Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Book Rec for Mad Men Fans

Colm Toibin's Brooklyn is a beautifully rendered story of 1950s life in the colorful New York borough.

Eilis Lacey of Enniscorthy, Ireland doesn't think of herself as the adventurous sort, but when a string of circumstances sets her off on a boat for America, she finds a new life waiting for her, one of both extreme loneliness and absolute wonder. Toibin takes us through the immigrant experience (getting used to new customs, consumerism, finding a job, finding someone to love) with such careful attention to emotional detail, his simple, almost pedestrian vocabulary builds into poetry.

This is a book to curl up with, mug of tea in hand, snowstorm building outside. Enjoy!

4 comments:

  1. I was just reading about BROOKLYN the other day, thinking...maybe a Thanksgiving break read for me??

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  2. I'm going to pick this up the second we finish SLH. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  3. I can't wait to read it! Thanks for this!

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  4. I think you guys will like it! It's a quiet book, but sometimes those are the best, no?

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