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The Sea and The Silence
A book for your head and your heart.
A powerful novel from one of Ireland's best writers on the turbulent birth of a nation, and the lovers it divides.
Ireland 1945. Young and beautiful, Iz begins a life on the south-east coast with her new husband. As she settles in to try and make her life by the ever restless sea, circumstances that have brought Iz to the town of Monument are shrouded in mystery. However, history, like the sea cannot stay silent for long. The war in Europe is over, and change is about to brush away the old order. Soaring across the decades that follow Ireland’s newly won independence, sweeping across the fierce class issues and battles over land ownership that once defined Irish society, The Sea and the Silence is an epic love story set inside the fading grandeur of the Anglo-Irish class.
A powerful novel from one of Ireland's best writers on the turbulent birth of a nation, and the lovers it divides.
Ireland 1945. Young and beautiful, Iz begins a life on the south-east coast with her new husband. As she settles in to try and make her life by the ever restless sea, circumstances that have brought Iz to the town of Monument are shrouded in mystery. However, history, like the sea cannot stay silent for long. The war in Europe is over, and change is about to brush away the old order. Soaring across the decades that follow Ireland’s newly won independence, sweeping across the fierce class issues and battles over land ownership that once defined Irish society, The Sea and the Silence is an epic love story set inside the fading grandeur of the Anglo-Irish class.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2009
207 people are currently reading
1532 people want to read
About the author
Peter Cunningham
8 books21 followersPeter Cunningham is an award winning Irish novelist.
He is best known for the historical novels The Sea And The Silence, Tapes Of The River Delta, Consequences Of The Heart and Love In One Edition, which chronicle the lives of local families during the twentieth century, in Monument, the fictional version of Waterford in south-east Ireland, where Cunningham grew up.
His novel, The Taoiseach, which was based on the life of former Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Charles J. Haughey was a controversial bestseller.
Capital Sins, a satirical novel, dealt with the collapse of the Irish economy during the financial crisis that began in 2008.
Cunningham’s work has attracted a significant amount of critical attention and praise. The Sea And The Silence (translated into French as La Mer Et La Silence) was awarded the Prix de l’Europe in 2013. This novel was also short-listed for the Prix des Lecteurs du Telégramme and the Prix Caillou.
Consequences Of The Heart was short-listed for the Kerry Listowel Writer’s Prize. In 2011 Cunningham won the Cecil Day Lewis Bursary Award.
His fiction is distinguished by its fusing of political material with psychological realism and a lyrical sensitivity to place and people.
Peter Cunningham is a member of Aosdána, (the Irish Academy for Arts and Letters). He has judged the Glen Dimplex Literary Awards and the Bantry Festival Writer’s Prize.
Under the pseudonym Peter Wilben, he has published the Joe Grace mystery thrillers series
http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Wilben/e/...
He is best known for the historical novels The Sea And The Silence, Tapes Of The River Delta, Consequences Of The Heart and Love In One Edition, which chronicle the lives of local families during the twentieth century, in Monument, the fictional version of Waterford in south-east Ireland, where Cunningham grew up.
His novel, The Taoiseach, which was based on the life of former Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Charles J. Haughey was a controversial bestseller.
Capital Sins, a satirical novel, dealt with the collapse of the Irish economy during the financial crisis that began in 2008.
Cunningham’s work has attracted a significant amount of critical attention and praise. The Sea And The Silence (translated into French as La Mer Et La Silence) was awarded the Prix de l’Europe in 2013. This novel was also short-listed for the Prix des Lecteurs du Telégramme and the Prix Caillou.
Consequences Of The Heart was short-listed for the Kerry Listowel Writer’s Prize. In 2011 Cunningham won the Cecil Day Lewis Bursary Award.
His fiction is distinguished by its fusing of political material with psychological realism and a lyrical sensitivity to place and people.
Peter Cunningham is a member of Aosdána, (the Irish Academy for Arts and Letters). He has judged the Glen Dimplex Literary Awards and the Bantry Festival Writer’s Prize.
Under the pseudonym Peter Wilben, he has published the Joe Grace mystery thrillers series
http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Wilben/e/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
April 25, 2010
"What you ought to be reading"
"You think of yourself as a moderately well-read person. And then you come across a book so brilliant, so moving, so enchanting, by an author you had not even heard of, and your world is henceforth altered. You feel a bit like John Keats when he came across a translation of Homer that knocked him out: "Then felt I like some watcher of the skies when a new planet swims into his ken."
For me, that new planet is "The Sea and the Silence," a new novel by Irish writer Peter Cunningham. First published in Ireland in 2008, the novel recently was published in the United States by Gemma. It begins during World War II and ends in the 1970's, but the narrative is not straightforward -- reminding us that the people we know are likely carrying around worlds inside them, events and emotions we haven't the foggiest notion of, but ones that very well might be influencing everything they do and are.
"The Sea and the Silence" is a love story, and a war story, and it's beautifully told in that lilting, low-key style that syncopates the work of so many great Irish writers, such as William Trevor, John McGahern and John Banville: "As I stared, by on of those miracles of light, the sea shone as if all the silver of the world was buried just beneat its surface."
The last 20 or so pages will hold you especially spellbound. You can sense what's going to happen but not how -- and that, come to think of it, is the way it is with life itself. The end is inescapable: All of us eventually die. But what we do before that moment -- whom we love, how we live -- is the subject of this brutal, luminous, unforgettable book."
jikeller@tribune.com
Found this article in the Chicago Tribune just as it appears here.
"You think of yourself as a moderately well-read person. And then you come across a book so brilliant, so moving, so enchanting, by an author you had not even heard of, and your world is henceforth altered. You feel a bit like John Keats when he came across a translation of Homer that knocked him out: "Then felt I like some watcher of the skies when a new planet swims into his ken."
