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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What an amazing book! Words fail me. It was full of heartache, quirks, joys, and everything life offers. "The course of one man's life, beginning, and ending in postwar Ireland" didn't prepare me for the beauty of this book. Every single chapter of his life was captivating. I loved Catherine's friendship with the boys in the beginning, I loved Alice and Cyril, Bastiaan and Cyril, so many different dynamics and yet so familiar. I wasn't expecting to have familiar faces make appearances throughout the book and I'm so glad they did. Cyril and Alice dabbing back and forth was such a delight. The family they built makes me so happy. I wish I was a part of it. My goodness how can a book that has such graphic and hardships bring so much joy and happiness as well? 580 pages wasn't enough, I need more.
Hilarious supporting characters, and plausible, thoughtful depiction of how it would have felt to be gay in 60s-70s Ireland.
Usually it drives me bananas whenever a character is willfully dishonest about something, but in this case it actually registered as reasonable.
I was hoping this would get me excited to go to Dublin, but hoo, it's pretty brutal on Ireland (or at least 20th century Ireland; though I guess our track record for that period isn't very impressive either).
I liked the 7 year jumps, it kept a long book moving but not confusingly.
Usually it drives me bananas whenever a character is willfully dishonest about something, but in this case it actually registered as reasonable.
I was hoping this would get me excited to go to Dublin, but hoo, it's pretty brutal on Ireland (or at least 20th century Ireland; though I guess our track record for that period isn't very impressive either).
I liked the 7 year jumps, it kept a long book moving but not confusingly.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a beautiful book! It took a while to settle into it, but once I was in I was hooked. A story of love, forgiveness, loss, and what family means in mid-century to modern Ireland. Highly recommend.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
Why should you read this book?
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne is the recipient of an award for standout storytelling and it definitely deserves that honor. This book is extraordinary and it has become one of my favorite contemporary novels.
In the 1940’s, Catherine Goggin is sixteen, pregnant and alone in an Irish small village. The priest forces her to leave her hometown and she departs to Dublin in search of her new life. She has no choice but to give the child to a new family who’ll be able to provide a better life.
The child is Cyril Avery, our main character. Adopted as a baby, he’s never quite felt at home with the family that treats him more as a curious pet than a son. His adoptive father is a tax evader and his adoptive mother is Maude Avery, a famous and talented writer. Cyril realizes very early in his life that he’s gay in an extremely religious and traditional country. And so begins one man’s desperate search to find his place in the world.
From Dublin, to Holland and to New York, from the 1940’s to our days, The Heart’s Invisible Furies is essentially a book about self-discovery. John Boyne is also a captivating, sarcastic and extremely talented storyteller. I loved his humor and Cyril will be on my mind forever. His detachment and sagacity are unforgettable. So rare to find a writer like Boyne! I highly recommend this book!
I’d like to thank Riverhead Books for sending a review copy.
For more reviews, follow me on Instagram: @booksturnyouon
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne is the recipient of an award for standout storytelling and it definitely deserves that honor. This book is extraordinary and it has become one of my favorite contemporary novels.
In the 1940’s, Catherine Goggin is sixteen, pregnant and alone in an Irish small village. The priest forces her to leave her hometown and she departs to Dublin in search of her new life. She has no choice but to give the child to a new family who’ll be able to provide a better life.
The child is Cyril Avery, our main character. Adopted as a baby, he’s never quite felt at home with the family that treats him more as a curious pet than a son. His adoptive father is a tax evader and his adoptive mother is Maude Avery, a famous and talented writer. Cyril realizes very early in his life that he’s gay in an extremely religious and traditional country. And so begins one man’s desperate search to find his place in the world.
From Dublin, to Holland and to New York, from the 1940’s to our days, The Heart’s Invisible Furies is essentially a book about self-discovery. John Boyne is also a captivating, sarcastic and extremely talented storyteller. I loved his humor and Cyril will be on my mind forever. His detachment and sagacity are unforgettable. So rare to find a writer like Boyne! I highly recommend this book!
I’d like to thank Riverhead Books for sending a review copy.
For more reviews, follow me on Instagram: @booksturnyouon
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-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
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes