Despite the fact that ‘The Heart’s Invisible Furies’ features bigotry, abandonment, child prostitution and murder, this Bildungsroman is a really uplifting read. We follow the adventures of Cyril Avery (not a real Avery as his adoptive parents are keen to let everyone know), a gay boy born in 1945, growing up in an intolerant Ireland amongst vicious priests who encourage judgemental attitudes at every turn. At one stage so appalled is Cyril by his own homosexuality that he tries to live a straight life with disastrous consequences. His adoptive mother dies when he is young, his adoptive father spends time in jail and his best friend, Julian, with whom he is obsessed, is entirely unaware of Cyril’s passion for him. The hundreds of sexual encounters he has in his 20s leave him feeling empty. With all this in mind, the story, which clearly charts the very gradual acceptance of gay rights over much of the twentieth century, could have been a very depressing read.
However, it really is very funny indeed and this is partly what turns the novel from a ‘worthy’ political read into a completely engaging, heart-warming experience. How could anyone not enjoy Cyril’s self-deprecating humour and waspish social commentary and rejoice in his ability to survive some pretty terrible experiences as he grows to accept who he is and play his part in an unconventional family group? Cyril Avery is a wonderful man; far from perfect, he struggles on as best he can whilst crazy coincidences and acts of God contrive against him.
John Boyne’s cast of larger than life supporting characters, sometimes infuriating, sometimes downright appalling, sometimes hilarious and sometimes entirely generous, play their supporting roles brilliantly too. Boyne has taken the subject of gay rights, central to his life, as he explains in his Afterword, and written a post-modern comedy of manners subverting all that we might expect. Even the final marriage is extraordinary: funny, delightful and an apt conclusion to Cyril’s story. A wonderful novel; I defy you not to take Cyril to your heart whilst you are also reminded of the terrible things that are done, over and over, in the name of religion.

This is a very cleverly written book that by rights should have been depressing but it has been written in an upbeat way with a smattering of comical parts. The details of life in Southern Ireland, ruled by the catholic priests was a real eye opener to me and if friends who had been out there had not told me how true it was I would have found it unbelievable as it was I was dumbfounded by the truth that was the basis of this book.
At times I felt sorry for Cyril who seemed to try so hard to hide the truth about himself to his friends, especially Julian. Although this is well written there are a few parts where a time lapse is not made clear until further on leaving the reader a little confused. Cyril has been given the characteristics of being so gentle and genuinely a caring person which is lovely. I have to say that the way this has been written highlights the many aspects of being a homosexual but I found that all the coincidences were unbelievable but were necessary to give the final consequences. I found that I did not want to stop reading as I needed to know the next episode in Cyril’s life. The characters were well described and could be imagined so easily as real people.

This tour de force from John Boyne is a magnificent saga of the last 70 years told from the viewpoint of one complex character. Cyril is illegitimate and homosexual - not a good background in mid to late 20th century Ireland. Cyril is more likely to make mistakes and bad decisions than most people which, combined with a certain amount of bad luck, leads to a troubled life for our storyteller. There are elements of humour to lighten things up and the general wit of the writing makes this novel a joy to read. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for making the proof of this ebook available to me.

This is by far the best book that I have read in a very long time! In one sense funny and in other so very sad it is the story of a gay man born in an unforgiving Ireland.

Thanks so much to Penguin Random House via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this brilliant book. It rounds off an exceptionally happy reading year for me.

Everything I have long admired in Irish writing distilled into one novel. His ability to combine a lightness of tone with the darkness of the themes is a joy to read. I feel unable to do it justice, there are so many great reviews out there. Suffice to say I am going to buy it for everyone I know for Christmas and continue recommending it well into the New Year and beyond.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld for my ebook copy of The Heart’s Invisible Furies.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne is the best book I have read this year, one of my all time best, featuring alongside Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks and An Equal Music by Vikram Seth. It is that good. A novel that spans seven decades, a tapestry of social and political events in post-war Ireland. A tale of one man seeking happiness, looking for his true self in a country beset by the Catholic church, moral hypocrisy and sexual repression. One man - Cyril Avery.

Who is Cyril Avery? Adopted at birth in 1945 by Charles and Maude Avery his adoptive parents who persist in telling him he is not a real Avery and never will be. Despite this he is well looked after and cared for by the wealthy Averys. He was born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community. Cyril has no idea who his birth mother is. Cyril will spend a lifetime seeking an identity, a journey that will take him to many countries over his three score years and ten when happenstance will feature so often. The reader knows what Cyril doesn’t. Throughout, this results in passages of belly-laughing hilarity and heartbreaking moments that reduced me to tears.

This is the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. It has made me laugh out loud and well up with tears, often on the same page. it reminds us of the redemptive power of the human spirit. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is a joy to read, a treasure, near six hundred pages of perfection.

I loved this book and have been fortunate enough to obtain the hardback edition signed by the author. A wonderful keepsake.

This is the first title I've read by this author, but what a start!

Initially I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book - being a retired Left Footer, it reminded me of the numerous hypocrasies of the Church (particularly in Ireland) and many of its followers - however I persevered, and am glad I did!.

I admired Catherine's strength of character, quick wits, and open-mindedness in the face of adversity, and the book grew on me. I felt much sympathy for both Catherine and Cyril and it made me think about the trials their real-life counterparts must have gone through.

I grew fond of some of the other fine characters, whilst others (Julian in particular) left me cold. The fact that the writing illicits genuine human responses is a testament to this author, and I will be seeking out more of his work.

Without revealing the plot (which always annoys me in reviews!), I was glad that Cyril (and Catherine) grew in strength and courage and found happiness, love and kinship along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

This book! It was absolutely wonderful, my book of 2017. I can't even write a review to do it justice, I just loved it and am telling everyone who will listen how brilliant it is! This is the first book from John Boyne I have read, but certainly won't be the last.
A substantial read, one to savour and not rush through, this tells the story of Cyril Avery (not a real Avery of course). The reader is there for his birth and meets up with him again every 7 years when we find out what significant life events he is going through. He is born to an unmarried mother who has him adopted, and every 7 years, their circumstances draw them closer together.
This is a damning indictment on the vast influence and cruelty of the Catholic Church in Ireland. The treatment of his mother by the church is horrific, and the prejudice and cruelty Cyril is subjected to as a gay man is just heartbreaking. However, this is also a very funny book, I was howling with laughter, then heartbroken and in tears, regularly when reading this. The characters are wonderfully written and the story is just amazing, I would urge everyone to read this book.

Trite though it may sound, I loved The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne.     Surely there's a more eloquent way of describing my feelings towards this book but right now that's the one that fits best.      From the first page I was captivated by the writing, by the voice of Cyril our narrator.    I could hear the delicious Irish accents so clearly and I adored the humour in his telling.    It was a moving story - one which told of disappointments, heartbreak and tragedy over the course of 70 years - and yet I did more than my fair share of laughing.   Yes the odd tear escaped too, I'll admit it, but the heavy content was handled perfectly.    By advancing the story by seven years with each chapter Boyne cleverly managed to bring the reader up to date without exaggerating the sentimentality.  

Cyril, our narrator, is 70 years old looking back over his life. His story begins before his birth and we hear of his mother being cast out of the family at age sixteen, in disgrace for being unmarried and pregnant.     She adopts out her newborn son and he is raised by his adoptive parents Charles and Maude Avery.     Not especially likeable, these two were highly entertaining characters for all the wrong reasons.     Wildly inappropriare and particularly unsuited to parenthood Cyril simply accepted his lot in life with this couple as his parents.    His life was a continual struggle to find his place in the world, to conform to societal norms, to accept himself and not  necessarily to expect happiness but to make the best of a bad situation.  Cyril said it best with this quote <i> "... I didn’t have the courage or maturity to be honest with myself , let alone with anyone else. But on the other hand, my life is my life. And I am who I am because of what I went through back then. I couldn’t have behaved any differently, even if I’d wanted to."<i/>

Having just finished this wonderful book I feel incredibly grateful to the various Goodreads friends who steered me towards it.   Naturally I am thankful for the incredible talents of John Boyne a new-to-me author and I look forward to exploring his other works.     Thanks too to the publishers Random House UK and NetGalley for making it possible for me to review this digital ARC.   The pleasure was all mine.

