Klik op een omslag om naar Google Boeken te gaan.
Bezig met laden... History of the Rain (origineel 2014; editie 2014)door Niall Williams (Auteur)
Informatie over het werkHistory of the Rain door Niall Williams (2014)
Booker Prize (105) » 6 meer Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden.
This isn't a plot-driven novel: nothing much happens. I enjoyed it like I would enjoy a beautiful painting more than as a story. It's beautifully written -- lovely, in fact -- but the writing itself is the prize here, not the story or the character development. This is a treat for literary readers with lots of titles and a few quotes dripped into the text. But if you aren't familiar with the originals, you may miss some of these gems. The author gave me a good feeling for the town and the dynamics of interactions among the inhabitants. This is what carried me through to the end, much as the rain and the river carries the stories of our lives. ( ) Ruth Swain is confined to bed upstairs in her childhood home, surrounded by her father’s extensive book collection. She is on a journey to read all of his books, while also discovering more about her father and his family history. This novel is Ruth’s way of documenting her personal journey. While she begins several generations earlier, the narrative is fluid and periodically shifts to present-day events, especially those pertaining to Ruth’s illness. Ruth’s paternal line was made up of headstrong men, battling a legacy of unreasonably high standards but perpetuating those standards into the next generation. That is, except for Ruth’s father Virgil. Her story of Virgil’s early life, marriage to her mother Mary, and a father’s deep love for his family. But their lives are also ones of social awkwardness, economic hardship, and tragedy. Details unfold very slowly, often alluded to more than explicitly stated, generating an emotional tension that continues to build until its dramatic release and moving resolution. This novel is meticulously crafted and beautifully written. Highly recommended. Nineteen year old Ruth Swain lies in her top floor bed dying of a blood disorder. As this is set in Faha in County Cork, Ireland, the rain comes incessantly down. She is surrounded by thousands of volumes of books which her father, a not very successful poet, accumulated over the course of his life. She contemplates her family history – how her grandfather acquired this 12 acre impossibly unsuccessful farmland in an attempt to impress his father – what the blurb on the back of the book calls the “ dogged pursuit of the Swains' Impossible Standard and forever falling just short”. Father and grandfather became obscessed salmon fisherman and the sport is also featured heavily. I really wanted to like this book, but I found it slow and heavy. Death, rain, and never measuring up do not make a read to tackle if you are struggling within yourself as you read this. I could appreciate the lovely writing and characterizations. I will try another of Mr. Williams’ books, but can’t see myself rereading this one. 3.5 stars
Williams's rendering of the desolation of grief is affecting, as is the sympathy he evokes for the spirited Ruth's plight. Yet he can't seem to resist cliche and sentimentality, leaving the waterlogged reader longing for dry land. Prijzen
Ruthie Swain, the bedridden daughter of a dead poet, tries to find her father through stories -- and through generations of family history in County Clare. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
Actuele discussiesGeenPopulaire omslagen
Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)823.914Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
Ben jij dit?Word een LibraryThing Auteur. |