Lamb

by Bernard MacLaverty

When Brother Michael inherits a small legacy, he defies his elders and runs away from the Home, taking with him twelve-year-old Owen. Posing as father and son, they concentrate on discovering the happiness that is so unfamiliar to them both, but as the world closes in on them, Michael moves towards a solution that is as uncompromising as it is inspired by love.

Genres: Fiction, Ireland, Irish Literature, Literary Fiction, Religion, British Literature, 20th Century

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Bernard MacLaverty was born in Belfast in 1942 and lived there until 1975 when he moved to Scotland with his wife, Madeline, and four children. He has been a Medical Laboratory Technician, a mature student, a teacher of English and, for two years in the mid eighties, Writer-in-Residence at the University of Aberdeen.

After living for a time in Edinburgh and the Isle of Islay he now lives in Glasgow. He is a member of Aosdana in Ireland and is Visiting Writer/Professor at the University of Strathclyde.

Currently he is employed as a teacher of creative writing on a postgraduate course in prose fiction run by the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen.

He has published five collections of short stories and four novels. He has written versions of his fiction for other media - radio plays, television plays, screenplays. Recently he wrote and directed a short film 'Bye-Child'

Reviews

[Berengaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Original English title: Lamb

short review for busy readers:
A short novel about a type of affection we are very quick to judge: that of a Catholic priest for a troubled boy. Sensitive and delicately written, but also rather low on plot and slightly meandering (which is why a high 3 stars). The end is heartbreaking. A good addition to Northern Irish literature and father/son stories.

in detail:
Brother Sebastian teaches woodworking at a reform school for boys in Belfast during the time of The Troubles. The headmaster is a power-obsessed, semi-sadistic gnat of a priest who terrorises the boys (as well as the teachers).

One of these boys is Owen, a scrawny epileptic bed-wetter who comes from a poor family. Due to his size and problems, he becomes a fave target of the headmaster's violence. Something that grates on Brother Sebastian for reasons he can't quite name.

When Brother Sebastian's father dies -- the only thing keeping him in the priesthood -- he decides to abandon his post at the school for good and take Owen with him. (And Owen is more than willing to leave!)

The two abscond for a "holiday" to England where for the first time, Owen experiences how different life can be from the poverty and abuse he's always known, and how good it is to have a caring father figure in his life. Sebastian struggles with his loss of faith in God and his own helpless, deep fatherly affection for Owen, who he feels as responsible for as a biological son.

Most of the story is their short-lived life in London, what they do every day, who they meet and where they stay.

It's their inner journey that's examined here, which makes the middle rather slow and repetitive, despite the clean, considered writing style and the important emotional development of the characters.

The final chapters are extremely powerful and the end is one that no reader will forget. Brother Sebastian's pain is so vividly rendered, you can almost reach out and touch it.

Recommended for fans of Irish lit and unconventional father/son stories.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is before you a novella that packs a wallop. If you are only looking for books with sweet happy endings, Lamb is not for you.

The story opens in a Catholic home, school, detention center for delinquent boys. The perimeter is circled with high wire fences to prevent escape. This borstal is located in a remote area of Ulster. The time setting is during “The Troubles”, most probably in the 1970s, since the book was first published in 1980. The headmaster is a strict disciplinarian. He has not a smidgen of kindness in his heart! With good reason, he is feared not only by the boys but also by the teachers working under him. The headmaster is unjust. He is cruel. He has no misgivings for the harsh treatment he inflicts. He views all around him with utter disdain.

The youngest boy at the institution is Owen Kane. He is twelve. For two years, this institution has been his “home”. He is epileptic and wets his bed. For this and other supposed misdeeds he is cruelly and unjustifiably punished.

