The truth about love

by Josephine Hart

The accidental death of a teenage boy has a profound effect on a small Irish town in this compelling new novel from the bestselling author of Damage . As Sissy, the boy’s mother, struggles to overcome her senseless loss, her daughter, Olivia, works to keep her brother’s memory alive in a swiftly changing country. And Thomas—known as “The German” to his neighbors—is drawn into the family’s grief, forcing him to confront the past that has brought him to Ireland and a new crossroads.
 
A brilliant meditation on love, loss, and the beauty of living even when times are tough, The Truth About Love shows us how men and women are shaped by tragedy, by their inherent characters, and by what they are able to learn from one another.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Irish Literature, Romance, Ireland

248 pages

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Josephine Hart was born and educated in Ireland. She was a director of Haymarket Publishing, in London, before going on to produce a number of West End plays, including The House of Bernarda Alba by Frederico Garcia Lorea, The Vortex by Noel Coward, and The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch. She was married to Maurice Saatchi and had two sons. She was the author of Damage. Hart died, aged 69, of ovarian cancer in June 2011.

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This week’s headline? Irish history, distilled

Why this book? love the cover

Which book format? slim new hardback

Primary reading environment? weeknights before bed

Any preconceived notions? just… that cover

Identify most with? definitely the German

Three little words? “her shame-pain”

Goes well with? Cold cut sandwiches

Recommend this to? old ex-pat buddy

I'm starting a new thing this year where all the books featured on this blog will be works of Irish fiction.

I began with this book because I am obsessed with the image on the cover.

O b s e s s e d. Thinking-of-getting-it-tattooed-on-my-wrist obsessed.

It's a green four-leaf clover, but one of the leaves has been removed from the stem and colored red. A heart.

Above this is written THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE. Below, JOSEPHINE HART. Love, heart, Hart.

This image really haunted me. Maybe we struggle with the holy trinity because there's still a human element that acts as a secret ingredient. A regular clover becomes a lucky talisman. A trinity becomes something magical.

Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. All you need is love. Amen.

I've dared to say this out loud before, so I'm less embarrassed to write it now: I truly believe that the reason we are here is to learn how to love one another.

Now that I've outed myself as a sentimental fool, on to the book.

I've been fondling this book – first at Barnes and Noble, then at the used bookstore, and finally at home – for several months before I finally got to read it.

And yeah, I was disappointed.

There are lessons here about forgiveness and heroism and, of course, love. There are connections to be made between the misguided boys behind Irish terrorism and the Arizona shootings this weekend. There's even the opportunity for a painful, write-toward-the-shame confession about the time I got drunk and made an insensitive joke about Irish Car Bombs to an Ulster man.

But if I'm going to analyze a catalogue of Irish history (and it is a catalogue, no matter how poetic the language), I want some academic credit for my effort.

Truth be told, I don't love this book.

Other cultural accompaniments: Write About Love from Belle and Sebastian, LOST season 6, 2666 by Roberto Bolano; The Boondock Saints (1999).

Grade: B

I leave you with this: “Millions die and we are so designed that we are broken only by the death of those we love. The others are lost in history.” Thomas Middlehoff

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Truth About Love showcases the author Josephine Hart's range but was not an easy book to read. It starts off with a bang, literally, as a gruesome accident lethally injures a teenage boy in a small 1960s Irish town. The aftermath of this unnamed boy's death is narrated by three people: 'The German' Thomas Middlehoff, the boy's mother Sissy and his older sister Olivia. They are uniquely different characters, each given a distinctive voice by the author's adept use of language. Parts of the novel read as vividly as a well acted-out play. However, I constantly felt I was missing some context necessary to fully understanding the story. Perhaps it's because as the reader I was an outsider in this close-knit town, or because I lack a working knowledge of the Irish psyche and the last two centuries of its history. This historical context is especially relevant as the final third of the novel strengthens the symbolism equating this one family's loss with that of Ireland or post-war Europe. Nonetheless, it was an interesting, intense exploration of whether love, of another person or of one's country, can ever fully help make something broken whole again.

[MM Suarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Love? For love we’re asked to do the strangest things in life. Love! It asks the strangest sacrifices.”

I should start by saying that I love Irish writers and I love Josephine Hart specifically. "The Truth About Love" is as much about love, grief and loss as it is about Ireland, there are various narratives mainly from three major characters sharing their personal stories of love and loss, with the history of Ireland and war time Europe as a backdrop. As with all of Hart's novels the writing is poignant, and beautifully poetic, it is so sad she is no longer with us to write new ones.

[rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

il silenzio è la morte per noi

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book in the demise-of-Border's sale and was pleasantly surprised by it, in spite of the slower-going sections that drove me to Wikipedia to revive my Irish history--it begins in Ireland in the '60s but ends in present day, so it spans The Troubles and after. At its center is a family broken by personal grief, whose story is sometimes delivered by "the German," a self-exiled man who escapes the horrors of his memories of WWII by settling in their town. Fascinating study of grief, loss, and guilt in personal and national realms, and how different people handle different types of loss (running away or staying), though you could say that all loss is fundamentally the same. For such a brief book, it delves deeply into different kinds of love, too (steady and natural, obsessive and consuming). It's written from several points of view, and Hart handles each voice distinctly and well. There is something specifically Irish about this book, in comparison to other Irish novels I've read, in that the focus widens to include a broader national scene that mirrors the struggles of the individual characters.

[Pharr · Rating 5 out of 5]

a brilliant novel about Ireland, political and personal violence and passion and grief and love

[Mikala · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didnt actually finish reading this book. I found the authors style of reading frustrating and just couldnt put myself through the pain of reading it.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found following the characters in this book difficult. So much stream of consciousness. It took a long time to piece together the details of the family´s tragic loss of their son. Still not quite sure what happened. I like the Irish history but again difficult to follow. I finished it as an act of a reader who loves to read different writing styles.

[Mike Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd looked forward to reading this but was ultimately disappointed. From it's difficult beginning which needed to be slogged through to it's over-concentration on Irish events it seemed to move too erratically from both story and underlying theme.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was little I enjoyed about this book. I persisted in finishing it as I was curious to see how it ended. Overall, I found the writing style clunky and monotonous; and the content heavy. I expected something different from the title.

[Shaghaf Awad · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. If you are not interested in the history of Ireland, and war time Europe, don't read this book.
It has some really deep lines, that I read, and re-read to soak in.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took awhile to get onto this book, difficult opening chapter, varied narratives from very different characters telling of loss & grief. Some beautiful poetic writing, particularly towards the end.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"No! I want the world. I want to stay in the world. Even pain-world" (6).
"'You have a son, Mr. Middlehoff?'
I hesitate. On this subject I often do. It's a matter of tense.
'Yes.'
'I can see from your face I should go no further'" (37).
"We learn from tragedy. Slowly" (40).
"'What a phrase! "Make love." WHo the hell can make love? People make bread, jam, babies. Who the hell makes love? Not us, Thomas. Not us'" (50).
"To family matters--briefly. You enquire as to my health. You were always courteous. My deah is not imminent" (54).
"'Bridget is a saint...lower case, Thomas'" (69).
"'My father said a nation could forget, exploit, obscure or live with its history'" (72).
“Only a fool plays with fame, as fame is played now, a lethal game of mathematics in which body and soul are weighted with the essential audience that hangs like an albatross around both. The goal, when you score it, ensures that you will be known by more people than you know, since the people you know are clearly not satisfying enough” (134).
“ ‘Leaving the past behind makes for a very short and lonely road. Anyway, I want to know what’s wrong with loving someone for life? Even when they are dead?’” (140).
“ ‘My God, isn’t that what everyone wants? To be remembered by those who love them, or is it all just lies? Should people just say, “I’ll love you for a long as you live, then I’m moving on”? Well I’m not leaving him behind’” (141).
“Why hadn’t anyone mentioned that part of our history at school? Why the silence? Had they forgotten? Or forgiven? Or was ancient history best packing for us?” (147).
“I wished he’d stop. I realized I had held him in such high regard that I wanted him to be someone who suffered silently. Who could imply the things he knew, not spell them out for me. I had allocated a part to him. He wasn’t playing it. I didn’t want passionate incoherence from this man. That was something I could do for myself” (170-171).
“He sat down opposite me. He had to continue, I could see that, and with a sigh I realized I was the designated listener” (176).

