NYLONbooks

The Gathering

The Gathering, May 2009, 7/10.

Written by Anne Enright.  Published by Grove Press.

This novel didn’t draw me in until it was almost over, but the story eventually came together and sparked my interest. The style of writing – a mix of long reminiscent passages and short staccato sentences focusing on vague memories and a feeling rather than an action – is not especially original, this is a very good example of the style, although the jumping back and forth was a little cliche. The narrator’s vagueness (as though you are already familiar with the narrator’s life and past, and reflecting her own inability to see clearly) and the author’s refusal to spell out details kept the book interesting. Although the main characters were deeply developed, most were more of an outline, no doubt an intentional tool to allow the reader to add his own colour.