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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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Colonisation, Hate crime, Grief, and Death
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, and Gun violence
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and War
gummistovlar's review
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Look, I am *very* invested in the subject matter of this novel - namely the plight of my own language and its systematic eradication by colonialism.
But I had to absolutely drag myself through this novel.
First, I cannot recover from the irony of the audiobook being narrated by a non-Irish speaker. Stephen Hogan does a good Irish accent, so he may well be Irish himself, but the fact that his intonation was incorrect for some very basic phrases leads me to believe he definitely does not speak the language. Even if you don't attain fluency (which most of us don't), we are all taught Irish from the age of 5 if you are raised in the country, and we can reliably pronounce words.
Given the novel's chosen theme, I really don't understand why they couldn't find any Irish actor who actually has basic command of the language - there are plenty available!
Second, reading this was just misery on misery on misery. This is why I find myself avoiding a lot of Irish writing, because it's this very particular brand of misery that seems to be rewarded on the international scale, and that to me is a facet of colonialism itself. It really bothers me. Audrey Magee is welcome to write the novel she wants to write, but it's very typical to me that this is the one that would receive recognition.
Irony again that a novel supposedly about the battle for the soul of Ireland (its language) is dry as a bone. We get maybe 3 flashes of wry humour in the whole thing, whereas the absolute characteristic of Irish people (especially on the west coast, where this seems to be set) is that a wicked sense of humour lives right alongside the misery.
I don't take issue with Magee's thesis really, especially when juxtaposed with the experience of a French/Algerian character, but I think the idea of the future of the language being debated by outsiders got a bit carried away with itself. The prose was very repetitive and I hated absolutely every character.
I also was not fond of how the conflict in Northern Ireland was treated: it felt very reductive and both sides-y, but that might require re-reading with a careful eye.
Anyway, I don't recommend that you read this if you want to experience joy, or any insight into Ireland. If you are curious about what has happened to the language itself, a short article will give you the same information and history. If you want to hear Irish, listen to the Beo Ar Éigean podcast or ring me up if you know me! 😂
Magee gets an A1 for condensing the English nation into one horrendously unlikeable character though - nailed it.
But I had to absolutely drag myself through this novel.
First, I cannot recover from the irony of the audiobook being narrated by a non-Irish speaker. Stephen Hogan does a good Irish accent, so he may well be Irish himself, but the fact that his intonation was incorrect for some very basic phrases leads me to believe he definitely does not speak the language. Even if you don't attain fluency (which most of us don't), we are all taught Irish from the age of 5 if you are raised in the country, and we can reliably pronounce words.
Given the novel's chosen theme, I really don't understand why they couldn't find any Irish actor who actually has basic command of the language - there are plenty available!
Second, reading this was just misery on misery on misery. This is why I find myself avoiding a lot of Irish writing, because it's this very particular brand of misery that seems to be rewarded on the international scale, and that to me is a facet of colonialism itself. It really bothers me. Audrey Magee is welcome to write the novel she wants to write, but it's very typical to me that this is the one that would receive recognition.
Irony again that a novel supposedly about the battle for the soul of Ireland (its language) is dry as a bone. We get maybe 3 flashes of wry humour in the whole thing, whereas the absolute characteristic of Irish people (especially on the west coast, where this seems to be set) is that a wicked sense of humour lives right alongside the misery.
I don't take issue with Magee's thesis really, especially when juxtaposed with the experience of a French/Algerian character, but I think the idea of the future of the language being debated by outsiders got a bit carried away with itself. The prose was very repetitive and I hated absolutely every character.
I also was not fond of how the conflict in Northern Ireland was treated: it felt very reductive and both sides-y, but that might require re-reading with a careful eye.
Anyway, I don't recommend that you read this if you want to experience joy, or any insight into Ireland. If you are curious about what has happened to the language itself, a short article will give you the same information and history. If you want to hear Irish, listen to the Beo Ar Éigean podcast or ring me up if you know me! 😂
Magee gets an A1 for condensing the English nation into one horrendously unlikeable character though - nailed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Colonisation
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, War, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Colonisation, and Murder
shelleyanderson4127's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
This is a brilliant read which tackles important issues. The characterization is excellent. There's the arrogant English painter Mr. Lloyd, desperate to prove his worth, who spends the summer on an isolated island off Ireland's West coast. There he clashes with the French linguist JP Masson, who has spent every summer for five years researching the decline of the Irish language among the islanders for his Ph.D. Masson sees the monolingual Lloyd as a corrupting influence. And there are the islanders themselves, especially the young widow Mairead and her teenaged son James, both of whom are suspicious of but also drawn to the wider world beyond the island.
As the summer progresses tensions mount, and the characters' longings and fears are laid bare. The issues of privilege and responsibility, of cultural appropriation, of the after effects of colonization, are seamlessly woven into the story. So, too, are short, vivid accounts of political violence in northern Ireland. Magee, an award-winning journalist, shows how history plays out in real flesh and bone.
The writing is poetic and concise; the whole book compelling and honest. It forces the reader to question who owns a tradition and exactly what is worth saving in a tradition. I loved this book. It's one of the most beautifully written stories I've read all year. If I was a betting woman, I would gamble on The Colony winning this year's Booker Prize.
As the summer progresses tensions mount, and the characters' longings and fears are laid bare. The issues of privilege and responsibility, of cultural appropriation, of the after effects of colonization, are seamlessly woven into the story. So, too, are short, vivid accounts of political violence in northern Ireland. Magee, an award-winning journalist, shows how history plays out in real flesh and bone.
The writing is poetic and concise; the whole book compelling and honest. It forces the reader to question who owns a tradition and exactly what is worth saving in a tradition. I loved this book. It's one of the most beautifully written stories I've read all year. If I was a betting woman, I would gamble on The Colony winning this year's Booker Prize.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Death, Cultural appropriation, and Sexism
There are examples of political killings during The Troubles in Norther Ireland.kairhone's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Death, and Violence
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, War, Violence, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail
kirstym25's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Colonisation, and Murder
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Colony is a fantastic read. The more I read the more impressed I became. What starts off as a seemingly simple story about an arrogant English artist spending time on a small sparsely populated Irish island turns out to actually be a multi-faceted critique of colonialism. All the different strands of the novel - the family saga, the master-apprentice artist storyline, the conflicts between different characters, the linguistic study, and more were all cleverly woven around the core theme of colonialism. I was impressed by how many different facets of the author managed to include, most intrinsically. The interactions between the islanders and the visitors are essentially a microcosm of colonialism.
All of which makes this book sound worthy - and possibly dull. Worthy it is; dull it is not. The story is engaging and eminently readable - quite funny at times, the writing lyrical and poetic, the atmosphere often haunting, the characters memorable and in some cases, James especially, loveable. The exploration of the theme is thought-provoking, yet nuanced rather than dogmatic. All in all I highly recommend this novel and will definitely be adding Audrey Magee to the list of authors whose back lists I want to explore.
All of which makes this book sound worthy - and possibly dull. Worthy it is; dull it is not. The story is engaging and eminently readable - quite funny at times, the writing lyrical and poetic, the atmosphere often haunting, the characters memorable and in some cases, James especially, loveable. The exploration of the theme is thought-provoking, yet nuanced rather than dogmatic. All in all I highly recommend this novel and will definitely be adding Audrey Magee to the list of authors whose back lists I want to explore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent