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Praised as “a work of wild, vaulting ambition and achievement” by Entertainment Weekly, Jamie O’Neill’s first novel invites comparison to such literary greats as James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Charles Dickens.
Jim Mack is a naïve young scholar and the son of a foolish, aspiring shopkeeper. Doyler Doyle is the rough-diamond son—revolutionary and blasphemous—of Mr. Mack’s old army pal. Out at the Forty Foot, that great jut of rock where gentlemen bathe in the nude, the two boys make a pact: Doyler will teach Jim to swim, and in a year, on Easter of 1916, they will swim to the distant beacon of Muglins Rock and claim that island for themselves. All the while Mr. Mack, who has grand plans for a corner shop empire, remains unaware of the depth of the boys’ burgeoning friendship and of the changing landscape of a nation.
Set during the year preceding the Easter Uprising of 1916—Ireland’s brave but fractured revolt against British rule—At Swim, Two Boys is a tender, tragic love story and a brilliant depiction of people caught in the tide of history. Powerful and artful, and ten years in the writing, it is a masterwork from Jamie O’Neill.
Publisher : Scribner; Reprint edition (March 4, 2003)
Language : English
Paperback : 576 pages
ISBN-10 : 0743222954
ISBN-13 : 978-0743222952
Item Weight : 1.05 pounds
Dimensions : 5.25 x 1.5 x 8 inches
Customers say
Customers praise the story for its finely drawn plot and well-crafted climax. They find the writing style lyrical and beautifully crafted. The book is described as extraordinary, great, and brilliant. Readers appreciate the historical accuracy and grounding in an era. They appreciate the author’s use of language, including rhyming, juxtapositions, and convoluted vocabulary. The imagery is stunning and vivid, with characters fully developed.
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