Prophet Song
- Downloads：5292
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-11-28 04:21:48
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Paul Lynch
- ISBN：0802163017
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Never_where
，
they take something from you and replace it with silence， and you’re confronted by that silence every waking moment and cannot live， you cease to be yourself and become a thing before this silence， a thing waiting for the silence to end， a thing on your knees begging and whispering to it all night and day， a thing waiting for what was taken to be returned and only then can you resume your life， but the silence doesn’t end， you see， they leave open the possibility that what you want will be retur they take something from you and replace it with silence， and you’re confronted by that silence every waking moment and cannot live， you cease to be yourself and become a thing before this silence， a thing waiting for the silence to end， a thing on your knees begging and whispering to it all night and day， a thing waiting for what was taken to be returned and only then can you resume your life， but the silence doesn’t end， you see， they leave open the possibility that what you want will be returned some day and so you remain reduced， paralyzed， dull as an old knife， and the silence does not end because the silence is the source of their power， that is its secret meaning。 。。。more
Yasmien
，
4，5
Paul Narvaez
，
Dark， but good。
Richard Robinson
，
I hate giving up on a book， but life is too short。Disappointing。
Niharika
，
Pre-reading ThoughtsHeard this one won the Booker '23？ Who will stop me from attaining the UPVOM？（To those who are wondering， that acronym stands for the Ultimate Pretentious Version Of Myself。） Pre-reading ThoughtsHeard this one won the Booker '23？ Who will stop me from attaining the UPVOM？（To those who are wondering， that acronym stands for the Ultimate Pretentious Version Of Myself。） 。。。more
Thebooktrail
，
Discover the locations in the novel here Discover the locations in the novel here 。。。more
John Caleb Grenn
，
Flat characters， uninspired story with a pretty goofy sort of gross premise。 Thankful in this moment for goodreads where it’s safe to come， give a Booker winner 2 stars， and just go “NAHHHHH…。”
Christopher Walthorne
，
This is a powerful， poetic and frightening winner of the Booker Prize， a tale of a totalitarian regime slowly creeping up on a relatable present-day Ireland。 The novel is scarily relevant， with many real-life echoes currently happening throughout the world。 Whilst there are a few clunky passages （particularly when it comes to dialogue， which is not Lynch’s strength） there is plenty of power and fury in this book， a stark reminder of the privileges we take for granted， and a warning of what happe This is a powerful， poetic and frightening winner of the Booker Prize， a tale of a totalitarian regime slowly creeping up on a relatable present-day Ireland。 The novel is scarily relevant， with many real-life echoes currently happening throughout the world。 Whilst there are a few clunky passages （particularly when it comes to dialogue， which is not Lynch’s strength） there is plenty of power and fury in this book， a stark reminder of the privileges we take for granted， and a warning of what happens if we are complacent enough to let them slip away。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
Oh， Paul Lynch。 This book grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go。 I still think of Eilish daily。 I think about how easy it is to slip， almost imperceptibly， into an unrecognizable government， and it frightens me。 As an American， I must admit， I found this book eerie and almost too close to reality and that made it difficult。 There's already talk of arrests here， charges of treason 。 。 。 。 Could this book be a harbinger we're too naive to notice？I've heard this book was inspired by Wester Oh， Paul Lynch。 This book grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go。 I still think of Eilish daily。 I think about how easy it is to slip， almost imperceptibly， into an unrecognizable government， and it frightens me。 As an American， I must admit， I found this book eerie and almost too close to reality and that made it difficult。 There's already talk of arrests here， charges of treason 。 。 。 。 Could this book be a harbinger we're too naive to notice？I've heard this book was inspired by Western treatment of Syrians as they fled their totalitarian government and civil war。 I think this connection is brilliant。 We， as dwellers in the free Western world， have seen this before， haven't we？ Not 100 years ago， and here we are again。 Maybe， this time， they're coming for us too。 。。。more
Andrew Corcoran
，
4。5 stars。 Announced as winner of the book 2023 tonight， and I finished it the eve of its crowning 👑。
Eylene
，
Delighted to hear this book has won the Booker prize。 I thoroughly enjoyed this dystopian story。 I thought about it while watching the riots in Dublin this weekend。 Scary how reality can change when you're not expecting it。 Thats the strength of this story， the slow unexpected descent into the underworld。 Delighted to hear this book has won the Booker prize。 I thoroughly enjoyed this dystopian story。 I thought about it while watching the riots in Dublin this weekend。 Scary how reality can change when you're not expecting it。 Thats the strength of this story， the slow unexpected descent into the underworld。 。。。more
Gregory Duke
，
The only book on the Booker shortlist I haven't read wins， of course。 I've tried to read this a few times and every attempt leaves me annoyed。 The style is cloyingly faux-Beckettian。 And I find the actual project rather abhorrent。 In various interviews， Paul Lynch has said that his vision of contemporaneous dystopia is one grounded in the crumbling of states like Syria， Afghanistan， etc。， as he sees them as a signal of a change in the energy of the world as "the West" turns its back on those sta The only book on the Booker shortlist I haven't read wins， of course。 I've tried to read this a few times and every attempt leaves me annoyed。 The style is cloyingly faux-Beckettian。 And I find the actual project rather abhorrent。 In various interviews， Paul Lynch has said that his vision of contemporaneous dystopia is one grounded in the crumbling of states like Syria， Afghanistan， etc。， as he sees them as a signal of a change in the energy of the world as "the West" turns its back on those states and the refugees that flee them。 In interviews I've read， he doesn't specify this， but it's important to also acknowledge "the West's" role in the decimation of these various states and America and Britain's role in the propping up of autocratic regimes。 But， to make the "Western" reader immersed in such a narrative， to affect an emotional shift， among other others， Paul Lynch chooses to have the political drama set in Ireland！ Because the average person can't empathize with the plight of those abroad？ Because he wanted immersive realism so focused on his home country for reference？ The style isn't wondrous， the chunk I read did not amaze， and the political minutiae of his dystopia present feel so trite。 This just feels like a novel that no one will remember as years pass by。 。。。more
Heidi
，
Congrats on the Booker Prize！
Laura
，
I grew up in the aftermath of a revolution that ended a dictatorship， so I've always been drawn to dystopian novels and stories about totalitarian regimes。 It was therefore surprising for me to notice how little I connected with this novel。 I'd liken it to sampling a dish that on paper sounds tailored for yet taste， yet with almost every bite you feel like something is missing。 There were several reviews calling it truly original--to which I have to say that this novel came years after monumenta I grew up in the aftermath of a revolution that ended a dictatorship， so I've always been drawn to dystopian novels and stories about totalitarian regimes。 It was therefore surprising for me to notice how little I connected with this novel。 I'd liken it to sampling a dish that on paper sounds tailored for yet taste， yet with almost every bite you feel like something is missing。 There were several reviews calling it truly original--to which I have to say that this novel came years after monumental dystopian novels like "1984"， "This Can't Happen Here" and even memoirs and non-fiction books discussing real-life descents into totalitarian terror such as "Reading Lolita in Tehran，" "Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad，" "Night，" "The Escape Artist"--all of which I found more compelling。 What "Prophet Song" does differently is that we see the descent into chaos through the eyes of a rather passive woman--and I think that was the wrong choice。 Not because the people who don't escape， or don't fight， don't deserve to have their story told。 But because， the way the story was written leaned hard on patriarchal notions of 'duty' and the scientist main character just didn't make sense to me， another scientist。 Eilish spends the majority of the novel shopping， feeding， clothing and missing her relatives， emphasis on the male ones。 It was difficult seeing this character in the 21st century; it was hard to believe that this character could be a scientist。 If you make it as a woman in the academic world， you are NOT a pushover。 I wish writers stopped writing these characters。 Eilish lacks completely the three characteristics shared by every scientist I have ever met （including the female Irish scientists I worked with during my PhD and Postdoc）: she takes no initiative， she is afraid of change， she is incapable of accepting a conclusion。 Yes， I understand what the book was trying to say: that we sometimes refuse to believe bad things can truly happen to us， that we become complacent until it gets really bad。 But when the reader is 10 steps ahead of the main character it's just not a fun story to read。 Eilish was educated and had connections， she is privileged， so her refusal to leave Ireland because she wanted to wait for her male relatives to return， even after she is told they are almost certainly dead， her refusal to leave because she needed to care for her father， even though she was clearly told that he will be extracted together with her， stopped making sense。 Something was missing: Eilish's internal monologue was too focused on poetry and things stuck in her mouth， instead of exposing us to the contradictory thoughts that would be running through a person's head in such conditions。 The chronology of events wasn't particularly logical either: you're telling me shelves are emptying， and gas is becoming expensive， but your family still finds milk to buy and still has hot water？？？ Ladies and gentleman， I actually lived through a revolution， and the hot water was the first to go。 Milk？ Eggs？ Formula？ What are you talking about， those would be long gone。 Her inability to plan ahead was also too much at times: she knows tap water is no longer good to drink， yet she doesn't store water， and realizes when the water is cut that she doesn't have enough。 She waits until the neighborhood gets bombed to move the kids into a safer spot in the house （my grandma moved me to the one room in the apartment with two layers of windows and barricaded the window as soon as she heard the first cracks of gunfire at the start of the revolution; and my grandma grew up in the countryside， and didn't have university training）。 You've got believable scenes， mixed in with scenes of a mother who in the middle of a bombed city somehow found a bouquet of wild flowers and then， when someone opens fire， said mother keeps the flowers in one hand and drags a child who is unable to run using her other arm。。。。instead of， you know， tossing the flowers， grabbing her child in her arms and RUNNING。But let's put aside my not-suspended disbelief at Eilish's and other characters' actions。 Who knows， a person like Eilish may actually exist， after all we don't all perceive and react to danger in the same way。 Another problem I had was with the writing。 The novel opens with: "The night has come and she has not heard the knocking， standing at the window looking out into the garden。" I know what the sentence is saying， but my editor would not let me keep this sentence。 The syntax is just off。 Still， I understood the author chose this writing style， syntax teetering on the edge， on purpose， to create the feeling of the world breaking down around Eilish。 Except the grammar and syntax remained unchanged for the rest of the novel; the more things broke down around Eilish， the writing style remained unchanged。 So what was then the purpose of creating these barriers in reader comprehension （admitting， mild）， if the style didn't deliver？ Was the writing style chosen on purpose， so that I wouldn't be able to tell if the sentence: "seeing how she been carried forward" butchered the past perfect tense on purpose， or if it was the author's inability to write proper grammar？ Apart from the grammar， the overly poetic introspection focused in my opinion on the wrong things。 Metaphorical sentences like: "Darkest blue the sky over the surrounding darkness， the dark blackest around the fire which unmakes each face then paints it again" do paint a picture， but I felt nothing。 Where I was absolutely devastated was the scene where Eilish finds the body of her dead， tortured son; less poetry， simpler words， yes to unorthodox syntax--now that eviscerated me。 Not pebbles stuck in people's mouths， not films of panic coating their tongues， just simple descriptions。 The focus was on beautiful， unique sentences， instead of the raw， short， cutting reality of dictatorship and war。Ultimately， my final conclusion was that in a society obsessed with the individual and the nuclear family， where even in times of war everybody is on their phone and laptop， we are doomed。 More doomed than the Jewish and Roma people during WW2， more doomed than the Syrian refugees escaping Isis， etc， etc。 I don't believe this novel will be effective in raising awareness to the plight of the housewife during war， nor does it interrogate what makes people stay in areas of conflict。 The synopsis itself is deceptive， asking us "What， or who， is she willing to leave behind？" Nothing。 She leaves nothing behind （the house is destroyed， her car is gone， her career is gone） and no one （her husband is dead， her eldest son is missing likely dead， her father has already been rescued， and she waits until her second son is captured， tortured and killed before she finally ups and leaves）。 Why were the men in her family more important than her toddler and her daughter？ It's a mystery that was in my opinion improperly explored。 。。。more
