Post by janetandjohn on Jul 11, 2016 22:00:39 GMT
Julius Winsome is a fifty something loner, living in a cabin built by his grandfather in the forests of Maine, USA, after returning from WW1. His mother died giving birth to him, and so he was brought up by his father, a man who so loved reading, the entire cabin is lined with books. Julius saw his father die, but is quite happy in his aloneness until someone shoots his dog. His world is dark, his vision is twisted, he seeks revenge. And what revenge; every move he makes meticulously planned and described, and I felt for him all the way. Odd he may be, but he's not a bad man. There are several descriptions of deaths here (not only human) that are not for the squeamish, and it is necessary to read them, as they are what Julius sees.
And Gerard Donovan? How is it that the Irish are great tellers of tales? This was Donovan's third book, published in 2007, and yet I had never come across him before. His gift is not only a teller of tales, but a beauty in the writing of them. There were passages I wanted to read again, they were so rich in the feelings of the man who missed his dog so much. The author makes great mention of many words that Shakespeare invented, but which have become part of our rich language, because Julius' father, as a kind of homework, made him learn a few of Shakespeare's words every day.
A sad story, a reflection of life today, when people do things that are not necessary, like hunting, just because they can; and of a man who has nothing to lose and cannot bear the death these men with guns cause. If you are like me, you might even hope that Julius wins his battle with the world.
And Gerard Donovan? How is it that the Irish are great tellers of tales? This was Donovan's third book, published in 2007, and yet I had never come across him before. His gift is not only a teller of tales, but a beauty in the writing of them. There were passages I wanted to read again, they were so rich in the feelings of the man who missed his dog so much. The author makes great mention of many words that Shakespeare invented, but which have become part of our rich language, because Julius' father, as a kind of homework, made him learn a few of Shakespeare's words every day.
A sad story, a reflection of life today, when people do things that are not necessary, like hunting, just because they can; and of a man who has nothing to lose and cannot bear the death these men with guns cause. If you are like me, you might even hope that Julius wins his battle with the world.
