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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
This book is exactly my cup of tea: a retired British couple go on a mid-winter break to Amsterdam, and whilst there - amongst the visits to restaurants, museums, and churches - a few quiet crises in their relationship come to the fore. Nothing cliche, no over-done tropes, no OTT drama, just beautiful slice of life and subtle human observation. And all in under 250 pages. Just
A skilful, beautifully-written character study of a couple with many years of marriage behind them and an examination of the caring, though damaged, relationship between them. This is the first MacLaverty that I've read but it certainly won't be the last.
Middle age marriage angst. Found the beginning choppy. Like descriptions of Amsterdam and Donegal, since I had visited recently.
Gerry is a retired architect and lecturer. His wife Stella used to be a teacher. Like the author himself, they are Irish but have lived for a long time in Glasgow. Their marriage is a long-lived one and, to all appearances, they are close and in love. Yet, their relationship is growing hollow, drained by Gerry's alcoholism and Stella's increasing exasperation at his constant criticism of her committed Catholic faith. Things come to a head during a brief stay in Amsterdam - the "Midwinter Break" of the title - where we learn that the marriage is also darkened by the shadow of the Irish troubles.
Reading Bernard MacLaverty is like watching a master craftsman at work. Consider the following description of a busy coffee-shop:
Coffee places were so noisy. This one sounded like they were making the Titanic rather than cups of coffee - the grinder going at maximum volume, screaming on and on - making enough coffee grounds for the whole of Europe while another guy was shooting steam through milk with supersonic hissing. A girl unpacked a dishwasher, clacking plates and saucers into piles. A third barista was banging the metal coffee-holder against the rim of the stainless steel bar to empty it - but doing it with such venom and volume that Gerry jumped at every strike. Talking was impossible. It was so bad he couldn't even hear if there was muzak or not. And still the grinder went on and on trying to reduce a vessel of brown-black beans to dust. Stella had to yell her order.
In a few lines of deceptively simple description, MacLaverty conjures up the scene in uncanny detail, while also giving us an inkling of his protagonists’ thoughts and inner turmoil.
The same keen sense of observation is brought to bear on the couple’s marriage and on the subjects of old age, sectarian violence, alcoholism and faith. These are the catalysts for the couple's drifting apart, even though there is much to show that at heart they do care for each other. As for the author’s attitude towards religion, I liked the fact that, despite no longer being a believer let alone a practising Catholic, he treats Stella’s faith with both understanding and delicacy.
This is, in many ways, a brilliant novel. But be prepared – because of its subjects, I found it also unremittingly bleak
Reading Bernard MacLaverty is like watching a master craftsman at work. Consider the following description of a busy coffee-shop:
Coffee places were so noisy. This one sounded like they were making the Titanic rather than cups of coffee - the grinder going at maximum volume, screaming on and on - making enough coffee grounds for the whole of Europe while another guy was shooting steam through milk with supersonic hissing. A girl unpacked a dishwasher, clacking plates and saucers into piles. A third barista was banging the metal coffee-holder against the rim of the stainless steel bar to empty it - but doing it with such venom and volume that Gerry jumped at every strike. Talking was impossible. It was so bad he couldn't even hear if there was muzak or not. And still the grinder went on and on trying to reduce a vessel of brown-black beans to dust. Stella had to yell her order.
In a few lines of deceptively simple description, MacLaverty conjures up the scene in uncanny detail, while also giving us an inkling of his protagonists’ thoughts and inner turmoil.
The same keen sense of observation is brought to bear on the couple’s marriage and on the subjects of old age, sectarian violence, alcoholism and faith. These are the catalysts for the couple's drifting apart, even though there is much to show that at heart they do care for each other. As for the author’s attitude towards religion, I liked the fact that, despite no longer being a believer let alone a practising Catholic, he treats Stella’s faith with both understanding and delicacy.
This is, in many ways, a brilliant novel. But be prepared – because of its subjects, I found it also unremittingly bleak
3.5 - MacLaverty's writing is strait-laced, focusing on the wonderfully-crafted relationship between Stella and Gerry, two characters who do truly become real to the reader. Think a less confusing, more poetic Solar Bones, this is a novel that covers all manner of themes (love, age, Ireland, politics, violence), but that doesn't preach or even raise its voice. It whispers and keeps you gripped without ceremony - much like their marriage. I did want more, however; not in terms of plot or even writing, but perhaps the mundane element that makes the book so real left me feeling, if not complacent, a little bored at times.
“To be in her presence was as important as the world. And the stars around it. If she was an instance of goodness in this world than passing through by her side was miracle enough.”
I started listening to this book on audio but ended up reading the last part of it (as I had a hard copy too). I don't think it's a great book to listen to as there is a lot of nitty gritty detail that made my mind start to wander, and also there are some profound sentences or paragraphs that need to be re-read to be appreciated. So I swapped to actually reading it, and think it was the right decision. The book follows married couple Stella and Gerry as they take a long weekend break in Amsterdam. During that weekend we see all the highs and lows of their marriage and also begin to understand that life has not turned out the way Stella had hoped. A quiet, unassuming book that is really well written.
I don’t know what compelled me to pick this book off the shelf considering the season we’re in, but I’m so glad I did. This is MY KIND OF BOOK. Beautifully written, nothing fancy or try-hard about it, no big drama or huge plot to carry it along. It is simply a touching reflection on the relationship between a married couple in their sixties, and the inner struggles they both face as they weigh up their memories, their marriage, and the life they have remaining.
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Both Gerry and Stella struggle with very different beasts throughout the story. Gerry clearly has a drinking problem, though is unable to admit it, especially to himself. Stella misses her son and grandson, both far away in Canada, and finds great comfort in religion, something that Gerry does not take seriously. During their trip it is clear that Stella has a different reason for wanting to visit Amsterdam, and as she contemplates a different future without Gerry, we learn of the difficulties of their shared past and an unfulfilled promise that she made long ago.
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This is my first book by MacLaverty, and I LOVED his writing. I felt that he really captured the nuances of a long relationship. The story was well paced - memories of the couple’s previous life in Northern Ireland were interspersed throughout, building up a picture of how their past has informed their present, and possibly their future together. I’ll definitely be picking up more of MacLaverty’s books.
Instagram ~ @podsticles
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Both Gerry and Stella struggle with very different beasts throughout the story. Gerry clearly has a drinking problem, though is unable to admit it, especially to himself. Stella misses her son and grandson, both far away in Canada, and finds great comfort in religion, something that Gerry does not take seriously. During their trip it is clear that Stella has a different reason for wanting to visit Amsterdam, and as she contemplates a different future without Gerry, we learn of the difficulties of their shared past and an unfulfilled promise that she made long ago.
~~~~.~~~~.~~~~
This is my first book by MacLaverty, and I LOVED his writing. I felt that he really captured the nuances of a long relationship. The story was well paced - memories of the couple’s previous life in Northern Ireland were interspersed throughout, building up a picture of how their past has informed their present, and possibly their future together. I’ll definitely be picking up more of MacLaverty’s books.
Instagram ~ @podsticles
Oh my word. How depressing can a weekend in Amsterdam be? And yet, so beautifully written, with heartfelt emotions, vulnerability, and yes humour throughout it too. Could be read in one sitting. I'm sure it will touch nerves with some, and yet reassure others too, to be grateful for what they have. Loved it.