Throwback Thursday
Throwback Book Review
I chose this OLD Book Review because of it’s movie. This review explains why I’m a little apprehensive in seeing the movie, Brooklyn.
I read (and reviewed) this on March 30, 2012.
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
The book itself is 3★
♪ The audiobook is 2★
I think it was a good thing that I listened to this instead of reading. If I hadn’t then I would never have finished it. I started reading this on St. Patty’s weekend in 2012, hoping for a quick Irish listen for the weekend. But I didn’t finish this until the end of March 2012 (2+ weeks).
I gave it 3 stars for the nice immigration story of Eilis Lacey. I liked hearing about her new adventures and struggles of immigrating from Ireland to Brooklyn, USA. The 1950’s description was good, but sometimes I felt it was during the 1940’s. Tóibin writes that part of the story nicely. But she was too naive and prejudice towards others.
I come from an Irish family. The only thing they were prejudice at that time was when my great grandmother almost married a non-catholic man (during the 1920’s). Her brother, a priest, had written to her that she shouldn’t marry him. Lucky for me she listened or I wouldn’t have been born. And the Irish were well aware of what happened during wars. I come from a long line of generations of men who served in the military. I am the first female in my family that served in the military (Navy).
When the story shifted to Tony and Eilis’s relationship, I lost interest. I didn’t like Tony. He felt too much like a player to me. The Italian‘s were too stereotypical for me. My dad’s mom (first generation Italian immigrant) isn’t like them. She never told me that I was too skinny and I need to eat some ‘scettie (spaghetti). She was prejudice towards other races though. And a Dodger fan blue and blue.
The audio was from iTunes. Kirsten Potter was the reader. I had to get over her annoying accents. And maybe it was the way she tried to talk like a man that made me dislike Tony. So the audio I give 2 stars.
