Reviews

Our Fathers by Andrew O'Hagan

michael_levy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

vie3's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

loumachugh's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

charleslambert's review against another edition

2.0

As someone who liked O'Hagan's more recent novels very much indeed, I was disappointed by this book. It had all the flaws of a first novel, I found, overwritten, self-conscious, striving for effect. I don't know how much the book draws, if at all, on the author's life, but it had the feel of being based on material that was still too close to be written about without a sort of sentiment that degraded the emotion the author surely wanted to convey (and if it's pure fiction, there is even less excuse). This is not to say that parts of it aren't very moving indeed, but they tend to be those in which observation rather than fine writing takes the upper hand - the two scenes in pubs stand out. The strengths in the book are those which are foregrounded in O'Hagan's later work, to its benefit. So, worth reading, but, in my view, flawed.

buzzroz's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

late_stranger's review against another edition

3.0

I think this is a 3.5 more than 4.

Our Fathers takes a really interesting, personal view of the people who shape the world: in this case, municipal housing across Scotland. I'm still forming my thoughts over how the balance was held between love and support of the man, and awareness of the faults, because I put this book down for a week in the middle and might have missed some subtle progression. However, it does feel a bit like a defence of the families of people who have an outsized impact and are just as imperfect, if not more so, than the rest of us, which is a timely conversation in this age of news and connectedness and snap judgements.

joesb's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0