Reviews

• As the book progresses we get good sketches of the main character's mother and the relationships ...

  This is quite a dark book, written in the first person. The darkness should not be a surprise to those who may have read previous work by Ms. Enright e.g. The Gathering. The novel is contemporary, set entirely in Dublin. However, the location is of little relevance as sense of geographic location - apart from an obviously urban one - is not of importance. The book centres around the principal female character, her drifting into and distancing marriage and her affair with a man who is already married with a small daughter. Many of the characters are well drawn. As the book progresses we get good sketches of the main character's mother and the relationships between mother and daughter, as well as with her long-departed father and her sister. The attraction to the other man appears to be due to 'chemistry'. He does not come across as someone attractive in any great sense and he is penciled as an adjunct to the story-teller's experience rather than as a well-developed character in himself. His own marriage is seen as in a collapsed state, with his wife and himself living on different planes that rarely intersect. His young daughter suffered some form of accident when small and there is a shroud of physical or mental unwellness created very well. This lingers long over the story and is developed to a satisfactory degree at a later stage - as is the interaction between the girl and her father's new partner (the woman telling the story). The story reads as if written by a man - there is little of the 'softer' sense that one can find in writings by female authors. Perhaps this is some middle-aged male bias. However, I feel it does render the female lead rather cold, or at least cool, and not immensely likable. Then again, if you read Ms. Enright you are familiar with her style and her capacity to write well. There is a sense of this being a strong, well-written book, with good 'quality' of language and a strong story line. Everyone does not live happily ever-after. In fact, I kept calling it The Eternal Waltz by mistake - not inappropriate given that the story really does imitate life. That is probably a complinment in itself. I read the book over a few days on holidays and sense that this was a good way to experience it.

• Bedingt empfehlenswert

  Vorweg: Englisch ist nicht meine Muttersprache, auch wenn ich häufig in dieser Sprache lese. Für die Lektüre dieses Buches bedeutete dies eine gewissse Herausforderung, denn Enrights Schreibstil gehört nicht zu den einfachen. Die Geschichte als solche ist schnell erzählt und im Gegensatz zum Schreibstil recht alltäglich: Verheiratete Frau begegnet verheiratetem Mann mit Kind. Es entsteht eine heimliche Liebschaft, die irgendwann publik wird und zur Auflösung beider Ehen führt. Von Seiten des Mannes gibt es einiges, was ihm die Abkupplung von seiner Erstfamilie erschwert. Allem voran seine Tochter Evie. Dies bedeutet, dass die neue Beziehung im Schatten von Schuldgefühlen und alten Verkrustungen steht, was vor allem Gina (Ex-Geliebte und nun Nachfolgelebensgefährtin von Sean) zu spüren bekommt, die sich den Bedürfnissen und Zeitarrangements von Sean und dessen Tochter zu fügen hat. Das Ganze wird aus der Sicht von Gina erzählt, die schonungslos und unverblümt ihren Gedanken und nicht immer "netten" Betrachtungen freien Lauf lässt, was hin und wieder irritierend wirkt in seiner ungefilterten Direktheit. Andererseits macht es doch auch den Reiz dieser ansonsten wenig bemerkenswerten Geschichte aus. Die Autorin bewertet Ginas handeln nicht, obwohl man das Gefühl hat, dass sie "mehr weiss" als die Protagonistin, die sich scheinbar unaufhaltsam in die Lage der am Ende als Verliererin dastehende Nachfolgerin manövriert, auch wenn sie eigentlich bekommen zu haben scheint, was sie wollte. Enright hat, wie eingangs erwähnt, einen sehr eigenwilligen Stil, der mich einerseits angezogen hat und mir trotzdem gelegentlich zu viel wurde. Von daher: siehe Titel.

• Very entertaining book

  It is very easy to read and I enjoyed it. Is there other books by the same writer?? Please keep me informed

• In Dublin'sfair city

  Anne Enright continues her wistful ,bordering on melancholic view of life.We try to get through to the essence of the narrator Gina as she leaves her marriage to Conor,for a relationship with the enigmatic Sean.Gina eventually discovers that the one love of Sean'slife is his daughter . There is the usual suspense as we wonder where the seemingly strange one sided relationship will end. We can feel both sorry for Gina and exasperated at her misguided passion for a man such as Sean. In an abrupt ending we are left hopeful for Gina but at the same time frustrated by a woman's love for such a self centered man as Sean. Anne Enright is one of my favorite authors. She writes of the Dublin,I love with lyrical language , and a loving insight into both the city and the characters in her story. Her characters are memorable and true to life.her writing style is fluid ,easy to sail along.highly recommended

• a tender waltz

  One of her best books - full of love and heartache, hope and despair, written in her lyrical prose - a beautiful book indeed

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