There is absolutely nothing that I can say which will ever come close to doing this book the justice it so very deserves. Normally, I devour books in only a matter of hours but this book, and I know it is longer than my usual average read, took me over three days to read. I am usually a bit of a speed-reader but this book had such power over me that I was forced to slow right down so that I could savour every single delightful word it offered me. It rather put me behind in my TBR but, you know what, I really don't care; it was that good!
It's basically the story of Cyril (not a real) Avery and, after a bit of a story about before he was born, we first meet him as a young child after being adopted. We then follow him through school and on to work and beyond as he makes his way in the world.
When you open this book and dive in, be prepared for a somewhat emotional rollercoaster of a ride. There are some really rather shockingly depressing parts which could have dragged the book down too far had it not been for the wonderful humour that the author injects at exactly the right time and exactly the right level for it to redress the balance perfectly.
The book being is set over some 70 years. It is split into sections, each seven years apart going from 1945 until 2015, each section starting with a little summary of what we missed in the jump from the last. This gives the author lots of history to include. Obviously set it Ireland, we have the IRA but we also have other poignant things included such as AIDS and the uprising of homophobia that came along with it. And, by the end of the book, gay marriage and more acceptance. It really got me thinking how Cyril's life had been so different had he been born and grown up these days instead.
Every leading man needs a partner and here we get two main ones. Julian is Cyril's best friend and then there's Bastiaan who takes Cyril first over to Holland and then to the States, giving him an insight of how things are different for "their sort". I am not going to say more about either of them here as I feel you need to get to know them as the author intended.
There is quite a bit of fate and serendipity to be had in this book, going hand in hand with the odd coincidence too as it happens but it never felt contrived. Not one bit. It's funny, I thought of some of the things in this book when I recently read an article in the paper where a groom had found a picture from his wife's early childhood that shows him in the background although they never actually met properly until they were both adults.
All in all I found this to be an entrancing book that sucked me in early, held me captive throughout, leaving me satisfied at the end.
I've never read this author before but I have toyed with reading The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Maybe I'll endeavour to squeeze it in sooner rather than later as I did find his writing entrancing.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

When I first started this novel I really enjoyed the subtle humour that was apparent but somehow this became lost in the future chapters which went on and on and on. . What a shame this book had so much going for it but sadly became boring.

Two stars for the story but three that it was well written.

I loved The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, but have not read any more of this author's work. I will now!
This is the story of one man's life. Cyril, born in Ireland of a single mother, adopted by a couple who show him little affection, he realises early on that he is homosexual and suffers greatly because of it. Ireland's past prejudices are described in horrific detail. He travels to Amsterdam, and New York, and finally back to Ireland again, gaining and losing a wife and children and the people he loves most. The ending is sentimental and tear-jerking but the read is delicious; funny, graphic and disturbing in places. Many of the world's major events feature as a background and root the story in time and place. The author is very accomplished and the novel is perfectly structured and the characters are believable and well rounded. I enjoyed his notes at the end. The funny bits made me laugh out loud, but don't call it a comic novel - it is much, much more than this. I think that this is my favourite book of the year.

In this truly epic journey we follow the life of Cyril Avery, and discover who and why he is. It's a fascinating read, and although I didn't always like Cyril, I really felt for him as he faced difficult life events. And by the end I really felt that I knew him and had great affection for him.
An eye opening account of how difficult life was for a gay man born in 1945 Ireland, and often horrifying in the level of bigotry that he encountered.
This is one of the most moving books I have read in a long time. A definite recommend.

I would like to thank Random House UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Heart’s Invisible Furies’ by John Boyne in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
The narrator of this novel is Cyril from before he was born and handed over to the nuns, then adopted by Charles Avery and his wife Maude with whom he spends a comfortable but loveless childhood. It describes his time at school, his friendship with Julian Woodbead, and his discovery that he prefers men to women.
This novel gave me an insight into the Catholic Church, homosexuality and life in Ireland for a young boy. It had its humorous parts such as when Cyril went into church to confess his sins and the priest keeled over and died with shock, but generally I found it too long and it lost my attention on numerous occasions. Although it started well it became repetitive and I found the characters unconvincing.

Opening in 1945 and following 70 years of sexual repression in Ireland until the 2015 vote that made same-sex marriage legal, this is a tender and unexpectedly funny look at the life of Cyril Avery: illegitimate, gay, forced into keeping his true self hidden even from those to whom he is closest.

Boyne has succeeded in wrapping up what could have been a profoundly depressing tale in a narrative voice which is honest, self-deprecating, and with an Irish lilt to its cadences. Cyril isn't an obvious protagonist: already somewhat self-effacing, his strange family and perceived aberrant sexuality combine to keep him unwittingly at a distance from people, especially his best friend with whom he is in love. Yet his voice to us is intimate and various: sometimes tender, sometimes bitter.

There's definitely a kind of caesura at the halfway point when Cyril, perhaps at his most blundering, most misguided, finally leaves Ireland, and there are some necessary yet rather predictable developments. The end is more sentimental than I would have chosen... and yet still had me in tears.

