Damian McNichollReseñas
Autor de A Son Called Gabriel
3 Obras 188 Miembros 8 Reseñas
Reseñas
A Son Called Gabriel, a novel por Damian McNicholl
Denunciada
jwhenderson | 7 reseñas más. | Jul 28, 2010 | Gabriel grows up in Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s, struggling with the feeling he's different from the others. Uncle Brendan, his father's brother, seems more sympathetic to his problems (not that he ever shares all of them), but it's clear Brendan has his secrets too, and they are revealed at the end. Not bad.
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mari_reads | 7 reseñas más. | Aug 2, 2009 | This is a beautiful coming-of-age story that centers around a Catholic boy's struggle to recognize and accept his homosexuality amidst a turbulent Northern Ireland in the 1960s-1970s. It is sad, wise and at times, pretty raunchy. The writing is great, it really made me feel like I was there in Ireland, during that time. The characters are so well developed and despite quirks, I easily and quickly grew to care about them. While the author could have easily fallen prey to bashing on the Catholic church and such, he makes you understand more than inflame. I think his handling of such enormous topics was sensitive, interesting and open-minded. However, I think the novel could have used some editing, some themes, like Gabriel's struggle to succeed in school and his battle with his homosexuality, seemed to play out endlessly ~ very repetitive. It could have been tightened up quite a bit. But overall, that is a small complaint. I enjoyed the reading, the learning and the place and time. I do recommend this book, but the sexual content is rather graphic, so one must be okay with that.½
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CarolynSchroeder | 7 reseñas más. | Apr 15, 2009 | Gabriel starts to suspect that he is not like other boys during puberty, and enjoys a series of childhood sex games with Noel, a young male friend, and also his cousin Connor. Gabriel is later abused at school by a priest, Father Cornelius.
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TonySandel | 7 reseñas más. | Sep 16, 2007 | I kept forgetting this book was fiction and not a memoir. It reads like a memoir. (I think it's a memoir disguised as fiction, but don't tell Gabriel's, I mean Damian's, family's neighbors that.) The names are all changed, and probably he added some fictional bits to make it more interesting. But, besides the facts mirroring the author's life, irrelevant details find their way into the narrative. Things that only matter to people because it's the way it really happened, not because it moves the plot forward. For example, if you were writing a novel you wouldn't think to yourself, "Let's see, I only have 3 examples of my protagonist's schoolmates teasing him unmercifully and calling him a queer, I'd better stick another one in here." You'd figure you'd gotten your point across. But in a memoir, the author thinks, "Oh, yeah, and then there was Joe Schmoe in 8th grade--can't leave that one out. What a jerk."
I like to go in knowing which I'm reading, so the fact that it's labeled fiction and written like memoir was distracting. I'd find myself thinking "why is he telling us about his aunt's fiance who doesn't even appear as a character, when his aunt isn't even in this scene?" and then I'd decide it was because it was really a memoir and settle back into reading.
As memoirs go, it's very well written. I'd probably give it 4 stars, if it were billed as a memoir. As fiction, it only gets 3 from me, but I'd definitely read a work of true fiction by this author, if he writes one.
I like to go in knowing which I'm reading, so the fact that it's labeled fiction and written like memoir was distracting. I'd find myself thinking "why is he telling us about his aunt's fiance who doesn't even appear as a character, when his aunt isn't even in this scene?" and then I'd decide it was because it was really a memoir and settle back into reading.
As memoirs go, it's very well written. I'd probably give it 4 stars, if it were billed as a memoir. As fiction, it only gets 3 from me, but I'd definitely read a work of true fiction by this author, if he writes one.
2
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Alirambles | 7 reseñas más. | Sep 7, 2007 | A fascinating story of a young gay man finding himself and coming to terms with himself in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Not overly filled with teenage angst. A good read.
1
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sexysheff | 7 reseñas más. | Apr 26, 2007 | 1
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debra_hamel | 7 reseñas más. | Apr 6, 2007 | Half-way through the first page you know you are in another place, another time, and it all feels real to you. The cadence of the language just takes you there, and *without* using dialect or dropped letters or anything else to do it. That's fine writing, my friends.
Gabriel also always comes across as very human, very real, as do the family that we see through his eyes, and I enjoyed the book. Because the writing is so wonderful, and the character is so real, I wanted to enjoy the book *more* than I did. But there are a couple of plot points that I feel dilute Gabriel's story. I think it would have been more powerful had the writer strictly stuck with a coming-of-age type story, instead of throwing in the additional 'trauma'. (I don't want to reveal anything here, because I don't want to ruin the story for anyone who hasn't read it!)
I'll definitely be keeping this one in my collection to re-read.½
Gabriel also always comes across as very human, very real, as do the family that we see through his eyes, and I enjoyed the book. Because the writing is so wonderful, and the character is so real, I wanted to enjoy the book *more* than I did. But there are a couple of plot points that I feel dilute Gabriel's story. I think it would have been more powerful had the writer strictly stuck with a coming-of-age type story, instead of throwing in the additional 'trauma'. (I don't want to reveal anything here, because I don't want to ruin the story for anyone who hasn't read it!)
I'll definitely be keeping this one in my collection to re-read.½
Denunciada
severina | 7 reseñas más. | Mar 26, 2006 | Este sitio utiliza cookies para ofrecer nuestros servicios, mejorar el rendimiento, análisis y (si no estás registrado) publicidad. Al usar LibraryThing reconoces que has leído y comprendido nuestros términos de servicio y política de privacidad. El uso del sitio y de los servicios está sujeto a estas políticas y términos.