TransAtlantic in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

May 16, 2013 Jeff Scott rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, irish-fiction

Colum McCann’s new novel tells the story of Ireland in a unique way. The first part is a sort of a historical double entry. Major figures set against the backdrop of significant events in Ireland. The first transatlantic flight lands Alcock and Brown right in the middle of the Irish War of Independence in 1919. Frederick Douglas goes to Ireland in 1845 to speak and raises money for his freedom right at the beginning of the Irish Potato Famine. It comes to a conclusion during a retelling of the 1 Colum McCann’s new novel tells the story of Ireland in a unique way. The first part is a sort of a historical double entry. Major figures set against the backdrop of significant events in Ireland. The first transatlantic flight lands Alcock and Brown right in the middle of the Irish War of Independence in 1919. Frederick Douglas goes to Ireland in 1845 to speak and raises money for his freedom right at the beginning of the Irish Potato Famine. It comes to a conclusion during a retelling of the 1998 Good Friday Accords, but then book two demonstrates a deeper story, a fabric the author threads to tell an entirely different tale.

The book is a celebration of Ireland with all its faults and glory. It’s the story of four generations of Irish women each with their own travails. Each generation tells the Irish story of war, famine, migration, troubles and finally peace. The final part provides a bit of a story on what’s left afterward and that reflection I particularly enjoyed. It provides a bit of “where do we go from here” kind of feeling about the character and perhaps Ireland.

It’s an engaging read that made me go back and look up a lot of historical events to learn more about the narrative and refresh my memory. It beautifully weaves history and fiction together and would make the book a great candidate for a book discussion.

Favorite Parts:
"She puts her fingers against the cold of the windowpane. She doesn't like herself at moments like this, her strange bearing, her shrill self-consciousness, her youth. She wishes she could walk outside of herself, out the window, into the air, and down. Ah, then, but that's it, maybe? That, then is the point of it all, surely? Yes. A salute to you Mr. Brown, Mr. Alcock, wherever you might be. She wishes she could take a photograph of the moment. Eureka. The point of flight. To get rid of oneself. That was reason enough to fly." p. 28

She noticed a scorch mark beneath, the blackness faded to red. Most likely a petrol bomb thrown years ago. The old hieroglyphics of violence. P. 97

She had formed a distrust of men who carried Bibles. it seemed to her that they believed their own voices were somehow embedded inside.p. 121
“They inherited it all. The curse of privilege. Janitors for the ambitions of the dead.” P. 167

“Our ancient hatreds don’t deserve capital letters.” P. 187
“There isn’t a story in the world that isn’t in part, at least, addressed to the past.” P. 218
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Nov 28, 2016 Astrid Lim rated it liked it

Shelves: literature, historical-fiction, europe, culture, book-club

Aww it took me quite some time to finish this book. The story itself is pretty engaging, but somehow I found it a bit boring in some parts. Unlike "Let The Great World Spin" that can capture New York city perfectly (or maybe because I always love NY?), Transatlantic was a bit flat when describing Ireland. Especially because there are some historical parts that I wasn't familiar with, so I was easily distracted when reading those chapters. However Colum McCann is still a wonderful writer and I wi ...more

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