Brooklyn

The writing has a simplicity to it that made this book a quick an easy read while also conveying the deep emotion in the story, even while describing the normal day-to-day routine of the main character. I'm glad I read the book without having seen the movie first, because I feel like some of the simple emotion might have been lost if I was comparing it to the movie the whole time. (Disclaimer: I have not seen the movie as of the time of this review.)

I found the writing to be a little stilted, which was a surprise. The movie felt, in a word, lyrical, and I expected that a lot of that came from the book but nope, not the case. I had picked up this book because I wanted the feel of the movie, and also because I felt like, for all the lyricalness of it, the movie had some gaps; I thought that the book would fill those. I think that the book did a good job of telling us about Eilish and her immigrant experience, but it was very much telling from a remove, not inviting us in to feel it with her.

I was very surprised at how clearly the book showed that she only went back to Brooklyn because she was caught out in her deception, and that if she had been able to get away with it she would have somehow stayed and married Jim. In the movie I remember it being much more "I left Ireland because of catty bitches like you!", and Eilish feeling glad to leave. Much more ambiguity, which was interesting.

The plot is fine, if a little boring. However the protagonist was very unlikable. Flighty, unfaithful, and apparently so indecisive she can be persuaded to move to another country or get married with little effort, as she appears to have no opinion on either matter. The peripheral characters are much more interesting, while Eilis appears to just float through the book with little consequence.