![]() Irish born Stella and Gerry are at a crossroads in their lives. Forty years after his first book, MacLaverty has written his masterpiece. Yet it is also a profound examination of human love and how we live together, a chamber piece of real resonance and power. MacLaverty is a master storyteller, and Midwinter Break is the essential MacLaverty novel: accurate, compassionate observation effortlessly elegant writing and a tender, intimate, heartrending story. As their midwinter break comes to an end, we understand how far apart they are-and can only watch as they struggle to save themselves. ![]() ![]() Things are not helped by memories that have begun to resurface of a troubled time in their native Ireland. Stella is tired of his lifestyle, worried about their marriage, and angry at his constant undermining of her religious faith. Gerry, once an architect, is forgetful and set in his ways. But over the course of the four days we discover the deep uncertainties that exist between them. Their relationship seems safe, easy, familiar. A retired couple, Gerry and Stella Gilmore, fly from their home in Scotland to Amsterdam for a long weekend-a holiday to refresh the senses, to do some sightseeing, and generally to take stock of what remains of their lives. Sixteen years on from his last novel, Bernard MacLaverty reminds us why he is regarded as one of the greatest living Irish writers. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |