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A review by lorrainelowereads
That They May Face The Rising Sun by John McGahern
4.0
4.5 stars
That They May Face The Rising Sun was published in 2002 and was McGahern's last novel (he died in 2006). It was the sort of book that I was really unsure of at first and found myself not being too excited about picking it up. But about a third the way in I got into the flow of it and was mesmerized by it in the end.
It’s a very unusual book. It is set in semi-rural Ireland and involves a small community living around a lake. It focusses on two couples; Joe and Kate who lived in London for years but have recently moved back to Ireland, and Jamsie and Mary who have never left the area they are from. There is no specific plot; it just follows the ebb and flow of the lake-siders lives over the course of a few years. McGahern puts a magnifying glass on their rituals around their farms, their visits to each other, their trips into town, visitors coming and going and the changes that slowly take place around them.
I would liken McGahern’s writing to Elizabeth Taylor, who also writes in almost painful detail about the everyday lives of her characters. McGahern is known for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, just like Taylor. In addition, McGahern reminds me of Toni Morrison, in that he just presents the characters and the story to you, the reader. He doesn’t bend over backwards to explain every little thing and in fact, lots of little bits are never explained, they just are. Morrison writes like that too sometimes, I think.
And if all of this sounds a bit boring (even though it’s not), let me tell you that while the main characters in this book are kind and caring neighbours, there are some very interesting supporting characters, including John Quinn, one of the most unusual characters in a book I have ever come across. He is the local womaniser and is involved in a wedding reception scene that you will never forget!
That They May Face The Rising Sun was published in 2002 and was McGahern's last novel (he died in 2006). It was the sort of book that I was really unsure of at first and found myself not being too excited about picking it up. But about a third the way in I got into the flow of it and was mesmerized by it in the end.
It’s a very unusual book. It is set in semi-rural Ireland and involves a small community living around a lake. It focusses on two couples; Joe and Kate who lived in London for years but have recently moved back to Ireland, and Jamsie and Mary who have never left the area they are from. There is no specific plot; it just follows the ebb and flow of the lake-siders lives over the course of a few years. McGahern puts a magnifying glass on their rituals around their farms, their visits to each other, their trips into town, visitors coming and going and the changes that slowly take place around them.
I would liken McGahern’s writing to Elizabeth Taylor, who also writes in almost painful detail about the everyday lives of her characters. McGahern is known for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, just like Taylor. In addition, McGahern reminds me of Toni Morrison, in that he just presents the characters and the story to you, the reader. He doesn’t bend over backwards to explain every little thing and in fact, lots of little bits are never explained, they just are. Morrison writes like that too sometimes, I think.
And if all of this sounds a bit boring (even though it’s not), let me tell you that while the main characters in this book are kind and caring neighbours, there are some very interesting supporting characters, including John Quinn, one of the most unusual characters in a book I have ever come across. He is the local womaniser and is involved in a wedding reception scene that you will never forget!