A History of Loneliness

To my mind, this is nearly a perfect book. The story and characters are thoroughly absorbing, the tone is close to perfect throughout, the writing is masterful, and the book unfolds beautifully.

So, all that praise in mind, a few things worth noting:

- It is certainly a very dark book, with outcomes ranging from sad to tragic for almost every character. But as I said above, the tone of the book helps elevate it. Without losing a sense of the gravity of what’s happening, there is enough levity to keep it from being a wallow.

- Odran’s credulous innocence does seem like quite a stretch, and there were times I found myself pretty frustrated both with him and with the book. By the end of the story, though, I thought this character flaw was show more both credible and powerfully thought-provoking. It was nothing as simple as saying “Well, he was in denial”—there was something more complicated and interesting at work, and it deepens the novel. As a reader, though, it occasionally took some tenacity for me to put up with it along the way. The fact that I was enjoying the writing is probably the only reason I did so.

- The one part of the book that rang a bit flat was Odran’s time in Rome, especially the hinted assassination of the pope. But the exposition that Boyne achieved through those sections helped tie Odran’s story to a much larger narrative, and again, I think it made the novel more powerful overall. And it never bothered me that much, in any case. show less

A HISTORY OF LONELINESS seems an apt title for a book with a priest as the narrator, for I have often thought that a priest's life must necessarily be one of the loneliest imaginable. So there's that. But author John Boyne gives us so much more in this novel of Ireland and the Catholic Church that covers nearly forty years, from the seventies well into the new century. The novel's narrator, Dublin-born Father Odran Yates, tells us from the beginning that he became a priest mostly because his mother TOLD him he had a vocation. He entered seminary at sixteen and spent seven years studying. Because he excelled, his last year of study was spent in Rome, where he acted as night-assistant to the Pope, including the brief papacy of Pope John show more Paul I in the summer of 1978. And this last bit is key, in that Boyne implies that the pope's sudden death after just 33 days in office may not have been from natural causes. But this is primarily a story of family, friendship, and - most of all - Ireland and the Catholic Church, and the early days of the sexual abuse scandals of the Church. Odran Yates is an extremely likable, sympathetic character, who seems perfectly happy in his life as a priest - until, after nearly thirty years of this idyllic post, he is abruptly reassigned from his work as a college teacher/librarian to fill in at a parish where Tom Cardle, another priest and his best friend from seminary days, has been removed, the last of many sudden reassignments. The narrative goes back and forth from the seventies up to 2014 with many stops in between. We learn of tragic events from Odran's childhood, mysterious and dark events from his seminary days, his short-lived obsession with an Italian woman during his year in Rome. And we see him dealing with his change in status as a priest - how people see and treat him - once the sex scandals have become public. Odran himself seems to be a complete innocent in the chain of events that transpire through the years, but is he? A HISTORY OF LONELINESS is a beautifully written and deeply disturbing book, thoroughly Irish, and one of the fiercest indictments of the Catholic Church I have ever read. I knew that John Boyne was a talented writer, having read his novel, THE ABSOLUTIST. I knew too that he gained international fame with his YA novel, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS (which I have not read). He's written more than a dozen adult novels and other YA books too, and his books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and won numerous awards. So. This guy, who just turned fifty, has really chalked up an impressive resume. But this book is simply such a compelling, riveting story of the sometimes shameful inner workings of the Catholic Church. Beautiful. Moving. Dark. Deeply Disturbing. My very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

5 plus stars.' A History of Loneliness' may be my new favorite John Boyne novel, this gave 'The Heart's Invisible Furies' a run for its money. His characters are always flawed and authentic...always relatable which allows you to like them, despite some questionable decisions or actions. Typical Boyne, he starts out light and amusing, then starts building, no person or institution escapes exposure, and you are left wondering, have I ever done what Odran subconsciously has done?

Book on CD performed by Gerald Boyle

Father Odran Yates has spent thirty years as a teacher and librarian at a boys’ school. He has no real ambition to rise in the ranks of the Church. Although he excelled academically and even served a year in Rome as the Pope’s night attendant, he has been content “behind the high walls and closed gates of this private and erudite enclave.” But just as the scandal of predatory pedophile priests erupts, the bishop moves Odran to a local parish who priest has been removed. That priest is Odran’s best friend from seminary. Odran must come to terms with the ugly truth of a longterm coverup by the Church, and with his own role.

What marvelous writing! Odran narrates the story, but moves from time show more period to time period, from 2001 back to 1964, then forward to 2010, and back to 1972, etc. Through his recollections he reveals his history of loneliness … the family tragedy that leads to his entering the seminary, the experiences there (good and bad), his obsession with a woman in a coffee shop, his conflicted feelings about his mother, sister and nephews, and his struggles to understand and embrace his Church and his country.

His final realizations about his life are painful to witness. My heart about broke for Odran, and at the same time I was appalled at his willful ignorance.

Boyne gives us characters who are conflicted and run the gamut of human behavior and emotion. Some are angry and lash out, other are cowed and submissive. Some are understanding and compassionate, other defensive and determined to hide. There are times when I just want to slap Odran, and other when I long to comfort and console him.

This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.

Gerald Boyle does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He has many characters to deal with and he has the vocal skills to deftly handle this.

UPDATE June 2022: I first read this in January 2021. I really can’t improve on my original review. BUT, I have recommended it to my F2F book club and discussion will be next month. I can hardly wait! show less

John Boyne, one of my favorite authors, imaginatively explores how one Catholic priest comes to terms with the church's sex scandals and his own career -- in a very believable way.

Odran Yates first learns of his "calling" to the priesthood when, after a family tragedy, his newly-devout mother tells him he is destined to be a priest. A dutiful, faithful, and patient Dublin boy - Odran heads off to seminary in the 1970s, a time when priests were universally respected in Ireland. There, he meets his roommate Tom, and begins a friendship that will last for 40 years.

During his years of religious service, Odran works briefly at the Vatican before spending decades happily serving at a Catholic boys school. That is until the Catholic Church show more assigns him to work as a parish priest, serving a church formerly served by his friend, Tom.

As stories of sexual abuse begin to surface, Boyne looks at how these stories were handled by within the church and how it was that priests managed to continue this criminal behavior, with the overt knowledge and support of the church hierarchy. And Odran witnesses first hand the seismic shift that happens in Ireland -- where priests once considered trustworthy role models are suddenly demonized.

Like all Boyne's books, this one is beautifully-written, full of multi-dimensional characters, and looks at an important universal theme --the impact of how we all sometimes tell ourselves stories that make us feel better, but may not necessarily be true. show less

John Boyne, one of my favorite authors, imaginatively explores how one Catholic priest comes to terms with the church's sex scandals and his own career -- in a very believable way.

Odran Yates first learns of his "calling" to the priesthood when, after a family tragedy, his newly-devout mother tells him he is destined to be a priest. A dutiful, faithful, and patient Dublin boy - Odran heads off to seminary in the 1970s, a time when priests were universally respected in Ireland. There, he meets his roommate Tom, and begins a friendship that will last for 40 years.

During his years of religious service, Odran works briefly at the Vatican before spending decades happily serving at a Catholic boys school. That is until the Catholic Church show more assigns him to work as a parish priest, serving a church formerly served by his friend, Tom.

As stories of sexual abuse begin to surface, Boyne looks at how these stories were handled by within the church and how it was that priests managed to continue this criminal behavior, with the overt knowledge and support of the church hierarchy. And Odran witnesses first hand the seismic shift that happens in Ireland -- where priests once considered trustworthy role models are suddenly demonized.

Like all Boyne's books, this one is beautifully-written, full of multi-dimensional characters, and looks at an important universal theme --the impact of how we all sometimes tell ourselves stories that make us feel better, but may not necessarily be true. show less

A HISTORY OF LONELINESS explores the life of Irish priest Odran Yates, who has chosen to live on the "surface" and surrender his will to the authority of others. After a childhood tragedy in which his father--a man thwarted in his own ambitions--takes his own and a younger son's life during a vacation by the sea (a tragedy, which, I might add, seems to be little felt or processed by the family that remains), Odran's mother becomes fervently religious. In time, she has an "epiphany" while watching the Late Late Show that her remaining son, Odran, should become a priest. Odran complies, and with this step, his direction in life is set. As time passes, he only refines his practice of not questioning. For Odran, like his mother, religion is show more the cloak draped over the pain and chaos of life.

Odran has spent most of his "professional" life as a librarian and chaplain in a high school run by the Catholic Church in Dublin, imposing order on books. His story, set in an Ireland rocked by allegations of the clergy's sexual abuse of children, is not one of a man's willful blindness to evil so much as a study of a personality determined to keep out anything that could disrupt a routinized, fearful life. Odran is deeply passive, uncomfortable with the messiness of human emotions and sexuality, preferring to have the important decisions made by others. He is not conflicted about the actions of fellow priests, including those of his disturbed friend from seminary school, Tom Cardle. Indeed, Odran appears never to even think of questioning why Cardle is moved from parish to parish throughout his career; neither does he struggle when his young nephew--a lively, charismatic child--becomes angry and disturbed after Cardle has been an overnight guest at the boy's home the night of a family funeral.

As is often noted about Rwanda when the reasons for the horror that occurred there are contemplated, Ireland is a country characterized by obedience and deference to authority. Boyne's novel is a character study of a man whose default setting is psychological blindness, which, in the end, cannot spare him from blame. show less