| philshanklin Dec 27 | This is my introduction to Irish writer Colm Toibin. It was his third novel (he has now written another 7 plus a couple of short fiction works). Main character and narrator Richard Garay is navigating life in 1980s Argentina. At the start of the novel he is living with his English mother, there are rumours of people disappearing and he's looking for something outside of teaching English. He meets an American couple who see him as useful in supporting the oil industry and in helping overseas investors understand the complexities of South American politics. Richard is gay and he lives a guarded life looking for the right person to commit to. This is a quiet novel, there's an economy in the writing. It reminds me slightly of early Alan Hollinghurst. The author weaves a captivating world, where, although it took me quite a while to respond to the distance emanating from the characters I became completely sucked into the world they inhabited. Moving through the 1980s we know that war over the Falklands/Malvinas will have some bearing and that it is inevitable that the shadow of AIDS will cast over the proceedings in some way. I was always fascinating even by the political wheeling and dealing which Richard observes but the last third which focuses more on relationships I thought was terrific. Because of the reserve which had run through the novel to this point when things got emotional it all seemed more powerful. I was left with the feeling that this book had managed to work itself into my very soul and I would continue to be haunted by it for some time. I'm really pleased about this because I have another couple of unread Toibins on my shelves and I sense that this author is a significant discovery for me. The Story Of The Night was first published in 1996 by Picador. | | | | You can also reply to this email to leave a comment. | | | | |
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