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christine_exlibris 's review for:
A History of Loneliness
by John Boyne
I picked up this book while I was traveling Ireland for the first time last month. I had only ever read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas of Boyne's novels. I enjoyed the passages that described some of the many counties (cities, villages) in Ireland that I was fortunate enough to have visited.
This novel took me by surprise and resonated deeply. It was the first novel I'd read from the perspective of a decent but also somewhat flawed priest. This is beautifully written as the narrator, Fr. Yates - a Catholic priest, recounts how a long-time friend is accused of molesting young boys over a period of 25 years. This is really Fr. Yates' story about his own childhood and his decision to become a priest. We witness his many shortcomings and bad decisions that lead him to ponder the relevancy of the Church in Ireland.
I was raised Catholic by my adoptive parents but no longer practice nor do I believe in that particular religion. However, many of Boyne's descriptions of the Catholic traditions and customs were spot-on. The utter power that the Church held for over a hundred years in many countries, explains so many of the devastating outcomes of priests (and nuns) who abused children and the hierarchy that kept it quiet. Fortunately, the Church no longer hold those tight reigns in Ireland (nor in many other countries in the Global North, including Canada). Surprisingly, when I traveled throughout Ireland, I saw but one priest in the entire country that actually wore the soutane in public.
I thoroughly enjoyed Boyne's writing style and savoured many of the insightful passages. This novel is both moving and tragic as Fr. Yates recounts his journey from a young idealistic novice to a mature adult who ultimately sees the flaws in a Church that wrought so much destruction and its inevitable aftermath.
This novel took me by surprise and resonated deeply. It was the first novel I'd read from the perspective of a decent but also somewhat flawed priest. This is beautifully written as the narrator, Fr. Yates - a Catholic priest, recounts how a long-time friend is accused of molesting young boys over a period of 25 years. This is really Fr. Yates' story about his own childhood and his decision to become a priest. We witness his many shortcomings and bad decisions that lead him to ponder the relevancy of the Church in Ireland.
I was raised Catholic by my adoptive parents but no longer practice nor do I believe in that particular religion. However, many of Boyne's descriptions of the Catholic traditions and customs were spot-on. The utter power that the Church held for over a hundred years in many countries, explains so many of the devastating outcomes of priests (and nuns) who abused children and the hierarchy that kept it quiet. Fortunately, the Church no longer hold those tight reigns in Ireland (nor in many other countries in the Global North, including Canada). Surprisingly, when I traveled throughout Ireland, I saw but one priest in the entire country that actually wore the soutane in public.
I thoroughly enjoyed Boyne's writing style and savoured many of the insightful passages. This novel is both moving and tragic as Fr. Yates recounts his journey from a young idealistic novice to a mature adult who ultimately sees the flaws in a Church that wrought so much destruction and its inevitable aftermath.