By Colm Toibin
New York, Scribner, 2009. 262 pages. Fiction.
Set in 1950s, a young Irish girl, Eilis Lacey, is sent by
her family to Brooklyn to seek an education and opportunities that she’d not be
privileged to in her small Irish town. Though she’s not entirely keen on the move, and feels her older, more outgoing and adventurous sister might be
better suited for the trip, she goes anyway. Eilis finds work in a storefront
and enrolls in bookkeeping classes, and even meets a nice boy to spend time
with. Things are going swimmingly for her, but as we know, it can’t always
stay that way.
The descriptions in this book were so engaging, they had a way
of making the seemingly ordinary, even mundane aspects of life seem vibrant and vivid.
Since much of the narration comes by way of Eilis’ thoughts, it was easy to
feel connected to her and to commiserate with her coming of age tale, as she
experienced life in a new place, far from the familiar.
I was curious about this book as the movie adaptation was
nominated for a 2016 Oscar. I’m glad I read the book first because I
enjoyed it immensely. Now, to see if the adage “the book was better” holds up
in this case as well.
RC
1 comment:
I had trouble with how passive the main character of this book is. By the end I realized that's partly what this book is exploring, how inaction can still change your life. There are also some interesting themes about identity and how your surroundings can influence and change who you are. I watched the film after finishing the book, and though it doesn't explore these themes as thoroughly in the book, I enjoyed it a bit more.
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