Wonderful story, very 'full' story with great characters and a zigzag journey of life. Very heartfelt at the ending. Well-written.
Wonderfully written story of the Catholic Church's domination over the Irish people.
John Boyne's books are a gift to everyone who values excellent literary fiction. Particularly noteworthy is his very compelling A History of Loneliness. Each of his novels is different in plot and character development, but they are all beautifully written. This one is dedicated to John Irving, a tribute to another gifted author whose Owen Meany character lives forever in the hearts of his readers.
The Heart's Invisible Furies is narrated by Cyril Avery from in utero and then throughout his eventful life. Born to an unwed adolescent in Dublin in 1945, he is adopted by an eccentric, wealthy couple. As an only child, his family life is dysfunctional in the extreme with constant reminders by his adoptive parents that he is not their birth child. Living in homophobic Ireland during a time when cruel epithets and possible incarceration were the fate of gay people, Cyril is lonely and challenged to present a fraudulent façade. His best friend, Julian, since childhood is the singular object of his desire, although Julian is doggedly heterosexual. Unfortunately, Julian's sister is caught in Cyril's web of deceit with unforeseen results.
The book, divided in seven-year increments from 1945 to 2015, provides an unflinching look at the traumatic events of that time frame as Cyril travels from Ireland to Amsterdam to America and then back to Ireland for unexpected reunions. This is an epic saga of a man determined to find peace in a place where he belongs.
Thank you to LibraryThing and Doubleday for providing me with an ARC of this excellent book.
The Heart's Invisible Furies is narrated by Cyril Avery from in utero and then throughout his eventful life. Born to an unwed adolescent in Dublin in 1945, he is adopted by an eccentric, wealthy couple. As an only child, his family life is dysfunctional in the extreme with constant reminders by his adoptive parents that he is not their birth child. Living in homophobic Ireland during a time when cruel epithets and possible incarceration were the fate of gay people, Cyril is lonely and challenged to present a fraudulent façade. His best friend, Julian, since childhood is the singular object of his desire, although Julian is doggedly heterosexual. Unfortunately, Julian's sister is caught in Cyril's web of deceit with unforeseen results.
The book, divided in seven-year increments from 1945 to 2015, provides an unflinching look at the traumatic events of that time frame as Cyril travels from Ireland to Amsterdam to America and then back to Ireland for unexpected reunions. This is an epic saga of a man determined to find peace in a place where he belongs.
Thank you to LibraryThing and Doubleday for providing me with an ARC of this excellent book.
Cyril Avery is not a real Avery -- or at least, that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he? John Boyne's story is a sweeping, heartfelt saga of one man's life from the 1940's to today and told through the eyes of Cyril Avery. He has a close relationship with Julian Woodbead and will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from. I found this book to be entertaining, funny and clever. The epic novel proves that John Boyne is considered one of the best writers in Ireland. I highly recommend this book to those who love to read about Ireland and I look forward to reading more books by Boyne in the near future.
