempt to make this book “feel Irish”. The problem with that though is the author gave the main character and narrator a voice of an educated poet, not a farmer who dropped out of school at age 10 to go work the fields. It’s just too lyrical for this guy. I’ve spent plenty of time in Ireland to know that farmers do NOT talk like this guy in real life, only in movies that romanticize Irish life.
It was pretty clear how the book was headed too. I didn’t cry, but I found it sad until I realized that the author is just trying to hammer that point home.
0/5 stars for me. Boring, and insulting
It was pretty clear how the book was headed too. I didn’t cry, but I found it sad until I realized that the author is just trying to hammer that point home.
0/5 stars for me. Boring, and insulting
hoodster's review against another edition
3.0
This is a good read but not altogether convincing in terms of the narrative voice. I think she made a mistake in using the first person, but then again that is sort of what the book hangs on. It also has been noted that a man with such little education and reading might not have such poetic turns of phrase. Lastly, a little hard to sympathize with his character when he was so mean to his son and generally unpleasant for most of his life.
littletaiko's review against another edition
3.0
Overall I liked it but I wish it had covered more about how he overcame dyslexia and why he became the big grump that he was.
sarahwillemijn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
jgsearls's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely book. An elderly gentleman toasting to various people in his life over the course of an evening. I really enjoyed each chapter - which covered a different toast.
bookishgeordie's review against another edition
5.0
A beautifully written, heartbreakingly sad novel. A must read.