What readers think of The Heart's Invisible Furies, plus links to write your own review.

I dare you to read the first sentence—Yes! Just the first sentence!—and not be hooked on this book. It is witty (as in, you will laugh out loud and want to read passages to others because they are so funny), wise and wonderful. This book will grab your heart and not let go.

This is the story of Cyril Avery, who is born in Dublin, Ireland in 1945 to an unwed, 16-year-old mother, who was forcibly banished from her small hometown because of her disgraceful condition. Cyril is adopted by a strange, but well-meaning couple, who have wealth and prestige but little love for this little boy. As a child, he realizes he is gay, which is not an easy thing to be ultra-conservative Catholic Ireland. The book spans all the decades of Cyril's life—the good, the bad, the unconventional, the tragic, the hilarious—as he learns who he is and the real meaning of love, intimacy and family. And as much as this is a book about Cyril, it is also a book about Ireland and the astounding and profound social changes the country underwent from 1945 to 2015.

Author John Boyne is nothing short of a genius in the way he has structured the story. The characters' dialogues are without a doubt the most clever, funny and poignant I have ever read by any author. (I mean it! This book is incredible.) The narrative is compelling, the characters are fully developed and the pacing is perfect.

Bonus: The epilogue is brilliant.

There is really only one thing to say about this book: I loved, loved, loved it. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Five stars does not even begin to describe it!

I just loved the narrative of this book. It starts with a bang and then flows along interspersed with tantalising events and interactions

Great book. But very emotional and heartbreaking. Cried multiple times while reading.

So different from other Boyne books. Following Avery's story through the years was fascinating, his closeted love, his close approximation to his biological mother and the poignancy with which each phase of his life unfolded. Couldn't put it down.

If you enjoy the complexities of assembling a challenging jigsaw puzzle, you will likely savor this wonderful story where the pieces elude you from time-to-time, but gently fall into place as the picture finally reveals itself.

This fictionalized tale was reminiscent of the autobiographical writings of Augusten Burroughs in "Running With Scissors." Boyne's protagonist assembles nearly as many unconventional relatives, friends and acquaintances along the way as did Burroughs. Boyne escorts you through a variety of emotions that sometimes meet head on as you ask yourself, "Why, when this is sad or poignant, am I also laughing aloud?"

The book challenges the reader by ending certain sections with the same quality as season-ending cliff hangers on old television series. As you move to the end of a chapter, an event takes place, but all the pieces aren't there. These pieces show themselves in chapters beyond and I found myself having to re-read certain parts to make sure I understood how it all fit together. Fortunately for the reader, the pieces finally fall into place, and by the conclusion of nearly 600 pages, you'll see the whole.

Boyne has an amazing capacity for capturing the spirit of his characters, particularly as they age through the decades of time. I invite you all to meet Cyril and those he loves, and to enjoy a novel that you'll remember far into the future. Don't let the length put you off. You may need short breaks as you go. The journey's end is worth the time it takes to travel.

I have read a couple of John Boyne books before, so I was prepared for anything. Boyne takes on hard subjects and presents them relentlessly. I am aware that his themes and character development are beyond reproach. This particular book sucked me into its world. I found it to be a work far more subtle and powerful than the ordinary novel.

We followed Cyril Avery for 70 odd years - from the 1940s to 2015. The novel set in Ireland, Amsterdam and New York City covered man's nonacceptance of his fellow man, starting with the pregnancy of the unmarried woman in the 1940s and continuing through to gay bashing in the 1990s.

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and most of all, it made me think. It read like a 300 page book, not the approximate 600 pages that it really is. Throughout there were strings randomly crisscrossing, and when they started to align, it lead to a very acceptable and well developed conclusion. Another great novel by Boyne.

Thank you Penguin Random House and BookBrowse for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Publication expected August 22, 2017. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars

Wow. Have you ever read a book that hooks you and doesn't let go? This is it! The characters are Interwoven in ways that delight and keep you reading. The narrator, Cyril, is so delightfully human that you cringe, cheer and understand (even when you don't agree). It captures the fear of living in the shadows and the warmth of live in the open! I can't say enough about this book, except treat yourself, give this book your time and you will not regret it.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. The title comes from a W.H. Auden poem and even after reading this novel, I cannot figure it out! The setting is Ireland, Amsterdam, New York City, and back to Ireland. The time begins at Cyril Avery's birth in 1945 and proceeds at increments of 7 years to 2008. The reader learns about being gay in Catholic Ireland and Cyril's search for meaning and happiness throughout his life and travels trying to find himself and his real mother and father. John Boyne who is an Irish gay author has written an excellent novel which is so timely now that Ireland has its first gay Prime Minister. It is very well written and is a page turner. Highly recommended!