The Heart's Invisible Furies
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-17 00:53:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：John Boyne
- ISBN：1784161004
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
'By turns savvy， witty and achingly sad， this is a novelist at the top of his game。' Mail on Sunday
Forced to flee the scandal brewing in her hometown， Catherine Goggin finds herself pregnant and alone， in search of a new life at just sixteen。 She knows she has no choice but to believe that the nun she entrusts her child to will find him a better life。
Cyril Avery is not a real Avery， or so his parents are constantly reminding him。 Adopted as a baby， he’s never quite felt at home with the family that treats him more as a curious pet than a son。 But it is all he has ever known。
And so begins one man’s desperate search to find his place in the world。 Unspooling and unseeing， Cyril is a misguided， heart-breaking， heartbroken fool。 Buffeted by the harsh winds of circumstance towards the one thing that might save him from himself， but when opportunity knocks， will he have the courage， finally， take it？
Forced to flee the scandal brewing in her hometown， Catherine Goggin finds herself pregnant and alone， in search of a new life at just sixteen。 She knows she has no choice but to believe that the nun she entrusts her child to will find him a better life。
Cyril Avery is not a real Avery， or so his parents are constantly reminding him。 Adopted as a baby， he’s never quite felt at home with the family that treats him more as a curious pet than a son。 But it is all he has ever known。
And so begins one man’s desperate search to find his place in the world。 Unspooling and unseeing， Cyril is a misguided， heart-breaking， heartbroken fool。 Buffeted by the harsh winds of circumstance towards the one thing that might save him from himself， but when opportunity knocks， will he have the courage， finally， take it？
Reviews
JOSIE WALTER
，
Only the second book by Boyne that I have read （first was the Boy in the Striped Pajamas） this is a detailed overview of what it was like to grow up in and navigate the prejudices of the Catholic Church in Ireland from the 1940s over the seventy years of Cyril Avery's life。 Cyril knows from early on that he is gay but spends his life wrestling with feelings of guilt and shame encountering violence， humour as well as and difficulties along the way。 The book leaps forward every 7 years so the read Only the second book by Boyne that I have read （first was the Boy in the Striped Pajamas） this is a detailed overview of what it was like to grow up in and navigate the prejudices of the Catholic Church in Ireland from the 1940s over the seventy years of Cyril Avery's life。 Cyril knows from early on that he is gay but spends his life wrestling with feelings of guilt and shame encountering violence， humour as well as and difficulties along the way。 The book leaps forward every 7 years so the reader has to catch up on some parts of the story while Cyril tries to come to terms with who he is as well as to try and discover his birth mother and family。 You will cry， worry for Cyril and then laugh out loud as situations are presented。。。another must read this year。 。。。more
Cheri
，
DNFI cannot even begin to tell you how much I couldn’t tolerate this book。 I read a review that used the words “Vulgar” & “Trauma Porn and that rang true。 I gave it to a friend with hopes she would be able to get through it and explain what all the hype is about。 This turned into her very first DNF book as well。 Can someone explain the obsession and reason this won BOTY？ 🙁
Meghan
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*DNF* Get ready for an unpopular opinion。。 I truly WANTED to love this one， but it was completely lost on me。 Unfortunately it turned out to be my very first DNF/ 1⭐️。 One word continued to come to mind through the months I gave it: VULGAR。 The subject matter wasn’t the problem， the beginning had me excited and curious。 I was completely sucked in to the mother’s story， but that feeling didn’t stick around for long。 I was turned off by the repetitive， uncomfortable dialogue。 By about 100 pages in *DNF* Get ready for an unpopular opinion。。 I truly WANTED to love this one， but it was completely lost on me。 Unfortunately it turned out to be my very first DNF/ 1⭐️。 One word continued to come to mind through the months I gave it: VULGAR。 The subject matter wasn’t the problem， the beginning had me excited and curious。 I was completely sucked in to the mother’s story， but that feeling didn’t stick around for long。 I was turned off by the repetitive， uncomfortable dialogue。 By about 100 pages in， I had to work really hard to stick with the story。 Truthfully， I should have stopped then， but the brief crossover with the mother had me holding out hope， not to mention I was trying hard to see what all of the amazing reviews were about。 I made it through about 325 pages （just over halfway）， before reluctantly throwing in the towel。 。。。more
Pratyush
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MASTERPIECE！！！！
Liesl Schnuck
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A compelling story， a captivating read， albeit a bit lengthy - quite enjoyable
Clay Olmstead
，
The lfe story of Cyril Avery， whose sense of the absurd carries him through a life of small triumphs， huge failures and bitter dissapointments。 The story bounces between being hilarious and maddening， tragic and triumphant。 John Boyne's wild imagination and biting sense of humor keep us going to the end。 The lfe story of Cyril Avery， whose sense of the absurd carries him through a life of small triumphs， huge failures and bitter dissapointments。 The story bounces between being hilarious and maddening， tragic and triumphant。 John Boyne's wild imagination and biting sense of humor keep us going to the end。 。。。more
Amanda
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One of the best books I have ever read。 Every step along the journey was meaningful。 The characters were lovable and loathed。 The central conflict， being gay in Ireland， was so important to the story， but often at the background。 Loved this book。
