From a Low and Quiet Sea - Book Group March 2019 discussion thread

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postieboy Mar 2019 8:52am, 8 Mar 2019 5,728 posts	0 postieboy Who was Lampy's dad in the end, I never recall a definitive answer?
Diogenes Mar 2019 9:29am, 8 Mar 2019 34,881 posts	0 Diogenes I don’t think we know if it was John or Xavier
Serendippily Mar 2019 9:35pm, 9 Mar 2019 11,632 posts	0 Serendippily I enjoyed this. The language had a lilt to it and the last confession of John trapped in the back of the ambulance was a shoddy twist. Farouk’s tale was a complete story in its own right and felt a bit grafted on to the other two. But I think I’d see similarities and commonalities if I searched hard enough. I’d read another by him.
Serendippily Mar 2019 9:48pm, 9 Mar 2019 11,633 posts	0 Serendippily I appreciated not guessing the ending. It’s rare in a book not to see exactly where it’s going and there was a black humour to it. There was a touch of the Roddy Doyle but his is all family interaction while everyone was their own little angry island in this
westmoors Mar 2019 10:53am, 10 Mar 2019 3,104 posts	0 westmoors Before reading back: Really enjoyed the first part. Then thought my kindle edition had something wrong as the second part seemed to have no relevance. Decided it must be another collection of short stories (I only read the blurb if I'm deciding whether to read/purchase something or not). Was a surprise then to find the three parts brought together in the fourth. Found it quite readable, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Too disjointed for me.
panad Mar 2019 4:44pm, 10 Mar 2019 1,290 posts	0 panad I really enjoyed the first part, and wished we’d had more of Farouk’s story. Lampy’s section took me a long time to get into because of the writing style - different characters, so totally understable, I just found it hard to read/understand. The confessional section was easier to read - though to be honest can’t remember who this character was in the whole story (I’m guessingthe confessional character ie Lampy’s real dad?), so I’m guessing the overall disjointedness of the story didn’t fully come together for me. The last section I enjoyed again, and loved the ending - a suprise twist for me and I really liked the style of writing in this part. Overall would have loved it too be a slightly longer book with a bit more of each of the character’s stories and for the whole book to be less disjointed. Not something I would have chosen for myself, but definitely don’t have any regrets for the time it took.
Bazoaxe Mar 2019 10:06pm, 12 Mar 2019 14,158 posts	0 Bazoaxe Just finished and ultimately quite disappointed with my choice. I thought farouks story started well but fizzled out and the book lost its way with two different stories that had a bit of a random join up towards the end. Latterly I wasn’t enjoying The book and my mind wandered as I read it and didn’t take it all in do maybe missedbits. Roll on April for a better book
postieboy Mar 2019 6:18am, 13 Mar 2019 5,736 posts	0 postieboy Once the three stories merged, there was potential for something a lot more profound, that's what disappointed me the most. Donal Ryan missed an opportunity here imho.
Diogenes Mar 2019 6:25am, 13 Mar 2019 35,007 posts	0 Diogenes I did feel a little as though Ryan was trying to tick as many boxes as possible: the refugee experience, the changes and conflict in traditional and contemporary Irish society, and, finally, age and infirmity
McGoohan Mar 2019 10:58pm, 13 Mar 2019 38,790 posts	0 McGoohan So McGoohan finishes the book. And he wishes he had it in electronic format. And when asked why, he could say, To count all the Ands. And he counts the Ands, but only the sentences beginning with And, or where the author has avoided a full stop and gone straight to another And but he isn't fooled, because it's just two sentences joined together And made into two. And breathe. To continue into the second part, McGoohan notices that Ryan will mix it up so he will, to maybe repeat a different word, like To and to throw in a little vernacular, yer bollix, To remind us of Roddy Doyle, To get all lyrical and Oirish, so it is. And now Father, I come before ye to confess that I, McGoohan started all cynically, so I did, and despite that fecking up-his-own-hole gobshite Ryan sailing close enough to the parodic, that in the end, I loved it. And all an all. Whoah, the focus has shifted again, to Mrs Olde-Croaker who informs us that McGoohan has scored this book 8 out of 10.