For me, that new planet is "The Sea and the Silence," a new novel by Irish writer Peter Cunningham. First published in Ireland in 2008, the novel recently was published in the United States by Gemma. It begins during World War II and ends in the 1970's, but the narrative is not straightforward -- reminding us that the people we know are likely carrying around worlds inside them, events and emotions we haven't the foggiest notion of, but ones that very well might be influencing everything they do and are.
"The Sea and the Silence" is a love story, and a war story, and it's beautifully told in that lilting, low-key style that syncopates the work of so many great Irish writers, such as William Trevor, John McGahern and John Banville: "As I stared, by on of those miracles of light, the sea shone as if all the silver of the world was buried just beneat its surface."
The last 20 or so pages will hold you especially spellbound. You can sense what's going to happen but not how -- and that, come to think of it, is the way it is with life itself. The end is inescapable: All of us eventually die. But what we do before that moment -- whom we love, how we live -- is the subject of this brutal, luminous, unforgettable book."
jikeller@tribune.com
Found this article in the Chicago Tribune just as it appears here.
December 26, 2014
One of the first things that struck me about this book, strangely, was a technical detail: the author sets dialogue apart from the text with M-dashes rather than quotation marks. Anyone who has so much as skimmed Ulysses knows that James Joyce did the same. Perhaps Cunningham drew inspiration from that quintessential Dublin story. However, in The Sea and the Silence, dialogue often mingles with dialogue tags, descriptors, and asides with no punctuation to delineate. This was somewhat confusing at times.
The Sea and the Silence is a somewhat amorphous narrative, devoid of definition, of the sharp edges and narrative footholds that help readers to gain their bearings. At times, this gives the prose a somewhat dreamlike feel. There is some beautiful imagery, descriptive and evocative, that immerses the reader in the Irish setting. At other times, the story is somewhat difficult to follow because there is so much of importance that we do not know, and the characters we are following feel like strangers.
We spend approximately 250 pages with Iz, but even after the story ended, I felt as though I knew very little about her. The story offers enough biographical information to fill out a timeline, but not enough introspection or deep characterization to generate a connection between the reader and Iz. We follow her as she navigates the various romances in her life (Ronnie, Frank, and even Norman), but never gain a real sense of what draws her to these men. The story tells us that she and Frank "infused one another" (248), but never shows us how this is true. At another juncture, Iz says that "we had something rare and wonderful together, Ronnie, Hector and I" (49), but what little we know of Ronnie at that point hardly substantiates this claim. Overall, the story needed more showing and less telling.
The narrative makes effective use of the prevalent sociopolitical conflicts of 1940s and 1950s Ireland. Like many of the great historical epics, The Sea and the Silence illuminates how this macrocosmic unrest manifests itself in the microcosm. Iz experiences love, but political forces greater than herself cut short that relationship. She finds herself engaged to a man she does not love in the name of financial security and appeasement of her meddling family. Ultimately, she marries a man who is utterly wrong for her to mask an out-of-wedlock pregnancy--and lives to regret it when he turns out to be a philanderer with a gambling problem. Unfortunately, we learn these things out of order, and it isn't until the story ends that we have any sense of how Iz has ended up where she is.
(Disclaimer: I received the galley proofs of this book from GemmaMedia for review.)
The Sea and the Silence is a somewhat amorphous narrative, devoid of definition, of the sharp edges and narrative footholds that help readers to gain their bearings. At times, this gives the prose a somewhat dreamlike feel. There is some beautiful imagery, descriptive and evocative, that immerses the reader in the Irish setting. At other times, the story is somewhat difficult to follow because there is so much of importance that we do not know, and the characters we are following feel like strangers.
We spend approximately 250 pages with Iz, but even after the story ended, I felt as though I knew very little about her. The story offers enough biographical information to fill out a timeline, but not enough introspection or deep characterization to generate a connection between the reader and Iz. We follow her as she navigates the various romances in her life (Ronnie, Frank, and even Norman), but never gain a real sense of what draws her to these men. The story tells us that she and Frank "infused one another" (248), but never shows us how this is true. At another juncture, Iz says that "we had something rare and wonderful together, Ronnie, Hector and I" (49), but what little we know of Ronnie at that point hardly substantiates this claim. Overall, the story needed more showing and less telling.
The narrative makes effective use of the prevalent sociopolitical conflicts of 1940s and 1950s Ireland. Like many of the great historical epics, The Sea and the Silence illuminates how this macrocosmic unrest manifests itself in the microcosm. Iz experiences love, but political forces greater than herself cut short that relationship. She finds herself engaged to a man she does not love in the name of financial security and appeasement of her meddling family. Ultimately, she marries a man who is utterly wrong for her to mask an out-of-wedlock pregnancy--and lives to regret it when he turns out to be a philanderer with a gambling problem. Unfortunately, we learn these things out of order, and it isn't until the story ends that we have any sense of how Iz has ended up where she is.
(Disclaimer: I received the galley proofs of this book from GemmaMedia for review.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2017
Very much a book of two parts. The first half was written in a very distant manner. Everything was observed rather than participated in. As a reader I did not feel very engaged and I didn't really care about the characters.
The second half was completely diferent. The characters were well fleshed out and diverse. The drew the reader in and was exciting and emotionally engaging.
Once I'd read the book I understand why the author had written it the way he did, but I couldn't help but feel he could have achieved his aim in a way that might have the first half a little more interesting.
The second half was completely diferent. The characters were well fleshed out and diverse. The drew the reader in and was exciting and emotionally engaging.
Once I'd read the book I understand why the author had written it the way he did, but I couldn't help but feel he could have achieved his aim in a way that might have the first half a little more interesting.