From the afterword this seems a very personal book, one which, beneath the humour, conceals real stories of waste and unfairness, of changes that came too late for some people. And yet Boyne has also made this life-affirming and generous in the widest sense. The 600 pages fly by: easy reading with emotional depth and important things to say.

This is an epic read which touches on so many subjects and themes I knew little about. Ireland is so near and yet so far. What we hear on the news is just one part of it, and I have no idea of what it must have been like to live as a gay man in the 1940s onwards. The role of the church, the oppression an the fear of being ‘outed’ was not just a question of identity but it could get you killed. The attacks, the homophobia, is this the world we lived in and to some extent still do? Breathtaking in its cruelty and brutality but John Boyne illustrates a Dublin and Ireland which pulls at York shows more facets of this world and when we come up to the present day and the 9/11 attacks, the world of hatred has different targets but it sadly still exists.

This is a long read yes, but a worthy one and Cyril Avery a fascinating and worthy narrator with so much to tell. It’s an unforgettable book and has so many layers to it, with journeys, memories and humourous yet tear jerking events on every page.

It’s a sprawl of a novel but one which captures a series of black and white snapshots of a country in flumox - it’s the little details that come to the fore to fascinate.

witty, moving, gripping examination of ireland's hypocrisy. long (600 pages), but it was so well-written i barely noticed. three-dimensional characters and gorgeous writing pulled me into the story so deeply that i was momentarily confused about where i was after i'd finished reading the book.

This book. THIS BOOK. I cannot remember the last time I became so thoroughly immersed in a story, fell so deeply in love with the characters, and had my heart so fully ripped out. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a masterpiece. Most people will know Boyne from his hard-hitting children's book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, but this book is something else entirely.

I'm not sure where to start. This book has been doing well with critics so I expected it to be pretty good - I just didn't expect it to be unputdownable. I also thought it might be hard-going, but it was a really easy read, albeit long and sometimes depressing. At one point, the characters have a discussion about authors and what makes a good book and I found this quote especially fitting:

"He tells a story, and that’s what I like. Does this fella tell a story? He doesn’t spend twenty pages describing the colour of the sky?"


Because, as much as I love descriptions and metaphors and whatnot, there is nothing I love more than just a damn good story. Which I think this book is.

It is essentially the life story of Cyril Avery from conception to old age. He is a gay man born into an extremely conservative Ireland and his personal experiences are set to the backdrop of two harrowing histories - the modern history of Ireland, the IRA and terrorist bombings, and the long, difficult history of LGBT rights. It is rife with the sexism and homophobia typical of the era.

The story moves from the postwar period, showing an Ireland that is almost theocratic in its obsession with the church, to the more liberal 1980s in Amsterdam, to New York City in the middle of the AIDs crisis, and back to a more modern Ireland that is moving towards the legalization of gay marriage.

There's a lot of the kind of humour I really like, which tempers a story that is in many ways an incredibly sad one. There is profound loneliness and depression in being gay in 1960s Ireland:

The belief that I would spend the rest of my time on earth lying to people weighed heavily on me and at such times I gave serious consideration to taking my own life.


But the characters shine through the darkness with dialogue that is dry and silly:

‘What’s a pervert?’ I asked.
‘It’s someone who’s a sex maniac,’ he explained.
‘Oh.’
‘I’m going to be a pervert when I grow up,’ he continued.
‘So am I,’ I said, eager to please. ‘Perhaps we could be perverts together.’
****
‘I’ve never even heard of President Eisaflower,’ said Bridget with a shrug.
‘Eisenhower,’ I said.
‘Eisaflower,’ she repeated.
‘That’s it,’ I said.
****
‘Is that supposed to be a joke?’ she asked.
‘It was,’ I admitted. ‘As I heard the words coming out of my mouth, they sounded less amusing than I thought they would.’
‘Some people just shouldn’t try to be funny.’


Neither the history of Ireland nor the history of LGBT rights is a particularly happy one, so the humour was a really great balance to this.

And I was just completely taken with all the characters. As with the opening quote, none of them are merely heroes or villains. They are not neat and they make mistakes, sometimes horrendous ones that will challenge your ability to love them, but I, at least, found it easy to forgive them for being so painfully human. What happens toward the end of the New York chapters will come as no surprise, and yet that doesn't make it hurt any less.

The ending is absolutely perfect for this kind of story. It is happy in many ways, but it does carry a certain sadness with it. A bittersweetness to round off a life tale full of love, misery, heartache and hope. It was wonderful.