Ross
，
there were some really gorgeous bits of writing in fairness but in general i just found this too bleak and miserable and meh
Linda Powell
，
Astounding book and eerily prescient as I can well imagine almost any country slipping into this dystopian militaristic government。 Ben Franklin famously wrote， “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety。” I’ll be gifting this book… I may revisit review to add more when time permits。More…I was reminded often of Palestinians as I read。Pg 228 The neighbor， Gerry Brennan， says…”Drop enough ordnance and after a time you’ll have Astounding book and eerily prescient as I can well imagine almost any country slipping into this dystopian militaristic government。 Ben Franklin famously wrote， “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety。” I’ll be gifting this book… I may revisit review to add more when time permits。More…I was reminded often of Palestinians as I read。Pg 228 The neighbor， Gerry Brennan， says…”Drop enough ordnance and after a time you’ll have struck at every block of flats， every shop and house…。。they won’t get us out…if you have lived one place all your life the idea of living somewhere else is impossible。 You dig in。”Holding her infant， Ben， pg 280: “she whispers to him though there are no words for a child this age， no explanation for what has been done and yet what the child will never recall from memory will always be known by him and he will carry it as poison in the blood。” 。。。more
Adrian
，
This is my pick for the 2023 Booker Prize which is happening this evening。 There are some timely and all-too-immediate parallels with the plot and what’s happening right now across the world which add to the pain and despair。 Not an easy read but an increasingly essential one
Clares
，
The last of the Booker Shortlist and my favourite of the six。 In order- 1） Prophet Song2） This Other Eden3） The Bee Sting4） If I survive you5） Study for Obedience 6） Western Lane
Mikala
，
Sadly， this is an appropriate story for the current world events。 Told through the very ordinary life of a family living in a city under-seige。 But this isn’t a 2nd world country or halfway around the world。 I’ve read many memoirs and fiction accounts of refugees。 While parts of this story are similar， it focuses more on the motivation to stay。 Or how staying wasn’t a choice until it was too late and no longer an option。 The story， I felt， was quite mild。 There is no violence so it almost makes Sadly， this is an appropriate story for the current world events。 Told through the very ordinary life of a family living in a city under-seige。 But this isn’t a 2nd world country or halfway around the world。 I’ve read many memoirs and fiction accounts of refugees。 While parts of this story are similar， it focuses more on the motivation to stay。 Or how staying wasn’t a choice until it was too late and no longer an option。 The story， I felt， was quite mild。 There is no violence so it almost makes the brutality of war seem distant。 Maybe that is what the author intended as that is the perspective of Eilish。 She just keeps trying to keep her aging father and children fed and clothed while the world crumbles around her and she can barely notice。 。。。more
Mel
，
What would happen if Ireland was taken over by a fascist regime？ What would happen， if what has happened and is happening in so many countries， would happen closer to home？ This dystopian novel tries to answer these questions。 Reading this at the same time as the riots in Dublin earlier this week， kind of exacerbated the reports and made the novel more probable and scary all of a sudden。 I have to admit， it took me a while to get into it， the writing style is quite odd and very abstract at times What would happen if Ireland was taken over by a fascist regime？ What would happen， if what has happened and is happening in so many countries， would happen closer to home？ This dystopian novel tries to answer these questions。 Reading this at the same time as the riots in Dublin earlier this week， kind of exacerbated the reports and made the novel more probable and scary all of a sudden。 I have to admit， it took me a while to get into it， the writing style is quite odd and very abstract at times， so I felt it was difficult to really connect with the characters。 Eilish's actions to protect her family are not always comprehensible， but then again what do we know about extreme situations such as the ones described， and often achieve the exact opposite。 Overall， I thought the novel was very powerful and eerie and when it hit me， it did so with a bang！ The dramatic climax （for me） is about 2/3 through the book and has shaken me to the core。 I dreamt about it last night， substituting the Stack family with my own 。。。 I still haven't processed it all and it will stay with me for a long time - something I haven't experienced after reading a novel in a long time！ 。。。more
