Scan barcode
deluciate's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful prose and a meandering story that felt very real, as if hearing a life story from a friend or neighbor.
rachelsb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
laurenmichellebrock's review against another edition
5.0
Reminiscent, for me, of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn—elegantly written from the memories of Marie Commeford, the daughter of Irish immigrants, who grew up in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Each story she tells is a thread that weaves together a solemn tapestry of a life trembling with a kind of longing. The book spoke to an art for remembering, relishing, and finding grace in the past where we would not have seen it in the moment. It is character-driven and slow-burning, and calls for us to appreciate the ties that bond.
matthewbald1's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
novabird's review against another edition
4.0
With echoes of prescience radiating backward and forward throughout the narrative form, McDermott steers us through the river of Marie’s life. She tells a “story of a life – breathing words onto cold embers … and, one way or another, getting them to glow,” in such a simplistic yet masterful style that it accesses a larger portion of ‘storied,’ humanity.
In Someone, “the darkness that becomes aware of the first light,” is emblematic of the journey from ignorance/unknowing/being a Fool towards recognition of our shared humanity, everyone’s shared Fool’s Journey.
However, McDermott, gives us a fool that has light weights of Christianity and secularism at the end of the balancing rod which is the human condition, at the same time not dismissing “that every mystery is just a trick of light.” She very subtly and with nuanced care presents to the reader what it means to suspend judgment and how to “choose words to tell a kinder tale.” McDermott accomplishes this when she hints at heavier issues of cruelty, incest, cross-dressing, suicide and homosexuality.
The ‘first light,’ is the opposite of the blindness that is used with just the right slight touch as symbolism throughout that suggests different types of blindness:
“As if only he and the blind man could see what the rest of us could not.” (insight)
“I mentioned Bill in a sermon once,” he said. “I wanted to say something about faith or second sight, but everyone laughed when I said that we had a blind umpire when we were kids.” (faith or second sight)
“Ten days of blindness.” (physical blindness)
“…Jesus cures him (a blind beggar) … That you didn’t necessarily have to ask. Or even believe. It gave me hope.” (blindness as affliction not punishment)
“I don’t see the world the way you kids do.” “Sometimes you don’t see it at all.” (generational bias – blindness)
“To tell you the truth,” he said, “the damn Church is blind to life sometimes, blind.” And then blessed himself and begged my pardon. “And don’t dare tell anybody I said so.” (as intolerance)
“… walking with the caution of my blind old age.” (as acceptance of diminished capacity)
Everyone is blind is his or her own way.
Foolishness is a type of blindness:
“Rumors went around about him for years… Foolish things mostly. I want the rumors to stop. I want an end to them.”
“Gently sorry, as was their way, for the silly child I was and perhaps would always be, enchanted by baubles, taken in by fools.”
“Fool’s thoughts are in their mouths, the Bible says. A wise man keeps his words in his heart.” “Yeah, well,” I said coolly, “not everything’s in a book.”
McDermott bookends this novel with the fool and the fall:
Peegen’s plan to pretend to fall and subsequent accidentally falling to her death.
‘”Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?”’ he read. “’Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”’
“She told me, poor sparrow, poor fool, We’ll see what happens then.”
Who will catch us when we fall?
McDermott combines all three; blindness, foolishness, and the fall into one succinct and telling episode:
“If you ask, “he said softly, “you know I will do it for you. You only have to ask.” And then he disappeared from what was left of my vision, because my eyes suddenly brimmed with foolish tears. I suppose I stood then, because he caught me as I fell.”
To have someone there when we inevitably fall.
Someone gentled my mind and soothed my aches, and I have grown from reading this offering. 5
Some of my favourite quotes of McDermott’s descriptive writing:
“The sunlight had already moved past fresh morning and into the steady weight of the rest of the day.”
“There’s a burned taste to the air at home, she said – not for the first time. A taste of wet ashes and doused fire. It can make you believe, she said, that you live in the permanent aftermath of some nearby sorrow."
“In the green and golden tree behind him, the sun-struck leaves moved with the hopping shadows of birds.”
“Now I knew the quick work pain could make of time, of a lifetime.”
“But when the doctor came into the room again, they only smiled and bowed and then scattered like pigeons when he shouted his demands.”
“You can’t blame a man for saying he’s had enough pain.”
“Nothing had been added to or subtracted from, the short smile he wore.”
In Someone, “the darkness that becomes aware of the first light,” is emblematic of the journey from ignorance/unknowing/being a Fool towards recognition of our shared humanity, everyone’s shared Fool’s Journey.
