Bob, thank you for your excellent review! I’m loving your book reviews. I just finished the book and absolutely loved Sebastian Barry’s writing. It’s so well thought out. The book is heart wrenching in its portraiture of loneliness and human pain. Whilst that sounds hard to deal with - I was so touched by the subtleties in how Sebastian Barry describes Tom Kettle’s world and emotions. I am in awe of this book and Sebastian Barry and think he would be a very worthy Booker Prize winner.
I also read Old God’s Time before the longlist was announced. This will be in my top five for 2023. I hope to see it make the shortlist and will be quite happy if it wins. It’s the exquisite, lyrical writing that make this book special.
Gorgeous prose as you mention. Heartbreaking take on love and grief and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Barry's empathy for his characters is so appealing.
This was so beautifully written. I have seen a few people on booktube say they struggled to follow what was really going on but I think that is the point, it's how trauma affects memory to protect ourselves. I would like to try other of his books, if you have a recommendation.
I loved this book too and have just started The Secret Scripture which has the same wonderful feeling of memory/ time/ loss and love. I am enjoying it very much.
Yes! I agree, I think the slightly more meandering and convoluted aspects were a really good way for the complexity of memory to show itself in the text.
I was amazed by this book. I wasn’t surprised by my reaction because the author is Sebastian Barry. But, just read and reread the last fifty pages. How can it not win the prize? I’ll be disappointed if it is not the 2023 Booker prize. That said, win or not, I highly recommend that everyone read it.
I loved this book too! I also listened to it on audiobook, and it was hard to focus on driving, at times. I really hope it makes the shortlist. Great review as always!😊🎉 📚
I loved this book. First, it's great to have a protagonist in his 60s. I like that it is kinda-sorta in the mystery or crime novel genre, and it is quite interesting how the novel plays around with tthose tropes. I found it a wonderful exploration of family, theology, loneliness, dementia, and memory. Shortlist this, please.
Another book about grief Bob?(read it btw) We've talked about this.🤨I am organising an intervention for you. To whom it may concern Please give Bob uplifting books reccommendations in the comments. Thank you Kind regards Love ya 😘
Bob, thank you for your excellent review! I’m loving your book reviews.
I just finished the book and absolutely loved Sebastian Barry’s writing. It’s so well thought out. The book is heart wrenching in its portraiture of loneliness and human pain. Whilst that sounds hard to deal with - I was so touched by the subtleties in how Sebastian Barry describes Tom Kettle’s world and emotions. I am in awe of this book and Sebastian Barry and think he would be a very worthy Booker Prize winner.
Thank you so much! And yes! He always gets me- just when I think it’s a fairly ordinary story, he does something so unexpected and beautiful.
I also read Old God’s Time before the longlist was announced. This will be in my top five for 2023. I hope to see it make the shortlist and will be quite happy if it wins. It’s the exquisite, lyrical writing that make this book special.
Definitely! I don’t know how he does it on a sentence-by-sentence level, but it’s stunning.
Gorgeous prose as you mention. Heartbreaking take on love and grief and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Barry's empathy for his characters is so appealing.
Yes! That’s such a good point- you never feel like he dislikes these characters, there’s always an effort to understand them.
This was so beautifully written. I have seen a few people on booktube say they struggled to follow what was really going on but I think that is the point, it's how trauma affects memory to protect ourselves. I would like to try other of his books, if you have a recommendation.
I loved this book too and have just started The Secret Scripture which has the same wonderful feeling of memory/ time/ loss and love. I am enjoying it very much.
Yes! I agree, I think the slightly more meandering and convoluted aspects were a really good way for the complexity of memory to show itself in the text.
I was amazed by this book. I wasn’t surprised by my reaction because the author is Sebastian Barry. But, just read and reread the last fifty pages. How can it not win the prize? I’ll be disappointed if it is not the 2023 Booker prize. That said, win or not, I highly recommend that everyone read it.
Yes! I always forget how good he is, and then I read him again and remember just how exquisite his writing is!
Love your lighting here, Bob! And thanks for the review.
Aha, the lighting was wild! And thank you for stopping by!
Lovely review of this haunting book. I hope it is shortlisted and wins. One of my top books of the year.
Thank you so much! And yes, it’s so impressive how he is able to write memory like that.
I loved this book too! I also listened to it on audiobook, and it was hard to focus on driving, at times. I really hope it makes the shortlist. Great review as always!😊🎉 📚
Thank you so much! And yes, the audio was an intense experience!
Yes I thought it was very very clever and very well done. I do hope it is shortlisted
Yes! He’s such a brilliant writer! I hope it does well!
I loved this book. First, it's great to have a protagonist in his 60s. I like that it is kinda-sorta in the mystery or crime novel genre, and it is quite interesting how the novel plays around with tthose tropes. I found it a wonderful exploration of family, theology, loneliness, dementia, and memory. Shortlist this, please.
Yes! And he writes that character so well, I thought! I really want to go back and read even more of his work. He’s so good at what he does.
That is quite a certain slant of light Bob!
Aha, it was really going wild all day, but especially when I was filming!
True it is full of trauma, but so much love too. I think that balanced the uncomfortable read for me.
Yes! There’s so much love in this book too!
If you don't know what is a 'Bookery' book who does?
Aha, I feel like just when I think I understand what it is, it shifts!
Another book about grief Bob?(read it btw) We've talked about this.🤨I am organising an intervention for you.
To whom it may concern
Please give Bob uplifting books reccommendations in the comments.
Thank you
Kind regards
Love ya 😘
Ahahahahaha, thank you! You’ll be glad to know I read some lighter books the other day, which was much needed!