Reading in the Dark

Rating:
Summary: (...)
Review: Reading in The Dark
By: Seamus Deane

This is a young adult fiction novel.

This Book takes place back in the 1940's and finishes in the early 1970's. Takes place at a kid's house where he grows up.

This book is much better than other books that I have read of the similar nature. The author uses complex characters and scenes to describe where and what is taking place. I enjoyed reading this book but I don't think that I will read anything else by this author because his writing style was not impressing to me as it might have been to other people. I have never read a book that went into so much detail about little things. This book was better than many books about its size of 250 pages.

This book was written in a vignette format telling short stories about different people, places, and objects. I find it quite hard to follow along to a book written in this format. My favorite character was Toner; he gave hard insight onto what was occurring and was not afraid to speak his mind and knew what he was talking about and I am that way as well. "Jesus that was good," said Toner as the lights went up "I knew it was him all the time."
This is a good book for someone that is wanting to experience and challenge in literary excellence as a teen or a younger adult. If you don't think that you can handle it I would read down a level but do read this book sometime in your life. I sure am glad I did.

(...) Thanx

Rating:
Summary: Has no substance.
Review: Reading this book it is clear the author is originally and more naturally a poet. His lyrical style did not translate well to prose and as a result this book is boring and slow. I always finish a book I start, but it was pure torture to finish this one. After the story line finally develops it turns out to be so trivial it is not even worth mentioning. Poetry doesn't have to have a story line prose must have one and this book doesn't. On to something more interesting to read, like the dictionary.

Rating:
Summary: Like a Poignant Memoir
Review: Seamus Deane has added another fine book to the amazing collection of novels looking at Ireland and the Irish in the twentienth century. The most delightful and charming aspect of Reading in the Dark is the voice of its unnamed narrator as he struggles to understand the world he is growing up in (Northern Ireland in the 1950's). Every situation can have so many solutions to him, some mundane, most wondrous. It is surprising how much humour can be found in the life led by this boy, as written by Mr. Deane. The wit of the writing helps cushion the reader for all the very many sadnesses and horrors which occur throughout the book. The reader and the narrator will together learn to navigate this world and survive. An effective and powerful read.

Rating:
Summary: Grim and Charming, Funny and Sad
Review: Seamus Deane has added another fine book to the amazing collection of novels looking at Ireland and the Irish in the twentienth century. The most delightful and charming aspect of Reading in the Dark is the voice of its unnamed narrator as he struggles to understand the world he is growing up in (Northern Ireland in the 1950's). Every situation can have so many solutions to him, some mundane, most wondrous. It is surprising how much humour can be found in the life led by this boy, as written by Mr. Deane. The wit of the writing helps cushion the reader for all the very many sadnesses and horrors which occur throughout the book. The reader and the narrator will together learn to navigate this world and survive. An effective and powerful read.

Rating:
Summary: A masterful telling.
Review: Seamus Deane has brilliantly crafted a powerful account of the Northern Irish struggle in a most unique way. Narrated by a growing boy, each short chapter is a little vignette of his life and yet strung together effortlessly like a web to create a moving tale imbued with sadness, love, humour and mystery. The early chapters appear to lack form and direction but with a little patience, the reader will be richly rewarded. As the child grows up, he learns (and so does the reader) more of the grim realities of life in Northern Ireland, the tragedies that befall his family (past and present) and the secret of betrayal that threatens the bond between him and his parents. It's a testament to Deane's talent that the book reads easily, yet some scenes - a hike up the hills or a touch of the father's hand - can be so beautifully rendered and moving. Get past the early chapters and you won't be disapponited.

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Triumph
Review: Seamus Deane is a wonderful poet as well as a historian and
anthologist of Irish literature. Reading in the Dark, however, is his
first novel. It is both a triumph of literature and of the human
spirit; one of the most beautiful books anyone could ever hope to
read.

Deane, like James Joyce, is a writer who cannot be separated
from his native Ireland. Reading in the Dark is the first-person
narrative of a boy, who, like Deane, grew up in Derry in the 1940s and
1950s. Although the dust jacket says this book is a novel, it reads
more like a beautiful, meditative and intensely personal memoir. We
are never told the boy/narrator's name, but there are many named
characters in the book: Ellis, Una, Dierdre, Liam, Gerard, Eamon.
There is an Uncle Manus and an Aunt Katie. Additonally, the place
names serve to identify this as an unquestionalby Irish book, taking
place in Derry.

The structure of Reading in the Dark is deliberately
jagged but never jarring. There are short chapters that are further
divided into ever shorter episodes. We are introduced to all of the
narrator's many borthers and sisters but only one, Liam, becomes a
major character throughout the course of the book. The other
characters deliberately come and go and some are even forgettable,
while others are not.

The first vignette is dated "February
1945" and the last "July 1971." All the other vignettes
fall within this time frame. But Derry, the reader must remember, is
in Northern Ireland, where the past can never really be separated from
the present. Remembering is an essential part of life in Derry and
the past is the present in the fear, the death, the haunted faces of
friends and family. Most of all, though, the past of Derry is present
in that most hurtful of all human hurts: betrayal.

We first meet the
narrator and his mother when she is standing on the landing in their
house. The boy, who is standing on the tenth step says, "I could
have touched her." The mother, however, stops him, saying,
"Don't move...There's something there between us. A shadow.
Don't move." The boy, who sees no shadow, nevertheless obeys.
With the passing of the years, however, we, along with the narrator,
come to plumb the secrets of this mother's heart; as we learn how her
secrets have come to define and torture her, we also learn how they
have come to define and trouble her son.

The shadows and ghosts in
Reading in the Dark come to haunt the narrator in many ways. As he
hears his family speak of events that took place in Derry years before
he was born, he comes to wonder why these events happened and why they
happened as they did.

We learn the answers to some of the
questions but we never learn more than the narrator does. If
something remains to haunt him, it also remains to haunt us. For the
narrator, as for us, the answers come in fragments and not at all in
any easy manner. Together, they form the boy's coming-of-age and they
serve to deepen our own understanding of the true nature of human
trust and betrayal, the two emotions that most serve to strengthen or
destroy the bonds of love.

Like other writers of contemporary Irish
fiction, Deane's novel breathes life, Irish life, in all of its
heartbreaking fullness. Although very different from Frank McCourt's
Tis: A Memoir, Reading in the Dark shares the same refusal to pull
back from the sordid in life. We are exposed to all the dirty
streets, the sewers, the vermin, the sickness, the death. Although
Deane's book is relieved with some humor, it is certainly not
Rabelaisian gusto. We are treated instead, to the artful and elusive
chuckle of a Celtic twilight.

And, while McCourt's father literally
sung the praises of the Irish folk stories, the father in Deane's book
goes one step further by actually taking his sons to visit the places
both sacred and haunted. One, The Field of the Disappeared which lies
near the border of the Irish Free State serves to sum up the
narrator's Irish heritage: "There was a belief that it was here
that the souls of all those from the area who had disappeared, or had
never had a Christian burial...collected three or four times a
year--on St. Brigid's Day, on the festival of Sunhain, on
Christmas--to cry like birds and look down on the fields where they
had been born. Any human who entered the field would suffer the same
fate...."

The language in Reading in the Dark is spare, but it
is also very poetic and lyrical. Deane weaves beautifully-crafted
stories within his story and even when their relevance to the main
plot is not immediately made clear, we still feel their connection,
for this book tells the tale of a shadow world, one inhabited by
ghosts and demons and spirits, one that lives under the constant
threat of political and moral treachery.

The title of the book is a
masterful stroke of brilliance. In a vignette called, "Reading
in the Dark," the narrator tells us how he had to turn out his
light even though he was in the middle of reading his very first
novel. Lying in the dark, he thinks about the book and holds a
conversation with its characters. "I'd lie there, the book still
open, reimagining all I had read, the various ways the plot might
unravel, the novel opening into endless possibilities in the
dark." The narrator's life unfolds in much the same way as he
seeks to tie the disparate threads, one to the other, in an effort to
find their meaning.

Ultimately, Reading in the Dark is a beautiful
triumph; a gorgeous book, poetically written that reveals much about
the nature of mankind's greatest mystery, the mystery we call...Life.


Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Triumph
Review: Seamus Deane is a wonderful poet as well as a historian andanthologist of Irish literature. Reading in the Dark, however, is hisfirst novel. It is both a triumph of literature and of the humanspirit; one of the most beautiful books anyone could ever hope toread.

Deane, like James Joyce, is a writer who cannot be separatedfrom his native Ireland. Reading in the Dark is the first-personnarrative of a boy, who, like Deane, grew up in Derry in the 1940s and1950s. Although the dust jacket says this book is a novel, it readsmore like a beautiful, meditative and intensely personal memoir. Weare never told the boy/narrator's name, but there are many namedcharacters in the book: Ellis, Una, Dierdre, Liam, Gerard, Eamon.There is an Uncle Manus and an Aunt Katie. Additonally, the placenames serve to identify this as an unquestionalby Irish book, takingplace in Derry.

The structure of Reading in the Dark is deliberatelyjagged but never jarring. There are short chapters that are furtherdivided into ever shorter episodes. We are introduced to all of thenarrator's many borthers and sisters but only one, Liam, becomes amajor character throughout the course of the book. The othercharacters deliberately come and go and some are even forgettable,while others are not.

The first vignette is dated "February1945" and the last "July 1971." All the other vignettesfall within this time frame. But Derry, the reader must remember, isin Northern Ireland, where the past can never really be separated fromthe present. Remembering is an essential part of life in Derry andthe past is the present in the fear, the death, the haunted faces offriends and family. Most of all, though, the past of Derry is presentin that most hurtful of all human hurts: betrayal.

