I have just finished reading The Heart's Invisible Furies, by John Boyne. John Boyne is a fairly prolific Irish writer (he has written eleven novels, five children's books and one collection of short stories) and this is the third of his novels that I have read, but I don't think of him as a particularly famous author - he does not seem to be a household name. Each time when I finished his book I was left profoundly moved, and unable to stop thinking about the protagonists, so I thought it was time to spread the word about Boyne's fantastic and very moving writing and encourage more people to read his work. He writes on a very wide range of topics, some but by no means all are set in his native Ireland and examine Irish social history, in particular the relationship of the Irish state with the Catholic Chrurch, and some are about real historical events. Here are the 3 that I have read and would recommend (although several other Boyne novels are on my 'to be read' list).
The Heart's Invisible Furies is an epic novel covering the first 70 years in the life of the protagonist Cyril Avery. Cyril is born in Dublin in the 1940s and given up for adoption by his unmarried mother. Cyril is gay, and the novel explores his search for happiness and acceptance (self acceptance and acceptance by others) in a society that did not tolerate homosexuality. The writing is beautiful and whilst the novel is very sad Boyne tempers this with moments of humour in a very effective way. The characterisation is fantastic and Cyril quickly begins to feel like a friend to the reader. This is one of those novels where you feel bereft when you come to the end. The book also provides an interesting social commentary on attitudes to homosexuality over the last 70 years both in Ireland and the wider world and made me feel desperately sad for the prejudice and hostility that people had to contend with whilst searching for happiness. The novel does end with a sense of hope and peace as Cyril reflects on how far things have moved on in his lifetime, but I can't help feeling overwhelmingly sad at everything Cyril and his contemporaries went through. I really enjoyed the novel and it reminded me in many ways of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, which I would also recommend.
The Absolutist is a First World War novel with a different perspective. It is told through the eyes of Tristan Sadler and the narrative takes place in two time frames. One happens during the war, describing Tristan's friendship with Will Bancroft whom he meets at training camp and fights alongside at the front line. Will becomes a conscientious objector during the war, in fact an 'absolutist' who refuses to have anything to do with war effort at all, bringing shame on his family, and the second part of the narrative describes Tristan's journey to meet with Will's family after the war as there are things he needs to tell them.
I have read a lot of First World War fiction and this is totally different, something completely new. It has themes of identity, morality (particularly what happens when personal morality clashes with perceived cultural and national morality), bravery, regret and unrequited love. It is powerful, moving and highly recommended.
A History of Loneliness is another powerful and deeply sad book. It tells the story of an Irish Catholic priest, Odran Yeats, from when he enters the seminary in the early 1970s, over forty years until the point when child abuse scandals have rocked the Catholic church in Ireland (and elsewhere) to breaking point. These revelations, and what Odran himself has lived through and witnessed (including friends and colleagues standing trial and being jailed, and his own family members' lives destroyed) challenge Odran's own faith and leave him tormented by guilt as he examines his own complicity in what happened. I found it incredibly sad as I believed that fundamentally Odran was a good man who wanted to see the best in others but ultimately this was not enough and his life, faith and belief system was shaken by his own inaction. The book also examines the impact of abuse by trusted and respected members of the community has on the lives of the victims and their families with devastating honesty and provides empassioned social commentary on Ireland and it's relationship with the Catholic Chruch. Sad on so many levels, but powerful, timely and in my opinion a must-read.
It is also worth noting that John Boyne also writes novels for younger readers. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is perhaps his most famous book - a novel for children describing the friendship through the fence between 2 children, one a Jewish boy interred in a concentration camp and the other the son of them camp overseer. My eleven year old daughter has just finished reading Boyne's Stay Where You Are And Then Leave ,which she really enjoyed. It examines shell shock and mental illness in soldiers of the First World War, through the eyes of a young boy whose father is suffering from shell shock in 1918. She said it was very thought provoking, and definitely promoted discussion between us.
John Boyne is a versatile and talented writer, who in my experience creates compelling narratives and engaging characters. I am looking forward to reading more of his work. If you have your own favourites amongst the novels of John Boyne, please tell me about them.
