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A Swift Pure Cry
Ireland 1984.After Shell's mother dies, her obsessively religious father descends into alcoholic mourning and Shell is left to care for her younger brother and sister. Her only release from the harshness of everyday life comes from her budding spiritual friendship with a naive young priest, and most importantly, her developing relationship with childhood friend, Declan, who is charming, eloquent, and persuasive. But when Declan suddenly leaves Ireland to seek his fortune in America, Shell finds herself pregnant and the center of a scandal that rocks the small community in which she lives, with repercussions across the whole country. The lives of those immediately around her will never be the same again.This is a story of love and loss, religious belief and spirituality—it will move the hearts of any who read it.
Paperback
First published March 2, 2006
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About the author
Siobhan Dowd
32 books388 followersSiobhan Dowd was born to Irish parents and brought up in London. She spent much of her youth visiting the family cottage in Aglish, County Waterford and later the family home in Wicklow Town.
She attended a Catholic grammar school in south London and then gained a degree in Classics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. After a short stint in publishing, she joined the writer's organization PEN, initially as a researcher for its Writers in Prison Committee.
She went on to be Program Director of PEN American Center's Freedom-to-Write Committee in New York City. Her work here included founding and leading the Rushdie Defense Committee USA and traveling to Indonesia and Guatemala to investigate local human rights conditions for writers. During her seven-year spell in New York, Siobhan was named one of the "top 100 Irish-Americans" by Irish-America Magazine and AerLingus, for her global anti-censorship work.
On her return to the UK, Siobhan co-founded English PEN's readers and writers programme, which takes authors into schools in socially deprived areas, as well as prisons, young offender's institutions and community projects.
During 2004, Siobhan served as Deputy Commissioner for Children's Rights in Oxfordshire, working with local government to ensure that statutory services affecting children's lives conform with UN protocols.
Siobhan has an MA with Distinction in Gender and Ethnic Studies at Greenwich University, has authored short stories, columns and articles, and edited two anthologies.
In May 2007, Siobhan was named one of "25 authors of the future" by Waterstones Books as part of the latter's 25th anniversary celebrations.
Siobhan died on 21st August 2007 aged 47. She had been receiving treatment for advanced breast cancer for 3 years, and did not go gentle into that good night.
She attended a Catholic grammar school in south London and then gained a degree in Classics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. After a short stint in publishing, she joined the writer's organization PEN, initially as a researcher for its Writers in Prison Committee.
She went on to be Program Director of PEN American Center's Freedom-to-Write Committee in New York City. Her work here included founding and leading the Rushdie Defense Committee USA and traveling to Indonesia and Guatemala to investigate local human rights conditions for writers. During her seven-year spell in New York, Siobhan was named one of the "top 100 Irish-Americans" by Irish-America Magazine and AerLingus, for her global anti-censorship work.
On her return to the UK, Siobhan co-founded English PEN's readers and writers programme, which takes authors into schools in socially deprived areas, as well as prisons, young offender's institutions and community projects.
During 2004, Siobhan served as Deputy Commissioner for Children's Rights in Oxfordshire, working with local government to ensure that statutory services affecting children's lives conform with UN protocols.
Siobhan has an MA with Distinction in Gender and Ethnic Studies at Greenwich University, has authored short stories, columns and articles, and edited two anthologies.
In May 2007, Siobhan was named one of "25 authors of the future" by Waterstones Books as part of the latter's 25th anniversary celebrations.
Siobhan died on 21st August 2007 aged 47. She had been receiving treatment for advanced breast cancer for 3 years, and did not go gentle into that good night.
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December 14, 2024
Michelle (but everyone calls her Shell and - no one has canceled the magic of names - she is like a shell: beautiful, evokes thoughts of the otherworldly, firm behind her external fragility) is fifteen, she lives on a farm in County Cork with her father and younger siblings. And my mother died two years ago. Everything was different when Moira was with them, but now there's nothing to remember - just to poison the soul. The household is on Shell; the younger ones are out of hand; the father combines devout religiosity with alcoholism and this is a cocktail of the worst possible. He's just disgusting. He collects alms for church needs, going around the house, but lost his job and everything - not only Shell, they suspect that he drinks some of the money; sold the TV - a diabolical machine; minutely controls all the girl's spending on housekeeping and buying a bra turns into a difficult quest for her; the phone is disconnected for non-payment.
It should be clarified here that the book was written in 2006 and the realities of our current life with the Internet, mobile phones, mobile Internet in the poverty of the Irish province are absolutely absent. By that time, the world had already acquired personal computers and the cell phone had ceased to be a toy for the rich, but not in the poverty of Goat Island. This is important for understanding what is happening to the heroine. Because she will find herself in a situation where the opportunity to get accurate information, to contact others who have experienced or are experiencing something like this is priceless. But the girl, due to many components of her life: poverty, shyness, workload in the household, cannot even think about modern gadgets. And there is no sign that even the local rich people use something like this. Don't forget - the area is rural, the beginning of the noughties.
But they are incredibly religious. The whole community gathers on Sundays to preach, Declan Ronin, a classmate of the girl, is a church acolyte. Here he is from a rich family and generally a prominent guy, a poet besides. Well, a poet, rhymes like Dunno, but he will quite suit the unassuming taste of local youth. And besides, do not forget that a person who is able to quickly and accurately rhyme a few offensive words will always be able to rise at the expense of those whom he makes a mockery of. The girl got it from him at the time:
Shell looks worse than brambles
Or empty tins of Campbell's.
She smells of eggy-scrambles,
Her greasy hair's a shambles.
Lately, Declan has become attentive, treats him to a cigarette, invites him to walk in the fields. Well, yes, the girl's breasts have grown. And as for the bra, which my father would never give money for - he and his girlfriend Bride solved the issue radically - they went to the city and stole it in the haberdashery department of a department store. Bride is a cool girl, determined and not afraid of anything. Her life is not sweet either - with her mother and her brother, the same age as Shell's brother Jimmy, they live in a trailer. Their father abandoned them. But at least they have a TV.
And then there's Rose's father, he's nice, although the old parishioners don't take him seriously - he's too young. But he is really very nice and saves her all the time. One day, his father sent him, Jimmy and Trix to clear the stones from the far field, no one knows why - they haven't plowed it for years anyway. And the younger ones rebelled, taking out their resentment at orphanhood, poverty, and the need to do stupid things on their sister, who acted as an overseer here. And they started throwing stones at Shell, and she felt like a kind of stupor, such apathy and unwillingness to live; she stood there, not trying to dodge. The pastor was there. And another time, Bride suddenly attacked her at the exit of the church: you're walking with Declan, and he's mine (Shell didn't know, despite their friendship). She wanted to justify herself, I won't de -friend more expensive, but she didn't want to hear anything, attacked with her fists. Rose's father was there that time, too, and not only saved her, but gave her a ride to school in his creepy purple (because it's cheaper in that color) car named Jezebel. Oh yes, irony is not alien to this man.
Declan will give her money for a second bra, well, yes., Shell lost her friend, but he didn't stop caring and, what were you waiting for? Making her way to the gate in the field along the boundary, Jenny was soaked to the skin, in the evening in the rye. And then the young man runs away to America, the girlfriend also stops going to school, they say that she went to her aunt. And there is absolutely no one to talk about the strange disturbing changes that are happening to her (yes, let's remember our faithful friend, the Internet search engine, and rejoice). Time passes, the girl turns sixteen, the child moves, although she is thin and manages to disguise herself with clothes - everyone thinks that she just got fat. And all the weapons against a hostile world are the book "You and your Body" (anatomical educational program) stolen from a mobile library.
And this is just the beginning. There will be heartbreaking scenes of premature birth, assisted by a ten-year-old brother, and a baby born with an umbilical cord. The girl, of course, will not survive. And a funeral in a shoe box in that very far field. And my father just got married and disappears all the time from a new friend in the city. And if you ask why she didn't go to the doctor, to the public, that sort of thing. I will answer: It's Catholic, motherfucking Ireland, kids. The country where the "Sisters of Magdalena" shelters existed before 86, Google it if you're interested, it's so scary that twenty years after the film I don't want to remember.
There will be an incessant scream inside, but this is not the end of the ordeal. There's so much more going to happen. And a detective, and a crime drama, and self-incrimination, and murder, and forgiveness. Yes, she will stand on the wing after all and you will hear her quick clear cry from the sky.
Быстрый чистый крик
It soared, a bird, it held its flight, a swift pure cry,
soar silver orb it leaped serene, speeding, sustained...
James Joyce, Ulysses
Нет, я не помню в джойсовом "Улиссе" строк о птице, издавшей быстрый чистый крик, взлетая ввысь. Поиск говорит, что это из главы "Сирены". Припоминаю - эпизод на пляже, когда Блум смотрел на красивую девушку, которая полулежала на песке и, хм, одолеваемый плотским соблазном, маструбировал, стараясь делать это незаметно. Но девица видела и все понимала и мечтала, как этот красивый обеспеченный незнакомец влюбится, просватает ее, они поженятся, и он вырвет ее из тисков убогого быта. И о чем еще может мечтать красивая романтичная бедная юная барышня... А потом незнакомка встает, прихрамывая, уходит - Гарольд видит, что одна нога у нее короче другой. Ну, вы понимаете.
Нет, не увлеклась и не отклонилась от темы. Все связано. Ирландка Шибон Доуд, умерла, не закончив последней своей книги - дописать "Голос монстра" попросили Патрика Несса; он посвятил повесть автору идеи; по ней сняли потрясающий фильм, посмотрев который, я принялась разматывать ниточку в обратном направлении и пришла к Шибон Доуд. Написавшей свою историю милой ирландской девочки, которая грезила о любви, а получила влажное пятно, боль и унижение. Невольно заставляя задуматься о том, что за прошедшее столетье жизнь малых мира сего на Изумрудном Острове почти не изменилась.
Мишель (но все зовут ее Шелл и - магии имен никто не отменял - она как ракушка: красивая, навевает мысли о нездешнем, тверда за внешней хрупкостью) пятнадцать, она живет на ферме в графстве Корк с отцом и младшими погодками братом и сестрой. А мама умерла два года назад. Все было по-другому, когда Мойра была с ними, но теперь что уж вспоминать - только душу травить. Хозяйство на Шелл; младшие отбились от рук; отец сочетает истовую религиозность с алкоголизмом и это коктейль из худших возможных. Да он попросту омерзителен. Собирает милостыню на церковные нужды, обходя дома, а работу потерял и все - не только Шелл, подозревают, что часть денег пропивает; продал телевизор - дьявольская машина; мелочно контролирует все траты девочки на ведение хозяйства и покупка бюстгальтера превращается для нее в трудный квест; телефон отключен за неуплату.
