Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Heart's Invisible Furies

My 1st 5/5 score book of 2023.
This book reminds me of another book, "A Little Life".
Another astonishing story that describes the life of the main character about 70 years long, it reasonably convinced me how we as humans could be influenced significantly and grow differently by culture, upbringing, and environment. the main takeaways for me after reading this book: 1. distinguish the "impossibility" and "reality", the front can toxicate you if you obsess on it, the latter can nourishing you 2. Don't Lie, be honest to yourself, your life and your surroundings.

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alice_'s review

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dark emotional funny inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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tanyafrey's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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chronicreader96's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was hesitant going into this book, mainly because of its length. But it has just become one of my favourite books of all time! This is an incredibly easy 5 stars to give.

The Hearts Invisible Furies follows the life of Cyril Avery. At a young age Cyril struggled to grasp an identity, feeling lost and unsure. Over his life he tries to come to terms with who he is and the reality of his home country.

I feel a great sadness that this book is over. Although it’s quite a long read, and it took me longer to get through than usual, I savoured every single page. Cyril’s reality completely surrounded me and I found myself looking forward to my chance to curl up with this book each day. Boyne created such incredibly vivid characters, each with distinct personalities and flaws. No one is all good or all bad, we all make mistakes in our journey through life. I loved seeing all sides of these wonderful characters, who came to feel like friends by the end of the novel.

This book tackles some really difficult topics, there are a whole host of triggers so please read it with caution. Initially, I was making jokes about what awful thing could possibly happen next…and actually ended up being right! However, as I got into the novel I really appreciated Boyne’s willingness to show the realities of some peoples lives. At one point, I felt so overwhelmed by the depth of my sadness that I had to stop reading. The moment was just too beautiful and too raw for me to continue. I had tears in my eyes many times during this read. However, it also made me chuckle and smile more times than I can count. Boyne balanced the sadness beautifully with some splashes of humour. I cannot wait to read more by this author!

I would recommend this book to fans of literary fiction, especially if you like an Irish setting! But please be cautious of triggers.

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ashleighisreading's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I am very sad that it is over. Picking up this book throughout the week felt like catching up with a dear friend. I loved the format of the book - told in first person, it spans over 70 years and checks in with the author every 7 years. The plot was deeply routed in the main character’s relationships but also touched on historical and cultural realities in a way that only added to the overall story. I loved it.

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maddyspine's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Hearts Invisible Furies follows the life of Cyril Avery, born out of wedlock to a teenage mother in Ireland in the 1940s. It follows Cyril's life as he grows up in Ireland, we see all the messiness of life, happy moments, and sad ones as he tries to navigate the world, and his sexuality. I did struggle to get into this book at first, but once you are hooked, you are hooked! Dedicate some time to read it, it is beautifully written tale of love and life. One that stays with you for quite some time.

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znvisser's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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