Scan barcode
A review by katykelly
Mr Lynch's Holiday by Catherine O'Flynn
4.0
I remember quite liking an earlier book by O'Flynn, and liked the sound of this synopsis. It's a story about family - father and son mostly, that flits between past and present to fill in your understanding of their lives and histories as we see them in the here and now.
Eamonn and his girlfriend Laura have emigrated to a small (and failing) community in rural Spain. He is now slowly descending into decline after she leaves him, his book and job also are going nowhere. But his dad is coming for a visit. Retired bus driver and recent widower Dermot has come to visit his son, and the worries and secrets his son is keeping to himself, as well as Dermot's own are going to slowly reveal themselves..
It's a bit of a slow burn but interesting along the way, doesn't get boring but isn't full of action. The writing is good, characters well-drawn, the setting vivid. I had to reread the ending though. I may have missed something as I didn't really understand what happened! Probably my fault, reading late at night though.
I did enjoy the book and the Dermot/Eamonn relationship, and the eventual destination of both is nicely developed and makes for a good read.
Eamonn and his girlfriend Laura have emigrated to a small (and failing) community in rural Spain. He is now slowly descending into decline after she leaves him, his book and job also are going nowhere. But his dad is coming for a visit. Retired bus driver and recent widower Dermot has come to visit his son, and the worries and secrets his son is keeping to himself, as well as Dermot's own are going to slowly reveal themselves..
It's a bit of a slow burn but interesting along the way, doesn't get boring but isn't full of action. The writing is good, characters well-drawn, the setting vivid. I had to reread the ending though. I may have missed something as I didn't really understand what happened! Probably my fault, reading late at night though.
I did enjoy the book and the Dermot/Eamonn relationship, and the eventual destination of both is nicely developed and makes for a good read.