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asourceoffiction 's review for:
The Heart's Invisible Furies
by John Boyne
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Every time I read one of John Boyne's books I love his writing even more. This is absolutely no exception; it is a masterpiece and possibly my favourite of his so far. Cyril Avery will stay with me for a long time.
What I so love about Boyne's books is that they can be completely devastating, but they are so human. His protagonists' flaws are so often centre stage and Cyril is no exception. But it is because he makes mistakes that I fell so in love with him.
Another element in Boyne's writing that can't be underestimated is how utterly hilarious it can be. He can portray a desperately sad situation and still evoke a laugh. Right from the beginning Cyril's adoptive parents repeatedly insist that he's "not a real Avery", ensuring that throughout his entire life he absentmindedly adds the prefix "adoptive" every time anyone mentions his mother or father. It becomes such a delightful running joke that you overlook the inherent cruelty behind such an attitude. Also look out for when Cyril makes the decision to declare all his secret feelings in the confessional as a teenager, or when he meets a nervous young woman while visiting someone in prison.
This is a sweeping, epic story that tracks Cyril's life from his birth in 1945 right up to 2015. We revisit him every seven years and build a picture of how his life, and society around him (particularly in Ireland), is changing. There are some astonishing coincidences in the people he meets along the way (I loved all the chance encounters with Catherine Goggin), but I didn't care how likely that would be in real life when it served the narrative so beautifully.
What I so love about Boyne's books is that they can be completely devastating, but they are so human. His protagonists' flaws are so often centre stage and Cyril is no exception. But it is because he makes mistakes that I fell so in love with him.
Another element in Boyne's writing that can't be underestimated is how utterly hilarious it can be. He can portray a desperately sad situation and still evoke a laugh. Right from the beginning Cyril's adoptive parents repeatedly insist that he's "not a real Avery", ensuring that throughout his entire life he absentmindedly adds the prefix "adoptive" every time anyone mentions his mother or father. It becomes such a delightful running joke that you overlook the inherent cruelty behind such an attitude. Also look out for when Cyril makes the decision to declare all his secret feelings in the confessional as a teenager, or when he meets a nervous young woman while visiting someone in prison.
This is a sweeping, epic story that tracks Cyril's life from his birth in 1945 right up to 2015. We revisit him every seven years and build a picture of how his life, and society around him (particularly in Ireland), is changing. There are some astonishing coincidences in the people he meets along the way (I loved all the chance encounters with Catherine Goggin), but I didn't care how likely that would be in real life when it served the narrative so beautifully.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, Religious bigotry