2014 Booker Prize longlist: History of the Rain
SnakBooker Prize
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2Deern
Read 50% of this yesterday. So far it's wonderful and sad and funny as well, very touching, and only occasionally a little pretentious with all those book references (which at the same time are great and meake me want to (re)read all books mentioned).
3Deern
OMG, I am in tears. I am moved beyond words and I think my heart is bursting. What a wonderful book. I'll let this settle a day or two and then see if it is 4.5 or 5 stars for me. What an absolutely perfect last chapter, last sentence. Dear critical readers, call it a well-made tearjerker if you like. Yes, it is basically a conventional family drama told in an original way. Yes, there is much in the "Swain-ness" that isn't so much Irish and can be found in many of us. You could say the book lists are a cheap trick the author knew would appeal to many readers.
I don't mind. I let myself be moved by this book, I laughed, I cried, I highlighted like crazy, so it had something that made it stand out.
I don't want to continue with the LL after this one. Instead I'd like to go and reread all my classics immediately and all the poetry I can find.
So with all the praise and the 5 star ratings it gets, I guess it won't make it onto the SL and it will die in beauty like last year's Transatlantic.
I don't mind. I let myself be moved by this book, I laughed, I cried, I highlighted like crazy, so it had something that made it stand out.
I don't want to continue with the LL after this one. Instead I'd like to go and reread all my classics immediately and all the poetry I can find.
So with all the praise and the 5 star ratings it gets, I guess it won't make it onto the SL and it will die in beauty like last year's Transatlantic.
4RidgewayGirl
I'm a quarter of the way through and I'm finding it to be delightful. The writing reminds me a bit of Kate Atkinson, but with a strong Irish feel.
5RidgewayGirl
Well, there's no way to describe this book that doesn't make it sound twee and pretentious, but I loved it so much. It's just a gorgeous novel about books and reading and family and Ireland.
It's at the top of my own personal Booker rating system, but like Deern, I'm uncertain as to whether it will even make the short list.
It's at the top of my own personal Booker rating system, but like Deern, I'm uncertain as to whether it will even make the short list.
6kidzdoc
Here's my review of History of the Rain:
Because here is what I know: the rain becomes the river that goes to the sea and becomes the rain that becomes the river. Each book is the sum of all the others the writer has read.
Ruth Swain is a bookish young woman who lives in the tiny attic of her parents' house in Faha, County Clare, Ireland. She is disabled by a serious chronic illness, so she is largely confined to her bed, surrounded by a large collection of books from her father's library, and her visitors are limited to her teacher, a young man who is smitten with her, and the remaining members of her family.
Ruth narrates her father's story, in an effort to understand and appreciate him, and in order to do so she must go back in time to learn more about the Swains, how their beliefs, eccentricities and personal tragedies have shaped the lives of her great-grandfather, grandfather and father, and in doing so how it has molded her own outlook on life.
The novel is filled with numerous literary references and allegories, and is written in a 19th century style in keeping with Ruth's primary influences, most notably Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson. She paints an ethereal portrait of County Clare and her family, particularly her father Abraham and her twin brother Aengus, with a lightly humorous touch that belies and alleviates the tragedy and heartache that afflicts the Swains, and her own self depreciating tendencies are in keeping with the Impossible Standard that prevents any of the Swains from achieving true happiness or personal satisfaction.
History of the Rain is an elegiac work about family, an appreciation of literature and poetry, and the way in which one's imagination can be used to influence the art of storytelling, which can be a useful tool to provide healing and closure in the face of personal tragedy. This book is certainly worthy of inclusion in this year's Booker Prize longlist, and I wouldn't be surprised if it made the shortlist as well.
Because here is what I know: the rain becomes the river that goes to the sea and becomes the rain that becomes the river. Each book is the sum of all the others the writer has read.
Ruth Swain is a bookish young woman who lives in the tiny attic of her parents' house in Faha, County Clare, Ireland. She is disabled by a serious chronic illness, so she is largely confined to her bed, surrounded by a large collection of books from her father's library, and her visitors are limited to her teacher, a young man who is smitten with her, and the remaining members of her family.
Ruth narrates her father's story, in an effort to understand and appreciate him, and in order to do so she must go back in time to learn more about the Swains, how their beliefs, eccentricities and personal tragedies have shaped the lives of her great-grandfather, grandfather and father, and in doing so how it has molded her own outlook on life.
The novel is filled with numerous literary references and allegories, and is written in a 19th century style in keeping with Ruth's primary influences, most notably Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson. She paints an ethereal portrait of County Clare and her family, particularly her father Abraham and her twin brother Aengus, with a lightly humorous touch that belies and alleviates the tragedy and heartache that afflicts the Swains, and her own self depreciating tendencies are in keeping with the Impossible Standard that prevents any of the Swains from achieving true happiness or personal satisfaction.
