Cillian Murphy has been cast as coal man Bill Furlong in a movie adaptation of the book
The Tyneside Book Club tackled the appropriately-titled Small Things Like These for September's meeting. Claire Keegan's book is a slim volume, but members agreed that it punched above its weight.
Set in 1980s Ireland, it explores the horror of the Magdalen Laundries, but through the eyes of Bill Furlong, the local coal man, who gradually realises their purpose.
Members thought this was an interesting approach that did shed a different light on a subject that, after decades of silence, is now being explored on film and page. The reader still felt the gruesome power of the oppression within the laundries, but by placing it at one remove it avoided the pitfalls of torture porn.
Some members felt this did allow Keegan to explore the question of how something so unacceptable was allowed to happen right until as close as a few decades ago.
It was apparent that some parts of the community, mostly the women, knew what was going on at the laundry. But the power of the Church in the state and the locality meant any challenge was likely to have dire consequences.
Bill Furlong is unaware of this and possesses a naivete about the potential pitfalls of intervening. Members discussed whether his eventual intervention was likely to achieve much. The consensus was that it would not, but that also raised the impact of morally choosing to do nothing.
His own upbringing provided another interesting exploration of the consequences of living in a society so tightly controlled by the Catholic Church and its values.
For some members, the book was frustratingly short, and there were aspects that they felt needed to be developed further and expanded. But other members felt even if it was perhaps a long short story rather than a novel, its brevity did not detract from its power and subtlety. For some a second reading had added layers.
Set in 1980s Ireland, it explores the horror of the Magdalen Laundries, but through the eyes of Bill Furlong, the local coal man, who gradually realises their purpose.
Members thought this was an interesting approach that did shed a different light on a subject that, after decades of silence, is now being explored on film and page. The reader still felt the gruesome power of the oppression within the laundries, but by placing it at one remove it avoided the pitfalls of torture porn.
Some members felt this did allow Keegan to explore the question of how something so unacceptable was allowed to happen right until as close as a few decades ago.
It was apparent that some parts of the community, mostly the women, knew what was going on at the laundry. But the power of the Church in the state and the locality meant any challenge was likely to have dire consequences.
Bill Furlong is unaware of this and possesses a naivete about the potential pitfalls of intervening. Members discussed whether his eventual intervention was likely to achieve much. The consensus was that it would not, but that also raised the impact of morally choosing to do nothing.
His own upbringing provided another interesting exploration of the consequences of living in a society so tightly controlled by the Catholic Church and its values.
For some members, the book was frustratingly short, and there were aspects that they felt needed to be developed further and expanded. But other members felt even if it was perhaps a long short story rather than a novel, its brevity did not detract from its power and subtlety. For some a second reading had added layers.
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