November 2, 2024

Say Nothing



Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
Nonfiction
Narrated by Matthew Blaney
2019
Finished on October 28, 2024
Rating: 2/5 (OK)

Publisher's Blurb:

In December 1972, Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, was dragged from her Belfast home by masked intruders, her children clinging to her legs. They never saw her again. Her abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes.

Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders.

Patrick Radden Keefe writes an intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions.

I've been meaning to read Say Nothing since I first heard about it after its publication in 2018. Two friends recommended the book, but it wasn't until I learned that Hulu had adapted Keefe's book that I decided to try it on audio. Matthew Blaney's exceptional narration (and lovely Irish accent) should have held my attention, but this is a book that needs to be read in print, perhaps with a yellow highlighter in hand. I wound up listening at 1.50 speed (my usual is 1.0, but that was far too slow for this book), but it still felt excessively long. I lost track of several of the people mentioned, and the chronology was difficult to keep track of as I listened. I was expecting a more detailed story about Jean McConville's abduction (and ultimate execution) rather than an excruciatingly detailed account of the Troubles and the Price sisters' hunger strikes. I went into the book with very little knowledge of the Troubles, although I have vague memories of news reports of various bombings in Ireland. I was surprised to see (while looking up a list of "notable" bombings on Wikipedia) that there were at least 10,000 bomb attacks from 1968 to 1988, and there were additional attacks up until 2001.

Despite my lackluster response to the book, I still intend to watch the TV series. 

8 comments:

  1. I like your new header here. Beautiful.
    Thanks for reviewing this book, I am adding it to Goodreads now. So behind in all my visiting and posting lately.

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    1. Thanks, Tina. I loved the Tetons!! I wish I could say the same for this book. I know it was very well received when it first came out, but I didn't love it. See what you think. I'm behnid visiting, as well. We're traveling again, but will be home in a few days. I'll play catch-up after Election Day. I hope.

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  2. I liked this book more than you did and am looking forward to seeing if the adaption to screen makes it a bit more exciting/interesting.

    I bought Holly by Stephen King on Friday night and am really looking forward to reading it.

    Let's all keep our fingers crossed that Tuesday's election goes well and smoothly.

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    1. Helen, I think a lot of readers enjoyed this book more than I did! I do think the TV series will be good, though. I'm not sorry I read the book, since I did learn a lot about the Troubles.

      Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Holly!

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  3. This book has been on my list since a neighbor raved about it years ago. I'll take your advice and read this in print, and maybe supplement with audio on my walks. We'll see how it goes...

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    1. That sounds like a good idea, JoAnn. The reader was really enjoyable to listen to, but it's a bit dry for that many hours of listening.

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  4. Maybe I will pass on this one. I have read novels set during the Troubles (and seen movies) which are pretty good but the way you describe this one it seems quite dry and long.

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    1. Susan, maybe the series will be worth watching...

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