Тут следует уточнить, что книга написана в 2006 и реалии нашей сегодняшней жизни с интернетом, мобильными телефонами, мобильным интернетом в нищете ирландской провинции отсутствуют абсолютно. Мир к тому времени уже обзавелся персональными компьютерами и сотовый перестал быть игрушкой для богатых, но не в нищете Козлиного острова. Это важно для понимания происходящего с героиней. Потому что она попадет в ситуацию, когда возможность получить точную информацию, связаться с другими, кто пережил или переживает подобное - бесценна. Но девочка, в силу многих составляющих своей жизни: нищеты, робости, загруженности по хозяйству - и помыслить не может о современных гаджетах. Да там и не слышно, чтобы даже местные богатеи чем-то подобным пользовались. Не забывайте - местность сельская, начало нулевых.
Зато невероятно религиозны. Собираются по воскресеньями всей общиной на проповедь, церковным служкой подвизается Деклан Ронин, одноклассник девочки. Вот он из богатой семьи и вообще парень видный, поэт к тому ж. Ну как, поэт, стишата навроде Незнайкиных, но на непритязательный вкус местной молодежи вполне себе пойдет. И кроме того, не забывайте, что человек, способный быстро метко зарифмовать несколько обидных слов, всегда сумеет приподняться за счет тех, кого выставляет на посмешище. Девочке от него в свое время досталось:
Shell looks worse than brambles
Or empty tins of Campbell's.
She smells of eggy-scrambles,
Her greasy hair's a shambles.
В последнее время Деклан стал внимательным, угощает сигареткой, зовет гулять в поля. Ну да, грудь у девочки выросла. А что до лифчика, на который отец нипочем не даст денег - они с подружкой Брайд решили вопрос радикально - съездили в город и стянули в галантерейном отделе универмага. Брайд классная девчонка, решительная и ничего не боится. Ее жизнь тоже не сахар - с мамой и братишкой, ровесником брата Шелл Джимми, живут в трейлере. Отец бросил их. Но у них, по крайней мере, есть телевизор.
И еще есть отец Роуз, он славный, хотя старые прихожане всерьез не воспринимают - слишком молод. Но он, правда, очень хороший и все время спасает ее. Как-то раз отец послал их с Джимми и Трикс очищать от камней дальнее поле, никто не знает, зачем - все равно его не распахивают который год уже. А младшие взбунтовались, вымещая обиду на сиротство, нищету, необходимость заниматься дурацким делом на сестре, которая здесь выступала надсмотрщиком. И они начали кидать в Шелл камнями, а на нее как оцепенение какое-то нашло, такая апатия и нежелание жить; стояла, не пытаясь увернуться. Тут рядом оказался пастор. А в другой раз Брайд ни с того, ни с сего накинулась на нее у выхода из церкви: гуляешь с Декланом, а он мой (Шелл и не знала, несмотря на дружбу). Она хотела оправдаться, не буду-де - подруга дороже, но та и слышать ничего не хотела, набросилась с кулаками. Отец Роуз в тот раз тоже оказался рядом и не только спас, но подвез до школы на своей жуткой пурпурной (потому что дешевле в таком цвете) машине по имени Иезавель. О да, ирония не чужда этому человеку.
Денег на второй бюстгальтер даст ей Деклан, ну да., подругу Шелл потеряла, а он ухаживать не прекратил и, а чего вы ждали? Пробираясь до калитки полем вдоль межи, Дженни вымокла до нитки, вечером во ржи. А потом молодой человек сбегает в Америку, подруга тоже перестает ходить в школу, говорят, что она уехала к тетке. И о странных беспокоящих изменениях, что происходят с ней, совсем не с кем поговорить (да-да, вспомним нашего верного друга, поисковик интернета и возрадуемся). Время идет, девочке исполняется шестнадцать, ребенок шевелится, хотя она худенькая и удается маскировать одеждой - все думают, что просто растолстела. А все оружие против враждебного мира - украденная в передвижной библиотеке книга "Ты и твое тело" (анатомический ликбез).
И это только завязка. Там будут душераздирающие сцены досрочных родов, в которых ассистирует десятилетний брат, и ребенок, рожденный с обвитием пуповиной. Девочка, конечно, не выживет. И похороны в обувной коробке на том самом дальнем поле. А отец как раз подженился и все время пропадает у новой подруги в городе. И если вы спросите, почему она не обратилась к врачу, к общественности, всякое такое. Я отвечу: это католическая, м-мать ее, Ирландия, дети. Страна, в которой до 86 года существовали приюты "Сестер Магдалены", загуглите, если интересно, это так страшно, что я и двадцать лет спустя после фильма не хочу вспоминать.
Будет стоять неумолчный крик внутри, но и это не конец мытарствам. Там столько всего еще случится. И детектив, и криминальная драма, и самооговор, и убийство, и прощение. Да, она встанет на крыло после всего и вы услышите ее быстрый чистый крик из поднебесья.
It should be clarified here that the book was written in 2006 and the realities of our current life with the Internet, mobile phones, mobile Internet in the poverty of the Irish province are absolutely absent. By that time, the world had already acquired personal computers and the cell phone had ceased to be a toy for the rich, but not in the poverty of Goat Island. This is important for understanding what is happening to the heroine. Because she will find herself in a situation where the opportunity to get accurate information, to contact others who have experienced or are experiencing something like this is priceless. But the girl, due to many components of her life: poverty, shyness, workload in the household, cannot even think about modern gadgets. And there is no sign that even the local rich people use something like this. Don't forget - the area is rural, the beginning of the noughties.
But they are incredibly religious. The whole community gathers on Sundays to preach, Declan Ronin, a classmate of the girl, is a church acolyte. Here he is from a rich family and generally a prominent guy, a poet besides. Well, a poet, rhymes like Dunno, but he will quite suit the unassuming taste of local youth. And besides, do not forget that a person who is able to quickly and accurately rhyme a few offensive words will always be able to rise at the expense of those whom he makes a mockery of. The girl got it from him at the time:
Shell looks worse than brambles
Or empty tins of Campbell's.
She smells of eggy-scrambles,
Her greasy hair's a shambles.
Lately, Declan has become attentive, treats him to a cigarette, invites him to walk in the fields. Well, yes, the girl's breasts have grown. And as for the bra, which my father would never give money for - he and his girlfriend Bride solved the issue radically - they went to the city and stole it in the haberdashery department of a department store. Bride is a cool girl, determined and not afraid of anything. Her life is not sweet either - with her mother and her brother, the same age as Shell's brother Jimmy, they live in a trailer. Their father abandoned them. But at least they have a TV.
And then there's Rose's father, he's nice, although the old parishioners don't take him seriously - he's too young. But he is really very nice and saves her all the time. One day, his father sent him, Jimmy and Trix to clear the stones from the far field, no one knows why - they haven't plowed it for years anyway. And the younger ones rebelled, taking out their resentment at orphanhood, poverty, and the need to do stupid things on their sister, who acted as an overseer here. And they started throwing stones at Shell, and she felt like a kind of stupor, such apathy and unwillingness to live; she stood there, not trying to dodge. The pastor was there. And another time, Bride suddenly attacked her at the exit of the church: you're walking with Declan, and he's mine (Shell didn't know, despite their friendship). She wanted to justify herself, I won't de -friend more expensive, but she didn't want to hear anything, attacked with her fists. Rose's father was there that time, too, and not only saved her, but gave her a ride to school in his creepy purple (because it's cheaper in that color) car named Jezebel. Oh yes, irony is not alien to this man.
Declan will give her money for a second bra, well, yes., Shell lost her friend, but he didn't stop caring and, what were you waiting for? Making her way to the gate in the field along the boundary, Jenny was soaked to the skin, in the evening in the rye. And then the young man runs away to America, the girlfriend also stops going to school, they say that she went to her aunt. And there is absolutely no one to talk about the strange disturbing changes that are happening to her (yes, let's remember our faithful friend, the Internet search engine, and rejoice). Time passes, the girl turns sixteen, the child moves, although she is thin and manages to disguise herself with clothes - everyone thinks that she just got fat. And all the weapons against a hostile world are the book "You and your Body" (anatomical educational program) stolen from a mobile library.
And this is just the beginning. There will be heartbreaking scenes of premature birth, assisted by a ten-year-old brother, and a baby born with an umbilical cord. The girl, of course, will not survive. And a funeral in a shoe box in that very far field. And my father just got married and disappears all the time from a new friend in the city. And if you ask why she didn't go to the doctor, to the public, that sort of thing. I will answer: It's Catholic, motherfucking Ireland, kids. The country where the "Sisters of Magdalena" shelters existed before 86, Google it if you're interested, it's so scary that twenty years after the film I don't want to remember.
There will be an incessant scream inside, but this is not the end of the ordeal. There's so much more going to happen. And a detective, and a crime drama, and self-incrimination, and murder, and forgiveness. Yes, she will stand on the wing after all and you will hear her quick clear cry from the sky.
Быстрый чистый крик
It soared, a bird, it held its flight, a swift pure cry,
soar silver orb it leaped serene, speeding, sustained...
James Joyce, Ulysses
Нет, я не помню в джойсовом "Улиссе" строк о птице, издавшей быстрый чистый крик, взлетая ввысь. Поиск говорит, что это из главы "Сирены". Припоминаю - эпизод на пляже, когда Блум смотрел на красивую девушку, которая полулежала на песке и, хм, одолеваемый плотским соблазном, маструбировал, стараясь делать это незаметно. Но девица видела и все понимала и мечтала, как этот красивый обеспеченный незнакомец влюбится, просватает ее, они поженятся, и он вырвет ее из тисков убогого быта. И о чем еще может мечтать красивая романтичная бедная юная барышня... А потом незнакомка встает, прихрамывая, уходит - Гарольд видит, что одна нога у нее короче другой. Ну, вы понимаете.
