I should state that I read mainly classic books that I know are worth reading as reinforced by their existence for generations. Unfortunately I find choosing modern books a bit of a minefield and I can be disappointed unless I stick to a particular genre or select recommendations. I’m really enjoying the randomness of the books and so far in only three books a huge variety has been demonstrated by the wide-ranging subject matter, the styles of the authors and the characters portrayed.
This story was set in contemporary Ireland and chronicled the gathering of the surviving members of a twelve child family for a funeral. The perspective is from one of these grown-up children and deals with her grieving process. Through warped memories of her childhood and imaginings of events of her grandparents she questions what effects her childhood had on herself and her siblings, in particular her brother who had committed suicide.
The interactions of the family under these difficult circumstances give an insight on the group dynamic that had been formed by the years of all living under the same roof as children and the impact of being one of such a large family. All in all giving a particularly bleak outlook on their lives. From the perspective of this woman’s depression she casts her mind back to the events and people who have shaped her, dwelling on sex in various forms as the uniting theme.
I can’t say I enjoyed this book as I found it too grim and not engaging enough to counterbalance the feeling of dissatisfaction that permeated through the course of the story. Although clearly it was effective at conveying this mood through the writing and I gained an intimate insight into the makings of people through their family and the events which befall them. It also made me reflect on the nature of memory and how it is altered by emotion and affected by adult perspective. So thought-provoking despite being bleak and depressing.
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