November 6, 2013
I keep wavering between 3 and 4 stars, so I'm going to split the difference and go 3.5. Here's the thing. I give it props for its prose, it's characters, the storyline and the setting. The author does a great job of drawing you in and telling a poignant story. I have of course heard of the IRA but didn't know much about the conflicts, and thanks to the author's extensive research, I feel like I have at least a small grasp of the subject. That being said, I'm just one of those people that likes to read books with happy endings. I'll even take bittersweet endings. This was neither. It had a trite ending, for lack of a better word. I know others would ridicule me by saying that life doesn't always have happy endings and to consider the era. And I would whole-heartedly agree with them. That's exactly why I like to read books with happy endings. Life is messy, unfair, and bad things do happen. If I wanted my form of entertainment to look like reality, I'd turn on the news. I just like the escape. So it's for that reason I can't like this book any more than 3.5 stars. If you like these kind of books, go for it. It is well-written, well-researched, and the characters come alive on the page. My heart raced to know what would happen next, my heart would sink at the trials of the MC and sore at her triumphs. It is a good book. I just don't like that there's no happy ending. Except for Bibs Toms.
October 11, 2013
I've read many books set around WWII, about loves lost or separated because of the political or physical nature of war, but never one set in Ireland. The setting alone brings to light a different set of national and cultural circumstances even though some ideas, themes, and conflicts transcend time, space and culture. While the overall format or structure of this book is not unique, the voice and manner of writing is both unique and refreshing. Descriptions were poetically given without being too meandering or overwhelming. An enjoyable read!
September 6, 2019
This novel opens as an attorney is settling the affairs of a recently deceased client. She has left two envelopes, requesting that he open and read the contents and then destroy them. One bears the name of her son, "Hector," and the other "Iz"--the nickname of Ismay, the deceased. The setting is Ireland, starting in the early 1940s and working through several decades. Ireland is staying out of the war on the Continent, but many of the Anglo-Irish young men are signing up for service in the British armed forces. Although Iz's family is in financial distress, due to her father's disability and neglect of their land, she is still included in the social calendar. "Hector" tells the story of her early marriage to Ronnie, a member of the horsey set, and their life in the fictional sea coast town of Monument. Initially happy, things begin to fall apart as Ronnie's weaknesses--drinking, speculating in land deals that inevitably fall through, and womanizing--are revealed. Iz's life and happiness become centered around her son. In "Iz," she begins with a cricket game and a dance where she meets two men that will change her life: Ronnie and Frank, a dock worker. Iz is also being pressured by her family to marry Norman, a wealthy landowner's son.
Cunningham's book gave me a new take on World War II and on the continuing conflicts between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland. It also documents the life of a woman who was pressured by the expectations of her social status. And in many ways it's a quintuple love story--of Iz and Frank, Iz and Ronnie, Iz and Hector, Iz and the sea, Iz and the Dublin house she inherits. The characters are intriguing, if sometimes a bit cliché; thankfully Iz is the center of it all. It wasn't a five-star read for me, but I did enjoy it.
Cunningham's book gave me a new take on World War II and on the continuing conflicts between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland. It also documents the life of a woman who was pressured by the expectations of her social status. And in many ways it's a quintuple love story--of Iz and Frank, Iz and Ronnie, Iz and Hector, Iz and the sea, Iz and the Dublin house she inherits. The characters are intriguing, if sometimes a bit cliché; thankfully Iz is the center of it all. It wasn't a five-star read for me, but I did enjoy it.
July 29, 2014
This is a great book that I got while it was available as a free download (thank you!). Although it has mixed reviews here on Goodreads, the description caught my attention.
I love history, I definitely love Ireland, and, of course, I love lovers. And, as you see, the description goes on to call the book "an epic love story." So I was excited to read it despite the fact that people seem rather divided by either loving it or hating it.
I am one of those who loved it, but I didn't love it until I read the entire book. It seems that most reviewers (here on Goodreads) who didn't like it are readers who didn't finish the book. Finish the book, people!!! It is a book you don't fully appreciate until you reach the end!! I promise! And then, when you do reach the end and you still don't like it, I will listen to your opinion. Because it is true, and I will admit, the first half of the book isn't as captivating as the second half of the book.
The first half tells the story of a woman named Iz (our heroine), and her failing marriage. Although it was interesting enough for me to continue on in the story, I do understand why people give up on the book prematurely. It isn't very captivating, but it is what you need to know before reading the second half of the book, where you learn about Iz at a younger age and where the plot quickly speeds up. This is where the turbulent history of the Irish comes in and where we begin to fully understand Iz, her early years, and what brought her to where she is in the first half of the book. When you finish, I believe you will be surprisingly satisfied with the book. I know I was, and it earned the book 4 stars from me.
I love history, I definitely love Ireland, and, of course, I love lovers. And, as you see, the description goes on to call the book "an epic love story." So I was excited to read it despite the fact that people seem rather divided by either loving it or hating it.
I am one of those who loved it, but I didn't love it until I read the entire book. It seems that most reviewers (here on Goodreads) who didn't like it are readers who didn't finish the book. Finish the book, people!!! It is a book you don't fully appreciate until you reach the end!! I promise! And then, when you do reach the end and you still don't like it, I will listen to your opinion. Because it is true, and I will admit, the first half of the book isn't as captivating as the second half of the book.
The first half tells the story of a woman named Iz (our heroine), and her failing marriage. Although it was interesting enough for me to continue on in the story, I do understand why people give up on the book prematurely. It isn't very captivating, but it is what you need to know before reading the second half of the book, where you learn about Iz at a younger age and where the plot quickly speeds up. This is where the turbulent history of the Irish comes in and where we begin to fully understand Iz, her early years, and what brought her to where she is in the first half of the book. When you finish, I believe you will be surprisingly satisfied with the book. I know I was, and it earned the book 4 stars from me.
