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Date Posted: 05:25:34 10/18/04 Mon
Author: elizabeth acevedo
Subject: Re: The best novel by Tóibín?
In reply to: john 's message, "Re: The best novel by Tóibín?" on 11:17:22 03/28/01 Wed

Hi
I am in the middle of reading The Story of the STORY of the NIGHT. I was surprised and felt connected that Colm Toibin comes from Enniskorty or howver you spell it. I came from Wexford initially and was to become a poor displanted buttercup buried in Hatfield for 15 years, and never took root, but lived in fairy tales and longing for the Errol Flynn lookalike to scoop me up in his strong arms and say "dadda's come for his little girl". Having always lived in England, and only ever reading foreign authors (all Catholic)I have always found myself more at home in Catholic countries. I wonder if Colm Toibin was brought up catholic and if he was then surely this has maybe if i be so forward to say, moulded his sensibility, maybe given him a kind of softness. As he reads like the foreign authors that I read, and I would find him hard to pigeon hole as an english author if I had been deceived by an english name instead of the irish name. I started the book on the grimy west Croydon to Victoria train, and and have not been able to put it down since, I dread for it to end. And this will entail another visit to Croydon library. Will his books get me thru this winter. I like the book as I like the atmospher, I like the inner thought processes of the central figure Richard, the book shows well how people interact in small groups in small lives. How the daily pattern of life can have a certain dignity and experience when felt alone. How we are little islands and how people invade the core of us and everything changes.
I did identify with his distress of getting up in the morning and not wanting to begin the day. How it is too much effort. I understood his leaving his teaching post and never going back. I see it as a decision a child would make when being bullied at school. The sick at heart feeling of wanting to start walking away and never stopping.
Richard's reaction at meeting new people. How they illuminate another way of living just like ambassadors. We sense the interior life of Richard without much describing.
I do not want to finish the book. And my appetite will only be to get the next one. With the grey skies and misery of living in London and thinking that if only i were somewhere else could I be really happy and content.
elizabeth acevedo

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  • Re: The best novel by Tóibín? -- elizabeth acevedo, 06:26:04 10/18/04 Mon
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