Gay Subtext. Such Power. I'm only the 20th person on this website to watch this. Bizarre feeling. Their friendship is wonderful to read.
There is such a strong connection and bond between them that bypasses class and another delicate boundary of religion in Ireland at that time. Love is a major theme in the book. I certainly felt that they were in love but neither told each other how they felt. Still actions speak louder than words and there is so many moments in this book where you see the sacrifices they make for each other and the love they feel for each other.
Class is a major theme in this book. It all is rather ridiculous but to the people saying it they seem to find it valid and right. It does seem to be all about power and appearances. Another major theme of this book is family life and dynamics. Alec comes from quite a cold home mostly because his mother is domineering. She seems unhappy with her own life and not in love with his father like she used to be.
However she is very well-written. So much so that you feel the tension from the home just through the pages. However much Alec tries to please her, nothing seems enough.
I think Johnston wrote these family dynamics very well and gave a very clear picture of both of their home lives. War is also a major theme of this book. We get a great insight into what life was like in Flanders even many decades later and the struggles faced in vivid detail and accounts.
We also get an insight into the varying reasons why people joined. Alec joined to please his Mum, Jerry to gain experience to fight for the Nationalist cause and Bennett, an English officer who Alec shares a room with, to be a hero. They are all young and are now in a situation which it seems clear none of them are ready for with a lot of older people who are putting a lot of pressure on their shoulders and should know better.
Johnston wrote a very authentic book about this period. Anyone from Ireland like me who knows the history of Ireland knows what people went through in those days seeking independence and been ruled by the Catholic religion which had more power than the state at that time. The book is weaved together brilliantly and seamlessly. The ending of this book is sad and powerful without giving too much away. It seems at first to come out of nowhere and then you realise the whole plot has been working up to this conclusion.
Stunningly written but have a few tissues ready … This is a wonderful read. Very naturally written with great descriptions. A must-read. At only pages long, this novel packs a punch. I picked this book up on a whim- it was prescribed on the Leaving Cert course and while I didn't study it, I was intruiged By the promise of horses, and by the fact that it was written by an Irish Author.
First of all, I loved Johnston's writing style, it was lyrical and had a beauty to it, yet it never felt 'wordy' or unnecessary. It created a sense of loneliness which permeated throughout the novel, while also providing beautiful descriptions of At only pages long, this novel packs a punch.
It created a sense of loneliness which permeated throughout the novel, while also providing beautiful descriptions of rural Ireland, which contrasts to the haunting reality of the trenches we see later on. Secondly, the plot, wassimple yet captivating. The focus of the story is the friendship,between Alec and Jerry, a friendship which is forbidden due to their different social standings.
The young men, however, rekindle their friendship years later, when they are enlisted to fight in the trenches. Even so they are still separated, now by rank rather than class. The way Johnston executes this story is mesmerising. Unlike most war stories which focus on the graphic violence of conflict, Johnston focuses on the more humane consequences; the loneliness, pain and grief of battle.
Finally, what makes this novel stand-out most of all is the endearing and heartbreaking friendship that exists between Alec and Jerry, and later between Officer Bennett as well.
Despite all the challenges that Alec and Jerry face, their friendship and simple dreams endure. Ultimately the bond between them proves stronger than that that exists between man, country and king. Honestly, this book has left a long-lasting impression on me, and I would highly recommend that everyone reads it. May 14, Ana rated it it was amazing Shelves: historical-fiction , wwi.
God this book I've read a lot of WWI literature, written both by the war generation and by those who came after it, but nothing has reached quite the level of delicate emotional intensity as this. I think it's because the focus of the book is on the relationship between Alec and Jerry rather than more broadly on the war, so even in a mere pages you get so attached to the characters and the love between them.
There are strong parallels with Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men which I cannot believe were simply coincidental, but for me predicting the ending didn't stop the novel being as powerful as it was. The shortness of the book means that every line is so perfectly crafted that the last few pages had my heart breaking over and over and over again. Would highly recommend reading it in one go if possible, because it's the kind of book that needs to be experienced in one heart-wrenching burst.