Kat
，
It took me about three weeks to read this novel because it stirs in me all the emotions that I want to keep deeply buried。 Fear， mostly。 Reading this makes me sick。 It´s so painful。This novel grips your throat， chokes you， wrenches your heart from the first sentence and doesn't let go。 The rise of totalitarian forces in a peaceful country is portrayed masterfully。 How this impacts the daily life of ordinary citizens is shown in such a detailed and realistic way that it makes you think when。 Not It took me about three weeks to read this novel because it stirs in me all the emotions that I want to keep deeply buried。 Fear， mostly。 Reading this makes me sick。 It´s so painful。This novel grips your throat， chokes you， wrenches your heart from the first sentence and doesn't let go。 The rise of totalitarian forces in a peaceful country is portrayed masterfully。 How this impacts the daily life of ordinary citizens is shown in such a detailed and realistic way that it makes you think when。 Not if， but when。 This scenario can easily happen today in any given country。 Look what has been happening with Hungary， Turkey， Poland。 Look at the Spanish Vox party， at the Italian and Austrian far-right movements。 Look at Holland。 Cherish your freedom but never take it for granted。This book should be a mandatory read in every high school in every country。 。。。more
Barbara Guest
，
Incredibly moving， terrifying and amazing writing。 Follows a mother whose life and family begin to fall apart as her country is taken over by extremists。 A page-turning plot with every line rich with imagery， honesty and emotion。 Well-deserved Booker nominee。
Alan Teder
，
November 26， 2023 Update Prophet Song is the Winner of the 2023 Booker Prize！Refugees in the WestReview of the upcoming Atlantic Monthly Press hardcover/eBook （December 12， 2023） via the Net Galley Kindle ARC （downloaded November 15， 2023） of the Oneworld Publications （UK） hardcover original （August 24， 2023）。Shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize， with the winner to be announced Sunday November 26， 2023。The thing that hath been， it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which sha November 26， 2023 Update Prophet Song is the Winner of the 2023 Booker Prize！Refugees in the WestReview of the upcoming Atlantic Monthly Press hardcover/eBook （December 12， 2023） via the Net Galley Kindle ARC （downloaded November 15， 2023） of the Oneworld Publications （UK） hardcover original （August 24， 2023）。Shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize， with the winner to be announced Sunday November 26， 2023。 The thing that hath been， it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun。 - Ecclesiastes 1:9In the dark timeswill there also be singing？Yes， there will also be singing。About the dark times。 - Bertolt Brecht （epigraphs used for “Prophet Song”）。 My thanks to publisher Grove/Atlantic and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this preview ARC， in exchange for which I provide this honest review。 I did not think I’d get a chance to read this book before the Booker Award announcement， so I was fortunate to receive approval for the ARC in advance the North American publication。Prophet Song is a speculative， dystopian novel written somewhat in the vein of Sinclair Lewis’ It Can't Happen Here （1935） and Vladimir Nabokov's Bend Sinister （1947）。 It proposes a fictionalized Nationalist government in present day Ireland which begins to impose an authoritarian control over the populace。 In the event this means a crackdown on freedom of speech and movement especially in the case of what is seen as forces opposing the government， such as trade unions and activists。The seeming unreality of the situation is not the point。 The author’s goal is to force readers in the comfort of their Western democracies （by which I mean North American and European） to empathize and appreciate what people and families in authoritarian states worldwide undergo during government and secret police crackdowns， arrests， tortures and executions。 This is often leading into civil wars， chaos and societal breakdown and a mass of refugees subject to exploitation by human traffickers。All of this is embodied in Prophet Song by the example of the family of Eilish and Larry Stack and their 4 children （with a subplot of Eilish’s aging father & his dog）。 Further details would get into spoiler territory。 I should add though that there is an aspect of experimental writing involved as it is often stream-of-consciousness， one paragraph style without benefit of speech quote marks。 If you are prepared to accept the style， I think you will find that the writing is so immersive and compulsive that it will carry you along without a problem。 You will identify so much with the situation and the terror that the medium will not be a barrier。Trivia and LinkRead the 2023 Booker Prize Reading Guide for Prophet Song here。 。。。more
