Colm Toibin

a novel

Brooklyn

What a quiet, profound story. This is about Eilis, a young Irish girl who immigrated to America in the late 1950s. It's very much a coming-of-age story as we follow Eilis starting a career, going to college, and falling in love. But there's much more complexity to it, and the lessons of family will stick with me. I listened to the audiobook version, and it was well done. I can't wait to read Long Island.

Cheri McElroy

Laura Mauler

(view spoiler)[I found the writing to be a little stilted, which was a surprise. The movie felt, in a word, lyrical, and I expected that a lot of that came from the book but nope, not the case. I had picked up this book because I wanted the feel of the movie, and also because I felt like, for all the lyricalness of it, the movie had some gaps; I thought that the book would fill those. I think that the book did a good job of telling us about Eilish and her immigrant experience, but it was very much telling from a remove, not inviting us in to feel it with her. 

I was very surprised at how clearly the book showed that she only went back to Brooklyn because she was caught out in her deception, and that if she had been able to get away with it she would have somehow stayed and married Jim. In the movie I remember it being much more "I left Ireland because of catty bitches like you!", and Eilish feeling glad to leave. Much more ambiguity, which was interesting. (hide spoiler)]

Jenny Vuu

easy to read but the main character seems a bit bland at times

Cólm Tóibín

It is Ireland in the early 1950s and for Eilis Lacey, as for so many young Irish girls, opportunities are scarce. So when her sister arranges for her to emigrate to New York, Eilis knows she must go. Arriving in a crowded lodging house in Brooklyn, Eilis can only be reminded of what she has sacrificed. And just as she takes tentative steps towards friendship, and perhaps something more, Eilis receives news which sends her back to Ireland. There she will be confronted by a terrible dilemma - a devastating choice between duty and one great love.

Colm Tóibín’s New York Times bestselling novel—soon to be a film starring Saoirse Ronan and Jim Broadbent from the award-winning team that produced An Education—is “a moving, deeply satisfying read” (Entertainment Weekly) about a young Irish immigrant in Brooklyn in the early 1950s. “One of the most unforgettable characters in contemporary literature” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Eilis Lacey has come of age in small-town Ireland in the hard years following World War Two. When an Irish priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor Eilis in America, she decides she must go, leaving her fragile mother and her charismatic sister behind. Eilis finds work in a department store on Fulton Street, and when she least expects it, finds love. Tony, who loves the Dodgers and his big Italian family, slowly wins her over with patient charm. But just as Eilis begins to fall in love, devastating news from Ireland threatens the promise of her future. Author “Colm Tóibín…is his generation’s most gifted writer of love’s complicated, contradictory power” (Los Angeles Times). “Written with mesmerizing power and skill” (The Boston Globe), Brooklyn is a “triumph…One of those magically quiet novels that sneak up on readers and capture their imaginations” (USA TODAY).

Colleen

1 Star

*This review contains spoilers.*

This was my Bookclub's selection for last June. I have been procrastinating about writing the review for it ever since because I despised this book. But this was the only book left from my 2016 list that I hadn't reviewed, so I wanted to get it out of the way and start this year fresh. I have misplaced my notes about this book though, so this review will not be nearly as long winded as it would have been had I written directly after reading the book. 

There was not a single thing I liked about this book. The blurb made it sound nice. I love historical fiction, and I had heard good things about the author. But man was the reality a massive disappointment! For such a short book, it was incredibly dense and very little actually happens in the story. 

To start with, this was a man trying to write from women's point of view and failing horrendously. Not only is the main character female, but the story revolves almost entirely around women. Yet, I cannot think of a book that felt less like a genuine female voice. And this is the author that people claimed "writes about women more convincingly...than any other living, male novelist." Even if I had not known the author's gender, I still would have been put off by how the women were portrayed. The women in the story highlight every catty, petty attitude possible for a person to have with no depth or goodness to balance anything out. But the few male characters were idealized. Even when they do wrong they somehow still manage to be portrayed with a nauseating amount of saintliness. It was completely unbalanced and prejudiced.

