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A review by meganmccuenwitt
From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
4.0
This is a very understated and quiet book. Stitched with pain and regret, it’s a novel about three men at quite different parts of their life trying to make sense of it. The writing is so gorgeous. Ryan writes so sensitively and really gives a strong voice to each narrator. I really enjoyed the experience of reading it.
I think that Farouk’s part stood out of me as the best section. The narrative of his refugee experience was pertinent and heart wrenching. I read his whole part in one sitting because I was so enraptured, but also horrified.
The other two parts have a stronger sense of voice, but I found them less compelling. They struggled to keep my attention and interest. John’s character, while intentionally so, was quite repulsive and I wasn’t a huge fan.
This story does open deeper conversations about masculinity, identity, and family that were thoughtful and complex. The last portion “Lake Islands” was spine-tingling- both appalling and dazzling. While I enjoyed this short and subtle novel, I’ll never be as engaged with novels that focus solely on men. There were women in the novel, but apart from a few pages from Florence, they never get their own voice. While I appreciated what Ryan was doing from a justice and thematic perspective, I just found the lack of women’s voices made it less interesting to me.
I think that Farouk’s part stood out of me as the best section. The narrative of his refugee experience was pertinent and heart wrenching. I read his whole part in one sitting because I was so enraptured, but also horrified.
The other two parts have a stronger sense of voice, but I found them less compelling. They struggled to keep my attention and interest. John’s character, while intentionally so, was quite repulsive and I wasn’t a huge fan.
This story does open deeper conversations about masculinity, identity, and family that were thoughtful and complex. The last portion “Lake Islands” was spine-tingling- both appalling and dazzling. While I enjoyed this short and subtle novel, I’ll never be as engaged with novels that focus solely on men. There were women in the novel, but apart from a few pages from Florence, they never get their own voice. While I appreciated what Ryan was doing from a justice and thematic perspective, I just found the lack of women’s voices made it less interesting to me.