Нет, не увлеклась и не отклонилась от темы. Все связано. Ирландка Шибон Доуд, умерла, не закончив последней своей книги - дописать "Голос монстра" попросили Патрика Несса; он посвятил повесть автору идеи; по ней сняли потрясающий фильм, посмотрев который, я принялась разматывать ниточку в обратном направлении и пришла к Шибон Доуд. Написавшей свою историю милой ирландской девочки, которая грезила о любви, а получила влажное пятно, боль и унижение. Невольно заставляя задуматься о том, что за прошедшее столетье жизнь малых мира сего на Изумрудном Острове почти не изменилась.
Мишель (но все зовут ее Шелл и - магии имен никто не отменял - она как ракушка: красивая, навевает мысли о нездешнем, тверда за внешней хрупкостью) пятнадцать, она живет на ферме в графстве Корк с отцом и младшими погодками братом и сестрой. А мама умерла два года назад. Все было по-другому, когда Мойра была с ними, но теперь что уж вспоминать - только душу травить. Хозяйство на Шелл; младшие отбились от рук; отец сочетает истовую религиозность с алкоголизмом и это коктейль из худших возможных. Да он попросту омерзителен. Собирает милостыню на церковные нужды, обходя дома, а работу потерял и все - не только Шелл, подозревают, что часть денег пропивает; продал телевизор - дьявольская машина; мелочно контролирует все траты девочки на ведение хозяйства и покупка бюстгальтера превращается для нее в трудный квест; телефон отключен за неуплату.
Тут следует уточнить, что книга написана в 2006 и реалии нашей сегодняшней жизни с интернетом, мобильными телефонами, мобильным интернетом в нищете ирландской провинции отсутствуют абсолютно. Мир к тому времени уже обзавелся персональными компьютерами и сотовый перестал быть игрушкой для богатых, но не в нищете Козлиного острова. Это важно для понимания происходящего с героиней. Потому что она попадет в ситуацию, когда возможность получить точную информацию, связаться с другими, кто пережил или переживает подобное - бесценна. Но девочка, в силу многих составляющих своей жизни: нищеты, робости, загруженности по хозяйству - и помыслить не может о современных гаджетах. Да там и не слышно, чтобы даже местные богатеи чем-то подобным пользовались. Не забывайте - местность сельская, начало нулевых.
Зато невероятно религиозны. Собираются по воскресеньями всей общиной на проповедь, церковным служкой подвизается Деклан Ронин, одноклассник девочки. Вот он из богатой семьи и вообще парень видный, поэт к тому ж. Ну как, поэт, стишата навроде Незнайкиных, но на непритязательный вкус местной молодежи вполне себе пойдет. И кроме того, не забывайте, что человек, способный быстро метко зарифмовать несколько обидных слов, всегда сумеет приподняться за счет тех, кого выставляет на посмешище. Девочке от него в свое время досталось:
Shell looks worse than brambles
Or empty tins of Campbell's.
She smells of eggy-scrambles,
Her greasy hair's a shambles.
В последнее время Деклан стал внимательным, угощает сигареткой, зовет гулять в поля. Ну да, грудь у девочки выросла. А что до лифчика, на который отец нипочем не даст денег - они с подружкой Брайд решили вопрос радикально - съездили в город и стянули в галантерейном отделе универмага. Брайд классная девчонка, решительная и ничего не боится. Ее жизнь тоже не сахар - с мамой и братишкой, ровесником брата Шелл Джимми, живут в трейлере. Отец бросил их. Но у них, по крайней мере, есть телевизор.
И еще есть отец Роуз, он славный, хотя старые прихожане всерьез не воспринимают - слишком молод. Но он, правда, очень хороший и все время спасает ее. Как-то раз отец послал их с Джимми и Трикс очищать от камней дальнее поле, никто не знает, зачем - все равно его не распахивают который год уже. А младшие взбунтовались, вымещая обиду на сиротство, нищету, необходимость заниматься дурацким делом на сестре, которая здесь выступала надсмотрщиком. И они начали кидать в Шелл камнями, а на нее как оцепенение какое-то нашло, такая апатия и нежелание жить; стояла, не пытаясь увернуться. Тут рядом оказался пастор. А в другой раз Брайд ни с того, ни с сего накинулась на нее у выхода из церкви: гуляешь с Декланом, а он мой (Шелл и не знала, несмотря на дружбу). Она хотела оправдаться, не буду-де - подруга дороже, но та и слышать ничего не хотела, набросилась с кулаками. Отец Роуз в тот раз тоже оказался рядом и не только спас, но подвез до школы на своей жуткой пурпурной (потому что дешевле в таком цвете) машине по имени Иезавель. О да, ирония не чужда этому человеку.
Денег на второй бюстгальтер даст ей Деклан, ну да., подругу Шелл потеряла, а он ухаживать не прекратил и, а чего вы ждали? Пробираясь до калитки полем вдоль межи, Дженни вымокла до нитки, вечером во ржи. А потом молодой человек сбегает в Америку, подруга тоже перестает ходить в школу, говорят, что она уехала к тетке. И о странных беспокоящих изменениях, что происходят с ней, совсем не с кем поговорить (да-да, вспомним нашего верного друга, поисковик интернета и возрадуемся). Время идет, девочке исполняется шестнадцать, ребенок шевелится, хотя она худенькая и удается маскировать одеждой - все думают, что просто растолстела. А все оружие против враждебного мира - украденная в передвижной библиотеке книга "Ты и твое тело" (анатомический ликбез).
И это только завязка. Там будут душераздирающие сцены досрочных родов, в которых ассистирует десятилетний брат, и ребенок, рожденный с обвитием пуповиной. Девочка, конечно, не выживет. И похороны в обувной коробке на том самом дальнем поле. А отец как раз подженился и все время пропадает у новой подруги в городе. И если вы спросите, почему она не обратилась к врачу, к общественности, всякое такое. Я отвечу: это католическая, м-мать ее, Ирландия, дети. Страна, в которой до 86 года существовали приюты "Сестер Магдалены", загуглите, если интересно, это так страшно, что я и двадцать лет спустя после фильма не хочу вспоминать.
Будет стоять неумолчный крик внутри, но и это не конец мытарствам. Там столько всего еще случится. И детектив, и криминальная драма, и самооговор, и убийство, и прощение. Да, она встанет на крыло после всего и вы услышите ее быстрый чистый крик из поднебесья.
May 12, 2020
There are slight spoilers hovering around in this review… I’m going to try and not spoil it outright but if you don’t want to know anything about it… here’s the short version: read it read it read it.
“Together always. Free… And their lives ahead of them, around them, spilling from them as they screamed Whoooooooooo like three demented owls. What joy it was to be, what joy.”
Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Breath taken and hairs on the back of my neck standing up… wowowow. This book was spectacular.
High Points.
Shell. Father Rose. Trix. Jimmy. Caves. Rhymes. Altar boys who think unholy thoughts. Buckets and spades. Doing a Mary Magdalene. Ireland. Jezebel. See Shells. Piers. Mirrors. Faith. Spirituality. Bras. Hope. Ferris Wheels. “The dreams and laughs and tears. The here-and-nows and the here-afters.”
Low Points.
I honestly can’t think of one that won’t sound lame like “It wasn’t long enough”.
So… I’m passing on this one.
…..
But it wasn’t long enough. I wanted to know what happened after… what happened to Shell, what happened to Father Rose, what happened to Trix and what happened to Jimmy….
*sulks*
Heroine.
Oh Shell, my heart is bleeding for you. But you’re the kind of heroine who wouldn’t want my sympathy… so I’m sorry, but I can’t help it.
I was emotionally invested in your story, your narration, your circumstances.
And I still am.
If it helps you also have my utmost respect because you are one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever read.
Shell’s narration often had me stopping and reading over the paragraphs again because they were so beautiful.
Shell’s narration is so breathless and passionate and so full of feeling, it was impossible to look away. There was one scene… in a cave… with the boy… that was possibly the most compelling sex scenes I’ve read in YA fiction.
Not a “deflowering” in sight either…
Hurrraaaah.
Ms Dowd’s portrayal of Shell’s battle with her faith, after everything she’s been through, was so compelling. But what I loved most about this book was after I finished it, I still had no idea where Ms Dowd stood on religion. I think with books with ‘controversial’ subjects, it is so easy for authors to inject their own beliefs and write a story that is basically a vehicle to bully them on to their readers. But this never happened.
Shell was so resilient and even though she would have had my full support if she wanted to crawl under the duvet and weep into her pillow, she never did.
She stands alone throughout most of this book but, even when everyone turns their back on her, she remains true to herself. And, throughout it all, she still has time to raise her brother and her sister without a second thought.
I think Shell and I are going to be friends for a while.
Father Rose.
“Coolbar isn’t ready for a gum-chewing priest.”
Maybe not, but I definitely was.
Lovedlovedloved this man.
And his car, Jezebel.
And I loved his ending.
“Isn’t the world a mad fandango?”
Here be minor spoilers.
Love Interest
The Boy.
OK, I know, I knowww.
I’m not supposed to like Declan after everything he did and after everything he didn’t.
But I so so so did.
Yes, he’s a bad boy but not a cliché bad boy who dwell in dark classrooms of YA books that stare and leer and brood from the side lines.
He’s actually a boy. A realistic boy that you can imagine sitting at the back of the bus, scrawling crude graffiti on the back of the seat, grabbing at you, making suggestive comments to you when you walk by, who wonders what kind of bra the Virgin Mary would wear and calls going to have a quick shufty in a field “Doing a Mary Magdalene”.
I think Shell understood this too.
See? If Shell still likes him… how can I hate him? I don’t think Ms Dowd would have wanted me to, anyway. I bet she had a lot of fun with Declan.
I know I know. He made some bad decisions. But they were realistic decisions and he wasn’t to know and I like to think that if he had known, he would have made different ones.
I think he really did care for Shell… and, not because he had to like Trix and Jimmy did.
But because of her.
Ohh.
Theme Tune.
After the Storm by Mumford & Sons.
And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.
I don’t know what it is about Mumford and Sons but they always seem to find the words to emotions when I can't. The more I listen to this song, the more I realise how perfect it is for this book and mirrors the journey that Shell goes on and how she comes out of it all stronger and braver.
Sadness Scale.
10/10. I don’t usually cry at books and this one was no exception… probably because my body felt so numb and my mind was so fixated on Shell’s story that I forgot how to cry.