“It was the first light my poor eyes ever knew. Recalling it, I sometimes wonder if all the faith and all the fancy, all the fear, the speculation, all the wild imaginings that go into the study of heaven and hell, don’t shortchange, after all, that other, earlier uncertainty: the darkness before the slow coming to awareness of the first light.”
However, McDermott, gives us a fool that has light weights of Christianity and secularism at the end of the balancing rod which is the human condition, at the same time not dismissing “that every mystery is just a trick of light.” She very subtly and with nuanced care presents to the reader what it means to suspend judgment and how to “choose words to tell a kinder tale.” McDermott accomplishes this when she hints at heavier issues of cruelty, incest, cross-dressing, suicide and homosexuality.
Spoiler
Marie struggles with the latter in her perception of her brotherThe ‘first light,’ is the opposite of the blindness that is used with just the right slight touch as symbolism throughout that suggests different types of blindness:
“As if only he and the blind man could see what the rest of us could not.” (insight)
“I mentioned Bill in a sermon once,” he said. “I wanted to say something about faith or second sight, but everyone laughed when I said that we had a blind umpire when we were kids.” (faith or second sight)
“Ten days of blindness.” (physical blindness)
“…Jesus cures him (a blind beggar) … That you didn’t necessarily have to ask. Or even believe. It gave me hope.” (blindness as affliction not punishment)
“I don’t see the world the way you kids do.” “Sometimes you don’t see it at all.” (generational bias – blindness)
“To tell you the truth,” he said, “the damn Church is blind to life sometimes, blind.” And then blessed himself and begged my pardon. “And don’t dare tell anybody I said so.” (as intolerance)
“… walking with the caution of my blind old age.” (as acceptance of diminished capacity)
Everyone is blind is his or her own way.
Foolishness is a type of blindness:
“Rumors went around about him for years… Foolish things mostly. I want the rumors to stop. I want an end to them.”
“Gently sorry, as was their way, for the silly child I was and perhaps would always be, enchanted by baubles, taken in by fools.”
“Fool’s thoughts are in their mouths, the Bible says. A wise man keeps his words in his heart.” “Yeah, well,” I said coolly, “not everything’s in a book.”
McDermott bookends this novel with the fool and the fall:
Peegen’s plan to pretend to fall and subsequent accidentally falling to her death.
‘”Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?”’ he read. “’Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”’
“She told me, poor sparrow, poor fool, We’ll see what happens then.”
Who will catch us when we fall?
McDermott combines all three; blindness, foolishness, and the fall into one succinct and telling episode:
“If you ask, “he said softly, “you know I will do it for you. You only have to ask.” And then he disappeared from what was left of my vision, because my eyes suddenly brimmed with foolish tears. I suppose I stood then, because he caught me as I fell.”
To have someone there when we inevitably fall.
Someone gentled my mind and soothed my aches, and I have grown from reading this offering. 5
Some of my favourite quotes of McDermott’s descriptive writing:
“The sunlight had already moved past fresh morning and into the steady weight of the rest of the day.”
“There’s a burned taste to the air at home, she said – not for the first time. A taste of wet ashes and doused fire. It can make you believe, she said, that you live in the permanent aftermath of some nearby sorrow."
“In the green and golden tree behind him, the sun-struck leaves moved with the hopping shadows of birds.”
“Now I knew the quick work pain could make of time, of a lifetime.”
“But when the doctor came into the room again, they only smiled and bowed and then scattered like pigeons when he shouted his demands.”
“You can’t blame a man for saying he’s had enough pain.”
“Nothing had been added to or subtracted from, the short smile he wore.”
lbarsk's review against another edition
3.0
I really dislike the term "slice of life," but this is slice of life in the ABSOLUTE BEST WAY. It's a 3.5 for me because in the beginning the prose took some getting used to—moving so fast in some moments but very slowly in others—and I wish that I could've just jumped right into what is, ultimately, such a rich beautiful book.
Marie's life is so everyday and yet so extraordinary because of all that she's suffered; it's amazing to read through and it feels like you're living it with her. I just wish it had been a bit more accessible early on!!!!
Also I think me reading Brooklyn and Away right before this novel made diving into this one slightly more challenging, but nonetheless I would read this again for sure. GO READ IT!
Marie's life is so everyday and yet so extraordinary because of all that she's suffered; it's amazing to read through and it feels like you're living it with her. I just wish it had been a bit more accessible early on!!!!
Also I think me reading Brooklyn and Away right before this novel made diving into this one slightly more challenging, but nonetheless I would read this again for sure. GO READ IT!
m_j_philpott's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jbower's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sarahenwright's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
lgeorge1025's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautifully written book about an ordinary woman's life. Her prose transported me to Brooklyn between the Wars and reminded me of my own childhood in the 60s. A simple, evocative book.