The Spinning Heart

by Donal Ryan | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 8129109557 Global Overview for this book
Registered by stephjb of Torquay, Devon United Kingdom on 9/29/2014
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by stephjb from Torquay, Devon United Kingdom on Monday, September 29, 2014
Swapped for in the Bibliotheque at Camping La Grainetiere, Ile de Re, France.

Journal Entry 2 by stephjb at La Flotte, Poitou-Charentes France on Thursday, November 20, 2014
I'm glad I didn't allow the effusive praise on the cover of The Spinning Heart to put me off reading the novel as I thoroughly enjoyed it and, for a debut author, this is an impressive achievement. The eponymous heart does not refer to that of a lovelorn Irish lass, as might be expected from the presentation, but to a creaking metal heart on the worn gate of a bitter old man, one of the many characters we meet during the course of this story. Ryan allocates each chapter to a different inhabitant of a small bankrupt town in Ireland. Bobby, Kate, Bridie, Lily and others speak to us directly, with distinctive voices, and as each describes their situation and passes along the latest gossip, we come to understand their sad circumstances. I remember a few years ago seeing a TV documentary which visited an Irish estate where only a couple of the new houses were sold and inhabited, the rest simply decaying around them. The plight of the families trapped in these unsellable homes was disturbing and Ryan explores what led to the phenomenon in The Spinning Heart. I liked the way Ryan intertwines each chapter. He allows enough repetition of facts to quickly establish the relationship of the speaker to other people I had already met. However, he never overdoes this or allows it to slow the pace of the work. The voices sound authentic so I could easily empathise and understand their choices even if I didn't agree with their actions. Perhaps I could have done without the voice of a ghost though. The Spinning Heart is a quick read at just 156 pages, but packs quite a punch. The colloquial language used enhances the atmosphere and several of the chapters were emotional to read.

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