When you find out what this book is about, whether it’s from reading the book or reading a review or whatever, you will no doubt roll your eyes and think “Oh god, not one of those stories”.
Believe me, I did it too.
Ms Dowd created a novel that is equal parts harrowing and beautiful. It’s a story that is told without judgement or an agenda or melodrama.
Even though this book is awfully sad and one that will stick with me for a long time, what I loved most about it was the hopefulness at the end. No, it wasn’t a happy ending as such. The characters are still shrouded in uncertainty and there are still problems and Ms Dowd doesn’t insult the intelligence of her readers by suggesting everything is going to be fine.
But she leaves us with such hope and positivity and joy that there is a chance, even if it is small, that they will all make it through.
And I think they will.
Recommended For.
Everyone. People who want a realistic novel that focuses on the heroine and her strengths rather than how she acts around a boy. People who wonder if the altar boys are always thinking holy thoughts. People who like to pick up stones for no reason. People who like make up rhymes. People who think a smooth stretch of sand on the beach is for jumping on and messing up. People who aren’t top of their class but who are in a class of their own.
“Together always. Free… And their lives ahead of them, around them, spilling from them as they screamed Whoooooooooo like three demented owls. What joy it was to be, what joy.”
Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Breath taken and hairs on the back of my neck standing up… wowowow. This book was spectacular.
High Points.
Shell. Father Rose. Trix. Jimmy. Caves. Rhymes. Altar boys who think unholy thoughts. Buckets and spades. Doing a Mary Magdalene. Ireland. Jezebel. See Shells. Piers. Mirrors. Faith. Spirituality. Bras. Hope. Ferris Wheels. “The dreams and laughs and tears. The here-and-nows and the here-afters.”
Low Points.
I honestly can’t think of one that won’t sound lame like “It wasn’t long enough”.
So… I’m passing on this one.
…..
But it wasn’t long enough. I wanted to know what happened after… what happened to Shell, what happened to Father Rose, what happened to Trix and what happened to Jimmy….
*sulks*
Heroine.
Oh Shell, my heart is bleeding for you. But you’re the kind of heroine who wouldn’t want my sympathy… so I’m sorry, but I can’t help it.
I was emotionally invested in your story, your narration, your circumstances.
And I still am.
If it helps you also have my utmost respect because you are one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever read.
Shell’s narration often had me stopping and reading over the paragraphs again because they were so beautiful.
“In the triptych of mirrors was the image of him standing there, again and again, into infinity, reaching out forlornly into another world, a world in which Mam had gone and the living could not follow.”
Shell’s narration is so breathless and passionate and so full of feeling, it was impossible to look away. There was one scene… in a cave… with the boy… that was possibly the most compelling sex scenes I’ve read in YA fiction.
Not a “deflowering” in sight either…
Hurrraaaah.
Ms Dowd’s portrayal of Shell’s battle with her faith, after everything she’s been through, was so compelling. But what I loved most about this book was after I finished it, I still had no idea where Ms Dowd stood on religion. I think with books with ‘controversial’ subjects, it is so easy for authors to inject their own beliefs and write a story that is basically a vehicle to bully them on to their readers. But this never happened.
Shell was so resilient and even though she would have had my full support if she wanted to crawl under the duvet and weep into her pillow, she never did.
She stands alone throughout most of this book but, even when everyone turns their back on her, she remains true to herself. And, throughout it all, she still has time to raise her brother and her sister without a second thought.
I think Shell and I are going to be friends for a while.
Father Rose.
“Coolbar isn’t ready for a gum-chewing priest.”
Maybe not, but I definitely was.
Lovedlovedloved this man.
And his car, Jezebel.
And I loved his ending.
“Isn’t the world a mad fandango?”
Here be minor spoilers.
OK, I know, I knowww.
I’m not supposed to like Declan after everything he did and after everything he didn’t.
But I so so so did.
Yes, he’s a bad boy but not a cliché bad boy who dwell in dark classrooms of YA books that stare and leer and brood from the side lines.
He’s actually a boy. A realistic boy that you can imagine sitting at the back of the bus, scrawling crude graffiti on the back of the seat, grabbing at you, making suggestive comments to you when you walk by, who wonders what kind of bra the Virgin Mary would wear and calls going to have a quick shufty in a field “Doing a Mary Magdalene”.
I think Shell understood this too.
“He wasn’t like the blacksmith in Mam’s old song. Unlike him, he’d never made any promises. He’d never written a letter. He was maybe a heart-breaking smooth operator… but he’d never pretended anything else.”
See? If Shell still likes him… how can I hate him? I don’t think Ms Dowd would have wanted me to, anyway. I bet she had a lot of fun with Declan.
I know I know. He made some bad decisions. But they were realistic decisions and he wasn’t to know and I like to think that if he had known, he would have made different ones.
I think he really did care for Shell… and, not because he had to like Trix and Jimmy did.
But because of her.
“They made me dizzy. But not as dizzy as you made me, Shell. I still remember.”
Ohh.
Theme Tune.
After the Storm by Mumford & Sons.
And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.
I don’t know what it is about Mumford and Sons but they always seem to find the words to emotions when I can't. The more I listen to this song, the more I realise how perfect it is for this book and mirrors the journey that Shell goes on and how she comes out of it all stronger and braver.
Sadness Scale.
10/10. I don’t usually cry at books and this one was no exception… probably because my body felt so numb and my mind was so fixated on Shell’s story that I forgot how to cry.
When you find out what this book is about, whether it’s from reading the book or reading a review or whatever, you will no doubt roll your eyes and think “Oh god, not one of those stories”.
Believe me, I did it too.
Ms Dowd created a novel that is equal parts harrowing and beautiful. It’s a story that is told without judgement or an agenda or melodrama.
Even though this book is awfully sad and one that will stick with me for a long time, what I loved most about it was the hopefulness at the end. No, it wasn’t a happy ending as such. The characters are still shrouded in uncertainty and there are still problems and Ms Dowd doesn’t insult the intelligence of her readers by suggesting everything is going to be fine.
But she leaves us with such hope and positivity and joy that there is a chance, even if it is small, that they will all make it through.
And I think they will.
Recommended For.
Everyone. People who want a realistic novel that focuses on the heroine and her strengths rather than how she acts around a boy. People who wonder if the altar boys are always thinking holy thoughts. People who like to pick up stones for no reason. People who like make up rhymes. People who think a smooth stretch of sand on the beach is for jumping on and messing up. People who aren’t top of their class but who are in a class of their own.
May 17, 2020
I adore Siobhan Dowd's writing and storytelling. Both Bog Child, another of her novels I've read, and A Monster Calls which was written by Patrick Ness but based on her story idea, are fantastic and underrated. This one is no exception.
Really quick though, I will put a bit of a content warning here because this book does deal with some very heavy topics. It has some graphic scenes that deal with a young woman's body, so if you are sensitive to that I would just go in with the knowledge that sex and pregnancy are common themes. Though it's never needlessly descriptive, it is quite harrowing at times.
The story follows Michelle, or Shell as she is most commonly referred, who lives with her father and two younger siblings. Her mother passed away about a year before the novel starts. But it's the arrival of a new parrish priest to their small southwestern city in Ireland, full of nosy neighbors and endearing shopkeepers, that kicks off the events of the novel. Shell is a bit of loner, though she has two close friends, Declan and Bridie—both of whom are questionable as true friends. The novel presents the polarity of teenage friendships well: thick as thieves one second then on the cusp of enemies the next. When some unexpected events occur in Shell's life, she must find the strength within to make decisions that will change her fate and have some devastating impacts on their community.
I appreciate Dowd's clear love for beautiful sentences. But it's not all flowery language that masks the deeper meaning; instead, her sentences are evocative and immersive, pulling you into this fully realized world. Shell's story is all the more tragic because it is so believable; in fact, in researching this novel after completing this I discovered Dowd based on the story on two real events from Ireland.
It's a shame Dowd passed so young and her books, in my opinion, are commonly overlooked. Her coming of age stories don't always go down easy, but they illuminate real struggles with a fresh perspective and a realistic voice for teenagers that make for important reads.
Really quick though, I will put a bit of a content warning here because this book does deal with some very heavy topics. It has some graphic scenes that deal with a young woman's body, so if you are sensitive to that I would just go in with the knowledge that sex and pregnancy are common themes. Though it's never needlessly descriptive, it is quite harrowing at times.
The story follows Michelle, or Shell as she is most commonly referred, who lives with her father and two younger siblings. Her mother passed away about a year before the novel starts. But it's the arrival of a new parrish priest to their small southwestern city in Ireland, full of nosy neighbors and endearing shopkeepers, that kicks off the events of the novel. Shell is a bit of loner, though she has two close friends, Declan and Bridie—both of whom are questionable as true friends. The novel presents the polarity of teenage friendships well: thick as thieves one second then on the cusp of enemies the next. When some unexpected events occur in Shell's life, she must find the strength within to make decisions that will change her fate and have some devastating impacts on their community.
I appreciate Dowd's clear love for beautiful sentences. But it's not all flowery language that masks the deeper meaning; instead, her sentences are evocative and immersive, pulling you into this fully realized world. Shell's story is all the more tragic because it is so believable; in fact, in researching this novel after completing this I discovered Dowd based on the story on two real events from Ireland.
It's a shame Dowd passed so young and her books, in my opinion, are commonly overlooked. Her coming of age stories don't always go down easy, but they illuminate real struggles with a fresh perspective and a realistic voice for teenagers that make for important reads.
November 7, 2020
Siobhan Dowd je autorka, ktorá počas svojho života vydala 2 knihy. Potom podľahla rakovine, v jej pozostalosti našli ďalšie 2 knihy a nápad a rozpísaný román A Monster Calls, ktorý nakoniec napísal Patrick Ness.
Siobhan Dowd píše o úplne obyčajných veciach úplne obyčajne a výsledkom sú príbehy, ktoré vás chytia za srdce.
V tejto knihe vás čaká príbeh z írskeho vidieku uprostred 80. rokov. Spoiler-alert: toto sa mohlo u nás odohrať ešte pred desiatimi rokmi! Michelle (ktorú všetci volajú Shell) je obyčajný tínedžerka, má 16 rokov, dvoch mladších súrodencov. Mamka jej pred rokom zomrela a otec sa trocha opustil. Jeho manželka bolo to, čo ho držalo nad vodou. Prestal pracovať, začal piť, začal žobrať.
A Shell sa musí starať o mladších súrodencov. A potom otehotnie.
Shell sa snaží skrývať hanbu pred malou dedinou, kde každý každého pozná a každý každého ohovára. Nanešťastie sa dieťa narodí mŕtve. 😢
Shell ho so súrodencami pochová na poli.
A potom sa spustí vidiecky shitstorm.
Toto je kniha o rodine v smútku. O strachu pred životom, políciou, cirkvou. O hanbe a sile a potrebe postaviť sa jej. Kniha o smútku, ktorý po strate blízkeho precíti celý váš život. Ale nakoniec je to kniha o sile rodiny. A o tom, že rodina je to najbližšie, čo na tomto svete máte a za nich sa oplatí bojovať.
Jediná škoda, že o írskej vidieckej dievčine si u nás nebude chcieť nikto čítať.
Inak 4,5*
Siobhan Dowd píše o úplne obyčajných veciach úplne obyčajne a výsledkom sú príbehy, ktoré vás chytia za srdce.
V tejto knihe vás čaká príbeh z írskeho vidieku uprostred 80. rokov. Spoiler-alert: toto sa mohlo u nás odohrať ešte pred desiatimi rokmi! Michelle (ktorú všetci volajú Shell) je obyčajný tínedžerka, má 16 rokov, dvoch mladších súrodencov. Mamka jej pred rokom zomrela a otec sa trocha opustil. Jeho manželka bolo to, čo ho držalo nad vodou. Prestal pracovať, začal piť, začal žobrať.
A Shell sa musí starať o mladších súrodencov. A potom otehotnie.
Shell sa snaží skrývať hanbu pred malou dedinou, kde každý každého pozná a každý každého ohovára. Nanešťastie sa dieťa narodí mŕtve. 😢
Shell ho so súrodencami pochová na poli.
A potom sa spustí vidiecky shitstorm.
Toto je kniha o rodine v smútku. O strachu pred životom, políciou, cirkvou. O hanbe a sile a potrebe postaviť sa jej. Kniha o smútku, ktorý po strate blízkeho precíti celý váš život. Ale nakoniec je to kniha o sile rodiny. A o tom, že rodina je to najbližšie, čo na tomto svete máte a za nich sa oplatí bojovať.
Jediná škoda, že o írskej vidieckej dievčine si u nás nebude chcieť nikto čítať.
Inak 4,5*
February 17, 2011
The one thing that stands out for me throughout this book is how a child is lost without its mother, compounded by a father who is absent most of the time. A lot of the things that happened would not have happened if there was a mother in the story - a depressed father, three children who only have one another for looking after, a pregnancy that happened just a little after the young teener learned about bra sizes, the death of an innocent infant.
Stories such as this one hits me to the core. It is sad to read about the plight of motherless children struggling in this world. On the other hand, it is at the same time a heartwarming tale of children surviving against all odds.
A story that's deeply moving, author Siobhan Dowd's other works are surely worth the read. It's just unfortunate that she died three years ago at the peak age of 47...She would have gone on writing more good reads.
Stories such as this one hits me to the core. It is sad to read about the plight of motherless children struggling in this world. On the other hand, it is at the same time a heartwarming tale of children surviving against all odds.
A story that's deeply moving, author Siobhan Dowd's other works are surely worth the read. It's just unfortunate that she died three years ago at the peak age of 47...She would have gone on writing more good reads.
October 7, 2007
Dowd writes beautifully with a very Irish feel to her words. This story touched me deeply especially because Shell seemed like such a real person.
August 26, 2016
I grabbed this one up because the author of A Monster Calls, a book that a number of people held in awe, said he had worked the idea from Siobhan Dowd, who had died before being able to do so herself.
While it's lovely and flits with very large heavinesses, I think I don't connect with an essentially Irish story. There are themes that are worldwide - the parent-hunger, faith and its lack, poverty, cattiness, teen pregnancy - but how it's dealt with in that kind of community with those reactions, I just don't feel it.
Jimmy and Trixie are the best siblings. Oh, those two, I do hug.
Dowd has only written 4 books. Try one out?
While it's lovely and flits with very large heavinesses, I think I don't connect with an essentially Irish story. There are themes that are worldwide - the parent-hunger, faith and its lack, poverty, cattiness, teen pregnancy - but how it's dealt with in that kind of community with those reactions, I just don't feel it.
Jimmy and Trixie are the best siblings. Oh, those two, I do hug.
Dowd has only written 4 books. Try one out?
April 23, 2018
This book made me cry. Twice.
I first read this book when I was about fifteen. The story left a huge impact on me and I never forgot it. I was worried if I reread it that I would find it not as enjoyable as the first time but I was so wrong.
The protagonist is Shell, a vivid and honest yet forgotten character. She is a wallflower in every sense of the word who is starting to bloom physically, emotionally, intellectually and beautifully.
The novel begins a year after her mother's death. I'm sure all those reading this who have lost someone very dear and close will know this is the point when their death becomes reality. This is when you have finished processing the departure and feel the impending loss.
“I think the hardest part of losing someone isn’t having to say goodbye, but rather learning to live without them. Always try to fill the void, the emptiness that’s left inside your heart when they go.” - Anon.
Coping with loss is a very central theme to this novel and is dealt with subtly and gracefully. Dowd's writing style is very direct and how she uses old Irish songs to mirror and foreshadow is very well done. I think I might write an essay for the fun of it because there is material here to do so (I am so sad, wth). This book is perfect for those who lost their virginity young; for girls who constantly had to wield and defend with the word 'no' to a boy who just wouldn't quit. Who got worn down with pretty words and fanciful nothings and succumbed to desire that wasn't their own. Who felt dirty and guilty afterwards and were isolated by taunts of 'slut' and 'whore' because at the end of the day, they said yes while the boy carried on unharmed and undeterred from doing it again. For girls who wished they didn't back down and trusted their own feelings and thoughts before persuasions of a boy who said that 'it will be fun' and 'I love you'.
I thought this book was powerful. I felt empowered as Shell grew, developed and began to understand. Sure, there are people out there who say they were irritated by her 'arrogance' and 'stupidity' but Shell is innocent and pure. She is poor, she is inadequately educated, she has lost her mother (and important role model and form of counsel for a growing teenager) and is cut off from social interactions through her duty to her siblings; she is destined to be at the butt of the joke, to not catch on to events going on around her right away and to see arrogant. She has no real exposure to humanity and society other than church (she relates a lot of the stuff that happens to hymns and Bible passages). But if you keep faith in her, you will see she is not perplexed because she is an idiot, but because she is virtuous. This book, in an exquisite and audacious manner, contradicts the philosophy that a woman's righteousness, value and beauty relies upon her virginity and chastity.
I felt my heart go out to Shell and her heart go out to me. The story becomes so compelling as it deals with upsetting themes as . At the very beginning, there is a quote from James Joyce:
"It soared, a bird, it held its flight, a swift pure cry...".
This citation alludes to a strong motif of the novel that throughout all the hardships and accusations, Shell really does overcome her adversities and rises. As much as it's about challenging attitudes, slander and misconceptions, this novel is about the triumph of Shell and how she grew up and began to heal. This novel is loosely based on a real story and I feel we must respect the symbolism of power of the female human spirit when conquering sorrow and misfortune as this.
I have found articles about the two girls that inspired some characters and events;-
Ann Lovett 1984
Joanne Hayes, 1984
It definitely needs a movie or a TV special and it needs one NOW.
a song that appears throughout the novel
I first read this book when I was about fifteen. The story left a huge impact on me and I never forgot it. I was worried if I reread it that I would find it not as enjoyable as the first time but I was so wrong.
The protagonist is Shell, a vivid and honest yet forgotten character. She is a wallflower in every sense of the word who is starting to bloom physically, emotionally, intellectually and beautifully.
The novel begins a year after her mother's death. I'm sure all those reading this who have lost someone very dear and close will know this is the point when their death becomes reality. This is when you have finished processing the departure and feel the impending loss.
“I think the hardest part of losing someone isn’t having to say goodbye, but rather learning to live without them. Always try to fill the void, the emptiness that’s left inside your heart when they go.” - Anon.
Coping with loss is a very central theme to this novel and is dealt with subtly and gracefully. Dowd's writing style is very direct and how she uses old Irish songs to mirror and foreshadow is very well done. I think I might write an essay for the fun of it because there is material here to do so (I am so sad, wth). This book is perfect for those who lost their virginity young; for girls who constantly had to wield and defend with the word 'no' to a boy who just wouldn't quit. Who got worn down with pretty words and fanciful nothings and succumbed to desire that wasn't their own. Who felt dirty and guilty afterwards and were isolated by taunts of 'slut' and 'whore' because at the end of the day, they said yes while the boy carried on unharmed and undeterred from doing it again. For girls who wished they didn't back down and trusted their own feelings and thoughts before persuasions of a boy who said that 'it will be fun' and 'I love you'.
I thought this book was powerful. I felt empowered as Shell grew, developed and began to understand. Sure, there are people out there who say they were irritated by her 'arrogance' and 'stupidity' but Shell is innocent and pure. She is poor, she is inadequately educated, she has lost her mother (and important role model and form of counsel for a growing teenager) and is cut off from social interactions through her duty to her siblings; she is destined to be at the butt of the joke, to not catch on to events going on around her right away and to see arrogant. She has no real exposure to humanity and society other than church (she relates a lot of the stuff that happens to hymns and Bible passages). But if you keep faith in her, you will see she is not perplexed because she is an idiot, but because she is virtuous. This book, in an exquisite and audacious manner, contradicts the philosophy that a woman's righteousness, value and beauty relies upon her virginity and chastity.
I felt my heart go out to Shell and her heart go out to me. The story becomes so compelling as it deals with upsetting themes as . At the very beginning, there is a quote from James Joyce:
"It soared, a bird, it held its flight, a swift pure cry...".
This citation alludes to a strong motif of the novel that throughout all the hardships and accusations, Shell really does overcome her adversities and rises. As much as it's about challenging attitudes, slander and misconceptions, this novel is about the triumph of Shell and how she grew up and began to heal. This novel is loosely based on a real story and I feel we must respect the symbolism of power of the female human spirit when conquering sorrow and misfortune as this.
I have found articles about the two girls that inspired some characters and events;-
Ann Lovett 1984
Joanne Hayes, 1984
It definitely needs a movie or a TV special and it needs one NOW.
a song that appears throughout the novel
September 4, 2012
Siobhan Dowd writes with such poignanacy about lost souls, people who struggle to survive on a daily basis. What makes me care so much about her heroes is that they are strong, they don't whine about their lot in life, they just figure out how to live anyway.
When I first began this book, I was tempted to quit when the parish priest was introduced. (Before reading a book, I try to avoid reading anything about the plot, so I can start fresh, no opinion ahead of time.)So I thought, no, not another bad priest who preys on the weak. But I pushed through because I really like Dowd and I decided to trust where she wanted to go with this.
I am glad I did. As usual, Dowd delivers a rivetting story with incredibly real characters. I suffered along with them and and then I hoped along with them.
When I first began this book, I was tempted to quit when the parish priest was introduced. (Before reading a book, I try to avoid reading anything about the plot, so I can start fresh, no opinion ahead of time.)So I thought, no, not another bad priest who preys on the weak. But I pushed through because I really like Dowd and I decided to trust where she wanted to go with this.
I am glad I did. As usual, Dowd delivers a rivetting story with incredibly real characters. I suffered along with them and and then I hoped along with them.
February 12, 2017
This heartbreaking, easily readable novel by the late Siobhan Dowd set in Ireland's County Cork in 1984 is deeply moving and not your usual teen novel. Do read it, not only for its heavy subject matter, but for its use of Irish dialect and culture as well.
Read
March 21, 2024for school; mixed feelings but interesting look at the hypocrisy in the Irish church and community institutions in the 80s. lots of CWs
*inspired by true events, specifically the Kerry babies case*
*inspired by true events, specifically the Kerry babies case*
November 9, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
After her mother died, fifteen-year-old Shell is left to take care of her younger brother and sister and her drunken father. They live in a small Irish village in a little farmhouse. Her mother's death has caused her father to drink even more than he did before, and in sudden religious zeal, he goes out daily to make his "collections." These donations are meant for the church, but he takes out more than his fair share before turning in the remains.
Life is difficult. Shell is teased at school and skips out as much as possible. She attempts to look to the church for support, and a new young priest seems to offer a shoulder to lean on. Eventually, Shell seeks emotional release in a relationship with an older boy. They begin a secret relationship spent mostly hidden in the barley field where Declan takes advantage of Shell's need for tenderness. The inevitable happens - Shell becomes pregnant. Without her mother to confide in, Shell hides her condition, using a stolen library book to help her understand what is about to happen.
Shell is an amazing young girl. She struggles to hold the family together and deal with her circumstances as best she can. As the story unfolds, readers will be surprised at the unpredictable turn of events for Shell, her father, the young priest, and all involved in the unfortunate tragedy.
A SWIFT PURE CRY uses Irish dialect and lyrical prose to draw the reader into Shell's world. Her courage and faith shine clearly through this heartbreaking tale.
After her mother died, fifteen-year-old Shell is left to take care of her younger brother and sister and her drunken father. They live in a small Irish village in a little farmhouse. Her mother's death has caused her father to drink even more than he did before, and in sudden religious zeal, he goes out daily to make his "collections." These donations are meant for the church, but he takes out more than his fair share before turning in the remains.
Life is difficult. Shell is teased at school and skips out as much as possible. She attempts to look to the church for support, and a new young priest seems to offer a shoulder to lean on. Eventually, Shell seeks emotional release in a relationship with an older boy. They begin a secret relationship spent mostly hidden in the barley field where Declan takes advantage of Shell's need for tenderness. The inevitable happens - Shell becomes pregnant. Without her mother to confide in, Shell hides her condition, using a stolen library book to help her understand what is about to happen.
Shell is an amazing young girl. She struggles to hold the family together and deal with her circumstances as best she can. As the story unfolds, readers will be surprised at the unpredictable turn of events for Shell, her father, the young priest, and all involved in the unfortunate tragedy.
A SWIFT PURE CRY uses Irish dialect and lyrical prose to draw the reader into Shell's world. Her courage and faith shine clearly through this heartbreaking tale.
May 26, 2017
A very Irish book and a keeper--i.e. one I'd read again. I'm not so sure that teens are the best audience for this story of a 16-year-old girl struggling to hold her family together after her mother's untimely death and in the midst of her father's absence and alcoholism. In some ways, Shell reminded me of Hardy's Tess, an instinctual, wounded and innocent girl. Like many people one meets, she can be a cipher, a puzzle. Her loyalty to childhood friends who betray her is curious and unusual. She endures her fate rather than rails against it. There is great beauty in this book, and I'd consider reading it again just to see how Dowd put it together. The title comes from Joyce and there are echoes of him throughout, particularly of his story "The Dead" at the novel's conclusion.
January 24, 2018
Too real, heavy, and sad. Just not in the mood to finish. Need something more lighthearted.
February 2, 2022
Een indrukwekkend verhaal over een tienermeisje die haar zwangerschap alleen met haar broertje en zusje kan delen, die nog op de basisschool zitten. Siobhan Dowd weet een super heftig verhaal toch wat luchtiger over te brengen. Een verhaal die eindigt in enorme spanning.
‘Ze zuchtte en schudde haar hoofd. ‘Iedereen kan een baby eruit trekken,’ zei ze. ‘Je kunt het zelf doen. Snap je, hij floept eruit. Als het zover is.’ Jimmy’s ogen ging wijd open. ‘Zoals toast? In een broodrooster?’ Vroeg hij. Shell veegde het laatste restje tranen weg. ‘Ja Jimmy. Net als toast.’
‘Ze zuchtte en schudde haar hoofd. ‘Iedereen kan een baby eruit trekken,’ zei ze. ‘Je kunt het zelf doen. Snap je, hij floept eruit. Als het zover is.’ Jimmy’s ogen ging wijd open. ‘Zoals toast? In een broodrooster?’ Vroeg hij. Shell veegde het laatste restje tranen weg. ‘Ja Jimmy. Net als toast.’
September 3, 2012
A Swift Pure Cry is one of my favourite books of all time.
There’s no overlooking the beauty, the perfection of this story. A book which surprised me in the most heartbreaking way, and caused me to come close to tears. I’ve noticed Siobhan Dowd always does this with her stories: starts off with a plotline which is hard to get into, has a main character I don’t particularly care about and somehow pushes me through the pages, even though I lose will to read on.
But by the end of the book, I’m close to tears, hugging my blanket and loving the main character with all my heart: wanting to give them a hug for all they’ve been through. And the changes in them are so obvious from the beginning to the end. I want to read her books again. And again. And again.
That, in my opinion, makes a perfect writer.
I can’t tell you much about this story –practically everything I’m thinking is a spoiler in one way or another. I shall, therefore, remain silent about the plotlines: you just have to read this piece of art by yourself.
Not really much of a review, is it? It’s more a love-letter dedicated to the brilliant author who never ceases to amaze me with her talent; somebody I aspire to be in the distant future.
I’m definitely reading Bog Child as soon as possible.
There’s no overlooking the beauty, the perfection of this story. A book which surprised me in the most heartbreaking way, and caused me to come close to tears. I’ve noticed Siobhan Dowd always does this with her stories: starts off with a plotline which is hard to get into, has a main character I don’t particularly care about and somehow pushes me through the pages, even though I lose will to read on.
But by the end of the book, I’m close to tears, hugging my blanket and loving the main character with all my heart: wanting to give them a hug for all they’ve been through. And the changes in them are so obvious from the beginning to the end. I want to read her books again. And again. And again.
That, in my opinion, makes a perfect writer.
I can’t tell you much about this story –practically everything I’m thinking is a spoiler in one way or another. I shall, therefore, remain silent about the plotlines: you just have to read this piece of art by yourself.
Not really much of a review, is it? It’s more a love-letter dedicated to the brilliant author who never ceases to amaze me with her talent; somebody I aspire to be in the distant future.
I’m definitely reading Bog Child as soon as possible.
November 24, 2008
Bog Child remains my favorite, possibly for the hopefulness of tone. Cry is more about loss of faith - for Shell, Father Rose, Da...pretty much everyone. And I don't know that any of them find it again. The ghost in this story is Shell's mam, who died the year before, and she wanders throughout as the Bog Child does in that book, providing a glimmer of...hope is the wrong word here. Patience may be closer. There is a certain amount of patience required for hope, I suppose.
The language is still stunning: "She'd realized then she didn't believe in heavan any more. Mam wasn't going anywhere. She was going to nowhere, to nothing...In Shell's mind, Jesus got off the cross and walked to the nearest bar...Then she (Mam) died. Jesus drained off his glass of beer and went clean out of Shell's life" Perhaps loss of hope is more accurate. Faith with out hope is - is it even really possible?
The book has a dream-like quality. I'd read and read and then think "did it say what I thought it did?" only was to afraid to re-read in case it really did.
The language is still stunning: "She'd realized then she didn't believe in heavan any more. Mam wasn't going anywhere. She was going to nowhere, to nothing...In Shell's mind, Jesus got off the cross and walked to the nearest bar...Then she (Mam) died. Jesus drained off his glass of beer and went clean out of Shell's life" Perhaps loss of hope is more accurate. Faith with out hope is - is it even really possible?
The book has a dream-like quality. I'd read and read and then think "did it say what I thought it did?" only was to afraid to re-read in case it really did.
July 3, 2017
I loved reading this book. The story is a good one, the main character, Shell, being responsible for her siblings, Jimmy and Trix. Her mother had long since died, leaving her father a drunken, religious mess. But how would Shell cope?
I felt sorry for Shell all the way through the book. Her best friend isn't the nicest of people, and she had no one else to turn to but Declan. But Declan only made things worse for her. I won't give out any spoilers, but I cried when I read about Rosie.
My favourite character was Shell, followed closely by Jimmy, Trix, Rosie and Paul. It seemed such a travesty that Rosie and Paul could not have survived and Shell raised them as well as her siblings. It seemed so sad when no one believed Shell about Rosie and Paul, and I hoped that the ending would bring a little happiness for Shell.
Siobhan Down wrote a fantastic book, and I Highly Recommend this book to all Young Adult readers and anyone else wanting an amazing, yet heartbreaking, story to read.
