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Title: At Swim, Two Boys: A Novel by Jamie O'Neill ISBN: 0-7432-2295-4 Publisher: Scribner Pub. Date: 04 March, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.56 (75 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Subtle Craft, Clever Storytelling
Comment: ~While critics have commented on the similarity of this work to other major Irish writers - Roddy Doyle, Seamus Deane, Colm Toibin - and of course the writer they are all under the shadow of: James Joyce; O'Neill's work should easily fit into the Irish canon and add something to their literature. But what makes this piece unique is its scale and plot (the book took years to compose, is quite lengthy, deals both with the historical and the personal and takes significant risks with narrative~~ technique). O'Neill experiments with language, dealing with puns in the dialect, taking interest in the music of the words coming together, and trying to represent the viewpoints of individuals through diversity in writing style. It is a challenge to read and i would not recommend it to everyone. It requires focus and a reader that savors subtle nuances and artistry.
While the writing itself challenges its readers, the execution of the plot and the heart of the characters enthralled me~~ and made it difficult for me to put the book down. While this will sadly be lumped into the restrictive classification of "gay fiction," this is a serious literary work rather than some run of the mill sexual fantasy or cliched coming out tale. Certainly some scenes are quite erotic and the romance is done well and sexuality is explored in an interesting way, but this work should not be limited into pointless categories since it is ambitious in what it does with language and storytelling~~ technique.
In all honesty At Swim, Two Boys is far from perfect but it strives for something that many novels do not. It has ambition, passion and heart, and readers would be foolish to overlook this book.~
Rating: 5
Summary: An Irish epic
Comment: As a gay American of Irish descent, I'm happy to praise this work as the best fictional story of early 20th century Ireland that I have ever read. This is more than a coming-of-age tale of "gay" youth. This is an epic of Ireland at the time of the Easter Rebellion, as reflected in the lives of a half-dozen central characters of different ages and backgrounds. It helps to know Irish history to understand the time in which the story unfolds (for example, one reviewer didn't understand references to further conflict at the book's end because she thought that Ireland gained "independence" in the early 1920s, apparently not realizing that the Irish fought a civil war over Free State status, which did not constitute recognition as a sovereign nation and did not include the six counties of the north). As other reviewers have noted, you may need to read passages several times until you grow accustomed to the delightful Irish treatment of the English language. I did find that the last section of the book comes perilously close to reading like a romance novel, but overall "At Swim, Two Boys" is a powerfully written novel. I agree that the relationship of the two boys is frustratingly slow to be consummated, but I think the author sets it down exactly as it would have happened with a pair of teenage boys living in 1916 Ireland, in which the influence of the Catholic Church was even more powerful and perverse than it is today. And to those who bemoan another story of gay people that ends in tragedy, I would remind you that this is not a "gay story"; it is a story of Ireland and I contend that the ending suits the story, especially considering one character's commitment to "the Cause," which would have continued beyond the Easter Rebellion. Above all, this is a classic story of ill-fated love--not only of one boy's love for another, but of a people's love of their nation. I hated to see the book end and I cried when it did. Jamie O'Neill has made me grateful for all the real-life Doyler Doyles, in countries around the world and throughout history, who stood up for those who wouldn't, and I am grateful for the Jim Macks who loved them.
Rating: 5
Summary: Massive and spellbinding
Comment: This is not a small book--in many ways. And this is not some commercially successful piece for the masses. This is a real piece of literature and will probably take its place among the classics. But the story of how, when, where, and by whom it was written is as interesting as the book itself! I won't go into both here as others have done so, but suffice it to say that this is one book you won't want to pass by. Also recommended: Jackson McCrae's "The Bark of the Dogwood" and "The Birth of Venus."
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Title: Metes and Bounds (Southern Tier) by Jay Quinn ISBN: 1560231858 Publisher: Southern Tier Editions Harrington Park Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: The Year of Ice: A Novel by Brian Malloy ISBN: 0312313691 Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Desert Sons by Mark Kendrick ISBN: 0595191304 Publisher: iUniverse Pub. Date: 01 June, 2001 List Price(USD): $20.95 |
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Title: Common Sons by Ronald Donaghe ISBN: 0595097081 Publisher: Writers Club Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: The Boys of Swithins Hall by Chris Kent ISBN: 1879194252 Publisher: GLB Publishers Pub. Date: January, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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