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message 51:
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Trelawn
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Jun 27, 2014 10:34AM
indeed :-)
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I'll add to the Strumpet City thumbs ups-it was one of my favourite reads of last year, when we read it as a quarterly Irish read. :)
Theresa, as of 5pm today, I'm on holiday until the 20th August, which is a very nice feeling, particularly as the sun is shining outside now! To bring it back to the topic of the thread, as there's no footie on tonight, and since my other half is out with work colleagues for the evening, I'm looking forward to getting a sustained period with my reread of The Effect of Her tonight, which I must say I'm enjoying as much as last time-it's definitely one for the likes of Cathleen and Diane to read while Unspoken is still fresh in mind.
Allan, I will do just that. I'm glad I bought both books at once
Allan wrote: "Theresa, as of 5pm today, I'm on holiday until the 20th August, which is a very nice feeling, particularly as the sun is shining outside now! To bring it back to the topic of the thread, as there..."
I just ordered it online. I think they're shipping it from the UK, but hopefully, it will be here soon! I've started listening to the podcast you posted, Allan. Was that John Banville who introduced Gerry Stembridge?
Enjoy the summer break Allan, you won't kmow yourself with all the reading time you'll have :-) I used to love summer holidays when I was in college, put away the text books and break out the TBR pile.
I don't think so, Cathleen-my understanding of the podcast was that Banville had had a much more popular event that afternoon in the same venue, which is why he was referred to during the chat. I'd love to go to Kells next Sunday to see both Stembridge and Glenn Patterson at this year's Hay Festival, but we'll be on day 3 of our kitchen install at home, so I doubt my other half will sanction a sojourn. I think I have got a pass out for the Stuart Neville launch on Wednesday night though-provided I have the old kitchen cleared before I go! :)
Thanks, Trelawn, I'll use the time wisely reading wise, don't worry! I tend to get through about 3 books a week when I'm off-all that dog walking, gym time and painting fairly racks up the audiobook minutes, and I'm not a big fan of tv, so there's nothing better to do than sit down with a book for an hour or two at a time!
Sounds great. Keep us all posted on what you're reading/ listening to. I've decided to hold off on The Effect of Her until I get a copy of Unspoken. From what I've read here I think I'll enjoy them both more if I read them in order.
That's what I thought. I couldn't get a copy of Unspoken in Chapters last week but i'll keep an eye out.
There was one paragraph in particular that really stood out for me. After Dom died, Eamon was reflecting on Dom dying "mid-flight" and leaving behind a legacy of inspiration versus his own slow demise."What sin had he committed that seemingly doomed him to this endless slow dissolve, departing this world particle by particle as it were, drifting to some inconsequential end, out of place and time?"
I have several friends with aged parents and one whose husband, a former physics professor, all have various forms of dementia and/or physical incapacities. Eamon's (Stembridge's) description was so apt in describing their condition, well not that they committed a sin but the slow dissolve.
I'd forgotten about that passage, Diane. The book was full of lovely flourishes like That. I remember liking many of the childhood passages but without the book to help me I'd ruin them if I tried to transcribe them here.
I didn't find it disjointed at all. The only problem I had -which was no real problem at all- was how the beginning of the book; the maternity ward scene, didn't reflect the actual layout and style of the book. I was expecting more involvement from the rest of the families mentioned.
I was completely sold on both books, and haven't changed my opinion on either, having finished my reread of The Effect of Her yesterday. I felt that the use of different characters' viewpoints even within the same scene actually helped get a broader feel for what was going on, and particularly helped contextualise some of the political sections. But then, I suppose I was a Stembridge fan before these novels, and am a sucker for anything involving aspects of social history...
And he marries the social history very well, I feel, without ever being heavy-handed.
I read unspoken this week & on its completion raced out to get " the effect of her" I found it a bit slow to take off, but once it did I loved it.
I'm now reading "the effect of her".
In the first chapter of 1972 we are introduced to Terry Keane. She refers to some other people. I suppose "Des O" is Des O Malley but I wonder who "Lady Val" & "Geraldine" are? Anyone...????
Louise, I'm glad that you enjoyed Unspoken. The Effect of Her was my personal favourite of the two, so hopefully you'll enjoy it just as much. I can't help you with the political figures aside from the really well known mentioned unfortunately, but I have to say that not knowing them didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book.Emma, I'd be interested in the RTE drama-have you any idea when it's on?