I felt sorry for Shell all the way through the book. Her best friend isn't the nicest of people, and she had no one else to turn to but Declan. But Declan only made things worse for her. I won't give out any spoilers, but I cried when I read about Rosie.
My favourite character was Shell, followed closely by Jimmy, Trix, Rosie and Paul. It seemed such a travesty that Rosie and Paul could not have survived and Shell raised them as well as her siblings. It seemed so sad when no one believed Shell about Rosie and Paul, and I hoped that the ending would bring a little happiness for Shell.
Siobhan Down wrote a fantastic book, and I Highly Recommend this book to all Young Adult readers and anyone else wanting an amazing, yet heartbreaking, story to read.
March 4, 2020
Fantastisk roman om sextonåriga Michelle, ”Shell”, som lever halvt om halvt i misär med en far som dricker och minnena efter en död mor, där hon blir den som tar ansvar för sina småsyskon. När hon blir gravid måste hon dölja det så bra hon kan, eftersom det lilla irländska samhället hon bor i inte kommer att acceptera det. Hon vägrar berätta vem som är fadern. Istället hamnar hon mitt i händelser som skakar om både henne och samhället i grunden.
Den här boken är en riktig ”feel bad”-bok, men den är så fantastiskt fint skriven, bitvis poetisk i sin framtoning, att det är en ren njutning att läsa den. Det finns förtvivlan och sorg, men även hopp. Siobhan Dowd har ett fantastiskt grepp om språk och känsla, vilket även syns i Jag är Solace. Det är så synd att hennes författarskap inte blev längre än vad det blev.
Den här boken är en riktig ”feel bad”-bok, men den är så fantastiskt fint skriven, bitvis poetisk i sin framtoning, att det är en ren njutning att läsa den. Det finns förtvivlan och sorg, men även hopp. Siobhan Dowd har ett fantastiskt grepp om språk och känsla, vilket även syns i Jag är Solace. Det är så synd att hennes författarskap inte blev längre än vad det blev.
March 12, 2016
In questo romanzo c’è l’Irlanda del bianco e nero: il nero del peccato irrimediabile e indicibile, inenarrabile, non condivisibile, e il bianco dei battesimi, delle comunioni e dei matrimoni, dove mito, leggende e fiabe sono indissolubilmente abbracciati alla realtà. Non c’è internet, non c’è un cellulare, nel paese sperduto in cui si svolge l’azione. Non c’è neppure una biblioteca e vi renderete conto di cosa vuol dire vivere in un posto senza libri, tanto che la giovane protagonista dovrà rubarne uno dalla libreria circolante che passa di lì (e Siobhan Dowd era molto sensibile a questo problema, lo potete vedere visitando il sito della fondazione a suo nome). Eppure questa è l’Irlanda dell’altro ieri, del 1984 e se non ci fosse Sade (sì, quella di Smooth Operator), non me ne sarei mai resa conto, tanto sembra persa in un passato remoto.
Il romanzo era già apparso in Italia, ma ora Uovonero lo riedita con una nuova traduzione e un nuovo titolo (in realtà, l’editrice sta pubblicando tutta l’opera di Siobhan Dowd, cosa buona e giusta): difficile rendere quello originale (“A swift pure cry” una citazione dall’Ulisse di Joyce), ma state bene attenti a quelle rose di Shell, perché le ritroverete in tutto il libro nascoste qua e là (e il nascondiglio più importante non possiamo svelarlo nemmeno noi!). Questa è la storia di Michelle detta Shell, una ragazzina di sedici anni costretta a crescere troppo in fretta e troppo sola. Dopo la morte della madre, che non se ne va e si libra sopra Shell come una dea fata, Shell deve occuparsi della sorellina Trix e del fratellino Jimmy, e anche del padre che, con la morte della moglie, da un lato si arrende all’alcol, che lo aiuta a vivere nell’incoscienza di una dimensione in cui la moglie non è mai morta, e dall’altro si aggrappa alla religione in maniera bigotta e fanatica. Sembra un po’ la storia di Cenerentola: un’adolescente che sta sbocciando alla vita, orfana di madre ma con la fatina, subisce le angherie di un patrigno… e c’è pure il principe azzurro, l’affascinante chierichetto Declan Ronan! Solo che la sua ‘esuberanza sessuale’ lo rende poco romantico e molto pratico: nel suo castello c’è posto per Shell come per Bridie, l’amica di Shell, ma alla fine le butta fuori tutte e due e decide di partire per l’America, insomma un orco più che un principe. C’è anche Padre Rose, che le malelingue non stenterebbero a definire come un altro possibile pretendente: effettivamente, Shell trova nell’amicizia con il giovane sacerdote un sostegno che probabilmente la aiuta a sopravvivere, ma è davvero un rapporto pulito? Padre Rose scopre che a volte Dio è muto… Onde evitare, meglio trasferire, e Shell perde anche questo debole appiglio alla serenità. Quello che invece non c’è in Cenerentola, è la vicenda che trasforma la storia di Shell in un giallo dai macabri risvolti. Impossibile raccontare distintamente senza spoiler, quindi dovrete accontentarvi. Un bambino nasce. Un bambino muore. Un bambino è morto ma sembrerebbe non essere mai nato, perché i bambini non sono sempre un dono di Dio e può capitare che il gesto più naturale del mondo diventi una colpa pesante più di tutto il mondo. Infanticidio? Stupro? Incesto? Chi sono i padri e chi le madri? Difficile trovare la verità quando ognuno ha già una sua idea a riguardo. Di nuovo leggende e realtà si mescolano e ne esce una nuova pozione. Shell, Trix e Jimmy imparano che si può anche credere con tantissima forza che le cose siano diverse da quello che sembrano, ma quasi sempre le cose sono quello che sembrano. Il loro padre, invece, crede a ciò che sembra ma sbaglia e deve essere Shell ad aiutarlo, diventando il genitore di suo padre, oltre che dei suoi fratelli. Shell ha una forza che chissà da dove viene, dato che comincia a dubitare persino di Dio, e Gesù, forse un po’ esasperato o solo triste, si stacca i chiodi, scende dalla croce e se ne va dando le spalle alla ragazza. Quello che esce dalla porta, però, a volte rientra dalla finestra, se la lasciamo aperta: così Rose ritrova sua madre in armadio, nel profumo del suo bellissimo abito rosa di quel ballo in cui mamma e papà si innamorarono l’una dell’altro, una rosa di stoffa che fa una magia ma che è anche un incantesimo maligno che strega il padre di Shell. In questa dimensione che oscilla tra oggettività e sogno, non c’è l’ombra di uno stereotipo, non un personaggio scontato. E se l’Irlanda che giudica è in bianco e nero, il romanzo è costruito su un arcobaleno di colori, perché non c’è un solo aspetto che si esaurisca in un aut aut: basti pensare alla fede e alla sua forma ‘storica’, la religione, che compare in così tante declinazioni in questo romanzo da costringerci a sospendere il giudizio. Lo stesso vale per l’amicizia (l’irrequieta Bridie) o l’amore (Declan?). Alla fine, però, la parola che vince su tutti è gioia. Una gioia che è poesia, mille volte meglio del “vissero tutti felici e contenti” di Cenerentola, anche o forse proprio perché qui non tutti vivono felici, perché gli errori esistono ma vi si può rimediare. La gioia è un’altra cosa rispetto alla felicità di cenerentola, e Siobhan Dowd lo sa e lo sa scrivere, fa vibrare questa gioia nata dal dolore in un modo che pochissimi saprebbero fare, figuratevi io. Andatevelo a leggere, è l’unico modo. Con un pacchettino di kleenex, ché qualche lacrima scappa e fa solo bene.
Il romanzo era già apparso in Italia, ma ora Uovonero lo riedita con una nuova traduzione e un nuovo titolo (in realtà, l’editrice sta pubblicando tutta l’opera di Siobhan Dowd, cosa buona e giusta): difficile rendere quello originale (“A swift pure cry” una citazione dall’Ulisse di Joyce), ma state bene attenti a quelle rose di Shell, perché le ritroverete in tutto il libro nascoste qua e là (e il nascondiglio più importante non possiamo svelarlo nemmeno noi!). Questa è la storia di Michelle detta Shell, una ragazzina di sedici anni costretta a crescere troppo in fretta e troppo sola. Dopo la morte della madre, che non se ne va e si libra sopra Shell come una dea fata, Shell deve occuparsi della sorellina Trix e del fratellino Jimmy, e anche del padre che, con la morte della moglie, da un lato si arrende all’alcol, che lo aiuta a vivere nell’incoscienza di una dimensione in cui la moglie non è mai morta, e dall’altro si aggrappa alla religione in maniera bigotta e fanatica. Sembra un po’ la storia di Cenerentola: un’adolescente che sta sbocciando alla vita, orfana di madre ma con la fatina, subisce le angherie di un patrigno… e c’è pure il principe azzurro, l’affascinante chierichetto Declan Ronan! Solo che la sua ‘esuberanza sessuale’ lo rende poco romantico e molto pratico: nel suo castello c’è posto per Shell come per Bridie, l’amica di Shell, ma alla fine le butta fuori tutte e due e decide di partire per l’America, insomma un orco più che un principe. C’è anche Padre Rose, che le malelingue non stenterebbero a definire come un altro possibile pretendente: effettivamente, Shell trova nell’amicizia con il giovane sacerdote un sostegno che probabilmente la aiuta a sopravvivere, ma è davvero un rapporto pulito? Padre Rose scopre che a volte Dio è muto… Onde evitare, meglio trasferire, e Shell perde anche questo debole appiglio alla serenità. Quello che invece non c’è in Cenerentola, è la vicenda che trasforma la storia di Shell in un giallo dai macabri risvolti. Impossibile raccontare distintamente senza spoiler, quindi dovrete accontentarvi. Un bambino nasce. Un bambino muore. Un bambino è morto ma sembrerebbe non essere mai nato, perché i bambini non sono sempre un dono di Dio e può capitare che il gesto più naturale del mondo diventi una colpa pesante più di tutto il mondo. Infanticidio? Stupro? Incesto? Chi sono i padri e chi le madri? Difficile trovare la verità quando ognuno ha già una sua idea a riguardo. Di nuovo leggende e realtà si mescolano e ne esce una nuova pozione. Shell, Trix e Jimmy imparano che si può anche credere con tantissima forza che le cose siano diverse da quello che sembrano, ma quasi sempre le cose sono quello che sembrano. Il loro padre, invece, crede a ciò che sembra ma sbaglia e deve essere Shell ad aiutarlo, diventando il genitore di suo padre, oltre che dei suoi fratelli. Shell ha una forza che chissà da dove viene, dato che comincia a dubitare persino di Dio, e Gesù, forse un po’ esasperato o solo triste, si stacca i chiodi, scende dalla croce e se ne va dando le spalle alla ragazza. Quello che esce dalla porta, però, a volte rientra dalla finestra, se la lasciamo aperta: così Rose ritrova sua madre in armadio, nel profumo del suo bellissimo abito rosa di quel ballo in cui mamma e papà si innamorarono l’una dell’altro, una rosa di stoffa che fa una magia ma che è anche un incantesimo maligno che strega il padre di Shell. In questa dimensione che oscilla tra oggettività e sogno, non c’è l’ombra di uno stereotipo, non un personaggio scontato. E se l’Irlanda che giudica è in bianco e nero, il romanzo è costruito su un arcobaleno di colori, perché non c’è un solo aspetto che si esaurisca in un aut aut: basti pensare alla fede e alla sua forma ‘storica’, la religione, che compare in così tante declinazioni in questo romanzo da costringerci a sospendere il giudizio. Lo stesso vale per l’amicizia (l’irrequieta Bridie) o l’amore (Declan?). Alla fine, però, la parola che vince su tutti è gioia. Una gioia che è poesia, mille volte meglio del “vissero tutti felici e contenti” di Cenerentola, anche o forse proprio perché qui non tutti vivono felici, perché gli errori esistono ma vi si può rimediare. La gioia è un’altra cosa rispetto alla felicità di cenerentola, e Siobhan Dowd lo sa e lo sa scrivere, fa vibrare questa gioia nata dal dolore in un modo che pochissimi saprebbero fare, figuratevi io. Andatevelo a leggere, è l’unico modo. Con un pacchettino di kleenex, ché qualche lacrima scappa e fa solo bene.