The setting was never described well. And the writing was extremely passive both in tone and tense. It was all "tell" and no "show." Nothing ever came alive. I was expecting something much more vivid and engaging. The setting had so much potential but was never utilized. The plot (what little there was) also kept introducing little sideline tidbits that ended up being little more than red herrings. Time and again, the story would hint at something interesting only to never bring it up again. Classism, racial segregation, sexual harassment, a professor who was a Holocaust survivor - the story kept mentioning all these things that could have given the story depth but instead were brought into the story for no reason. They would be mentioned once only to be immediately ignored and never developed or even mentioned again. Instead you get bombastic, boring details about the uninteresting things such as how money is handled at the store she works at or what vintage pantyhose were like.

The main character, Eilis Lacey, is a pathetic, listless, mindless, spineless, passive mess who never does anything for herself. She was one of the worst characters I have ever read both in terms of the character herself and in how poorly written she was. There is only one tiny action that she takes on her own (view spoiler)[when she convinces the priest to talk her landlady into not evicting her. And she only does that by trying to act like her sister. But don't expect that action to herald the growing of a spine. Eilis the Idiot goes right back to being the postergirl for Apathy and does not make any other independent decisions the rest of the story (hide spoiler)]. Literally everything else in her life is determined by other people's actions and decisions. You could replace Eilis with a coma patient and hardly affect the story at all. Even a plastic mannequin would be a better stand in. Heck, the mannequin would at least manage to stand up on its own. She is like the ball in a Pinball machine, controlled by the manipulations of someone else, bouncing from event to event without a single thought or independent action, mindless and helpless and moving only under the inertia left from the interference of those in her life. The only literary character I could compare her uselessness to would be comatose Bella in New Moon. This sadsack lets the people in her life decide everything: where she lives (both in terms of what country and what house), her job, her school, her friends, her relationships, her activities, her clothing. She was bland and mindless. She was so flat and useless that I could not possibly feel anything for her other than annoyance and disgust. BIG SPOILER (view spoiler)[This disgust came to an alarming high when she marries Tony only to go back to Ireland and pretend he doesn't even exist let alone that she married him. She goes so far as to get into a relationship with another man and even consider marrying him and pretending that her time in New York and her marriage to Tony never happened. The only reason she does not is because someone finds out about it and threatens to expose her. Then she callously tells her mother that she has to go back to New York after all because oops she's married and promised that she would return. It was positively revolting. And that's the end. The unsatisfying, slapdash, poorly written end. (hide spoiler)]

There is also a scene that comes uncomfortably close to rape. (view spoiler)[It was definitely one of the worst sex scenes I have ever read. Eilis does not actually want to have sex. Or maybe she doesn't. not want to have sex. (Sorry for the double negative.) But her boyfriend does, and she goes along with whatever anyone else wants so... Anyway, she is laying there doing her impression of a limp noodle when she starts to regret engaging in intercourse and losing her virginity under such circumstances. In the closest thing to emotion that she displays the entire book, starts to have a panic attack. Tony is of course oblivious to this, thinks she is enjoying it as much as he is, and does not hesitate about going in for a second round. The way this entire scene was portrayed unnerved me. Here is a character in pain and panicking, wanting it to stop, afraid to say no. And then somehow the tone does an about-face so quickly you'll get whiplash and suddenly Eilis the Idiot is romanticizing how oblivious Tony is to her pain and regret. There are other spots in the story where she romanticizes Tony's lack of awareness of her wants and needs but that section was by far the most alarming. And somehow Tony still manages to be portrayed as a perfect guy. Oh, he's sensitive enough to cry over her sister's death (which is more emotion than she manages to feel) so nevermind that he hurt her so badly and instead of being aware of the pain of losing her virginity, makes her have sex again the same night. No, the reader is expected to condone that sort of attitude. It isn't as if Tóibín seemed to be trying to make any sort of statement about treatment of women or anything. It was a bad situation that was shamelessly glamorized when it should not have been. (hide spoiler)] 

I've heard good things about this author, and I've heard that this book is different from his other works. But for me, this book was so atrocious that I do not think I will ever be able to read anything by him ever again.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 1 Star
Writing Style: 1 Star
Characters: 1 Star
Plot Structure and Development: 1 Star
Level of Captivation: 1 Star
Originality: 1 Star

Amy Thibodeau

Beautiful, strange book. One of my favorites in awhile.

Stephanie Honour

Surprisingly captivating for a cliche story line; I enjoyed the unpexpected ending and Eilis's sweet, wholesome character.

Lia 

Arianna M

Main character flawed in a way that makes her unsympathetic, at least to me. I liked the film ending more, and I think Saoirse Ronan's acting adds depth to the character. However, this is not to say Brooklyn is a "bad" or "badly written" book, because it isn't. It's clear that narrative choices were made and I think they fit the story and characters.

kaysi fajardo

Sarah Ryan

An enjoyable read but was expecting more given the hype. Couldn’t decide between a 3 or 4 star rating so probably puts it at a 3.5.

Nicole Sargent-Carberry

4.5 stars. Veeeeery slow start, but the story picks up. I listened to the audiobook and that helped get through the first part. But I loved the movie and loved the book even more. It gives Eilis and her relationships more depth.

Summer Stanley

Absolutely wonderful. Brilliantly written situations with honest and seemingly real characters. Such a joy to embark on this journey with Eilis. 
I do wish there had been one more chapter to close the story.

lizbet koval

i was patiently waiting for something great to happen. not a plot twist. but something interesting. and probably the plot twist of this novel is in the lack of any great actions and twists. 

perhaps, the point was in the development of the main character, eilis. but that did not happen either. 

there are many overtones, hints, shadows and echoes of what could have been written, developed, done, but never did. yes. probably, that is the point. to make the readers expect something from her. and make them dissatisfied at the end. or probably satisfied by having realised that their dissatisfaction was the secret ingredient of the novel. 

whatever it was, i felt like i was reading a children’s book for the whole time. with the plainest central heroine.

it’s 3 stars for the fact that eilis was played by saoirse ronan. and i love her.

Julia Kortenhof

Loved the book. I’ve seen the movie multiple times and I loved it. I wasn’t sure wether or not I was expecting the book to be better (as they usually are) or to be disappointed. I have to say neither was the case. I found both the book and the movie to be great pastime. So if you’re looking for a nice story to enjoy during a rainy day… this is the one. 
Just a little spoiler: I liked the ending in the movie just a touch more ;)

Rhea Lanphere

I thought I would enjoy this because I really liked the movie, but nope.

Meghan Truskowski

The story, at first, was very promising. The ending was rushed and I felt the decision at the end was not really a decision at all.

Summer R

I really wanted to like this book. The movie adaptation was a favorite of my best friend and I. In most cases, the movie isn’t as good as the book, so I figured I’d read the book and see for myself. I was pretty disappointed. The main character, Ellis, is a classic victim of a woman written by a man. Don’t get me wrong, there are male authors out there who know how to right about women, but this one definitely didn’t. Ellis’s actions aren’t consistent with her thoughts or feelings. In fact, she seems very UNfeeling. She’s distant for no apparent reason, and is surprised when people don’t read her mind. Ellis’s character rubbed me the wrong way throughout the book, but I honestly couldn’t blame her for it, because she was simply poorly written. 
The plot itself was alright, but inconsistent. The movie essentially took the story’s plot and did all the things you wish the characters had done in the book. 
If you want to read this book, don’t. Go watch the movie instead.

