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A review by monazaneefer
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
4.0
Having just finished watching the film a few mins ago, there's a high possibility that I'm going to confuse it with the book in my own personal opinion towards it.
Alright, so I liked the book well enough. Thought it was a simple and basic story that was engaging. What really distanced itself from being a clichéd, chic-lit novel is the writing and the fact that the author didn't exaggerate the time period. Like there were these little details and gestures that felt so natural to the time and wasn't overdone to accentuate the period.
A lot of people criticize how Eilis didn't seem to have any emotion, which is pretty true. But it didn't hinder my experience of reading the story. I'm not sure how to put it, but Eilis was very much at a distant but I didn't feel disconnected at the same time. Can't really describe how reading it felt but it was like how reading a third person novel is at its basic level...? You're there but not with the characters? *cries at my inability to write a sensible review*
However, I tend to revolve anything around the couple if there happens to be one. And I loved Tony, okay? He was really charming and reminded me a lot of Vincent Piazza's character in Jersey Boys. So after all that, she immediately falls for Jim?? What! Okay her relationship with Tony was too fast as well but keeping in mind the fact that she married Tony by the time she met Jim...ay ay ay. I get it, Tony and Jim stood as symbols for Brooklyn and Ireland but, after all that time in Brooklyn and having done so much to get there (okay not a lot, but still), she considers staying back in Ireland? That's character degradement! I mean even if she went back to Tony in the end, I'm still uncertain about whether it was reluctant or not. Circumstances show that she felt forced to go back to Tony, which bugs me.
On the other hand, the movie made it seem like she was happy and content with being back with Tony, being back in Brooklyn. So that satisfied me. But then what was the point of Jim? Even if he served as the symbol for what Ireland was, they barely portrayed it.
Anyway, in the movie, Eilis went back to Tony - happily. And that's what seemingly matters now xD
Edit: Although, I enjoyed the book, I highly doubt I'd re-read this in the future. Thinking about it, I should probably make that as a criteria before buying books. Will I read it more than once?
Alright, so I liked the book well enough. Thought it was a simple and basic story that was engaging. What really distanced itself from being a clichéd, chic-lit novel is the writing and the fact that the author didn't exaggerate the time period. Like there were these little details and gestures that felt so natural to the time and wasn't overdone to accentuate the period.
A lot of people criticize how Eilis didn't seem to have any emotion, which is pretty true. But it didn't hinder my experience of reading the story. I'm not sure how to put it, but Eilis was very much at a distant but I didn't feel disconnected at the same time. Can't really describe how reading it felt but it was like how reading a third person novel is at its basic level...? You're there but not with the characters? *cries at my inability to write a sensible review*
However, I tend to revolve anything around the couple if there happens to be one. And I loved Tony, okay? He was really charming and reminded me a lot of Vincent Piazza's character in Jersey Boys. So after all that, she immediately falls for Jim?? What! Okay her relationship with Tony was too fast as well but keeping in mind the fact that she married Tony by the time she met Jim...ay ay ay. I get it, Tony and Jim stood as symbols for Brooklyn and Ireland but, after all that time in Brooklyn and having done so much to get there (okay not a lot, but still), she considers staying back in Ireland? That's character degradement! I mean even if she went back to Tony in the end, I'm still uncertain about whether it was reluctant or not. Circumstances show that she felt forced to go back to Tony, which bugs me.
On the other hand, the movie made it seem like she was happy and content with being back with Tony, being back in Brooklyn. So that satisfied me. But then what was the point of Jim? Even if he served as the symbol for what Ireland was, they barely portrayed it.
Anyway, in the movie, Eilis went back to Tony - happily. And that's what seemingly matters now xD
Edit: Although, I enjoyed the book, I highly doubt I'd re-read this in the future. Thinking about it, I should probably make that as a criteria before buying books. Will I read it more than once?