Valje
，
Phew！ A difficult novel to discuss - deeply distressing on so many levels。 But I was drawn in and felt what Eilish felt。
Anita
，
A terrifying image of a society breaking down。 Of course， we're meant to imagine that this could never happen in Ireland， but it is happening elsewhere right now， so perfectly possible to happen in a small European country。 A terrifying image of a society breaking down。 Of course， we're meant to imagine that this could never happen in Ireland， but it is happening elsewhere right now， so perfectly possible to happen in a small European country。 。。。more
Eamonn
，
Harrowing and unforgettable。 Best of the Booker short list （with The Bee Sting still to go）。 I was gripped from the start by the plot， characters， and lyrical writing。
Sarah AF
，
One of the most brutal， harrowing and plausible dystopian fiction novels that I have ever read。 From the very first page of this book， dread and uncertainty became the existence of Eilish and her family in the most all-encompassing way。 Reading this book felt like holding a breath that you were too scared to let out， so intense and apt was Lynch's writing。The book opens with a casual enquiry after Eilish's husband from the Garda and that is about as relaxed as this book got as a totalitarian reg One of the most brutal， harrowing and plausible dystopian fiction novels that I have ever read。 From the very first page of this book， dread and uncertainty became the existence of Eilish and her family in the most all-encompassing way。 Reading this book felt like holding a breath that you were too scared to let out， so intense and apt was Lynch's writing。The book opens with a casual enquiry after Eilish's husband from the Garda and that is about as relaxed as this book got as a totalitarian regime in Ireland strengthened its grip on power， weeding out the most minorly perceived threats against the new regime and shrouding the state in a silence that was as terrifying as the outright violence of the regime。 With every page， you could feel in the most palpable way the fear， anxiety and uncertainty of Eilish as she attempted to continue to parent her children in increasingly volatile conditions with nobody to lean on， nobody to trust and all of her childrens' own anxieties and frustrations directed at her。 The enormity of her experience was a woman who was broken but with no choice to but to continue and it was as hard to read as it was compelling。 As the tension spilled out into civil war， two sides who were so driven by their cause that they lost sight of the people who they were supposedly fighting for， leaving them caught in the crossfire and the tragedy and the loss that came with that。 With each pivotal moment that drove Eilish further and further into despair and helplessness， it could have felt overdone but somehow never did because it was completely believable。 These are atrocities that are taking place in the world and， by setting them in Ireland， Lynch was making a highly pertinent point about how we perceive these victims that have been "othered" by the press and governments。 That message was so astutely portrayed， but this was a great piece of fiction too， so incredibly atmospheric and raw throughout。 。。。more
The Bibliophile Doctor
，
History is a silent record of people who could not leave， it is a record of those who did not have a choice， you cannot leave when you have nowhere to go and have not the means to go there， you cannot leave when your children cannot get a passport， cannot go when your feet are rooted in the earth and to leave means tearing off your feet。Prophet Song is a story about a family， primarily focusing on Eilish， a woman who is a scientist and microbiologist， and her struggle to protect her four childre History is a silent record of people who could not leave， it is a record of those who did not have a choice， you cannot leave when you have nowhere to go and have not the means to go there， you cannot leave when your children cannot get a passport， cannot go when your feet are rooted in the earth and to leave means tearing off your feet。Prophet Song is a story about a family， primarily focusing on Eilish， a woman who is a scientist and microbiologist， and her struggle to protect her four children as the government gradually falls under totalitarian control。 Her husband Larry， an union trade teacher goes “missing” in one of the protests and she is left to care for her four children and dementing father。