Mar 19, Amy rated it really liked it. The book however is poignant. The story is of two Irish youths who go off to fight World War 1.
They are childhood friends but Alex is from a well to do family and Jerry is from a common lower class family. Then once they go to war, they also are treated differently, as Alex is immediately made an officer despite his lack of skill because of his social status and Jerry a private due to his.
This is a novella, just under pages, but Johnston is able to weave together a touching ode to friendship in those few pages. As a war book, you really get the dehumanization and darkness that war brings.
I really enjoyed it though and the last line may be one of my recent favorites. Jennifer Johnston is an extremely talented writer. I believe this book is now out of print but if you see it at a used book sale or thrift store, pick it up.
May 13, Jane Willis rated it really liked it. A beautiful book, witty and tragic in equal proportions. The storyline was secondary to the quality of writing, in fact had it been stronger I would have given this the full 5 stars, but this book isn't about the story, it's about the way it is told.
A beautiful tale of rural Irish life at the turn of the 20th century, of childhood friendship and family relationships, which moves effortlesly into a gruelling description of life in the trenches during the First World War.
One thing I loved about A beautiful book, witty and tragic in equal proportions. One thing I loved about this book was that although there was no attempt to "write in an Irish accent" which always makes stories difficult and stilted to read, simple use of phrases meant I could still hear the speakers' voices in my head and differentiate between nationalities and classes. It takes real skill as a writer to nake that work for me!
I am really amazed that this book has been around since the s and yet I had never heard of it before. It deserves to be much better known. Second reading. Upped rating from 3 to 4 stars. To the contrary, they were excellent, generous hosts, and presumably lively guests, but when that side of their lives was quiescent they each retreated into some kind of wilderness of their own.
Their only meeting place Second reading. Their only meeting place was the child. War and friendship versus duty are explored showing how war imposes a false and cruel ethic on people. It is people like you and Crowe who cannot see the wood from the trees who cause untold damage amongst those who see nothing at all. Those who must be led. Alec names his mare Morrigan. A very good read. The Eye of A Miniaturist More than a short story, but shorter perhaps than a novel, this novella deals with two lads from the same Irish village one hundred years ago.
One is the son of the manor house, born to privilege and expectations, while the other is poor, with litter education and fewer prospects. Both go off the same day to the Great War, one an officer, the other, a private, and it is questionable if both shall return. Johnston write with the fine of a miniaturist, that the reader ca The Eye of A Miniaturist More than a short story, but shorter perhaps than a novel, this novella deals with two lads from the same Irish village one hundred years ago.
Johnston write with the fine of a miniaturist, that the reader can "see" in fine detail their fated, intertwined lives. She is probably not well known in the United States, and more's the pity. As I read and finished this work, I felt I was reading a work already a classic in its time.
Dec 14, Chaimaa rated it it was amazing. Marcus O'Higgins Soldier as Soldier. Donal O'Kelly Soldier as Soldier. Neville Tough Soldier as Soldier. Moira Armstrong. Storyline Edit. Add content advisory. Did you know Edit. Trivia This was originally announced as a major theatrical release in with Bo Wildeberg directing. User reviews 1 Review. Details Edit. Release date February 26, United Kingdom.
United Kingdom. Paula, Fox. Publisher: Puffin , This specific ISBN edition is currently not available. View all copies of this ISBN edition:. Synopsis About this title Ten-year-old James Douglas plans a daring escape from a deserted Coney Island funhouse where three teenage hoodlums, who force him into a dog-stealing racket, imprison him "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Synopsis : Ten-year-old James skips school to go to his secret place, a deserted house, where he is found by three teenage boys who force him to join their dognapping ring. Learn more about this copy. About AbeBooks. Other Popular Editions of the Same Title.
Search for all books with this author and title. Customers who bought this item also bought. Stock Image. Puffin Books Paula, Fox. Published by Puffin Used Paperback Quantity: 1. Goldstone Books Llandybie, United Kingdom.
0コメント