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A review by wordsofclover
Haven by Emma Donoghue
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
In 7th century Ireland, three monks leave a monastery to take on a journey unlike any other they have done. Eventually, following days on the river Shannon, the discover an isolated island perfect to found a new monastery - that on Skellig Michael. The three men, one old, two young, begin their new lives trying to exist on a bare scrap of land with only puffins for company. Will they survive the wilderness, and each other?
I'm so disappointed to say this book just didn't really do it for me at all - I found this one a tough read to connect to, and feel engaged with. I normally love Emma Donoghue's writing and I really loved how she used this story to not only travel way back into Irish history but explore religious fervor and idolatry, isolation and survival. But I think the story itself, and some of the characters just really left me wanting - I'm not a religious person but grew up going to church like many an Irish child, and I have religious family members but the religious sacraments and rituals in this left me feeling a bit bored, and while I enjoyed the different characters in the three monks, I also feel like we never really got to know them either.
My favourite character was probably Cormac, a quiet, older man who came to the religious life very late having lost a wife and children, and almost dying in various Clan battles. From his stories that all linked into Irish mythology to the tender way he looked after Trian, and eventually standing up to Artt's ridiculous ways, he was my stand up guy in this.
I found Artt very hard to read at times as he went from okay, to bad to worse. There's nothing I hate more than men heavy with religious pride using the 'god will provide' and 'look what god gave us' when it's actually just hard work that results in progress. It's kind of like the 7th century version of manifesting. I ended up becoming really angry and frustrated at Artt for all the other men, and religious people, who have acted in similar ways and think they are always right.
Trian was a lovely character and while I was convinced he may have been a woman in disguise for a large portion of the book, I'm not sure what we were suppose to do with the (view spoiler). It was really just used as a catalyst for Artt's nastiness to come out and Cormac finally standing up to him and that was it. I would have liked more exploration and discussion around the topic and possibly have it more clear but I'm not really sure what to think to be honest.
Also on a side note, for some reason I found the slaughter of the birds and chicks really hard to stomach in this one. I think because they had been left in peace for so long and suddenly these horrible men come and literally rob the babies from the nests, it was a tough one for me.
The writing in this was good like I would expect from this author. It just wasn't one for me unfortunately.
I'm so disappointed to say this book just didn't really do it for me at all - I found this one a tough read to connect to, and feel engaged with. I normally love Emma Donoghue's writing and I really loved how she used this story to not only travel way back into Irish history but explore religious fervor and idolatry, isolation and survival. But I think the story itself, and some of the characters just really left me wanting - I'm not a religious person but grew up going to church like many an Irish child, and I have religious family members but the religious sacraments and rituals in this left me feeling a bit bored, and while I enjoyed the different characters in the three monks, I also feel like we never really got to know them either.
My favourite character was probably Cormac, a quiet, older man who came to the religious life very late having lost a wife and children, and almost dying in various Clan battles. From his stories that all linked into Irish mythology to the tender way he looked after Trian, and eventually standing up to Artt's ridiculous ways, he was my stand up guy in this.
I found Artt very hard to read at times as he went from okay, to bad to worse. There's nothing I hate more than men heavy with religious pride using the 'god will provide' and 'look what god gave us' when it's actually just hard work that results in progress. It's kind of like the 7th century version of manifesting. I ended up becoming really angry and frustrated at Artt for all the other men, and religious people, who have acted in similar ways and think they are always right.
Trian was a lovely character and while I was convinced he may have been a woman in disguise for a large portion of the book, I'm not sure what we were suppose to do with the (view spoiler). It was really just used as a catalyst for Artt's nastiness to come out and Cormac finally standing up to him and that was it. I would have liked more exploration and discussion around the topic and possibly have it more clear but I'm not really sure what to think to be honest.
Also on a side note, for some reason I found the slaughter of the birds and chicks really hard to stomach in this one. I think because they had been left in peace for so long and suddenly these horrible men come and literally rob the babies from the nests, it was a tough one for me.
The writing in this was good like I would expect from this author. It just wasn't one for me unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death