January 21, 2012
“What I was caught up in, I dimly understood, was the embodiment of history”
Ismay Seston’s world is changing. The Great War rages in Europe and, even though Ireland remains neutral, there is no neutrality for the Anglo-Irish who exist between two cultures, despised by both. But Ismay has the optimism of youth and beauty, ready to choose love over family, heritage and politics. However, history, like the sea, does not discriminate in its tendency to crush, saturate, and drown. Ismay finds that silence is her only weapon against history, but silence too has a price.
This is a beautifully written novel both in its reflectiveness and its imagery. It has the British languor and angst of Ian McEwan’s Atonement and the Irish passion and dysfunction of John McGahern’s Amongst Women. Cunningham’s sympathetic portrayal of the Anglo-Irish during their decline is skillfully done, not glossing over their poor treatment of the Irish or their desire to be considered English, but showing how they were pawns in a greater drama, much as Ismay becomes in her own family.
Some readers might be thrown off by the structure of the novel. The first half describes Ismay’s troubled marriage to Ronnie and the raising of their only child, a boy named Hector. The second half recounts the events in Ismay’s life that have led to her living in a lighthouse in a rural part of Ireland. While both parts are told in first person, it is the second part which reveals Ismay on an intimate level. I enjoyed this non-linear style of storytelling as it made Ismay’s motives unclear, a mystery that is understood only by reading part two.
Ismay Seston’s world is changing. The Great War rages in Europe and, even though Ireland remains neutral, there is no neutrality for the Anglo-Irish who exist between two cultures, despised by both. But Ismay has the optimism of youth and beauty, ready to choose love over family, heritage and politics. However, history, like the sea, does not discriminate in its tendency to crush, saturate, and drown. Ismay finds that silence is her only weapon against history, but silence too has a price.
This is a beautifully written novel both in its reflectiveness and its imagery. It has the British languor and angst of Ian McEwan’s Atonement and the Irish passion and dysfunction of John McGahern’s Amongst Women. Cunningham’s sympathetic portrayal of the Anglo-Irish during their decline is skillfully done, not glossing over their poor treatment of the Irish or their desire to be considered English, but showing how they were pawns in a greater drama, much as Ismay becomes in her own family.
Some readers might be thrown off by the structure of the novel. The first half describes Ismay’s troubled marriage to Ronnie and the raising of their only child, a boy named Hector. The second half recounts the events in Ismay’s life that have led to her living in a lighthouse in a rural part of Ireland. While both parts are told in first person, it is the second part which reveals Ismay on an intimate level. I enjoyed this non-linear style of storytelling as it made Ismay’s motives unclear, a mystery that is understood only by reading part two.
December 31, 2013
The Sea and The Silence (kindle) by Peter Cunningham. The heroine has just died and has given her solicitor two volumes to read, after which he is to destroy. Britain and Ireland are changing, and in 1950, the changing scenario became really apparent to Iz, the heroine. Under pressure for alot of things, she chooses to follow her own way and does so. Each of the books says alot both of her own history, the history of her husband and the history of Ireland in general during her adult lifetime. I found it a very drawing book, read it in a day (and yes) it would have been nice to draw it out more, but that didn't work out that way somehow, with my own needs and schedules. I'd really recommend the book for anyone who might be interested in the well presented characters and their lives, and the subject matter.
November 30, 2013
The first half of this book is coldly and factually recounted in first person by Iz as if she had lost all emotion in marriage to Ronnie and as if her son never developed any personality that she could tell us about. The family lives in a lighthouse by the sea. The only thing that seems to speak to Iz is the changing motion of the sea. This segment was so cold, I almost quit reading. I kept on however in order to find out why the book had gotten a prize.
The second half of the book was the tale of Iz's life prior to her marriage to Ronnie. It is warm, vivid with characterization and details the path of Iz into love and its consequences.
Completion of the book brought about the discovery that the book probably won its prize because the contrast in one's approach to life changes with one's emotional styate.
The second half of the book was the tale of Iz's life prior to her marriage to Ronnie. It is warm, vivid with characterization and details the path of Iz into love and its consequences.
Completion of the book brought about the discovery that the book probably won its prize because the contrast in one's approach to life changes with one's emotional styate.
July 10, 2013
I saw this book on Bookbub. It was an interesting but predictable romance story. The setting, Ireland, and the time and politics kept it interesting. Not a waste of time. A decent summer read but no great shakes.
The book begins in the middle of the main character's life. Actually, after she dies. Her solicitor is given two documents in which she tells him her story. The first document features her son. The second her love and her life as a young and beautiful girl. Aren't they all beautiful?
So if you like a bit of romance and you want to read about Ireland. Read, enjoy. If not you have not missed a great book.
The book begins in the middle of the main character's life. Actually, after she dies. Her solicitor is given two documents in which she tells him her story. The first document features her son. The second her love and her life as a young and beautiful girl. Aren't they all beautiful?
So if you like a bit of romance and you want to read about Ireland. Read, enjoy. If not you have not missed a great book.
October 20, 2013
Rec'd this book free from author. The first part of the book is just okay and did hold my interest. The second part, IZ, really held my interest. In fact, when I was finished with the book, I started from the beginning and reread the first chapter to make sure what I thought was true. Ends with a bang! Read in one day and enjoyed. Would recommend for easy reading.
July 5, 2022
ما فقط یه بار زندگی می کنیم. تو باید رویاهات رو زندگی کنی. هیچ کس دیگهای قرار نیست این کار رو واست انجام بده. [جمله از کتاب]
کتاب داستان زیبایی داشت. ولی ترجمه خیلی بد بود واقعا از نشر نیماژ انتظار نداشتم. انگار از گوگل ترنسلیت کپی شده بود بعضی قسمتها واقعا نامفهوم بود و جمله بندی ها کاملا بی ربط. البته کتابی که من خوندم چاپ اول بود اميدوارم در چاپ های بعدی این مسئله درست شده باشه.
کتاب داستان زیبایی داشت. ولی ترجمه خیلی بد بود واقعا از نشر نیماژ انتظار نداشتم. انگار از گوگل ترنسلیت کپی شده بود بعضی قسمتها واقعا نامفهوم بود و جمله بندی ها کاملا بی ربط. البته کتابی که من خوندم چاپ اول بود اميدوارم در چاپ های بعدی این مسئله درست شده باشه.
September 27, 2013
Excellent read! It's the first I've read about the "land agitators" in Ireland, very interesting. The story is seamless and written with such clarity and description that I found myself in Ireland in the mid 1940's as well as feeling the tremendous heartbreak of loss and the pain of deception.
May 22, 2022
Irlanda, un avvocato si trova ad adempiere alle ultime volontà di una sua cliente. Tra le varie carte trova due plicchi scritti dalla stessa prima di morire, entrambi hanno un nome sulla prima pagina "Hector" e "Iz".
Il romanzo quindi procede con il primo plicco e ci racconta la storia di Hector da quando è ancora nel grembo di sua madre Iz.
Iz è una ragazza poco più che ventenne nell'Irlanda all'indomani della fine della seconda guerra mondiale. È bellissima ed è sposata con un giovane, Ronnie, che sembra amarla alla follia. Eppure Iz non sembra mai essere felice, sembra sempre che una parte di sé sia come morta. In questa prima parte assistiamo quindi alla nascita di Hector e alla sua crescita fino a diventare uomo e contemporaneamente vediamo evolvere il matrimonio di Iz e Ronnie che sembra sempre più in crisi e l'unica domanda che viene da porsi è: perché Iz ha sposato Ronnie?
La risposta ci viene data nel secondo plicco che racconta la storia di Iz prima del matrimonio con Ronnie e ci fa comprendere quali sono stati i motivi tragici e per certi versi ineluttabili che hanno portato Iz a compiere le sue scelte condannandosi ad una vita infelice. Questa seconda parte del romanzo è ambientata durante la seconda guerra mondiale e mostra un'Irlanda dominata dall'odio e dalle divisioni, in cui il movimento dell'IRA avrà un ruolo fondamentale.
Ho trovato la prima parte del romanzo molto noiosa e soprattutto avevo sempre la sensazione che mi mancasse un pezzo, cosa effettivamente vera dato che le informazioni principali ci vengono date nella seconda parte. La struttura del romanzo l'ho trovata comunque poco armonica, con pezzi scollegati tra loro che non danno un senso di unicità e completezza.
Anche i personaggi non mi hanno fatto impazzire, nessuno mi ha colpito in modo particolare e quelli che avevano degli spunti potenzialmente interessanti non sono stati approfondimenti abbastanza. Anche la storia dell'Irlanda è trattata con molta superficialità sprecando un'ambientazione che avrebbe potuto essere ricca di fascino.
Il romanzo quindi procede con il primo plicco e ci racconta la storia di Hector da quando è ancora nel grembo di sua madre Iz.
Iz è una ragazza poco più che ventenne nell'Irlanda all'indomani della fine della seconda guerra mondiale. È bellissima ed è sposata con un giovane, Ronnie, che sembra amarla alla follia. Eppure Iz non sembra mai essere felice, sembra sempre che una parte di sé sia come morta. In questa prima parte assistiamo quindi alla nascita di Hector e alla sua crescita fino a diventare uomo e contemporaneamente vediamo evolvere il matrimonio di Iz e Ronnie che sembra sempre più in crisi e l'unica domanda che viene da porsi è: perché Iz ha sposato Ronnie?
La risposta ci viene data nel secondo plicco che racconta la storia di Iz prima del matrimonio con Ronnie e ci fa comprendere quali sono stati i motivi tragici e per certi versi ineluttabili che hanno portato Iz a compiere le sue scelte condannandosi ad una vita infelice. Questa seconda parte del romanzo è ambientata durante la seconda guerra mondiale e mostra un'Irlanda dominata dall'odio e dalle divisioni, in cui il movimento dell'IRA avrà un ruolo fondamentale.
Ho trovato la prima parte del romanzo molto noiosa e soprattutto avevo sempre la sensazione che mi mancasse un pezzo, cosa effettivamente vera dato che le informazioni principali ci vengono date nella seconda parte. La struttura del romanzo l'ho trovata comunque poco armonica, con pezzi scollegati tra loro che non danno un senso di unicità e completezza.
Anche i personaggi non mi hanno fatto impazzire, nessuno mi ha colpito in modo particolare e quelli che avevano degli spunti potenzialmente interessanti non sono stati approfondimenti abbastanza. Anche la storia dell'Irlanda è trattata con molta superficialità sprecando un'ambientazione che avrebbe potuto essere ricca di fascino.
March 1, 2021
L'autore è presentato come uno dei maggiori scrittori irlandesi viventi.
La struttura del romanzo è particolare: inizia con un prologo, dal quale si comprende che quella che sarà la protagonista della narrazione è ormai defunta. Seguono due blocchi narrativi in flashback: il primo va dal 1945 al 1970 ed ha per titolo HECTOR (figlio della protagonista) ed il narratore è intradiegetico ed è la protagonista stessa. Il secondo blocco narrativo va dal 1943 al 1945 (termina là dove iniziano le vicende del primo blocco) ed ha per titolo IZ, cioè la protagonista stessa che è sempre la voce narrante.
