In last year’s readalong we also read a WWI novel from the Irish perspective. It was one of my favourites and since I’m fond of Irish literature, I thought it would be great to add another one this year. I wanted to read Sebastian Barry’s novel A Long Long Way since Danielle (A Work in Progress) first mentioned it. WWI has a special meaning for the Irish. They were neutral during WWII, so, clearly, WWI has another importance. There were reasons why they remained neutral during the second World war which are tied to their own history. While some men, like the character Willie Dunne in this novel, fought for the Allies, other forces in the home country were about to erupt and would lead to the Easter Rising. WWI, the Irish War of Independence, followed by the Irish Civil War, cost the Irish too many lives for them to risk being dragged into WWII as well. I’m certainly simplifying but in a nutshell this was one of the reasons.
Some of what I just mentioned is the topic of Barry’s novel.
Here are the first sentences
He was born in the dying days.
It was the withering end of 1896. He was called William after the long-dead Orange King, because his father took an interest in such distant matters. On top of that, an old great-uncle, William Cullen, was yet living in Wicklow, across the mountains as they used to say, where his father himself had been reared.
I have read Sebastian Barry’s award-winning The Secret Scripture three years ago and I was one of a very few who didn’t like it. It had nothing to do with the writing as such which is great and one of the reasons why A Long Long Way was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2005. The reasons why I didn’t like it were timing and implausibility. I had just read The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox before and the theme is the same, only I liked O’Farrell’s novel much better as it didn’t rely on implausible coincidences. Despite this unfortunate encounter I’m really looking forward to A Long Long Way and hope that some of you will join me.
Have you read Sebastian Barry?
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The discussion starts on Monday, 27 February 2012.
Further information on the Literature and War Readalong 2012, including all the book blurbs, can be found here.
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
This sounds great! Too bad my library doesn’t have a copy. I can’t understand why they don’t, but it is a tiny library. I’m looking forward to your review!
And you cannot go to another library? Too bad.
There are six branches and none of them have it. I was spoiled in Boston.
But London is so big. Hard to imagine.
The library in my part of the town is small. I think I can join other libraries but I’ve heard that there are yearly fees. I’ll have to look into it since mine is limited. Also, they aren’t in walking distance so I’ll have to factor in traveling expenses when I go.
I really want to read this, I have searched it in book stores but couldn’t find it 😦 I have tried searching it in torrent too but no luck. Buying from amazon is a bit impossible right now.
why do things related to Ireland are so hard to find 😦
It is too bad. I don’t know why it is so hard to find.
I read A Long Long Way last year and found it a strong and moving anti-war book.
That’s good to know, ted, thanks for the comment.
I just got this one from the library, so I’m planning to join in this month’s discussion!
That’s great, Anna. I’m looking forward to the discussion.
I have a couple of Barry novels on the shelf but I’ve yet to get to them. Look forward to the discussion.
I’m confident I will like this one better than The Secret Scripture althought it wasn’t a bad book at all just the end didn’t work for me.
I’m going to be booked up with Mexican literature and War and Peace this month, Caroline, so I’ll have to watch this one from the sidelines. Hope it turns out to be a good read and a good discussion book for the group, though. Cheers!
Thanks, Richard, I hope so. Is that a personal project, Mexican literature, I vaguely remember. I have ordered a short story collection with stories by Fuentes (Las dos Elenas), Pitol (El oscuro hermano gemelo) and Rossi (Sedosa, la niña). Maybe you know them.
War and Peace… I would so love to read it and in a moment of total disregard for my aversion to long novels I ordered it last year. I think that’s the longest book I own.
Another chunkester I would love to read is Albert Cohen’s Belle du Seigneur.
Sebastian Barry’s book looks quite interesting, Caroline! Happy Reading! Looking forward to reading your thoughts on it and the thoughts of other readalong participants.
Thanks Vishy. I’m interested to see how it compares to Jennifer Johnston’s How Many Miles to Babylon. I loved that book. So poetical.
I’m still trying to finish Strangers On A Train, The Pendragon Legend while reading Le Blé en herbe on time for my book club meeting: I’ll have to stay away from this but I’ll read your review.
I imagine you are somewhat busy these days…
I also want to read Ubu enchaîné before watching the play in 10 days. Have you read the Ubu plays?
Yes, I did. They stayed in my memory quite vividly. They are very irreverent. I loved them.
My library has this book. I am hoping to join in if it comes in for me soon enough.
That would be great. He is an interesting writer and I’m sure, this one is very good.
I am looking forward to it and surprisingly my local library has a copy. Must be catering to the only Irishman in New Iberia.
I’m very glad. Your library must be bigger than TBM’s in London. Or maybe they buy the Booker shortlist regularly. I hope it will be to your liking.
You always introduce me to new authors, Caroline. I’ve not read any Sebastian Barry books, but this one sounds so interesting. I, too, enjoy Irish literature. Luckily my library has this on ebook format, so I’m going to check it out.
I hope you will like it. I just read a review of someone who read The Secret Scripture and this book and wrote that he didn’t like the Secret Scripture but thought this one was outstanding. I’m looking forward to reading it. I hope you can join the discussion.
I’m really looking forward to this one–I really like the fact that is is written from an Irish perspective (and loved last year’s How Many MIles to Babylon). I’ve never read any of his work, though I have the other two books you mention. Sounds like this is a good place to start. I may have to start it this week as I feel like Feb is going to fly by!
I’m really looking forward as well and have seen quite a few people mentionng that this was his best book so far. But there are people who loved The Secret Scripture. It’s not a bad book but The Vanishing act of Esme Lennox was so much better. I think it will be very different from How Many Miles to babaylon and it will be interesting to compare. It’s not a long novel, I hope you will make it.