Take a photo of a barcode or cover
m_peacock 's review for:
From a Low and Quiet Sea
by Donal Ryan
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like this book more than did, but I'm glad I read it. The writing is great. It's elegant even in its profanity. It flows; there's no clanking notes, no awkward transitions. However, I never connected with the three characters, nor with the very thin veneers of their plot lines.
Farouk, the first character, has the strongest plot line. But his story is told at such a narrative arm's length, I just couldn't emotionally connect with it. The emotional "damage" of the next two characters is well-written, but seems trivial when compared to Farouk's story.
I often complain that literary fiction authors don't know how to end their stories. They often skip the hard work of plotting for an easier and maybe what they think is a cleverer/more erudite trailing off into ambiguity. To his credit, Ryan doesn't do this. The last chapter connects his narrative strands, if in, perhaps, too neat and tidy of a package.
I closed the book feeling a bit let down; that this was a swing and a miss, that Ryan had a much better book in his head that he couldn't get it onto paper. It's worth reading, but it left me wanting for more.
Farouk, the first character, has the strongest plot line. But his story is told at such a narrative arm's length, I just couldn't emotionally connect with it. The emotional "damage" of the next two characters is well-written, but seems trivial when compared to Farouk's story.
I often complain that literary fiction authors don't know how to end their stories. They often skip the hard work of plotting for an easier and maybe what they think is a cleverer/more erudite trailing off into ambiguity. To his credit, Ryan doesn't do this. The last chapter connects his narrative strands, if in, perhaps, too neat and tidy of a package.
I closed the book feeling a bit let down; that this was a swing and a miss, that Ryan had a much better book in his head that he couldn't get it onto paper. It's worth reading, but it left me wanting for more.