Finished this in a flash!
This book is raw. Strange and lovely - memories of a warped innocence, full of love & hurt. The 2nd person narration gets mixed reviews but I felt it only added to the haste & flow of childhood identity. A truly inner exploration of the character, disconcertingly honest. I got the summer sadness feeling of being out in fields of cut grass, playing until exhaustion and arriving home late to still go to bed in the light. ( )

Unfortunately, this one was a reading choice that failed to capture my attention...I was attracted by the title and the fact that I've always thought Edna O'Brien's writing would be ideal for me but this was a disaster...

In my opinion, there are many writers who succeeded in bringing the social and political issues in Ireland during the 30s and the 40s through interesting plots, memorable characters, and careful choices. This book only gave me melodramatic situations with a strange focus on sex, crudely done, mundane storylines and there was an utter lack of any kind of characters that would resonate with me. Plus, the absence of direct dialogue didn't really help...

I will give O'Brien another chance by reading ''The Little Red Chairs'' but given the subject matter, my expectations are infinitely lower. I don't think she has the chops to do it justice... ( )

JM Guelbenzu, Babelia 26.08.2017: https://elpais.com/cultura/2017/08/21/babelia/1503334928_398903.html

An irritating and unlikely novel and I had no empathy with characters. ( )

God, O'Brien is good!

Once I get over the fact that this reads unlike a normal a novel with its clear plot and obvious arc, but as an almost poeticly observed stream of consciousness, I settle into the sheer pleasure of it. The first 80-some pp are a child's eye view of life in Ireland in the 60s (50s?). Brings [Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man] to mind in some ways.

The child looks around herself at what others are doing, at the small details of life and landscape, and as she grows this continues. Also as she grows, life gets more complicated. There is much truth, much beauty, and much sorrow in this novel, all given the same weight in the telling. A wonderful book. ( )