A quasi-friendship has grown between Owen and the woodwork teacher—Brother Sebastian. Brother Sebastian is Michael Lamb, of the title. Michael’s widowed father has recently died. He recalls memories of his youth, experiences shared with his beloved father. He considers what his father has meant to him. He asks himself what the heck he is doing with his life. Given his dislike of the headmaster, his disgust with how the school is run and now with the possibility of having some money in his pocket from a small inheritance from his father, his father who had meant so much to him, he asks himself if he could possibly do something for Owen. Michael is looking for a connection to somebody. Owen has nobody. Watch and see what happens. This is the tale.

The story is heartrending. It is well told. I recommend it highly, if you don’t mind being ripped apart.

Conor Mullen narrates the audiobook. He speaks with an Irish dialect. It should be read with an Irish dialect. Most of the words are decipherable. I have given the narration four stars.

******************

*Cal 4 stars
*Lamb 4 stars
*Midwinter Break 2 stars

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel, written by MacLaverty in 1980, is very different from his other famous book from that era, 'Cal', but equally good, and almost as depressing.

The book tells the story of Brother Sebastian, Michael Lamb in 'civilian' life, a woodwork teacher in a remote borstal in Donegal, who has just lost his father and is having doubts about his vocation. At the same time, he has serious reservations about the treatment of Owen, an epileptic, troubled and troublesome 12 year old pupil, at the hands of the establishment's head, Brother Benedict. Armed with part of his inheritance, he suggests to Owen that they abscond to London, which they do, posing as father and son.

Even in 1980, such an event makes headline news, and, despite the 'innocence' of the relationship, unsurprisingly it is quickly established that the pair are being sought. While 'on the run', Michael's paternal love for the child is evident, and MacLaverty tells the tale with sympathy, some suspense and a bit of humour. However, things take a somewhat predictable path, leaving the novel to conclude in an extremely shocking manner.

This was a quick read which I enjoyed but found disturbing on its conclusion. Not quite as dark overall as 'Cal', but MacLaverty is definitely not an uplifting writer. I have read his three most famous novels now, and will perhaps aim to read 'Grace Notes' next.

[Rob Twinem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Lamb a priest decides the only way to save Owen Kane, a youth in the care of the catholic church, is to flee with him to mainland England. With a small legacy inherited from a dead relative they travel as far as London. With no plan and diminishing resources he accepts an invitation to share a squat under the direction of Haddock a man of questionable morals and sexuality who he by chance meets in a bar. The police have started a country wide search and with increasing interest of the media Lamb makes a decision which sets him on a course and a meeting with his destiny.

Together with John Boyne, and David Park I also enjoy the writing of Bernard MacLaverty but I found reading Lamb somewhat tedious, there appeared to be no real story and no real direction. Michael Lamb obviously thought that by running away from a desolate home on a wild Atlantic coastline he is saving Owen from the fate and hate of an overzealous regime under the iron rod of the Principal Brother Benedict. He loves Owen, not in a physical or sexual sense but as a protector and friend (although I do question his actions on the occasion he left Owen alone in the squat at the mercy of the morally repulsive Haddock) For all his grandiose ideas Lamb is ultimately portrayed as a weak man who squanders his legacy on an ill thought plan leading to a final journey where hope and redemption fade as the fate of Lamb and Owen is finally revealed.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking story, but one I highly recommend.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a horrible, dark, depressing, fascinating, deadening, emotional, wonderfully written book. Someone once told me that all literature is ultimately either about God or about the absence of God. I'd put this in the latter category. Do you ever read something - and you're kind of mesmerized by it - but you get to the end and think - WTF was that? Well, that's how I felt about "Lamb."

[Greg S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the most beautiful novel I’ve read this year. Lamb is the tale of a Catholic priest who rescues (kidnaps) a boy from a borstal in Ireland hoping to make a better life for them both. There’s a sense of inevitable hopelessness throughout but it still manages to create surprises and it’s very readable.

[Mona]

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)

Finished it at around 2 on the 10th morning.

