Yes with my bird brain it’s too late now to remember too much detail but have to concur with all Vicki shares above. And of course being from an Irish family and some experience of small town Ireland it all rang so true and familiar with all that entails. These really well drawn personalities and their trials and feelings were superbly portrayed. Thanks for bringing it to us Rachel. Started The Queen of Stone Island last night so hope we discuss this before I’ve forgotten it.
Strangely rachel, reading the Queen of dirt island was so reminiscent of the mammy/nanna/aunties overheard chats of childhood I felt he’d captured that amazing Amazonian spirit that my female line embodies. I was so lost in memories. I loved every page. I’ve ordered 3 more of his!
I made so many notes of things I loved in this book: PJ (everything about him, and oh how his bloody socks ripped my heart), the description of lady poets writing poems like metal claws (not lace doilies), and the low refrain about how we're always trying to buy the right mask to belong--even though we're born with nothing and are considered perfect. I didn't much care for the lack of punctuation in Imelda's chapters. When she was at the height of her angst it made sense and gave her narration a breathless, stressed, rushing-to-get-through-the-latest-horror feeling. Maybe more effective if it had been used more judiciously? This line of hers was one that made me stop and sit up: “Isn’t it crazy how the same things come back and back just pulled out of shape”. Yes, it's crazy. What a book. Just thinking about it now makes me feel the need for more oxygen. I never would have found The Bee Sting without our book club, and I'm grateful to you for bringing it to my attention.
Yes with my bird brain it’s too late now to remember too much detail but have to concur with all Vicki shares above. And of course being from an Irish family and some experience of small town Ireland it all rang so true and familiar with all that entails. These really well drawn personalities and their trials and feelings were superbly portrayed. Thanks for bringing it to us Rachel. Started The Queen of Stone Island last night so hope we discuss this before I’ve forgotten it.
Oo I’d love for you to write about that experience 💚
Strangely rachel, reading the Queen of dirt island was so reminiscent of the mammy/nanna/aunties overheard chats of childhood I felt he’d captured that amazing Amazonian spirit that my female line embodies. I was so lost in memories. I loved every page. I’ve ordered 3 more of his!
Isn’t it astonishing, what writing can bring to life again!
I made so many notes of things I loved in this book: PJ (everything about him, and oh how his bloody socks ripped my heart), the description of lady poets writing poems like metal claws (not lace doilies), and the low refrain about how we're always trying to buy the right mask to belong--even though we're born with nothing and are considered perfect. I didn't much care for the lack of punctuation in Imelda's chapters. When she was at the height of her angst it made sense and gave her narration a breathless, stressed, rushing-to-get-through-the-latest-horror feeling. Maybe more effective if it had been used more judiciously? This line of hers was one that made me stop and sit up: “Isn’t it crazy how the same things come back and back just pulled out of shape”. Yes, it's crazy. What a book. Just thinking about it now makes me feel the need for more oxygen. I never would have found The Bee Sting without our book club, and I'm grateful to you for bringing it to my attention.
Oh! And oh my god when Aunt Rose says, "Skirls."
I find that stream of consciousness style really hard to read too. Or made up dialects like in parts of Cloud Atlas. I lose patience quite quickly.
Those poor little skirls.
That book is all over the ads in places like The Guardian suddenly. Perhaps it’s out in paperback now? I might have to enjoy it again.