Rachel
，
4。5！
Nadia
，
This was utterly brilliant ~ so compelling， harrowing at times， often hilarious， and quite simply， hard to put down。 I was completely carried away by the story and the characters， their struggles， the highs and lows， the rollercoaster of events and the gripping， emotional journey this wonderful book took me on。
Erica
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DNF
Molly Robson
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book took me a while to get into， I admit I was skeptical， but wow is it good。 It’s filled with wonderfully developed， interesting and warm characters。 Characters who stay with you， who you feel like you’ve met before。 The author captures so BEAUTIFULLY the cruelty of shame and what it does to a psyche， both on a personal and societal level。 But still laugh out loud funny and tells you a lot， I reckon， about how to be a human。**SPOILER**The final scene with all of Cyrils’ past loves， family This book took me a while to get into， I admit I was skeptical， but wow is it good。 It’s filled with wonderfully developed， interesting and warm characters。 Characters who stay with you， who you feel like you’ve met before。 The author captures so BEAUTIFULLY the cruelty of shame and what it does to a psyche， both on a personal and societal level。 But still laugh out loud funny and tells you a lot， I reckon， about how to be a human。**SPOILER**The final scene with all of Cyrils’ past loves， family and friends visiting him at his childhood home on his mother’s wedding day had me SOBBINGGG 。。。more
Emily2419
，
This will undoubtably be the standout novel for me in 2022。 This book was a coming of age novel done exceptionally well and Boyne managed to effectively captive me throughout the years Cyril's life。 Multi generational novels are among my favorite to read and I was fully engaged in this in its entirety。 I see a lot of people picking out particular interactions as "unnecessary" to the plot line but I felt each one served its own purpose and helped add color to Cyril's life。 I also liked how Boyne This will undoubtably be the standout novel for me in 2022。 This book was a coming of age novel done exceptionally well and Boyne managed to effectively captive me throughout the years Cyril's life。 Multi generational novels are among my favorite to read and I was fully engaged in this in its entirety。 I see a lot of people picking out particular interactions as "unnecessary" to the plot line but I felt each one served its own purpose and helped add color to Cyril's life。 I also liked how Boyne didn't strive to make Cyril overly likeable to a point where it felt inauthentic and I frequently felt myself grow frustrated with him and then in another few pages， feel great endearment for him。 Overall， this was an incredible and moving read。 。。。more
Alex Stroud
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Really enjoyed this book。 It was a really fast read
Carolyn Larocque
，
Cyril certainly did not have an easy life- with religion， politics and being gay in the 50’s - horrific what happened to gay people throughout this book - but somehow he meets good people and becomes wise and gentle with himself- and he loves and is loved and in the end， you will be so happy for him！
Alexandra Katz
，
omg！！！！ can’t remember the last time i enjoyed a book this much。 it was so deep and interesting yet so witty。 i felt like i got to know each of the characters so well。 loved this book so much， especially the ending。
Mary
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Loved most of the book but found it unrealistic that a 28 year old would pine as much as the main character。
Peter Skurr
，
light easy reading。 A bit of fluff， but not a page turner。 Didn't get to finish it， as it was electronically returned to the library before I could finish。 Would have finished it if I had the time / access， but not overly worried that I missed out on a classic。 light easy reading。 A bit of fluff， but not a page turner。 Didn't get to finish it， as it was electronically returned to the library before I could finish。 Would have finished it if I had the time / access， but not overly worried that I missed out on a classic。 。。。more
Callie
，
By happy accident my hold came in just as we were headed into pride month。 I read a bunch of African American stuff in February too。 I’m not usually so organized。 I’d never read anything by this author （ok nvm， I have and didn’t realize it） and I found him to be an excellent storyteller。 Lots of funny dialogue here， too。 I listened to the audio book and whoever read was also top notch。 And I could listen to the Irish accent ad infinitum。 It’s very sexy。 It might be my favorite accent。 My only qu By happy accident my hold came in just as we were headed into pride month。 I read a bunch of African American stuff in February too。 I’m not usually so organized。 I’d never read anything by this author （ok nvm， I have and didn’t realize it） and I found him to be an excellent storyteller。 Lots of funny dialogue here， too。 I listened to the audio book and whoever read was also top notch。 And I could listen to the Irish accent ad infinitum。 It’s very sexy。 It might be my favorite accent。 My only quibble is with the length 。 I felt it went on a bit long and lost some of its power。 But I do understand he was trying to do a full life and do it justice。 I felt the strongest part was the beginning， up until he left Dublin。 I felt that Julian really added verve to the story and without him， it lost some of its energy。 I’ll probably seek out more Irish writers when looking for audio books so I can have that accent in my life。 。。。more
Susan Bradshaw
，
Loved this book！ Starts in Ireland in 1945 ， and follows one mans life through2015。 Best book I've read in a long time。 Loved Cyril and his story！ Loved this book！ Starts in Ireland in 1945 ， and follows one mans life through2015。 Best book I've read in a long time。 Loved Cyril and his story！ 。。。more