One often wonders when a country undergoes a collapse that it cannot happen。 Citizens try to cling to the belief that a country as civilized as theirs cannot really go through such a terrifying change in just a few months。 After all， one might wonder， who will support such a change？ And yet， the truth is even more horrifying than most would think。 The people who did it are your own - your neighbors， your colleagues， someone you knew dearly。These are the nameless who have brought the present into being， yet what she sees are faces the same as her own， faces that pass by as ever in this city as it breathes the ceaseless exhalations of night into day。Even when it is evident that your country is in a state of chaos and mismanagement， you may not want to believe it。 This is because accepting such a reality means leaving behind an uninhabitable and cruel world for your children。 As a parent， I know one thing for sure: no parent dreads anything more than such unfortunate turns of events。when the yard is past there will remain the world’s insistence， the world insisting it is not a dream and yet to the looker there is no escaping the dream and the price of life that is suffering， and she sees her children delivered into a world of devotion and love and sees them damned to a world of terror， wishing for such a world to end， wishing for the world its destruction， and she looks at her infant son， this child who remains an innocent and she sees how she has fallen afoul of her-self and grows aghast， seeing that out of terror comes pity and out of pity comes love and out of love the world can be redeemed again， and she can see that the world does not end， that it is vanity to think the world will end during your lifetime in some sudden event， that what ends is your life and only your life， that what is sung by the prophets is but the same song sung across time， the coming of the sword， the world devoured by fire， the sun gone down into the earth at noon and the world cast in darkness， the fury of some god incarnate in the mouth of the prophet raging at the wickedness that will be cast out of sight， and the prophet sings not of the end of the world but of what has been done and what will be done and what is being done to some but not others， that the world is always ending over and over again in one place but not another and that the end of the world is always a local event， it comes to your country and visits your town and knocks on the door of your house and becomes to others but some distant warning， a brief report on the news， an echo of events that has passed into folklore，"The Prophet Song" becomes even more poignant as set in Ireland， unlike in other volatile countries where such a scenario might be more believable。 Ireland， with its democratically elected government， adds an element of surprise to the situation。 The chaotic decline of a once powerful democracy into an authoritarian regime creates an unsettling and alarming backdrop。 Eilish's struggle， described in an urgent present-tense narration， is set against a growing insurgency that plunges Ireland into a civil war。 This war drags her family into the intense fighting between government and rebel forces。 Everything is taking toll on her family and peace and harmony is lost to the collapsing world。War shapes itself around them， gunfire that sounds like pneumatic drilling， shelling that drums the earth and sends shudders into the house， the windows and the wooden floors rattling。The "Prophet Song" is written with an unconventional structure。 It features long sentences， omits paragraphs， and lacks dialogue marks。 This unconventional style presents challenges in understanding certain aspects。 It becomes unclear who is speaking and whether the words are actually spoken or not。 Furthermore， the abrupt scene changes causes confusion and disrupts the narrative。Overall， I enjoyed the story。 Although it becomes slow at times， it is powerful and exhilarating。 It keeps the reader engaged and successfully creates a sense of claustrophobia and horror throughout。Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange of an honest review。 。。。more
Martine Geerardyn
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Dit boek heeft een aantal krachtige scenes maar in tegenstelling tot andere dystopieën als The handmaid's tale ， 1984 of Never let me go heeft het verhaal me nooit echt meegesleept in een andere wereld。 Benieuwd of het de Booker Prize wint zondag， mijn favoriet blijft The Bee Sting。 Dit boek heeft een aantal krachtige scenes maar in tegenstelling tot andere dystopieën als The handmaid's tale ， 1984 of Never let me go heeft het verhaal me nooit echt meegesleept in een andere wereld。 Benieuwd of het de Booker Prize wint zondag， mijn favoriet blijft The Bee Sting。 。。。more
Erik
，