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Reid B. (Seattle, WA)
The curse of the poet
Life is largely mundane. This is not a complaint, really, just a factual observation. And a poet's job is, quite often, to romanticize the mundane, to make of it something more than it is. Of course, some also celebrate that mundanity (the red wheelbarrow, after all) but more often than not poets attempt to limn the commonplace with the glow of artful language (it is undeniable that raging against the dying of the light is much more attractive than "He died peacefully in his sleep", if not considerably more effortful and mostly futile). And, after all, why not? We need not celebrate the quotidian; we must live
…more it every day, why overburden it with a significance it cannot carry? Very few of us want to read poems about washing the dishes or wiping our bums.
The danger comes from confusing a poetic view with reality, of coming to believe that one should be able to breathe that rarified air at all times. Phil McDaragh, the poet at the center of this luminous novel, is one such deluded being, crashing through life demanding his due, leaving destruction in his wake that extends through generations. At one point his wife becomes ill and he leaves; many years later he simply says, "She got sick. Unfortunately, and the marriage did not survive," as if leaving one's sick wife because her illness did not comport with a romanticized view of life was perfectly normal, moral, and reasonable.
Though Phil is the canker in the heart of this novel, it is the women who survive him who tell the tale and whom we get to know intimately. Carmen is his daughter and Nell his granddaughter. As so many deeply scarred women before them, they have learned to cope the best they can in a deeply unfair and misogynistic world. The most moving aspect of this novel is that Enright does not resort to easy platitudes or epiphanies, but allows these women to be who they have become and let the chips fall where they may. We must not give Phil too much credit for this, of course; that would only reinforce the sexist idea that women are shaped by men. It would be deeply simplistic for us to consider Carmen, in particular, as having become the misanthrope she is purely in response to one asshole of a father. Rather, she has looked at life and the people in it and concluded, not unreasonably, that there simply isn't much good in most of them. Nell is a bit more romantic, and tries to find that good while incorporating a healthy dose of her mother's skepticism.
Overall, this is a deeply satisfying exploration of what allows the fragile connections between us to thrive and how the casual cruelty we encounter so often can break them; once broken even time and love cannot always heal those rifts. (less)Not being at all familiar with the work of Anne Enright I had no notion as to what to expect.
The story involves 3 generations of women all navigating through life with the scars of their upbringing.
Each of the women had their story told in alternating chapters of time and place. This was done very well. I liked Ms Enright's format and writing style but I found, however, that I could not connect to the characters. I did finish the book and I am glad I did.
It is always nice to discover an author one is not familiar with, and I will look into other books she has written.
Connie K. (Oldsmar, FL)
Front Row Seat to Mostly Unexciting Family Drama
Let me put it this way, if these people were my acquaintances, I'd probably be busy when they called. This inside seat for endless family judgments on each other is not the way I'd choose to spend my reading time, but yes, there are some uniquely expressed nuggets within, which are something to jot down and tape to your computer screen for later; and the unusual inclusion of interspersed poetry I found an enjoyable, unexpected respite. The "Phil" chapter near the 3/4 mark in the book was beautifully atmospheric and poetic in itself which was Phil after all by label anyway. For example: "...and it was not a house
…more to me so much as a creaking ship, a groaning night creature, ploughing the dark waves." So for those who enjoy reads that are slight on plot but heavy on character study and don't have enough family drama of their own, this might be for you. Anne Enright is a highly praised author. (less)
Barbara O. (Red Bank, NJ)
The Collateral Damage of a Failed Marriage
Anne Enright's latest book, "The Wren, the Wren" is filled with beautiful prose with gorgeous sentences and descriptions of the landscape, flowers and birds. It's also a generational story told by mother and daughter in styles reflective of their personalities and the social norms of their time. Carmel's father, an Irish poet of some renown, walks out on his sick wife and two young daughters leaving them to make some sense of their own lives and their emotional development.
This book is not a story told in traditional narrative form but, rather: a stream of consciousness as each character ponders their own
…more thoughts and choices and relationships with men, their peers and each other. Despite their life choices and their struggles with relationships, mother and daughter each come to realize their inheritance from their father/grandfather and how it ties them together despite their own emotional differences. This book invites a different kind of discussion, one that focuses on the beauty of language, words used to describe sound, nature, art and landscape. There is also another discussion point of view centering on relationships between men and women and self judgement. In the end, the poetry and the language won me over. (less)Anne Enright's characters in The Wren, the Wren are formed through their genealogy, no matter their attempts to escape. We begin and end with Nell, the daughter with whom I frequently found myself in conversation: counseling, questioning, objecting to her actions. We shift to her mother and then Phil, the poet grandfather who tells a short story, brutal and concerning. The novel ends with Nell and with our having a better understanding of her. This is an intriguing read by a Booker Prize winner that will leave you thinking long after you've finished the read.
Tracy W. (Wyoming, DE)
Atmospheric
There are some parts of this book that I really enjoyed and other parts not so much. I can relate to the generational trauma as I have endured in my family. I felt for the characters but not deeply. This book was very atmospheric which I enjoyed. There is one scene in the book that I completely did not enjoy and wish it was not there between a dog and a badger. Being an animal lover that was upsetting. Overall I enjoyed the richness of the story and the points of views of the characters, but this author's other works have been much more satisfying. That being said, I do enjoy reading books about difficult
…more relationships between parents and children, especially mothers and daughters as my relationship with my mother has always been a struggle. I think relating to characters in books helps us wrestle through our own relationships. (less)The wren, the wren by Anne Enright slowly introduces the reader to middle-aged Carmel and her 22-year-old daughter Nell, both of whom are dealing with bouts of depression and loneliness that stem from the abandonment suffered by Carmel when her famous poet father, Phil McDaragh, left behind his family to focus on new adventures. Set in the city of Cork in Ireland, the novel features the points of view of mother and daughter with a brief chapter from Phil's perspective. Each alternate view is prefaced by a poem expressive of the tone of the novel, which is quite somber. The sense of loss is palpable and none of
…more the characters experience healthy relationships, including Nell and her on-and-off again boyfriend Felim, and Phil's two daughters, Carmel and Imelda, who are at odds throughout the book. The third woman who rounds out the three generations is Terry, Carmel's mother. She is mentioned several times as having been recovering from breast cancer when her husband left her for another woman, although Terrys voice is seldom heard in the first person. She is often described as the love of Phil's life and the inspiration for one of his most famous poems. There are moments that are painful to read because they are intimate and upsetting. The need for genuine affection is a constant quest, and it is never clear if this goal is achieved. Just like life, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. (less)This book was a bit of a slog. The writing is at times luminous, and there were some lovely and thoughtful sections, but I didn't really identify with any of the characters and without that investment, the book was hard for me to finish. It is obvious that Ms. Enright is a gifted writer, and I'm sure this book will find its audience. I just didn't have the attention span for the style in which it was written.
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