Ken's review
Be Near Me
by Andrew O'Hagan
Ken's review
Be Near Me by Andrew O'Hagan
Ken's review
rating:
Be Near Me tells the story of Father David, a priest having a mid-life spiritual crisis. After moving to a new parish, Father David becomes friends with two rebellious teenagers as well as his acerbic housekeeper.
I did not like this book. Father David, as a character, is a bit of a whiner and quite weak minded. Although he is middle-aged, he doesn't have a strong sense self, seeming to have stopped his maturation shortly after university. He makes bad choices even though he knows he making bad choices. I was frustrated by him. When, near the end of the book, he finally decides to take a stand, he does so to adhere to his sense of idealism from his youth, which, it seems to me, was false even then.
(I would add, though, that if you like Scotland or Scottish culture, you'd probably like this much more than I did.)
I did not like this book. Father David, as a character, is a bit of a whiner and quite weak minded. Although he is middle-aged, he doesn't have a strong sense self, seeming to have stopped his maturation shortly after university. He makes bad choices even though he knows he making bad choices. I was frustrated by him. When, near the end of the book, he finally decides to take a stand, he does so to adhere to his sense of idealism from his youth, which, it seems to me, was false even then.
(I would add, though, that if you like Scotland or Scottish culture, you'd probably like this much more than I did.)
