Father David, an Englishman and a Catholic priest, in a small mainly protestant Scottish town, gets more than he bargains for when he befriends two local teens in a bid to relive his youth.
Highs n lows
I’m wondering whether this Booker Prize nominee got this book published just on the strength of his nomination. Yes it’s beautifully written in places, but the basics:
- Gripping storyline
- Believable characters
- Engaging sub plot
- Exciting dialogue
Just aren’t there!!
The main character feels unrealistic and hollow for a man of the cloth. Great chunks of his work life are skipped or just glossed over so you don’t get a sense of how his inner turmoil impacts on his work or how he relates to people in the village – key factors I’d have thought to successfully depict a priest. As a result we are left with far too much introspection with very little about what’s going on outside to balance it. There are few who can pull off an engaging and rounded story written in the first person, unfortunately O’Hagan failed miserably in this case.
Throw in some irritating inconsistencies for good measure, which you might forgive in a more enjoyable book, such as Mrs Poole saying they have a son, and Mr Poole saying they have no children, and you have a potentially shocking plot premise, which could have exploded across the page that has all the final appeal of a damp squib.
Is it any good?
A desultory 2 out of 5
Book club discussion primer
- What does Father David’s tale about why he became a priest say about the Catholic Church?
- Would Mrs Poole have been happy had she married someone she considered her equal?
- Why do you think Father David didn’t say ‘no’ when asked if he would have gone further when questioned about Mark?
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