This wasn’t my favorite book of the year by any means but it was an interesting read as I have an interest in Island life and the history of the life on the islands of the Coast of Ireland . While it was entertaining at times it did become repetitive and dragged and perhaps the translation from Irish to English takes away from the flow of the story. It has to be noted “ It is the first translation into English of a genuine account of the life of the Irish peasants written by one of themselves, as distinct from what has been written about them by the poets and dramatists of the Anglo Irish School” (taken directly from Preface)

Maurice O Sullivan was born in 1904 on a remote Island of the Atlantic coast of Ireland called the Great Blasket. He wrote this story for his own pleasure and for the entertainment of his friends without any thought for readers outside of his own group of friends and this is reflected in the honest and plain language of the time. It is a wonderful insight into the customs and traditions and everyday life on the Island and the reader is transported back to past through the eyes of the author who recounts the story of his childhood.

A book that has wonderful historical value and while its not one for my favorites list I certainly don't regret reading it.

It's Rushdie so the writing is wonderful. And quite frankly, the ending is stunning.

However, there seems to be a tad too much joy in the descriptions of older men having sex with younger women who are so overwhelmed by the handsomeness of said older men.

And no, the whole backstory does not make the incest any less icky. Sorry, guess I'm a prude

1. Warner Bros and Michael B. Jordan have the rights to James' Black Leopard, Red Wolf.

 

2. Got a nice surprise last night.  Started the read for my real life book club, Rushdie Two Years Yada Yada.  Brought it from Thriftbooks for five books.  Opened it and it is a signed first edition.

 

 

I don't know which makes me happier to be honest. 

Salman rushdie-- dense, funny, lyrical. There were many places I laughed out loud. "This is just like Gozer the Gozarian..."

 

...so why wasn't this book better? It seems like Rushdie spent the first two-thirds of the book setting up this fun world, with these bizarre coincidences, wordplay, allusions to history, himself, pop culture, comic books, and everything...

 

...and then he lost interest in the last third and just kinda halfheartedly completed it.

 

It didn't help that the book is written in Rushdie's usual flashbacky past-tense, so that by the time the action happens, it's already been alluded to five or six times.

 

Anyway, not the best Rushdie, but Rushdie is one of the best authors.

This is about a click of college kids that moved on and met back up in 20 years after a member of their group died. Everyone has so many first world problems. Their marriage isn't happy, having problems at work, other relationships aren't going right. It all comes down to communication. No one is really listening or speaking up to try to resolve the problems. Most are doing well with money. Some are famous even. It was worth my time, but it didn't blow me away.