Fionnáin reviewed In the Forest by Edna O'Brien
Review of 'In the Forest' on 'GoodReads'
2 stars
Excellently written in parts, although this is a very grim story (and needs to be) about abuse, murder and the dark age of Ireland. Still, the overall book lacks coherence and also a sense of concept - there is seemingly no analogy, and if this is only about the abuse of the Irish state then I feel other books have managed this with more depth. O'Brien's writing is at times tremendous, but it is not enough to pull this book through for me.
Excellently written in parts, although this is a very grim story (and needs to be) about abuse, murder and the dark age of Ireland. Still, the overall book lacks coherence and also a sense of concept - there is seemingly no analogy, and if this is only about the abuse of the Irish state then I feel other books have managed this with more depth. O'Brien's writing is at times tremendous, but it is not enough to pull this book through for me.