Post by Séamus on Feb 19, 2024 1:11:53 GMT
When it comes to novels, or perhaps anything,I don't usually follow the prizewinners; it was actually a review of Paul Lynch's bestseller that panned the scenario of an Irish government going into extreme nationalism while nations around looked on in horror, that made me curious to read it.
I would guess that the novel was inspired, consciously or subconsciously, by covid restrictions- although these were fairly similar worldwide, the 1920s civil war and perhaps the Troubles in the North, although in this case people were fleeing to the North, with a bit of the current human trafficking saga also- something that causes controversy in Britain more so.
I suppose it's really not a matter of how improbable or probable the dystopia is. The novel is mostly about the inner mind of a modern professional mother, daughter and wife and how she lives and deals with the upheavals.
No doubt they'll be a production, but the novel, mostly a train-of-thought, was (refreshingly) not written solely for Netflix.
The review I mentioned questioned whether Ireland in the near future would be so secular, the beginning of the tale revolves around a Christmas/Easter axis and yet there's no mention of even a church visit by the Stack family on Christmas Day, despite the husband already being held at that stage. A nondenominational prayer of anguish escapes Mrs Stack when she discovers her son's dead body.
Church bells still ring, it would seem for purely aesthetic purposes.
And yet Lynch's explanation of prophecy towards the end would probably be endorsed by many real theologians today.
I would guess that the novel was inspired, consciously or subconsciously, by covid restrictions- although these were fairly similar worldwide, the 1920s civil war and perhaps the Troubles in the North, although in this case people were fleeing to the North, with a bit of the current human trafficking saga also- something that causes controversy in Britain more so.
I suppose it's really not a matter of how improbable or probable the dystopia is. The novel is mostly about the inner mind of a modern professional mother, daughter and wife and how she lives and deals with the upheavals.
No doubt they'll be a production, but the novel, mostly a train-of-thought, was (refreshingly) not written solely for Netflix.
The review I mentioned questioned whether Ireland in the near future would be so secular, the beginning of the tale revolves around a Christmas/Easter axis and yet there's no mention of even a church visit by the Stack family on Christmas Day, despite the husband already being held at that stage. A nondenominational prayer of anguish escapes Mrs Stack when she discovers her son's dead body.
Church bells still ring, it would seem for purely aesthetic purposes.
And yet Lynch's explanation of prophecy towards the end would probably be endorsed by many real theologians today.