Jawahir M

Short Summary: A dull narrative about an even more dull character who marched through her life rather than evolved and developed through it. Short read but immensely boring. 
Score: 2/5

My issue with this book is that the plot is practically nonexistent, it is merely more like someone describing a life rather than allowing the reader to live through that character's life. I didn't feel a significant climax to the story, the ending was a bit disheartening if I'm being honest ( I got what I wanted as a reader but not the way I planned). Tóibín skims through the main character's story "Eilis" like skipping on puddles, you never get any depth to the waters underneath thus you end up with a shallow surface. 

The entire cast of characters had nothing that made them stand out, they were hardly two-dimensional and all their affairs revolve around mundane things that hardly give them any persona. I found "Eilis" bland with a lack of substance; a character that I couldn't relate to. I tried to see her reasoning behind her actions and choices especially towards the end, but I couldn't sympathize with her. And the way she handled her situation at the ending is disappointing too. "Tony" is the only character there who was comfortable being himself in his own skin which was refreshing, I found myself cheering up a bit when the book started including him in the main plot. 

The movie on the other hand was okay (better than the book) with Saoirse Ronan being an exceptional actress and the cinematography is beautiful as well. 

Do I recommend this? No, I did not see the appeal that so many have seen in it.

In a small town in the south-east of Ireland in the 1950s, Eilis Lacey is among many of her generation who cannot find work at home. So when she is offered a job in America, she leaves her family to start a new life in Brooklyn, New York.

Ana Koljanin

This book was really new thing for me to read. And I was amazed by it. 

The style of writing is really sharp and nice. I picked this book by curiosity, never read book with similar subject to be honest. But I liked this book.

Eilis is a young girl that went from Ireland to America to work there. She was 17 (?!) when she left. For that time, she was brave. She needed to put up at work, in the house where she lived and win over the homesickness. 

This book can come to use as a proof that we can do what we want. Today, a lot of young people are moving out from their countries. Really useful book for support in that case.

Renee Blankenship

I picked this up because I was interested in seeing the movie version, but I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I have other novels by Toibin but this is the first I've had a chance to read. It was kind of slow moving, following the journey of the main character through her transatlantic journey to Brooklyn NY and the path her life takes once she's there. Enjoyed reading it, felt satisfied mostly with the ending and the way the author let Ellis make mistakes and change her mind, even at the very end. All in all, an enjoyable read!

Sara 

Awesome story!! But the ending was a little disappointing. . .

Erin 

How on Earth is it possible that I haven't written a review for this book yet?! Well, better late than never. I loved this book a lot, but I don't think it is for everyone. I read in another review of it (after realising I had never written one myself) that the action in it is only lukewarm. I don't know if I would use that exact wording, but I can agree that this is partially true. There isn't a lot of - excitement? I guess? But it is warm and comforting and brings in a TON of elements that I have always loved and will always gravitate towards. I watched the film last year in prep for the Oscars and was rather blown away. I don't even think I knew it was based upon a book back then, but then one day I was browsing my local underground second-hand bookstore and stumbled upon it on the shelf. A few weeks prior, I had learned that I would also be heading to New York, on my own, to live, and I suppose that it what made me decide I needed this book. I love all things related to Ireland (my name is Erin, after all, so I suppose that's a side effect), and the idea of emigrating to New York City from a small, nosy little town is something, subconsciously, all of us wide-eyed ambitious small town girls dream of. I resonated strongly with Eilis because of that element alone. That and the fact that the whole idea seems an adventure. Staying in a boarding house with girls you don't even know, meeting a strange but sweet Italian boy at a church social, going out to Coney Island for a day of care-free fun and letting go. I guess it's the quiet kind of adventure, but I really did love it. I wouldn't recommend this to all of my friends, but the kind that I think fill this certain niche to truly love this book for what it is. But that isn't to say that I would tell people they wouldn't like it if they thought to give it a try, because I do think it should be tried by everyone. Maybe that is just the small adventure I crave inside of me.

Brooklyn a novel

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