February 20, 2020
3.5 stars
December 19, 2022
Engelska uppgift i höst.
Värdelös. Inte intressant.
Värdelös. Inte intressant.
September 10, 2025
Beautiful and bleak. Loved the characters and their personal trials
October 25, 2020
A Swift Pure Cry takes place in 1984 Ireland, and the time and place are so utterly crucial for the book. Some of the themes are timeless—family troubles, and first love, and uncertainty—but the circumstances change things.
There's so much going on here, and none of it went the way I'd expected, and that's a good thing—for all that there's a lot, it's done in an understated enough way that even the more dramatic elements don't feel overdone. Also, though it's complete as is, there's a nice sense that many of the other characters have fuller stories worth reading.
There's so much going on here, and none of it went the way I'd expected, and that's a good thing—for all that there's a lot, it's done in an understated enough way that even the more dramatic elements don't feel overdone. Also, though it's complete as is, there's a nice sense that many of the other characters have fuller stories worth reading.
January 3, 2019
This book read like a poem. Each chapter was lyrical and arching and had a beautiful cadence. As the reader, you were immersed into Shell’s life and the crippling agony of knowing more about the world than she did. I wish I could reach through the pages of the book and shake her shoulders and hug her tight.
April 2, 2023
A lot of clichés. A lot of plot holes. A great deal of cheap sentimentality. No understanding of what child abuse, neglect and parental responsibility are. It's set in 1984 but belongs a century earlier for the attitudes of the characters.
September 8, 2013
"Ein reiner Schrei" ist ein zartes, aber gleichzeitig sehr heftiges Buch, das offenbar mit viel Liebe geschrieben wurde. Während des Lesens konnte ich nicht anders, als die Worte in mich aufzusaugen. Siobhan Dowds Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm und außergewöhnlich. Sie schafft mit wenigen Worten beeindruckende Bilder, die in sekundenschnelle im Kopf erscheinen und dann nicht mehr verschwinden wollen. Für Gefühle benötigt sie wenige Worte - dennoch denkt man als Leser, man sei die Hauptperson. Ich habe Shells Leid gespürt, obwohl ich eigentlich meilenweit davon entfernt bin.
Am beeindruckendsten fand ich eine Stelle, an der ich fast weinen musste, obwohl sie nicht einmal traurig war. Die beschriebene Situation war vorstellbar, dennoch so unglaublich, dass ich einfach nicht mehr konnte. Das, finde ich, ist ganz große Kunst: Den Leser an Stellen zu Gefühlen zu bewegen, obwohl sie vielleicht gar nicht so gemeint sind.
Die Geschichte ist weder eine alltägliche, typische Geschichte noch etwas Bahnbrechendes. Sie konzentriert sich auf einen Kreis von wenigen Menschen, wird aber so beschrieben, dass sie einem als Leser wirklich nahe ans Herz geht. Daran sind zu Großteilen wahrscheinlich auch die Charaktere Schuld: Sie sind alle echt und menschlich, haben ihre kleinen Eigenheiten, an denen man sie wiedererkennt und bei den meisten weiß man nicht, ob man sie lieben, hassen oder bemitleiden soll.
Meiner Meinung nach hat Siobhan Dowd hier ein ganz großes Werk geschaffen. Dramatisch, aber nicht übertrieben, spannend, aber nicht reißerisch, bedrückend und traurig, aber mit lichten Momenten. Es bleibt einem in Gedanken, noch lange nachdem man es beendet hat.
Am beeindruckendsten fand ich eine Stelle, an der ich fast weinen musste, obwohl sie nicht einmal traurig war. Die beschriebene Situation war vorstellbar, dennoch so unglaublich, dass ich einfach nicht mehr konnte. Das, finde ich, ist ganz große Kunst: Den Leser an Stellen zu Gefühlen zu bewegen, obwohl sie vielleicht gar nicht so gemeint sind.
Die Geschichte ist weder eine alltägliche, typische Geschichte noch etwas Bahnbrechendes. Sie konzentriert sich auf einen Kreis von wenigen Menschen, wird aber so beschrieben, dass sie einem als Leser wirklich nahe ans Herz geht. Daran sind zu Großteilen wahrscheinlich auch die Charaktere Schuld: Sie sind alle echt und menschlich, haben ihre kleinen Eigenheiten, an denen man sie wiedererkennt und bei den meisten weiß man nicht, ob man sie lieben, hassen oder bemitleiden soll.
Meiner Meinung nach hat Siobhan Dowd hier ein ganz großes Werk geschaffen. Dramatisch, aber nicht übertrieben, spannend, aber nicht reißerisch, bedrückend und traurig, aber mit lichten Momenten. Es bleibt einem in Gedanken, noch lange nachdem man es beendet hat.
August 24, 2012
Même si j'étais plutôt perplexe au début, je dois admettre que ce livre est très beau mais assez particulier. Il convient surtout aux jeunes et aux adultes.
Le roman aborde différent thèmes, notamment la mort, mais je n'en dirai pas plus car c'est intéressant de découvrir toute l'histoire par soi-même.
J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'héroïne, Shell, une fille de 15 ans mais qui en paraît beaucoup moins. Sa relation à la fois tendre et complice avec son frère et sa soeur est très touchante.
En fait, Shell est une fille assez étonnante: en même temps responsable puisqu'elle est quasi livrée à elle-même et doit donc se débrouiller seule pour faire vivre sa famille et en même temps fragile et naïve, découvrant petit à petit ce qu'est la vie au fil des évènements qui l'entraînent.
Bref, "Sans un cri" est un très bon livre, grave et émouvant. Toutefois, ce n'est pas un livre à lire si l'on recherche quelque chos de drôle et divertissant.
Le roman aborde différent thèmes, notamment la mort, mais je n'en dirai pas plus car c'est intéressant de découvrir toute l'histoire par soi-même.
J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'héroïne, Shell, une fille de 15 ans mais qui en paraît beaucoup moins. Sa relation à la fois tendre et complice avec son frère et sa soeur est très touchante.
En fait, Shell est une fille assez étonnante: en même temps responsable puisqu'elle est quasi livrée à elle-même et doit donc se débrouiller seule pour faire vivre sa famille et en même temps fragile et naïve, découvrant petit à petit ce qu'est la vie au fil des évènements qui l'entraînent.
Bref, "Sans un cri" est un très bon livre, grave et émouvant. Toutefois, ce n'est pas un livre à lire si l'on recherche quelque chos de drôle et divertissant.
April 23, 2015
Shell Talent is on the cusp of womanhood and trying to cope with her mother's death. The novel is set in an Ireland that is often judgemental and religion plays a major role in the small community. Shell has taken up the mother role with her two siblings, Trix and Jimmy, and is trying to cope with a wayward, often absent father. She comforts herself with dreams where she is accepted and treasured and through these she attains the reassurance she craves.
Dowd writes wonderfully of childhood naivety, experience and sensations. The novel has some sad but also happy moments and I found it a very touching, engrossing story. Shell's friends and neighbours (good and bad) are often reluctant to interfere and at times fail to see the guidance she needs. For me, it was a novel about loss and the different ways we cope with our loss. Also how we need to move forward in our lives after such an event.
Dowd writes wonderfully of childhood naivety, experience and sensations. The novel has some sad but also happy moments and I found it a very touching, engrossing story. Shell's friends and neighbours (good and bad) are often reluctant to interfere and at times fail to see the guidance she needs. For me, it was a novel about loss and the different ways we cope with our loss. Also how we need to move forward in our lives after such an event.
January 24, 2013
Shell,a teenager in modern Ireland, is trying to raise her two siblings after her mother dies. Her father, not too stable under the best of circumstances, has really fallen apart since the death of Shell's mother. Shell is doing the best she can, but she is struggling and confused. The best thing happening for her is her on-again off-again relationship with a good looking boy from her neighborhood. It is clear to many people in her village that Shell is having a harder and harder time keeping things together, yet no one really knows how to help her. When things come to a crisis, Shell learns who she can really trust.
This was a good book. The begininng and middle sort of dragged because you totally knew where this was going to end up, but there were a few twists at the end to make the ending suspenseful.
This was a good book. The begininng and middle sort of dragged because you totally knew where this was going to end up, but there were a few twists at the end to make the ending suspenseful.
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