A History of Loneliness

I read John Boyne's [b:The Heart's Invisible Furies 33630235 The Heart's Invisible Furies John Boyne https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1545283225s/33630235.jpg 51438471] in January this year and it is still, in late December, my book of the year. Now, I have just finished A History of Loneliness and it's clear I have found a new favourite author. You know that feeling when you start reading a book by a writer you love, trust even? That's the overwhelming feeling I had starting this, knowing I was in for something rather special. It's entirely different to the remarkably uplifting Furies, with only some very small glimpses of Boyne's fantastic sense of humour. Overall A History of Loneliness is much, much more tragic. No, more than that. It's an angry book. I felt overwhelming angry by the end of this book. I don't want to say much about how the story develops, and particularly my feelings on, because this book is most certainly a must-read in my eyes. Boyne's decision to tell this story from such a perspective was a master stroke. It's certainly a very pessimistic outlook on not just the country of Ireland, but human beings as a whole, and the complacency that allows evil to thrive. What surprises me, however, is how well Boyne understands humankind; he writes with such incredible insight and, suddenly, such a culture that allows horrific crimes against others, prejudice to difference and the complicity from the individual to the nation to just let this happen all makes sense. Yes, it's beyond tragic and sickening, but it makes sense. Boyne writes characters that are painfully believable. Their flaws are often unforgivable, but bitterly understandable. And yes, this review is very vague, I am purposely trying to give very little away. I'm just so pleased this book ended up being just as powerful as Furies. It shook me to my core.