Reading A Star Called Henry

Yes, I’m still reading Borstal Boy, but I’m also reading this one for Irish Lit. Granted, it’s not on the 1001 list, but I’m very impressed with the writing so far.

Almost 100 pages in, it’s the story of a poor boy growing up in Dublin in the early 1900’s, including the stories of his parents as well, going back to the day they met. That sounds fine enough, but it is very depressing. The family is poor, several of the couple’s children die as babies before our main character is born, and very serious problems begin to develop. Parts are very dark indeed.

But the writing is very good. And it’s also historical fiction, so if you want a realistic picture of Dublin in the early 1900’s, especially the worse neighborhoods, this is the book to read. The author definitely doesn’t skim over or sugar coat anything. It’s another of those books that gives you the hard truth.

According to the cover flap, in chapters to come the main character will get involved in some historical events, so I’ll have to wait and see how the rest turns out.

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