Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy / review
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- Опубліковано 6 бер 2024
- I jumped right into the 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction longlist and picked this novel to read first. And what an emotional story! Click ‘Show More’ for info & links.
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Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
uk.bookshop.org/a/9054/978057...
Matrescence by Lucy Jones
uk.bookshop.org/a/9054/978024...
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Personally what I find the most challenging about motherhood is the natural stage of rejection that comes with adolescence. It's also hard to realize that although your children are part of you they are still not you. They are their own person and they are bound to make their own mistakes.
That's really interesting to hear, thank you
Hi Eric! A great review. I am reading this at the moment and finding it very powerful. As a mother, I identify with so many things that the book mother goes through. So similar infact that sometimes it's spooky. I feel like she is someone I know.However, the difference for me is that I loved every minute of it, however challenging and mindbendingly crazy making it sometimes can be..but I do have an incredibly supportive husband, who did night duty with me, changed nappies, cooked , cleaned...and went out to work. I am very fortunate. My children are now, mostly grown up...but I look back and this feels like yesterday!!
It's so interesting to hear how there can be many commonalities but such a different reaction to them. Thank you! I'm glad you're reading it now too.
I loved this so much! I think the way that becoming a mother (or a parent) changes relationships is masterful. I also often get annoyed when people talk about this about motherhood. This is not about motherhood, is about parenthood. And about the dad, no, there are genuinely people like that, sucks like that, more than you would think
Thank you Eric for another wonderful review!!! 🤗📚🍀✨
Amazing review
I bought this one and can't wait to start it.
I don't think anything can prepare you for what's to come, no matter what people tell you. I can remember being pregnant and people saying it's pretty tough, and I was really blasé, until I was in the midst of it! The baby stage when you have no sleep is incredibly tough, but you're also overwhelmed by this fierce protectiveness and love that you've never felt before.
I'm also very glad my husband is a very hands on dad!!
One of my favourite bits on motherhood was from Sorrow & Bliss, when her sister had a baby and says that she's breastfeeding her baby every two hours, and each feed takes one hour 59 minutes 😂 so true!!
A very thoughtful and enjoyable review of what will be for many readers a very close to the bone read. You're absolutely right, it is very raw and very emotional but humourous in a down to earth and realistic way. I feel very fortunate to have gone through these days with such a wonderfully loving and understanding husband. I loved discussing it with you in our group and it really helped me to digest and make sense of my own initial reaction to it. Thank you Eric. I think we will be seeing a lot more of this novel. Looking forward to reading more of the titles for this year's prize ❤
Thanks Selina! It's been so great chatting about this book in depth with you. It's helped me to appreciate it so much more and think about it in a more dynamic way. I'll be eager to hear what books that you get time to read from the Women's Prize list are your favourites.
After hearing this book was written in a stream of consciousness style I was unsure about trying it. But am now halfway through and am very impressed with the writing technique. A great start to the longlist! I’m reading it on Kindle but feel it would also work well if listened to as an audiobook.
Delighted you enjoyed it Eric. It's very powerful and yet also quite poetic.
Thanks for the strong recommendation, Marc!
I've just finished this too. I found it so reflective and beautiful even if sometimes in a horrible, difficult way. I didn't consider whether the 'friend' might not be real until the scene at the water where, either way, he is not really there. That did make me re-consider how idealised he was - is that because she couldn't see his whole life, or because he wasn't there at all. A strong start to the list!
So happy you liked this book. It was my second favourite last year and was really rooting for it to be on the list.
I could relate to so much of this, a poetic read.
Lovely review, Eric. Thanks 🙏
Thank you!
Admire the way you review, particularly keeping it brief yet covering in detail👍
Thanks!
Thank you for this review. This book was a low priority for me to try but after hearing your thoughts on it I am excited to read it.
Great, hope you find it as compelling as I did.
Enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this one, Eric. I found it a really difficult read at times. It's quite dark and the emotions in it feel very raw. At the same time, I found it quite funny in places. It wasn't a book that I enjoyed reading but it's definitely a good book and I'm glad that I read it.
Soldier Sailor won’t be released in the US until June :( I just finished my first book from the non-fiction longlist, “The Dictionary People”. Very interesting, I enjoyed it. ❤️
I have Soldier Sailor on hold on the Libby App. I am busy with my first longlist book on audio: Ordinary Human Failings. I am enjoying it. I think it is well written.
This is one the longlist books I want to read. Enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
I haven’t read this one yet, but I was under the impression that it was an interior monologue and not her literally telling her child these things. That would be bizarre.
This will be my next read from the longlist.
Great review! Thank you, EKA 😊
I appreciate the review from a male perspective. I found myself nodding along as I read the book with the recollection of being mother to young children. I don't usually get along with stream of consciousness novels, but this I enjoyed. It is also quite funny in parts. I hope it is shortlisted.
Thanks!
Thank you for the review! You’ve increased my interest in it-not sure if I’ll order from the Uk or wait until summer when I can hopefully get it at the library. …I recently finished Hangman (a curious book-I’ll be interested in your review), and currently listening to the nonfiction All That She Carried.
Side note: The flower bouquet on your bookshelf is so beautiful!
Thank you so much for this top class review!
Thanks! 😊
Soldier Sailor is the book on this year’s longlist I’m most keen to read and I ordered it from Blackwell’s rather than waiting for its US release in June. I have grown children so feel a bit removed from those early consuming years. I do think there are some aspects of having children that are universal and others that are extremely individual and subjective. But I’ve heard mostly wonderful things about the novel and am quite eager to read it. I am also very interested to read Matrescence but will wait for its May US release.
Great! Hope you find it as compelling as I did. It’d be interesting to read how different her story might be if she were writing it retrospectively rather than in the throes of early motherhood.
@@EricKarlAnderson that’s a really interesting thought exercise. I have to guess that the intensity of her experience would have mellowed with time.
I've been hesitant to read this as motherhood and how hard it is doesn’t appeal to me. I don't want to force myself to read books on topics I'm not interested in simply to complete the longlist. Thanks for your review, it may have encouraged me to pick it up.
I'm so curious about this book. I went ahead and ordered from Blackwell's since it won't be available in the US until June. I'm hoping it was worth the "buy." Thanks for this review. I look forward to the next one you'll read from the longlist.
I just bought this book today 👍
Thanks for the lovely review - I have put a reservation on my library account right away. :)
Great, hope you find it as compelling as I did.
Oh this is so compelling! I knew so little about this book but this sounds so good. I'm not a mother but many of my friends are young moms, so I end up talking about this lots and seeing their tiredness.
I am interested in how this will interact with And Then She Fell which is also looking at a young mom.
Yeah, same here. I've heard a lot about the joys and horrors of having children from friends. It will be so interesting to compare it to And Then She Fell!
I find myself motivated to comment on this review but having never raised a child myself don't dare to presume or criticize. However, that advice: 'don't be a dick' is something to which I can relate. As human behavior goes, 'don't be a dick' is as good a starting point as any, IMHO
Don't be a dick on a card is up in my office! Plus I love also be less shit!😊 kiss is the best with teenagers keep it simple stupid ...keep your messages brief they have so much going on! Short sharp messages resonate best with young ones! 😊
Even I was frustrated with me as a kid. Made too many emotional decisions that I almost immediately regretted. 🙄 S/S sounds like a vivid portrayal, but I think I'll pass. Good review!
Women's prize? Why?
Hated it. DNF.