What do you think?
Rate this book
The Iron Tree
- GenresFiction
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 1994
14 people want to read
About the author
Martin Booth
109 books96 followersMartin Booth was a prolific English novelist and poet. He also worked as a teacher and screenwriter, and was the founder of the Sceptre Press.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 6, 2016
This review is spoiler-safe : It has no spoilers.
I think it was pretty good, honestly. I got it at a bookcrossing spot,trading it for LeCarré's " The Russian House " - which,by the way, I didn't read,as the font size was ultra small - and it exceeded my expectations,I'll admit.
The watercolour drawings on the cover were what first amazed me.I guess that judging a book by it's cover came off well this time.
When I started reading it, I just wanted to improve my English vocabulary, and was expectant of a mediocre book,with a mediocre story. And was I wrong. I should have read something about Booth first.
The story surrounds Stephen Galvin's history. He is now an old man, an ex-priest and he seems to be quite stoic, for he faces his reality with peace of mind, whatever it might be.
As we read about his daily life in Hong Kong, Booth's uses this sections to introduce into the book some of his thoughts about God, Life and Death.
However, we also get described some of his youth episodes, as memories. These small chapters show us the shocking reality of China's early 1900's, demonstrating the Eastern " modus vivendi " of such time.
Of Course, our book is stuffed ( And I mean really stuffed, to the point of overflowing - figuratively, of course) with life and moral lessons, which, for the record, was what lead me to have such a wonderful experience while reading the book.
As one plus one equals two, so do thoughts plus lessons equals marvellous quotes, a big part of what turned reading the book into a striking experience. Naturally, I took some to myself and posted them on my personal quote book.
But, in the end, the book is all about how having faith in something is important: how it moulds everyone, how believing with conviction in something will lead to and how to act in life. Our take-home message. Although not strong, it's essential in life.
I think it was pretty good, honestly. I got it at a bookcrossing spot,trading it for LeCarré's " The Russian House " - which,by the way, I didn't read,as the font size was ultra small - and it exceeded my expectations,I'll admit.
The watercolour drawings on the cover were what first amazed me.I guess that judging a book by it's cover came off well this time.
When I started reading it, I just wanted to improve my English vocabulary, and was expectant of a mediocre book,with a mediocre story. And was I wrong. I should have read something about Booth first.
The story surrounds Stephen Galvin's history. He is now an old man, an ex-priest and he seems to be quite stoic, for he faces his reality with peace of mind, whatever it might be.
As we read about his daily life in Hong Kong, Booth's uses this sections to introduce into the book some of his thoughts about God, Life and Death.
However, we also get described some of his youth episodes, as memories. These small chapters show us the shocking reality of China's early 1900's, demonstrating the Eastern " modus vivendi " of such time.
Of Course, our book is stuffed ( And I mean really stuffed, to the point of overflowing - figuratively, of course) with life and moral lessons, which, for the record, was what lead me to have such a wonderful experience while reading the book.
As one plus one equals two, so do thoughts plus lessons equals marvellous quotes, a big part of what turned reading the book into a striking experience. Naturally, I took some to myself and posted them on my personal quote book.
But, in the end, the book is all about how having faith in something is important: how it moulds everyone, how believing with conviction in something will lead to and how to act in life. Our take-home message. Although not strong, it's essential in life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review