Paige Engkvist
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Loved this book， might be one of my favorites。 John Boyne takes you through the life of Cyril Avery and you become connected with the character and his world。
Andre
，
No tengo idea como llegué a este libro， solo tengo agradecimiento en mi corazón por conocer la historia de Cyril。 Sufrí， reí y me emocioné hasta las lagrimas 。
Joe Stamber
，
This novel tells the story of Cyril Avery， born out of wedlock in 1945 in an unforgiving Ireland， as he struggles through his difficult life。 Boyne weaves in real events and characters without them ever being obtrusive， sometimes using a bit of poetic licence or using unreliable characters to muddy the facts。 Maybe every detail isn't perfectly factually correct， but hey， this is historical fiction not a text book， so it's okay。 The writing is excellent， never showy， and Boyne put me through the This novel tells the story of Cyril Avery， born out of wedlock in 1945 in an unforgiving Ireland， as he struggles through his difficult life。 Boyne weaves in real events and characters without them ever being obtrusive， sometimes using a bit of poetic licence or using unreliable characters to muddy the facts。 Maybe every detail isn't perfectly factually correct， but hey， this is historical fiction not a text book， so it's okay。 The writing is excellent， never showy， and Boyne put me through the emotions， feeling bad for Cyril， loving him and at times hating him。 Many themes are explored， none more than intolerance， and Boyne never shies away from showing people at their worst。 There were a few occasions when things were allowed to meander a little， but they were few and far between。 I laughed a few times， almost shed a tear more than once， and left the last page knowing my life was richer for the experience。 。。。more
Gina
，
I really liked this book - it is epic in scope， I learned a bit about Ireland’s foundation and attitude， there were some surprises， and a good dash of humor。 It’s definitely lengthy and there were moments of trauma-porn that didn’t quite fit， but overall I’m glad I read it。
Syjil Athar
，
It's been years since I read a book that I could call a new favorite。 Nearly 600 pages long， The Heart's Invisible Furies is a long saga and I devoured it in one day。Protagonist Cyril is a very strange and complicated man who came up from very strange and complicated circumstances， and he's only one of a stunning tapestry of complex characters that I just cannot stop thinking about。 Almost every single one of them could take up a novel of their own， and Boyne artfully tells us about their lives， It's been years since I read a book that I could call a new favorite。 Nearly 600 pages long， The Heart's Invisible Furies is a long saga and I devoured it in one day。Protagonist Cyril is a very strange and complicated man who came up from very strange and complicated circumstances， and he's only one of a stunning tapestry of complex characters that I just cannot stop thinking about。 Almost every single one of them could take up a novel of their own， and Boyne artfully tells us about their lives， their motivations， and their fears piece by piece。 As a result， you're kept in the dark about certain aspects of someone's past until just the right moment， waiting for resolutions of multiple conflicts that come in just the right way。 Similar to Pachinko， this is a drama spanning decades （seven， to be exact）， but what I liked even more about this novel is that I was left completely satisfied。 Very often， novels like this one leave me wondering and wishing the writer hadn't left so many questions unanswered or ambiguous。 With expert craftsmanship， Boyne spins （and completes） multiple threads throughout the story， and he manages to be touching， hilarious， and heartbreaking at different times and sometimes even all at once。 As soon as I was done， I knew this was a novel I'd turn back to。 。。。more
Cheryl
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Yes， I really read a nearly 600 page novel in three days， because it was f-ing amazing。 Heartbreaking and horrific， but amazing。
Juli Woods
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would force everyone on the planet to read this one if I could :）
Kaylee Wolitzer
，
4。5 Stars- Superbly developed characters and a story that really draws you in。 This book made me feel so many emotions。 The audiobook narrator was excellent。
Anna Hite
，
#1 PAGE TURNER YET THIS YEARThe Heart’s Invisible Furies taught me about Irish history， prejudices， identity， politics， and so much more。 Following Cyril Avery—the adopted son of a writer and a businessman—the story that unfolds is one of tragedy and loss but mostly one of love and life。 It isn’t for the faint of heart but I believe everyone should read this novel。 Favorite quotes: pg。 225 “We hate what we fear in ourselves。”pg。 255 “I would be happier on a little island somewhere， all alone wit #1 PAGE TURNER YET THIS YEARThe Heart’s Invisible Furies taught me about Irish history， prejudices， identity， politics， and so much more。 Following Cyril Avery—the adopted son of a writer and a businessman—the story that unfolds is one of tragedy and loss but mostly one of love and life。 It isn’t for the faint of heart but I believe everyone should read this novel。 Favorite quotes: pg。 225 “We hate what we fear in ourselves。”pg。 255 “I would be happier on a little island somewhere， all alone with my books and some writing material for company。 I could grow my own food and never have to speak to a soul。” pg。 392 “His cheeks were sunken， as were his eyes， and a dark oval of purple-red sent a hideous bruise along his chin and down his neckline… life has manifested the hearts invisible furies on his face。” 。。。more
Brendon McKeon
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In totality I thought this was a sweet book; a few moments that seemed a bit far fetched， and a little long， but a quirky story that I did enjoy。
Sivona Martin
，