Actress

Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle

A scattered sort of story, posited as a novelist searching for the truth about her famous mother's invented life and eventual madness, her own paternity, and the reality of love in a confusing world. Not at all straightforwardly told, it's more in line with how most of us probably process and slowly work through memories and impressions, but written in much more poetic language. I found it absorbing and moving, though I gravitate to more conventional narratives in general and am not sure I'd read another by this author.

I didn't listen to the full audiobook, but given the positive comments from several readers about the author's narration, I listened to a sample. I think Enright did a terrific job as a narrator, and if you're an audiobook fan, I can imagine this would really enhance the experience. The prose is meant to be heard, in a finely modulated Irish voice, so the author doing that for you is a great benefit.

Slow, intense burn.

I was immediately pulled into this story about the daughter of a famous actress and their relationship with one another. The writing is beautiful and intelligent. The set up left me wanting to know more, rapidly turning pages to find out what's next. There's a power in those opening chapters that brings the reader in fully. And there's such a promise of great things to come.

Despite the truly wonderful prose and clear insight into these characters and how they relate with one another, the story sort of lost steam along the way. The final payoff was very much underwhelming. I enjoyed much of this novel, but overall, I felt a bit indifferent. Still, I'd love to read more from this author and hope I get the chance to someday.