Reviews tagging 'War'

The Colony by Audrey Magee

11 reviews

seventhswan's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I found this quite a difficult but rewarding read. I was glad that the fragmented writing style of words
broken up across lines
like this
with the enter key
got a lot less frequent over the course of the book, but there were moments when I recognised that the writing was repeating itself, yet felt relieved about this as it gave me a chance to understand what was being said. This isn't criticism, just a note that this is a book that needs your full attention. 

The characters really shone in this story - Mairead and James especially captured my heart, but Lloyd

is one of the most complex and surprising villains I've read for ages, especially as I liked him until about 80% of the way through the book.

I raged at the ending both because it was quietly devastating and because I didn't see it coming, though I really, really should have done.

I'm not sure if I would have liked more or less of Masson, but something about his character and storyline didn't feel as nuanced or complex as the others. I definitely wanted more of Mairead. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Gun violence and War

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I loved this in a way I wasn't expecting, perhaps because the story itself wasn't what I expecting. Understated in its approach, it tells a powerful story of colonisation and heritage and alliance against the backdrop of the Troubles. My friends can attest that I was gasping by the last few pages, unprepared for the wreckage of a simple action.

Perhaps best summed up as a book that has kept me thinking over a week since I've finished it. A good sign!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Sexism and Toxic relationship

mmccombs's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A kick to the chest of a novel! Its slow, atmospheric build works to create a fraught, claustrophobic ending, revealing so much about colonization and theft and violence that lives on through generations, a cycle that never ends. This book is so multilayered without being cumbersome or overwrought, the writing is striking and expertly crafted. Simply the perfect book, I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and War

zotty's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Colonisation, and War

dwager's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

The Colony is set in Ireland during the Troubles, and the action of the characters is interspersed with news reports of bombings and shootings in Northern Ireland. All the characters also have their own personal troubles, which are explored and form the basis for the interpersonal conflicts (of which there are a lot) and relationships. The effects that art and linguistic research can have on the people involved, both the purveyors of those fields and the subjects, is also a main theme. This book is ambitious in its scope, and I think successful in discussing the issues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Mass/school shootings

feebles640's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, and Grief

oliviashleigh's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and War

katewhite77's review

challenging emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Wonderfully lyrical Novel.

A beautiful meditation on colony and colonisation and mainly. but not exclusively the geopolitical Anglo-Irish iteration with a particular focus on language. 

I would recommend the audio version of this particular book as I think this book is probably best heard than read  if possible just let the words carry you across the Irish Sea. 

This is not an easy read but an important and poetic one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism

jennikreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

linguaphile412's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail