The Heart's Invisible Furies: John Boyne

Product Information

Being gay in Ireland in the 1950's and beyond was not simply frowned upon. Decriminalisation didn't happen until 1993. When Cyril finds himself in an intolerable situation, he does what his mother did before him - he gets out. This second section of the book, (broken into three parts - Shame, Exile and Peace), was for me, the most satisfying. Through chance and coincidence (and there are many in this book), he makes a new life for himself, first in Amsterdam, then in New York. So it's my last review of 2017, and my year in books has ended pretty much as it began with an excellent 5 star read. John Boyne is a truly gifted writer and 'The Heart's Invisible Furies' is simply mesmerising. The Hearts Invisible Furies follows the life of Cyril Avery. At a young age Cyril struggled to grasp an identity, feeling lost and unsure. Over his life he tries to come to terms with who he is and the reality of his home country.

Coincidence city. There were three big coincidences, and they DID bother me. They enriched the plot, but I twitched because they were far-fetched. But when you love a book, you’ll overlook anything.

Beyond the Book

Who is he? This is the central, burning question concerning the character Cyril Avery in John Boyne's ambitious and deeply moving new novel The Heart's Invisible Furies. Avril Hoare was enthralled. The best thing: I borrowed this book from the library too so it’s like killing three birds with one stone. Growing up gay in Ireland was a terrible trial for Boyne. He spoke of the struggle through his teens and 20s while publicising his last novel, The History of Loneliness, which looked at the issue of clerical abuse through the life of a ‘good’ priest.

John Boyne's The Heart's Invisible Furies is epic, cinematic, poignant. It lingered long after I read the final words. It is a story of Ireland from the 1940's to the present day. It broke my heart in places, it pieced it together again in others. Though full of well-crafted characters, it is essentially the story of one man's search to find out who he is and where he belongs. A perfect bite of laughter, intrigue and darkness The Heart’s Invisible Furies kept me reading like a mad person. The cast of rich, deep characters is enchanting as I felt each of them and their struggles. The writing is beautiful without being overdone, holding that perfect balance. I savored every scrumptious word from the first to the last, leaving me fulfilled. John Boyne is a superb storyteller and boy did he have a tale to tell! There are difficult themes surrounding homophobia and the treatment of gay people; ultimately this is a novel about the relationships experienced throughout one person’s lifetime. The novel is dedicated to John Irving, a friend of Boyne’s, and there are similarities between the two authors, both in their chosen themes and writing style.As time moves forward, many different events take place. Cyril get’s married, he moves away and starts a new life, wonders where his real mother is and who he really is. Will Cyril ever find the love he deserves and will it last? Of the 20 First Impression reviewers of The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne, 16 gave it four or five stars, netting an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5. There are some moments of real bleakness and sadness that literally brought me to tears. However, this isn’t a depressing novel. It’s full of heart and made me laugh out loud on several occasions. As Cyril grows older, he begins to realise that he's not like other boys, he has no interest in girls, and indeed when he meets Julian Woodbead at the age of 7, he's completely obsessed with him and this will continue for many years. He begins to see Julian as the love of his life, however it's a love that's not returned and something he has to keep secret - this was a time when it was a criminal offence to be homosexual, and at the very least would land you a severe beating.