Reading in the Dark

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Summary: Poetic rendition of troubles in NorthernIreland
Review: This was a terrific book. Good combination of suspense in the plot with acute observations of life of a Catholic family in Northern Ireland. The language and imagery were rich and provided texture for a story which is rather severe. Many so called poetic novels seem like hack attempts to imitate One Hundred Years of Solitude but this one seemed authentic to me and I felt the authorwas under control of his impressionistic tendencies. Other books one might look at include "CAL"

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Summary: Disturbing, brilliant and very moving
Review: This was one of the most moving accounts of childhood I have read. After finishing the novel, the only thoughts I had were of the family, the secrets, the truths that were known and those that were not. Every family has these, and Deane has written a remarkable story that brings them together. Set in post-war Derry, Ireland, the novel embraces the life of a child who matures through the secrets he discovers about his families involvement with the IRA and the police, and the ghosts that are left behind to perpetually haunt them. This book is a must read for anyone who has grown up knowing secrets they shouldn't know

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Summary: Brilliant, consummately Irish, should have won the Booker!
Review: Totally satisfying on every level, this book is a true masterpiece. The level of description, the point of view of the naive child, the events which amuse and/or frighten, the manipulation of time, the suspense created--all are absolutely flawless in their execution. The reader becomes wholly immersed in the act of reading and totally oblivious to the act of creation, so much so that it's difficult to describe the book critically without gushing uncontrollably!

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Summary: WoW!
Review: Unbelievable! Powerful, touching, intense. These adjectives serve not only to describe Deane's novel but also the lives of a typical Northern Ireland family during the times of civil unrest. A must read.

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Summary: Poetic, episodic, but no real story line
Review: While the writing is beautiful, the oft-alluded-to mystery gets lost in the many characters and anecdotes that make up the bulk of the "novel." This isn't really a novel, it's a memoir, thus the inconclusiveness of the ending. That's fine, but why call it a novel? Too much ruminating about the family agony; by the end I simply didn't care.

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Summary: Another great Irish writer,best book I've read in years.
Review: Written as an autobiography of a boy growing up in Ireland from the 30's through the 70's. Made the Booker Shortlist. Delicately weaves folktales and stories into the boys own story and his families secret. The writing is wonderful and the style and command of language, and at times subject matter, is reminiscent of Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist." I'm looking forward to the next book by Seamus Deane.