Some members thought Academy Street was that rare example of a book that could have been longer The Tyneside Book Club started 2018 with Mary Costello's debut novel Academy Street. It was a short, and bittersweet tale of Tess - who moved from Ireland to New York.
Members largely appreciated the quality of Costello's writing. Spare and unfussy, but with some genuine poignancy. There were also some well-written scenes and moments that had stayed with some.
There was certainly economy in the writing as Costello effectively covers most of Tess's life in around 170 pages. For some, this was a strength, ensuring the novel did not outstay its welcome, and members were impressed that so much was packed into so few pages.
But others felt the book might have had more impact if it had fleshed out Tess's life and character, perhaps even focused on a more concentrated time period. They felt it was difficult to connect to Tess, and therefore hard to feel invested in her fate. Some members felt Colm Toibin's Brooklyn was a superior version of similar events.
Tess had some tough life experiences, starting with the loss of her mother, casting a shadow across her life and perhaps explaining her personality. She was not an outgoing character, much of her world was internalised, and that made her rather passive for some. Members enjoyed her friendship with neighbour Willa, but questioned whether she really would have gone through life without any other serious relationships.
For some, the events were too choreographed, almost like a tick box exercise, particularly in relation to her sudden pregnancy. In particular, the use of 9/11 in a crucial plot point towards the close of the novel struck a bum note for some, and after other losses in her life, seemed unnecessarily cruel to Tess.
Nevertheless, many members felt that Costello was an author they would revisit, and that there was promise in the first novel of an author who primarily has written short stories.
Members largely appreciated the quality of Costello's writing. Spare and unfussy, but with some genuine poignancy. There were also some well-written scenes and moments that had stayed with some.
There was certainly economy in the writing as Costello effectively covers most of Tess's life in around 170 pages. For some, this was a strength, ensuring the novel did not outstay its welcome, and members were impressed that so much was packed into so few pages.
But others felt the book might have had more impact if it had fleshed out Tess's life and character, perhaps even focused on a more concentrated time period. They felt it was difficult to connect to Tess, and therefore hard to feel invested in her fate. Some members felt Colm Toibin's Brooklyn was a superior version of similar events.
Tess had some tough life experiences, starting with the loss of her mother, casting a shadow across her life and perhaps explaining her personality. She was not an outgoing character, much of her world was internalised, and that made her rather passive for some. Members enjoyed her friendship with neighbour Willa, but questioned whether she really would have gone through life without any other serious relationships.
For some, the events were too choreographed, almost like a tick box exercise, particularly in relation to her sudden pregnancy. In particular, the use of 9/11 in a crucial plot point towards the close of the novel struck a bum note for some, and after other losses in her life, seemed unnecessarily cruel to Tess.
Nevertheless, many members felt that Costello was an author they would revisit, and that there was promise in the first novel of an author who primarily has written short stories.
RSS Feed