History of the Rain is an elegiac work about family, an appreciation of literature and poetry, and the way in which one's imagination can be used to influence the art of storytelling, which can be a useful tool to provide healing and closure in the face of personal tragedy. This book is certainly worthy of inclusion in this year's Booker Prize longlist, and I wouldn't be surprised if it made the shortlist as well.
7Simone2
I can hardly say anything about this book without getting lyrical or overly sentimental. And that while I was just so impressed by the fact that Williams avoids being sentimental, while the story is full of sentiment.
The chronically ill Ruth is, despite what she’s going through, so cool. Cool and poetic, a combination that makes this book so special to me. Of course Vincent Cunningham is in love with her! He is also someone to love, by the way: the scene in which he washes her hair, I won’t forget any day soon. Nor will I forget the last chapter, the last alinea, the last sentence. Man, how Williams can write!
History of the Rain is the story of Ruth’s life and family and of the role books have been playing in it. I loved the stories Ruth tells and I find an enormous truth in the remark that stories can be healing. Never thought of them that way. Finally, the reference to the many books, that's kind of a gift to someone who is as addicted to the list of 1001 books you must have read before you die, as I am!
My favourite of the nominated books this year. In fact, the best book I've read all year.
5 *
The chronically ill Ruth is, despite what she’s going through, so cool. Cool and poetic, a combination that makes this book so special to me. Of course Vincent Cunningham is in love with her! He is also someone to love, by the way: the scene in which he washes her hair, I won’t forget any day soon. Nor will I forget the last chapter, the last alinea, the last sentence. Man, how Williams can write!
History of the Rain is the story of Ruth’s life and family and of the role books have been playing in it. I loved the stories Ruth tells and I find an enormous truth in the remark that stories can be healing. Never thought of them that way. Finally, the reference to the many books, that's kind of a gift to someone who is as addicted to the list of 1001 books you must have read before you die, as I am!
My favourite of the nominated books this year. In fact, the best book I've read all year.
5 *
8Deern
Reading your review the goosebumps return... the hairwashing scene was indeed unforgettable and I could start crying again thinking of the ending.
I read all 13 now, and this one was also the most harmonious candidate for me, I felt good reading it and I felt good when it was finished.
This book is another reason to stay with the Booker and to continue reading the complete longlist. Otherwise I might never have found it.
I read all 13 now, and this one was also the most harmonious candidate for me, I felt good reading it and I felt good when it was finished.
This book is another reason to stay with the Booker and to continue reading the complete longlist. Otherwise I might never have found it.
9Simone2
I agree, I would never have found it without the longlist. Has anyone read Four Letters of Love by him?
10edwinbcn
History of the rain
Finished reading: 28 March 2015
History of the rain is a potentially very interesting story, but very poorly executed. A young woman, Ruth, suffering from an illness is bound to spend her days at home. To pass the time, she starts reading her grandfather's library. The books are numbered. The story has no development. It seems the author felt compelled to include all (?) or as many of the 3000+ books of the grandfather's library. There is no (?) system to the way the books are included in the story; what follows is an unstructured name-dropping of book titles, without apparent purpose.
History of the Rain might have won the Booker Prize if the book reading in the novel, i.e. the catalogue numbers proved to be a compelling plot element. On reading History of the Rain, I could not discern any logic, nor significance in the choice of books or the order of their reading. The random reading informs neither the character in the novel, nor the reader in the real world.
In fact, the plot of the novel itself is very weak, if not to say absent. To me History of the Rain is just a combination of a very weak plot and a potentially interesting idea, which, however, at the hands of Niall Williams falls flat.
The way Williams deals with the idea is uninspired and mechanical. It also seems that the number of books referred to get higher as the novel progresses, becoming more of a barrier and mental burden than help in understanding the novel or inspire the reader. Incredibly boring.
Finished reading: 28 March 2015
History of the rain is a potentially very interesting story, but very poorly executed. A young woman, Ruth, suffering from an illness is bound to spend her days at home. To pass the time, she starts reading her grandfather's library. The books are numbered. The story has no development. It seems the author felt compelled to include all (?) or as many of the 3000+ books of the grandfather's library. There is no (?) system to the way the books are included in the story; what follows is an unstructured name-dropping of book titles, without apparent purpose.
History of the Rain might have won the Booker Prize if the book reading in the novel, i.e. the catalogue numbers proved to be a compelling plot element. On reading History of the Rain, I could not discern any logic, nor significance in the choice of books or the order of their reading. The random reading informs neither the character in the novel, nor the reader in the real world.
In fact, the plot of the novel itself is very weak, if not to say absent. To me History of the Rain is just a combination of a very weak plot and a potentially interesting idea, which, however, at the hands of Niall Williams falls flat.
The way Williams deals with the idea is uninspired and mechanical. It also seems that the number of books referred to get higher as the novel progresses, becoming more of a barrier and mental burden than help in understanding the novel or inspire the reader. Incredibly boring.