Di per sé le vicende di Iz non mi hanno molto appassionata, ma mi è piaciuta molto l'ambientazione con le descrizioni della natura irlandese nelle diverse stagioni e del mare. Interessante anche l'ambientazione storica, nel periodo che coincide con la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, a cui l'Irlanda non partecipò, ma vi presero parte volontariamente gli angloirlandesi, popolazione di cui Iz fa parte; interessante anche il punto di vista degli angloirlandesi nel periodo in cui l'Irlanda repubblicana vuole ritornare in possesso dei terreni ancora appartenenti ad angloirlandesi.
La struttura del romanzo è particolare: inizia con un prologo, dal quale si comprende che quella che sarà la protagonista della narrazione è ormai defunta. Seguono due blocchi narrativi in flashback: il primo va dal 1945 al 1970 ed ha per titolo HECTOR (figlio della protagonista) ed il narratore è intradiegetico ed è la protagonista stessa. Il secondo blocco narrativo va dal 1943 al 1945 (termina là dove iniziano le vicende del primo blocco) ed ha per titolo IZ, cioè la protagonista stessa che è sempre la voce narrante.
Di per sé le vicende di Iz non mi hanno molto appassionata, ma mi è piaciuta molto l'ambientazione con le descrizioni della natura irlandese nelle diverse stagioni e del mare. Interessante anche l'ambientazione storica, nel periodo che coincide con la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, a cui l'Irlanda non partecipò, ma vi presero parte volontariamente gli angloirlandesi, popolazione di cui Iz fa parte; interessante anche il punto di vista degli angloirlandesi nel periodo in cui l'Irlanda repubblicana vuole ritornare in possesso dei terreni ancora appartenenti ad angloirlandesi.
September 15, 2022
به طور کلی موضوع کتاب درباره زندگی و سرنوشت دختری به نام IZ یا ایزمی هست.
محیطی که داستان در اون اتفاق افتاده بود رو بی نهایت دوست داشتم؛ ایرلند، مونومنت، فانوس دریایی. با خوندن داستان صدای اسب ها و امواج دریا رو به راحتی حس می کردم. اما با وجود این ها، فضای زندگی ایزمی برام تاریک بود. شاید به خاطر اتفاقاتی که تو زندگیش افتاد.
دوبلین هم در ذهنم به عنوان یک شهر آروم و تا حدی کسل کننده ثبت شد.
دوست داشتم روابط بین کاراکتر ها رو بیشتر حس کنم. شخصیت پردازی ضعیف بود. هکتور و فرانک آدم های مهم زندگی ایزمی بودن ولی اصلا به خوبی پرداخته نشده بودن.
شاید اگر نویسنده روی توصیف و معرفی کاراکتر ها بیشتر کار می کرد بعد از اتمام داستان برای سرنوشت کاراکترها کلی غصه می خوردم.
یک سری از بخش های کتاب به طرز عجیبی برام گنگ بود. نمیدونم مشکل از ترجمه بود یا خود داستان.( از نشر نیماژ بعید بود چنین ترجمه ای)
در کل خود داستان بدک نبود ولی کاش نویسنده سعی می کرد بیشتر خواننده رو به فضای داستان راه بده.
نمره من: ۳.۵ از ۵
محیطی که داستان در اون اتفاق افتاده بود رو بی نهایت دوست داشتم؛ ایرلند، مونومنت، فانوس دریایی. با خوندن داستان صدای اسب ها و امواج دریا رو به راحتی حس می کردم. اما با وجود این ها، فضای زندگی ایزمی برام تاریک بود. شاید به خاطر اتفاقاتی که تو زندگیش افتاد.
دوبلین هم در ذهنم به عنوان یک شهر آروم و تا حدی کسل کننده ثبت شد.
دوست داشتم روابط بین کاراکتر ها رو بیشتر حس کنم. شخصیت پردازی ضعیف بود. هکتور و فرانک آدم های مهم زندگی ایزمی بودن ولی اصلا به خوبی پرداخته نشده بودن.
شاید اگر نویسنده روی توصیف و معرفی کاراکتر ها بیشتر کار می کرد بعد از اتمام داستان برای سرنوشت کاراکترها کلی غصه می خوردم.
یک سری از بخش های کتاب به طرز عجیبی برام گنگ بود. نمیدونم مشکل از ترجمه بود یا خود داستان.( از نشر نیماژ بعید بود چنین ترجمه ای)
در کل خود داستان بدک نبود ولی کاش نویسنده سعی می کرد بیشتر خواننده رو به فضای داستان راه بده.
نمره من: ۳.۵ از ۵
January 25, 2017
I really hated this book. I'm giving it two stars however because the writing is not bad - I just didn't like the story. I didn't like Iz as a character, I didn't like the murder,senseless deaths, and domestic violence, and most importantly I can't figure out why this book was written. It's not a strong woman overcoming obstacles, it's not something we can learn from, or grow from, or see from another point of view, it's just it is an unending litany of miseries for a single person. Also, I have never met a woman that thinks the way this character does - she just doesn't ring true.
June 3, 2022
Tre stelle e mezzo. La struttura de romanzo si snoda in due parti e questa logica permette alla fine della lettura di fare gli incastri giusti e capire cosa realmente è successo, visto che nella prima parte alcuni dettagli vengono solo accennato ma non chiariti. Questa caratteristica del libro l’ho apprezzata particolarmente. Mentre, al di là di questo, la storia di per sé resta la classica vicenda di un amore contrastato. Ad ogni modo lo consiglio, per un viaggio nell’ Irlanda degli anni 40 e 50.
February 12, 2017
I'm not quite sure about this book. The first half of the book was in the present. Half way through we abruptly switched to years ago and what lead up to the current. I understand, but as the author I would not have made that decision. It just didn't feel right. Chopped? Ruined the flow? Not as dramatic, revealing and effective as hoped. I might have traveled back and forth in time throughout the whole story as much as that can be annoying. But an emotional, good read.
July 17, 2018
Unexpectedly Great!
From the beginning of this book I held no great expectations because I had not heard of it before. There was no hype surrounding it. It was a delightful surprise - once I got started, I could not put the book down. It thoroughly held my interest and was a favorite that will live in my mind’s eye for years. Rather like TV series such as A PLACE TO CALL HOME and a little bit like DOWNTON ABBEY.
From the beginning of this book I held no great expectations because I had not heard of it before. There was no hype surrounding it. It was a delightful surprise - once I got started, I could not put the book down. It thoroughly held my interest and was a favorite that will live in my mind’s eye for years. Rather like TV series such as A PLACE TO CALL HOME and a little bit like DOWNTON ABBEY.
July 9, 2021
Heart Breaking
This is a story that you don’t put down, the twist and turns of emotions will keep you flipping the pages. But the heartache, the historical story also keeps you so involved,
it broke my heart for the protagonists, but still had the happy ending, maybe not the way I would have wanted. It’s worth the read!
This is a story that you don’t put down, the twist and turns of emotions will keep you flipping the pages. But the heartache, the historical story also keeps you so involved,
it broke my heart for the protagonists, but still had the happy ending, maybe not the way I would have wanted. It’s worth the read!
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October 6, 2025قصه بد، داستان بد، ترجمه بد... بد بد بد...
آنقدر کتاب بدی بود که شهر کتاب چهارباغ به قیمت پشت جلد ۴۰۰۰۰ تومن میفروختش. خدا میدوند چه مدت تو قفسه و سر دل فروشندهها مونده بود که به اون قیمت ردش کردند. من هم به خاطر شباهت فامیل نویسنده با نویسنده "ساعتها" خریدم و بعد فهمیدم چی شده... دو نفر هستند و من گمراه شده بودم.
نمیدونم چطوری و از کجا جایزه گرفته
حتی یک ستاره هم حقش نیست.
نگهش داشتم خواستم کلاژ بسازم از صفحاتش استفاده کنم دق دلم بابت چنین بیدقتی در خرید خالی بشه.
آنقدر کتاب بدی بود که شهر کتاب چهارباغ به قیمت پشت جلد ۴۰۰۰۰ تومن میفروختش. خدا میدوند چه مدت تو قفسه و سر دل فروشندهها مونده بود که به اون قیمت ردش کردند. من هم به خاطر شباهت فامیل نویسنده با نویسنده "ساعتها" خریدم و بعد فهمیدم چی شده... دو نفر هستند و من گمراه شده بودم.
نمیدونم چطوری و از کجا جایزه گرفته
حتی یک ستاره هم حقش نیست.
نگهش داشتم خواستم کلاژ بسازم از صفحاتش استفاده کنم دق دلم بابت چنین بیدقتی در خرید خالی بشه.
November 21, 2020
I enjoyed this unusual book. Part One is about Iz and Ronnie and their son Hector who live in Ireland in a lighthouse belonging to Ronnie's family. It is enjoyable but has a feel of something missing. We see Iz and Ronnie's tumultuous marriage, his parents Langley and Peppy but don't get a feeling for who Iz really is until Part Two which goes back in time to Iz before her marriage. We see the previous life she had, the choices she made, the heartbreak she suffered and the reason she marries Ronnie. Part One then becomes clear. Well researched in Irish history of the 1940s.
September 30, 2021
Good story
I found this a tedious read. Had difficulty keeping characters straight. The story was good. Perhaps its just me but there was a war going on and it didn't seem to bother the main characters
I found this a tedious read. Had difficulty keeping characters straight. The story was good. Perhaps its just me but there was a war going on and it didn't seem to bother the main characters
December 30, 2017
I liked this book a lot. The first section made me like Ismay and the second section helped me understand her.
And a good dose of modern Irish history helped, too.
And a good dose of modern Irish history helped, too.
April 12, 2020
Very good read
Beautifully written. A surprise waits in store for the reader of this book. I will look for more of his work.
Beautifully written. A surprise waits in store for the reader of this book. I will look for more of his work.
April 22, 2018
Another time, another place. For Iz, marriage means a new life in a lighthouse on the coast. It means a small town and fitting into another family rather than starting from scratch. It means the heady rush of youth, two still-young people in a still-new relationship. And then, eventually, it means much more: it means the unravelling of that relationship, and of what Iz thought was true and would bring her happiness.
The first half of the story covers a number of years, but it's the second half of the story that really shows what might have been: the years before their marriage. I appreciate the order of operations there, because I'm not sure how much I would have wondered about Iz's pre-marraige life if it hadn't shown up at the end—the book description hints at it, but the book itself leaps easily into their married life—and that history really doesn't look the way I might have expected. Much more complicated. Much more political.
I didn't always like Iz in this story, but...I'm also pretty sure I wasn't meant to always like her, which is something I tend to appreciate. I might have liked a couple more chances to feel positive towards Ronnie (or even their son—I think there's a little too much reliance on 'he's important to Iz, so he'll be important to the reader), and I didn't really have a lot of patience for . But...it was nice to read about a slice of history that I don't know much about, and overall it was an engaging book.
The first half of the story covers a number of years, but it's the second half of the story that really shows what might have been: the years before their marriage. I appreciate the order of operations there, because I'm not sure how much I would have wondered about Iz's pre-marraige life if it hadn't shown up at the end—the book description hints at it, but the book itself leaps easily into their married life—and that history really doesn't look the way I might have expected. Much more complicated. Much more political.