I liked the premise well enough, but the execution was so average that until the ending I fleetingly contemplated on giving this 2 stars (solely based on my enjoyment of this, and not the objective assessment of the work). However, the ending being so abrupt, similar to that of LP Hartley's The Go-Between, was quite nice and fitting.

I liked the two main characters. But, the novella in of itself would've been richer if the Brothers, or better yet, Michael's role as a Brother, played a more significant role than just a flashback. It would've been such a wonderfully strong element of the story's fabric because, right now, the overall execution wasn't fresh and did not provide made layers to the story; what you see is what you get. Further, a more beautiful writing style, along with richer descriptions, would've lent itself to the theme and cohesiveness of this story. It's not that the author's writing is bad; it just felt ordinary and straightforward.

I quite liked how Michael, in the end, did something "bad out of love" which in the beginning was the crux of Michael's issues with the Brothers. It was almost as if what Michael hated couldn't leave him. This is what I meant by this novella lacking layers. A lot of nuance like that would've done this story good. It's early, but I'm questioning if I'd like to delve more into this author's oeuvre - one or two caught my eye but the execution of Lamb is what holds me back. Don't want to be reading more average books.

Also, terrible cover designer!!! Who puts the ending of the novella as the cover of the book?! I saw that cover while I was still reading and it automatically hinted at what the ending could be like!

Lastly, I've never read so much (4-5 books) in the span of 2 weeks, I think? All because I barred myself from Twitter and Goodreads until I finished that many at least hah. Sadly, apart from Huda Fahmy's comic, everything was 3 stars pfff.

Edit:
It's later in the day (10th Sep) and this story still lingers. The story truly is haunting. Sad how flatly executed it was.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward plot with such economic writing style and short, accessible chapters that made me want to read all of MacLaverty's works (this was my first). In my mind, this book was 5 stars for much of the way through, but there were just a couple of things that caught me off guard towards the end.

First, the main character, Michael Lamb: at times I felt that his motives could have been explained a bit more. MacLaverty greatly emphasizes the love that Michael has for the teenage Owen, but he doesn't give as lengthy an explanation about why Michael cares so much (even amidst realizing he doesn't care about the belief system he's chosen to live out as a Catholic teacher).

Secondly, while I read much of this book, I was amazed by how contemporary the writing felt -- I'm still shocked, in some ways, that it's a nearly 40-year-old book. The prose is elegant and still feels as if it were written today. However, at the end, the characterization of Haddock gave a clear sign of the time the book was written (1980). It's upfront in its labeling of Haddock as homosexual, but it becomes more problematic when Haddock is then equated with pedophilia and drug usage, as if there is no other way to portray a gay character. Actually, those two short chapters were the only part of the book that felt very extraneous.

Thirdly, the ending. It really just took a direction I'm still shocked by. Partly, this goes back to not understanding Michael's motives, even with the brief explanation in the final pages. If he really does things out of "love," he ends up being quite a twisted character, in my opinion. Rather than the author using the ending to enhance the complexity of the character (which is what I assume MacLaverty was trying to do), I don't think he pulled it off. I just interpreted it as a last-minute reveal of Michael's own insanity, in a way!

[Linda K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well-written book that aimed beyond Ireland with all its way-too-obvious symbolism and what not, but never reached my continental heart. I wish Michael killed Owen two chapters into the book. It made me annoyed to go through all the fuss of Michael taking the boy from Ireland to London and back. The naïvety of the main hero just made me hate priests even more than I already did.

[Erin Hepner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will I never stop reading depressing Irish Literature?

[Jodell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
When the tears come streaming down your face
'Cause you lose something, you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
What could it be worse?
(Lights will guide you home)
(And ignite your bones)
And I will try to fix you
Well, high up above, or down below
But if you never try, you'll never know
Just what you're worth
(Lights will guide you home)
(And ignite your bones)
And I will try to fix you
Come all, let's go all
Tears stream down your face
When you lose something, you cannot replace
Oh, and the tears stream down your face, and I
Oh, tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Oh, and the tears stream down your face, and I, oh
(Lights will guide you home) (And ignite your bones)
(I will try to fix you) "coldplay".

[Sofie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sweet and simple, and I don't mean that in a rude way.

It is a story about a man, Michael Lamb, who leaves a cruel religious reformatory with a young boy, Owen Kane. They escape Dublin for England, where Michael lets Owen explore and experience the world and really just be a kid for the first time in his life. The authorities characterize Owen as a kidnapped boy, and Michael must find a way to spare Owen from the gravity of the situation while keeping them both from being caught. However, there is very little suspense, or thrill, or fear. Instead, this book focuses on Michael's love for Owen as an adopted son, and shows the thoughts and actions of a man trying to preserve a boy's childish innocence in this little thing called life.

[Jxe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the movie with Liam Neeson so I wanted to read the book to understand the characters more.

This book was an easy and quick read, read it in a day. It has some Irish terms but it’s not too hard to decipher.

I kind of wish it had had more backstory and more details of why the ending was necessary. The ending made me sad of course!!

Don’t read if easily offended or sensitive. This book has some homophobia and child abuse and cursing, so it’s isn’t for woke pansies.

I liked the book enough though it did follow the movie almost exactly with not much new info.

Fun read

[Aidan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book could have been 20 pages shorter and that would make it really good. I didn't mind the chapters when nothing really happened, it honestly kind of dragged me in. The ending was a little predictable, and that was when I started to lose interest. I was so ready to just skip the last two chapters because I saw what was coming, and I was worried it was not going to stick the landing.

I have a few other books by MacLaverty checked out from the library, but I think I'm just going to return them.

[Aad van der Klaauw · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional book of love and despair. Michael had a good father and wanted to be a good father for the unlucky boy Owen. But it went wrong. Owen in Gaelic Lamb became a lamb that had to be killed by Michael Lamb, a younger brother. An unexpected ending of a warm story. A story so sad but also beautiful. A cry for love. The word lamb had many meanings in this touching book. I was very impressing.

[Amolhavoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would probably have given this four stars if not for the brutality of the ending, which it doesn't feel like the narrative and characterisation build up to sufficiently. I think MacLaverty is a stylistically brilliant writer, and Cal continues to haunt me, but in this and in the short stories of his I've read I find his stories don't always live up to how well he tells them.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bittersweet, gentle book. Precisely devastating in its narrative, graceful and moving, memorable. Michael and Owen are beautifully written characters, tangled in a web of innocence and experience, love and death, an apt metaphor for Ireland old and new.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing, of course, a lot more than okay, but the story doom-laden and strangely jarring in places, the ignorance unmatched by the action and the colour of it more fifties than the time in which it was set. Overladen, of course, by the horror of religion's influence.

[Iris AE · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feared the end so much that I didn’t finish it, meaning the last 20 pages for a week.
The book is good. It is deeply caring and speaks of internal decisions a mere human must make, regardless of the consequences.

[Barbara Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some nice passages of description in this book, but it is spoiled by some mawkish writing and the slightly uncomfortable motivations of the main character and an ending which didn't ring true for me.

[Debumere · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving story about a Brother who flees ‘the Home’ with a young boy in order to save him from a miserable existence. They leave Ireland for London but, after a series of mishaps, Michael begins to realise there is no way out and does a terrible deed that he thought was out of love.

[Andrew De Sousa · Rating 3 out of 5]

7.25/10

[Leanne Mittelstadt · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was an awful story. I just couldn’t finish it. Ugh

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very disturbing book not only that it depicts the deplorable acts of priests in a seminary but the decisions made by one of them in the name of wanting to help change the life of a child.

[Derek Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat unbelievable tale, told in an admirably terse style.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compassion turns to passion in this compulsive novel by a great Irish novelist

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite early on I realized that this book was going to devastate me, I just didn’t know how.
It did.

[Santoferro · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

[Sadie Lyford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow read, wordy.