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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
leo14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
jennikreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Colony is a fantastic read. The more I read the more impressed I became. What starts off as a seemingly simple story about an arrogant English artist spending time on a small sparsely populated Irish island turns out to actually be a multi-faceted critique of colonialism. All the different strands of the novel - the family saga, the master-apprentice artist storyline, the conflicts between different characters, the linguistic study, and more were all cleverly woven around the core theme of colonialism. I was impressed by how many different facets of the author managed to include, most intrinsically. The interactions between the islanders and the visitors are essentially a microcosm of colonialism.
All of which makes this book sound worthy - and possibly dull. Worthy it is; dull it is not. The story is engaging and eminently readable - quite funny at times, the writing lyrical and poetic, the atmosphere often haunting, the characters memorable and in some cases, James especially, loveable. The exploration of the theme is thought-provoking, yet nuanced rather than dogmatic. All in all I highly recommend this novel and will definitely be adding Audrey Magee to the list of authors whose back lists I want to explore.
All of which makes this book sound worthy - and possibly dull. Worthy it is; dull it is not. The story is engaging and eminently readable - quite funny at times, the writing lyrical and poetic, the atmosphere often haunting, the characters memorable and in some cases, James especially, loveable. The exploration of the theme is thought-provoking, yet nuanced rather than dogmatic. All in all I highly recommend this novel and will definitely be adding Audrey Magee to the list of authors whose back lists I want to explore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death of parent
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent