Reviews

House of Names by Colm Tóibín

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barbaraalfond's review against another edition

4.0

Is there anything that Colm Toibín cannot bring to life? From the evidence—his entire novelistic oeuvre to date—I would doubt it. I am absolutely fascinated by the sureness of his pen. In the simplest of language, unafraid of using recurring nouns and verbs, and not choosing to vary his vocabulary, he plays, in The House of Names, the historical role of storyteller. In the tradition of oral fabulist, as if he were reciting a legend to an unread audience (and by incorporating an actual storyteller into the most loving and peaceful interlude of this long and gory tale), he creates an absolutely mesmerizing story. The House of Agamemnon is well served here—perhaps more so than it deserves, for real love and devotion lie not within palace walls that whisper, but in a humble cottage where compassion, kindness, and memory reside.

ellasm's review

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

sazzyrazzy's review against another edition

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challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

marc129's review against another edition

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2.0

I have to admit that I don't immediately know what Toibin aimed at with this book. Agreed, he very nicely uses the ancient Greek drama cycle around king Agamemnoon, with the sacrifice of his daughter Iphigenia, the revenge of his wife Clytemnestra, and then the counterrevenge by son Orestes. Toibin complements the familiar narrative material with particular attention to "a journey through the desert" of the young Orestes, his stay with an old woman in a "house full of names", and then the return.

That chapter, which fills the entire middle part of the book, was more like a boy's adventure story (added with a gay-erotic undertone). Even more than in the Greek drama, Orestes is depicted as an innocent character, who actually only plays a secondary role, is kept out of all nasty things, a kind of lamb who naively runs into his accident; all other characters behave double-minded, covert and even downright false. That contrast may be Toibin's own contribution, but what does it add?

Of course, this tragedy remains a fascinating narrative, but Toibin has made it a rather boring affair, with a succession of action scenes that have a particular "and then, and then, and then ..."-cadence. The few scenes that stand out are those in which the inner drama of the characters is highlighted, such as the opening scene. Unfortunately, that was not enough to turn this into a successful novel.