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nitroglycerin's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A slow tale highlighting the ongoing violence of colonialism in its obvious and visceral bulletins of the real killings of 1979 and the quiet sinister ways art and language are abused, stolen, wiped out and forgotten. The Colony is brilliant in the way it lets us into the inner workings of so many characters on the island, most of them wholly awful. Lloyd and JP in particular are led by motives that are so incredibly selfish that they can’t see the harm they bring to the Island. Lloyd is ignorant of it while JP is so blinded by his own desires for greatness he can’t see the irony of how his behaviour is part of the problem.
The real life killings of people through the troubles in 1979 interspersed throughout just emphasise the more violet harm that’s ongoing.
The real life killings of people through the troubles in 1979 interspersed throughout just emphasise the more violet harm that’s ongoing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Colonisation, and War
othersociologist's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
seventhswan's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found this quite a difficult but rewarding read. I was glad that the fragmented writing style of words
broken up across lines
like this
with the enter key
got a lot less frequent over the course of the book, but there were moments when I recognised that the writing was repeating itself, yet felt relieved about this as it gave me a chance to understand what was being said. This isn't criticism, just a note that this is a book that needs your full attention.
The characters really shone in this story - Mairead and James especially captured my heart, but Lloyd is one of the most complex and surprising villains I've read for ages, especially as I liked him until about 80% of the way through the book. I raged at the ending both because it was quietly devastating and because I didn't see it coming, though I really, really should have done.
I'm not sure if I would have liked more or less of Masson, but something about his character and storyline didn't feel as nuanced or complex as the others. I definitely wanted more of Mairead.
broken up across lines
like this
with the enter key
got a lot less frequent over the course of the book, but there were moments when I recognised that the writing was repeating itself, yet felt relieved about this as it gave me a chance to understand what was being said. This isn't criticism, just a note that this is a book that needs your full attention.
The characters really shone in this story - Mairead and James especially captured my heart, but Lloyd
I'm not sure if I would have liked more or less of Masson, but something about his character and storyline didn't feel as nuanced or complex as the others. I definitely wanted more of Mairead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Gun violence and War
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved this in a way I wasn't expecting, perhaps because the story itself wasn't what I expecting. Understated in its approach, it tells a powerful story of colonisation and heritage and alliance against the backdrop of the Troubles. My friends can attest that I was gasping by the last few pages, unprepared for the wreckage of a simple action.
Perhaps best summed up as a book that has kept me thinking over a week since I've finished it. A good sign!
Perhaps best summed up as a book that has kept me thinking over a week since I've finished it. A good sign!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Sexism and Toxic relationship
mmccombs's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A kick to the chest of a novel! Its slow, atmospheric build works to create a fraught, claustrophobic ending, revealing so much about colonization and theft and violence that lives on through generations, a cycle that never ends. This book is so multilayered without being cumbersome or overwrought, the writing is striking and expertly crafted. Simply the perfect book, I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and War
zotty's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Colonisation, and War
dwager's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The Colony is set in Ireland during the Troubles, and the action of the characters is interspersed with news reports of bombings and shootings in Northern Ireland. All the characters also have their own personal troubles, which are explored and form the basis for the interpersonal conflicts (of which there are a lot) and relationships. The effects that art and linguistic research can have on the people involved, both the purveyors of those fields and the subjects, is also a main theme. This book is ambitious in its scope, and I think successful in discussing the issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
feebles640's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, and Grief
oliviashleigh's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and War
katewhite77's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A Wonderfully lyrical Novel.
A beautiful meditation on colony and colonisation and mainly. but not exclusively the geopolitical Anglo-Irish iteration with a particular focus on language.
I would recommend the audio version of this particular book as I think this book is probably best heard than read if possible just let the words carry you across the Irish Sea.
This is not an easy read but an important and poetic one.
A beautiful meditation on colony and colonisation and mainly. but not exclusively the geopolitical Anglo-Irish iteration with a particular focus on language.
I would recommend the audio version of this particular book as I think this book is probably best heard than read if possible just let the words carry you across the Irish Sea.
This is not an easy read but an important and poetic one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism