Volevo leggere un libro che fosse dolce, romantico e raccontasse una bella storia d’amore fuori dai consueti schemi e dalla sinossi così poteva sembrare.
Mi sono imbattuta “anche” in una storia d’amore ma tutto quello che c’è prima, intorno, durante e dopo è solo una serie quasi infinita di sciagure e drammi.
Questo genere di storie mi indispone perché sembra che tutto quanto di più negativo possa accadere, invariabilmente accada ai malcapitati protagonisti, e gli attimi di felicità che riescono a vivere sono solo brevi intervalli nella tragicità dell’esistenza.
Niente da dire su chi voglia scrivere e leggere di tutti questi drammi, quello che non mi sta bene è che dalla sinossi di tutte queste tragedie non si trovi altro che una minima traccia, peraltro del tutto fuorviante.
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Otoño de 2008, en la costa de Dublín. Bruno, un estadounidense que acaba de perder su empleo en Lehman Brothers, llega a Irlanda en busca de sus raíces. Addie, una arquitecta sin trabajo, se está recuperando de un desengaño amoroso mientras cuida de su padre convaleciente. Cuando sus mundos se encuentran, Addie y Bruno sienten una conexión como jamás habían sentido antes, aunque pronto su amor reciente se verá puesto a prueba de manera inexorable. Una historia que nos lleva más allá del «felices para siempre» allí donde comienza y termina el verdadero amor.

You will almost undoubtedly enjoy a captivating first novel from an Irish writer who creates a cast of fascinating characters who engage the reader. The story takes place in Dublin in late 2008 just after the financial crisis. This leads Bruno to travel from New York after losing his banking job, in search of his Irish ancestors as he seeks to flesh out his family tree. In the course of his search, he meets Addie, a second cousin and a tender relationship quickly and unexpectedly develops between the pair. The complications of the prior life of the two of them and also the relationships between the different parts of the family are deftly outlined by Kathleen MacMahon. Their doubts about each other and their respective families have a convincing tone which creates a moving and enchanting tale.

Oma arvio: Tämä rakkaustarina soljuu eteenpäin hitaasti. Kirjaa aloittaessa tuntuu, ettei tarinassa tapahdu mitään, mutta se paranee loppua kohden. Henkilöiden tarinat syvenevät kirjan edetessä. Kertojina ovat vuorollaan päähenkilö Addie, hänen uusi ystävänsä Bruno, sisar Della ja lääkäri-isä Hugh. Tarina keskittyy perheen sisäisiin jännitteisiin ja Addien ja Bruno rakkaudeksi syvenevään ystävyyteen. Kirjassa kuvaillaan paljon Irlannin luontoa ja meri näyttelee mielestäni yhtä pääosaa. Kirjan draamaattisin osuus on aivan tarinan lopussa ja siinä selviää myös tarina teoksen nimen takana. Suosittelen kirjaa kaikille ikuidesta rakkaudesta haaveileville romantikoille. ( )

Della and Addie's mother died when they were young and they were raised by their father, Hugh, a prominent doctor. Now they are in their late 30s. Della is happily married with four children. Addie has never married - although she's had heartache along the way - but has forged a career as an architect. Into their lives comes Bruno, a distant American cousin who decides to visit Ireland on a spur of the moment whim after losing his job with Lehman Brothers. Bruno and Addie meet and almost immediately fall in love. However this is a book about endings. Hugh worries about the outcome of a malpractice suit that is bringing brought against him. Bruno worries about the outcome of the upcoming American election. And Addie worries about what the future will hold for her and Bruno.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I felt quite ambivalent about it throughout, but when I finished it I realised that the characters had got under my skin more than I thought they had. One problem for me is that the author's writing style is very detached. You are told about this great love at its centre but you never really feel it. Bruno in particular never really stepped off the page for me as a fully fleshed person. At times the author addresses the reader directly, but that just compounds the feeling of detachment for what is going on.

The book builds towards an ending which should come as a surprise (be careful to avoid reviews with spoilers!), but in fact there are clues throughout which most readers will pick up on. Otherwise it's a slow moving, character driven story - which would be more successful were the characters more engaging. A good book, but not a great one. ( )