Brooklyn (by Colm Toibin)
“Brooklyn,” a spontaneous read by Colm Toibin, caught my attention amidst a flood of bookish emails. One email introduced me to Toibin’s standalone short story, “A Long Winter,” which appeared interesting and hinted at the potential for literary prose. This piqued my curiosity, leading me to explore his other works. Among them, “Brooklyn” stood out, and I recalled the widespread praise it received. Intrigued by its description, which resonated with my love for historical fiction and beautiful prose, I decided to read it.
The story follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who emigrates to Brooklyn, New York, seeking a better life. Leaving behind her close-knit family and the constraints of her small town, Eilis embarks on a journey of homesickness, new love, and the challenges of independence in a vibrant yet unfamiliar world. However, when a family tragedy calls her back to Ireland, she faces a heart-wrenching choice between two homes and two futures.
Initially, I was captivated by the story and the journey of Eilis from her home in Ireland to the land of opportunities in America. As her relationship with Tony deepened and became more serious, I found myself struggling with her indecisive feelings and uncertainty about her future. While Eilis appeared committed to her accounting studies and driven to work, I couldn’t help but worry that her dedication might waver.
I attempted to understand Eilis’ indecisiveness in the context of the late 1940s. I reasoned that this story might be more relatable to the challenges immigrant women faced during that era. I even wondered if my grandmother experienced similar societal pressures and expectations regarding marriage. I believe I gave my best effort to reconcile Eilis’ decisions. However, my efforts couldn’t change my opinion of the book.
I became disappointed and frustrated by Eilis’ passivity, which led her to make decisions I don’t believe she genuinely wanted. It seemed she was easily influenced and succumbed to pressures. I see her as a young woman still learning about herself and her desires for life. She made decisions that were incredibly difficult to change, and as the story progressed, she made things worse and harder for herself.
The book ended on a somewhat cliffhanger. I knew there was a second book, “Long Island,” so I immediately read the description to understand what happened next for Eilis. Based on that description, I have no desire to continue reading about her. I don’t want to watch a character make decisions that I perceive as settling. I want people to be happy, and I don’t enjoy observing anyone make decisions that bring them suffering, even fictional characters.
I spontaneously borrowed the audiobook of “Brooklyn” from my local library using Libby. I enjoyed the narration by Kirsten Potter.
As a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases linked back to Amazon. Every penny earned allows me to blog about books and keeps this site running.
