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Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Strathcona County Library.
elbrozzie
Apr 03, 2015
Read the hype. Not convinced. Not in the least. The prose is needlessly dense and serves to camouflage a plot that, for the most part, hinges on coincidence. So much so, that after a while, you scratch your head and say, "Really? Really?" (No spoilers, I promise.) Paralleling the love affair of the two boys with the Easter Rebellion could have made for an exciting dual narrative, but it falls flat. First of all, it is unclear why Jim and Doyler fall in love; Doyler is too randy and Jim is too much the simp; second, the historical aspect of the novel should have been annotated (as well, there should have been a glossary) because for the ordinary reader (me) there's no way of knowing what the f____ is going on. The ending--touted as "tragic" by several reviewers--is pure melodrama. But, then again, so is this entire book. Maybe as a film, At Swim, Two Boys would work. As a novel, it does not. Reread Les Miserable instead. Victor Hugo does it much better.