I didn't always like Iz in this story, but...I'm also pretty sure I wasn't meant to always like her, which is something I tend to appreciate. I might have liked a couple more chances to feel positive towards Ronnie (or even their son—I think there's a little too much reliance on 'he's important to Iz, so he'll be important to the reader), and I didn't really have a lot of patience for . But...it was nice to read about a slice of history that I don't know much about, and overall it was an engaging book.
September 12, 2018
Irish culture
This story reads in two parts. It contains historical perspectives and personal strife. The writing is well done and engaging. I enjoyed it.
This story reads in two parts. It contains historical perspectives and personal strife. The writing is well done and engaging. I enjoyed it.
July 3, 2011
The genius of this clever little novel is in its structure. Cunningham was a positive genius to come up with this and, since reading it, I can't help but think how other novels I have loved could have been done in the same way. My only problem with the story was the formatting style. Instead of using traditional quotation marks, there was an em-dash preceding all bits of dialog but none following it. Thus, unless there was an attribution like “he said” or “she whispered” I was never really sure what was dialog and what was exposition. Because of this I spent the first couple of chapters struggling to adjust to the odd format style. I think readers would find the story more accessible without that.
The story begins in the 1970s when a solicitor is administering the will of the recently departed “Ismay”, also known as “Iz”, an English woman who lived most of her life in Ireland. The solicitor, who had nursed a quiet, life-long love for Iz, has two envelopes with the instruction to read them and then destroy them. The first one is labeled “Hector” the name of Ismay's son. The second is labeled “Iz”.
In Hector we enter the world of Iz, Hector's mother, who is married to Ronnie, an upper-class ne'er-do-well, who lives in a lighthouse on the Irish coast. World War II is on and life is difficult. There are many struggles not the least of which is coping with the foolish choices of Ronnie when it comes to money, responsibility, and other women. Throughout the story Iz is continually challenged by the problems of aging parents, being a good mother, managing finances such as they are and dealing with Ronnie who can be sweet and endearing when he has screwed something up which is pretty often.
As I was reading it I thought, as I often have with books of this type, why in the blue blazes a beautiful, intelligent, sophisticated woman like Iz stayed with a philandering, useless clod like Ronnie? In some ways Iz reminded me of Stella in Patrick McGrath's Asylum. Iz struggles through one screw up after another from her charming but useless husband and has a few romances of her own. Finally she has had enough and decides to devote herself solely to her son who is a grown man in the British Army being sent to Northern Belfast during the IRA conflicts. The story is difficult and heart-breaking and, as it ended, I really wondered if I could handle Part Two. I'm glad I kept reading.
Part Two, “Iz” begins a few years before Part One began. Now we go back in time to examine the life of young Iz, the beautiful, head-strong daughter of Anglo-Irish parents living on an estate – rich in land, poor in cash – during World War II and the beginning of the Irish struggle for independence. This part of the story is far more intriguing as we see young Iz among her sisters who all have different goals for their lives, come to womanhood on an estate that they are constantly in danger of losing. Iz could be the estate's salvation because she is being actively courted by Norman, a prosperous young man who offers to cultivate the estate and keep it profitable so that his future wife's family will be safe from the growing Irish unrest. But Iz's heart is in another direction, a young Irish dock worker who is penniless but whom she loves.
It is impossible to write more about this story without giving away too much but suffice it to say that when you reach the finally pages of Part Two, the incomprehensible parts of Part One are made clear.
This is a beautifully written, stylishly lovely book and, if not for the bizarre choice in formatting, would have earned 5 stars from me.
The story begins in the 1970s when a solicitor is administering the will of the recently departed “Ismay”, also known as “Iz”, an English woman who lived most of her life in Ireland. The solicitor, who had nursed a quiet, life-long love for Iz, has two envelopes with the instruction to read them and then destroy them. The first one is labeled “Hector” the name of Ismay's son. The second is labeled “Iz”.
In Hector we enter the world of Iz, Hector's mother, who is married to Ronnie, an upper-class ne'er-do-well, who lives in a lighthouse on the Irish coast. World War II is on and life is difficult. There are many struggles not the least of which is coping with the foolish choices of Ronnie when it comes to money, responsibility, and other women. Throughout the story Iz is continually challenged by the problems of aging parents, being a good mother, managing finances such as they are and dealing with Ronnie who can be sweet and endearing when he has screwed something up which is pretty often.
As I was reading it I thought, as I often have with books of this type, why in the blue blazes a beautiful, intelligent, sophisticated woman like Iz stayed with a philandering, useless clod like Ronnie? In some ways Iz reminded me of Stella in Patrick McGrath's Asylum. Iz struggles through one screw up after another from her charming but useless husband and has a few romances of her own. Finally she has had enough and decides to devote herself solely to her son who is a grown man in the British Army being sent to Northern Belfast during the IRA conflicts. The story is difficult and heart-breaking and, as it ended, I really wondered if I could handle Part Two. I'm glad I kept reading.
Part Two, “Iz” begins a few years before Part One began. Now we go back in time to examine the life of young Iz, the beautiful, head-strong daughter of Anglo-Irish parents living on an estate – rich in land, poor in cash – during World War II and the beginning of the Irish struggle for independence. This part of the story is far more intriguing as we see young Iz among her sisters who all have different goals for their lives, come to womanhood on an estate that they are constantly in danger of losing. Iz could be the estate's salvation because she is being actively courted by Norman, a prosperous young man who offers to cultivate the estate and keep it profitable so that his future wife's family will be safe from the growing Irish unrest. But Iz's heart is in another direction, a young Irish dock worker who is penniless but whom she loves.
It is impossible to write more about this story without giving away too much but suffice it to say that when you reach the finally pages of Part Two, the incomprehensible parts of Part One are made clear.
This is a beautifully written, stylishly lovely book and, if not for the bizarre choice in formatting, would have earned 5 stars from me.
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