The Heart's Invisible Furies

by John Boyne

Adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple who remind him that he is not a real member of their family, Cyril embarks on a journey to find himself and where he came from, discovering his identity, a home, a country, and much more throughout a long lifetime.

• ISBN10: 1524760781
• ISBN13: 9781524760786
• Publish Date: 22 August 2017 (first published 9 February 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Hogarth Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 592
• Language: English

Reviews

[Bianca]

And yet for all my happiness at seeing him happy and secure in who he was, there was something terribly painful about it too. What I would not have given to be that young at this time and to be able to experience such unashamed honesty.

Laugh-out-loud funny and quietly heartbreaking, a story about the life of one gay man from birth to old age as he grapples with his identity while struggling to live in a world full of bigotry. So witty while being so incredibly moving too. What a book! ❤️

[rohshey]

Leo Varadkar made history when he was elected as Ireland’s prime minister by bringing down a significant barrier as the country’s first openly gay prime minister. This is all the more astonishing when one remembers that until 1993, homosexuality was illegal, creating a culture of fear and repression for many Irish citizens. From this point of view, this book is very significant because it follows a boy, Cyril, who knows he is gay in a society that hates his sexuality and will take decades to unlearn a history of crippling guilt and shame.
But with all its good intent, the story felt clichéd and the tone was uneven, lurching from what felt like farce at times. I expected a broader sweep in Cyril's search for himself, but it was mostly about his life as a gay man in Ireland, the Netherlands, New York and back to Ireland again. Some Irish caricatures, probably there to keep the international readership happy. Some sermonising here and there, if I want that I'll listen to a panel discussion on the radio. Nicely written and pacy enough to get through quickly but It was trying to do too much and did not do anything wel