Book Overview
Colm T ib n's New York Times bestselling novel--also an acclaimed film starring Saoirse Ronan and Jim Broadbent nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture--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 T ib n...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).
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1501106473
ISBN13:9781501106477
Release Date:September 2015
Publisher:Scribner Book Company
Length:288 Pages
Weight:0.56 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.3" x 8.1"
Related Subjects
Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Literary Literature & Fiction Romance World LiteratureCustomer Reviews
4 ratings
Curl up with BROOKLYN
Published by Donnachka , 5 years ago
BROOKLYN is a totally readable novel. It's just like old-fashioned books that brought you into the story. You'll truly enjoy reading it.
loved it
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
I enjoyed this novel tremendously from beginning to end. The characters drew me in, the writing is flawless, and I found plenty of plot in a young woman leaving her beloved family and immigrating to the U.S. on her own. Although I have read many novels that have told that story, the accuracy and detail of Brooklyn tells the story in a completely new light. Also, it covered a unique time period -- not a 19th century immigration story, and not a present day story either. I will be on the lookout for Toibin's next novel, and in the meantime am crossing my fingers that I will find some fiction that half as good.
A quiet gem
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
I was riveted from the first page, despite the fact that the plot has almost no twists and turns. (I've always thought a convoluted plot is the mark of a less accomplished writer anyway.) Every detail about Eilis' life, both in Ireland and in Brooklyn, drew me further into her story. I just had to know how this retiring, yet surprisingly poised young woman would develop in her new environment. And that subtle change drives the novel, right up to the point when Eilis must make some crucial decisions about her future. I hope to get my book club to read this novel, so I can have the pleasure of discussing it. I know there will be differing opinions about the ending.
Quietly beautiful writing elevates this simple story
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
As the daughter of an Irish immigrant, I picked up this book hoping for another perspective on the immigrant experience, a hope that was more than met by this extraordinary novel. As Eilis' story unfolds, the reader is able to see her grow and change as she learns some of the lessons that Brooklyn has to teach. I was delighted that the borough itself was so obviously a character in the story, exerting its own personality and influence both on Eilis and on the reader. I heard Colm Toibin read from the book and talk about the experience of writing it- the starting point was a story he heard in his youth, a snippet of conversation that stuck in his head until this book was written. He perfectly captures the confusion and homesickness of a young girl uprooted from all she has ever known, and lovingly documents her gradual transformation into womanhood. This quiet tale will stick with you; though the novel itself was a quick read, the story and Eilis' final choice, linger long after the book is completed. Definitely a must read!
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