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, which seems wrong to say considering the subject matter -- crippling grief suffered from the loss of loved ones. I love Josephine Hart's writing. It's brainy but never boring. I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere except for her recent obituaries but the book is semi-autobiographical. By the age of 17, she'd witnessed the deaths of three of her four siblings, including one who died the way the boy did in this book. One of her obituaries quotes her as saying about this book: "I have never actually written about it in all these years, except elliptically in this book. It was an extraordinary thing to know that such things can be survived. What happened, to be very cold about it, in our family, was strange, but looking back on the history of mankind and going back to all the great literature and the Greeks, grief and loss is part of the human condition."

[Bron · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Monica Akinyi Odhiambo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very intense,not a typical romance story.Talking about love on a more gripping,intense way of the loss of a loved one.How their presence still lingers despite them being gone.How Mrs O'hara can choose to stay exactly where her son died,just had me confused.And the grief she had to endure,yikes.The way love can have you obsessed,in ways that Mr.MiddleHoff couldn't explain towards Harriett.The mingling of history and the conversations had me really interested.Josephine Hart has a very interesting way of using words.Kept me interested.Not those kind of books you just breeze through.I would definitely read more of her books.

[Meg Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts off choppily - narrated from the point of view of a teenage boy after a terrible accident. I felt like I had to slog through a few chapters to figure out what was going on, and the slogging didn't get much better. It was a quick read, but not necessarily a good read. The author seemed to want to tell a lot about the history of Ireland from the 1950s to today, but everything was so obtuse that while I picked up a couple of things I wanted to read about on Wikipedia, I didn't learn very much from the book itself, and I didn't care much for her writing style.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very literary book from Knopf, which is what I expected. If I didn't know it had been published in 2009 I would have thought it was a book from the 1950s or so. There was an essence of an old style, somehow. The pieces didn't always fit together because of the narrator shifts throughout, but one does get a sense of the story. It is a slow creeping story. 3.5 stars if I could give half stars.

[Rebecca]

I totally zoned out again during this book. Took place in 1960's Ireland. A German guy lives in town post WWII and some other guy dies. This book was very European, which is why I zoned out. And not being current either, I didn't care at all. Sorry I don't have more to say. If you like "European literature"-type books, then pick it up. Otherwise, I am lame. I don't know what happened. I needed a zone book.

[Merryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to persevere with this book as it has an unusual beginnnig which makes sense as you read on. It is a sad story about an Irish family and their unwavering love for each other. The story got last slightly towards the end but redeemed itself in the final pages. The author is also a poet and this shows in her writing.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

HUGE HUGE Josephine Hart fan, but NO CLUE what happened in her writing this book - I totally get and love that her books require a lot of depth, tough topics, great emotion, etc., but I only read about 25% of this book and that was mostly because I have enjoyed all of her other books - perhaps I'm not as "well read" and smart as I think I am as I could not read this.

[Jessica J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really have much to say about this one, which examines the aftermath of a boy's violent, accidental death in 1960s Ireland. Perhaps this will resonate more with someone who has an interest in or knowledge of that time in the country's history, but I couldn't get into it. Hart occasionally delivered some lovely musings but, overall, the writing was just too vague.

[Helen O'Toole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking book about grief following a tragic accident and its effects on three main characters.
It begins in 1962 and goes right up to post 9/11
A book with writing so achingly poignant that I was constantly writing the phrases down for future reference.
Having never read Hart's work before, I will now be seeking out her novels.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy blows himself up making a bomb in Northern England during the peace time, and how that death affects his family, neighbors and friends. Very intricate writing, slightly confusing at times. Beautifully written.

[Heidi Leggat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this book keeps you reading but the excitement stops there. This was a short easy read but choppy and boring at times. I am still trying to decide what the author intended to convey with this story.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not love this book when I read it but I keep thinking about it as I read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. And from my own experiences I think this book is much closer to the truth. If you actually WANT to read a novel about the aftermath of traumatic loss this is the one to read.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid this book just felt like some kind of pretext for a history lesson on Ireland. Many of the characters seemed to think and speak like Wikipedia entries. I am definitely not clever enough to really enjoy this book.

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This is an exquisitely written book, however, it is quite a difficult read. But I loved the theme surrounding the whole 247 pages and loved the different POVs given. It's a tough read because it's a tough theme and because of the way it is presented but I think it's a worthy one.

[Joy]

Just saw this in the book store yesterday. I liked her book Damage.

[Johanna Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary sad Irish story. Really got immersed in the writing. Josephine Hart recently died. The world has lost a great literary talent.