Friday, April 22, 2016

The Little Red Chairs - Edna O'Brien

Fidelma is struggling in her little Irish village.  Her marriage to a much older man is failing, and she feels defeated after losing two babies, so when Vlad the mysterious charasmatic healer/poet arrives, she feels herself drawn to him.  His magnetism also draws in many others and the village becomes all abuzz, inviting him into their circle.  But he has a past that remains unhidden and tracks him down and enters Fidelmas life - leaving her lost and looking for understanding.

It is an odd one this book.  Many great reviews, and maybe I just don't understand modern literature, but I found it hard to stay connected at the beginning and most of the way through.  The sing song style of writing didn't appeal to me, and I would have liked more about the main characters and less about the peripheral stuff.  The small bursts of violence were a bit shocking, but most of the book left me unmoved. 2/5

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