We first meet thenarrator and his mother when she is standing on the landing in theirhouse. The boy, who is standing on the tenth step says, "I couldhave touched her." The mother, however, stops him, saying,"Don't move...There's something there between us. A shadow.Don't move." The boy, who sees no shadow, nevertheless obeys.With the passing of the years, however, we, along with the narrator,come to plumb the secrets of this mother's heart; as we learn how hersecrets have come to define and torture her, we also learn how theyhave come to define and trouble her son.

The shadows and ghosts inReading in the Dark come to haunt the narrator in many ways. As hehears his family speak of events that took place in Derry years beforehe was born, he comes to wonder why these events happened and why theyhappened as they did.

We learn the answers to some of thequestions but we never learn more than the narrator does. Ifsomething remains to haunt him, it also remains to haunt us. For thenarrator, as for us, the answers come in fragments and not at all inany easy manner. Together, they form the boy's coming-of-age and theyserve to deepen our own understanding of the true nature of humantrust and betrayal, the two emotions that most serve to strengthen ordestroy the bonds of love.

Like other writers of contemporary Irishfiction, Deane's novel breathes life, Irish life, in all of itsheartbreaking fullness. Although very different from Frank McCourt'sTis: A Memoir, Reading in the Dark shares the same refusal to pullback from the sordid in life. We are exposed to all the dirtystreets, the sewers, the vermin, the sickness, the death. AlthoughDeane's book is relieved with some humor, it is certainly notRabelaisian gusto. We are treated instead, to the artful and elusivechuckle of a Celtic twilight.

And, while McCourt's father literallysung the praises of the Irish folk stories, the father in Deane's bookgoes one step further by actually taking his sons to visit the placesboth sacred and haunted. One, The Field of the Disappeared which liesnear the border of the Irish Free State serves to sum up thenarrator's Irish heritage: "There was a belief that it was herethat the souls of all those from the area who had disappeared, or hadnever had a Christian burial...collected three or four times ayear--on St. Brigid's Day, on the festival of Sunhain, onChristmas--to cry like birds and look down on the fields where theyhad been born. Any human who entered the field would suffer the samefate...."

The language in Reading in the Dark is spare, but itis also very poetic and lyrical. Deane weaves beautifully-craftedstories within his story and even when their relevance to the mainplot is not immediately made clear, we still feel their connection,for this book tells the tale of a shadow world, one inhabited byghosts and demons and spirits, one that lives under the constantthreat of political and moral treachery.

The title of the book is amasterful stroke of brilliance. In a vignette called, "Readingin the Dark," the narrator tells us how he had to turn out hislight even though he was in the middle of reading his very firstnovel. Lying in the dark, he thinks about the book and holds aconversation with its characters. "I'd lie there, the book stillopen, reimagining all I had read, the various ways the plot mightunravel, the novel opening into endless possibilities in thedark." The narrator's life unfolds in much the same way as heseeks to tie the disparate threads, one to the other, in an effort tofind their meaning.

Ultimately, Reading in the Dark is a beautifultriumph; a gorgeous book, poetically written that reveals much aboutthe nature of mankind's greatest mystery, the mystery we call...Life.

Rating:
Summary: beautifully written if not a little difficult to follow
Review: seamus deane is undeniably a gifted writer, and this book is beautifully written in a haunting sort of way. the plot, while ultimately quite interesting and dark, is complex and very, very difficult to follow. it provides an interesting insight into the irish dilemma and its effect on the personal relationships of those involved with it.

Rating:
Summary: Details details details
Review: Seamus Deane writes very descriptive and intersting work. He is a renound poet, and his first novel reglects that. The book is beuatifully written. I must be honest, I did not like it the first time through. It might have been because I read at seperate time and forgot details, or it could have been that I was not into it. However, the second time through, it was great. Deane develops a deep and twisting plot that does not unfold until the end of the book. The charecters are introduced along the way , but their importance is not known until later. Also, the small details that I did not notice the first time through played a large part in the direct development of the plot. The untwisting of the tale is slow and deliberate. The charecters personalities come through brightly during the dialouge and when reacting to situations they are put in. The description helps to create wonderful images of desperation, and the irony is used in the most masterful way. All in all, this is a book worth reading, but, as a word of advice, pay attention to detail the whole way through.

Rating:
Summary: Details details details
Review: Seamus Deane writes very descriptive and intersting work. He is a renound poet, and his first novel reglects that. The book is beuatifully written. I must be honest, I did not like it the first time through. It might have been because I read at seperate time and forgot details, or it could have been that I was not into it. However, the second time through, it was great. Deane develops a deep and twisting plot that does not unfold until the end of the book. The charecters are introduced along the way , but their importance is not known until later. Also, the small details that I did not notice the first time through played a large part in the direct development of the plot. The untwisting of the tale is slow and deliberate. The charecters personalities come through brightly during the dialouge and when reacting to situations they are put in. The description helps to create wonderful images of desperation, and the irony is used in the most masterful way. All in all, this is a book worth reading, but, as a word of advice, pay attention to detail the whole way through.