It is a beautifully crafted story with a hauntingly surreal setting. The way the author writes the descriptions in this book is so atmospheric and beautiful, I would read this book for that alone not to mention the very interesting story that takes place. I love how it seems like the author loves the setting of the story and so they wrote it with so much conviction and love. This is a fantastic but if you’re looking for something a little slower and beautifully written.

Stunning debut by an Irish author and landscape painter. Mr. Lane has succeeded in painting a gem of a book with his words. It is a haunting story of a family outing at the beach that turns tragic and the survivor's guilt.
It was an emotional story that was enhanced by the author's ability to make me" feel". It was a very visual read for me........I could see fog and smell the sea. I am definitely looking forward to more of his work.
Pub
Many thanks to Eoin Lane, #Blackstone Pub. and #NetGalley for the ARC.

5+




"

Beyond the horizon is the story of a man. Of a spectacular painting. Of one life.

Colin lost his father to the see when he was just a boy. Yet, as he started to paint and eventually be noticed as an outstanding artist, the see kept pulling him back to her and influence all of his life and career.

I enjoyed the first half of the story a lot. Halfway through the book I started to enjoy it less than I did. I can’t point out exactly why but some parts of it felt rather disappointing.
I loved the descriptions of the Irish sceneries though! It felt like an enchanting world!

A beautiful and atmospheric story by author and artist Eoin Lane that captures the depth of human spirit and the love of art.

There’s nothing really wrong with this novel, but I just couldn’t relate to it. I found the central character, artist Colin Larkin solipsistic and uninteresting, and his odyssey to become the painter he does, whilst illuminating up to a point, somewhat tedious in the exposition. The book follows 6 decades of Colin’s life as he works to perfect his art. It’s a quiet, almost dreamlike, introspective novel, well-written, for sure, but simply not one that engaged me.

<blockquote ><b>"A picture is worth a thousand words, but well chosen words will take you where pictures never can" </b> </blockquote > (Unknown Author)

Such was the case for me whilst reading the beautiful debut novel <b>Beyond The Horizon</b> by Eoin Lane.

It would be fair to say I don't truly appreciate art the way some do. I'm no artist and if I'm honest I don't understand the fuss nor recognise the value in some of the masterpieces.   Yet for the duration of this novel, with thanks to Eoin Lanes well chosen words,  I was most assuredly an art lover.  

After a traumatic event at the age of six, Colin was mute for a period of time and the Doctors advice to his mother was to distract him.    Knowing he was creative, just as his late father had been, she encouraged him towards art.     This so called distraction turned out to be fortuitous as art was pivotal to all the major events of Colins life. 

This was a gently told story of life and death.  It was a love story.  One of romance but also familial love - the enduring bond between a mother and her son.   There was grief and there was loss but there was also joy.  There were friendships and betrayals.    And central to it all was his abiding love of his art - his life's work.   The language was beautiful and every word contributed to the picture being painted.  And in this case the picture brought tears to my eyes more than once.

Throughout the story, which held me captive from the very first page, I loved Colins passion for his art and admired his skill.   I was almost envious of the way he could summons a painting from a blank canvas and had I been able to visit a gallery containing his work I'd have been there.     It didn't hurt that his great passion was capturing the sky and the sea.  Personally I cannot get enough of sea views.   I can, and often do, watch the ocean for hours on end, admiring the play of light, the colours, the way the sky interacts with the sea.   I never tire of this so reading about his art was delightful and it made it so easy for me to visualise and appreciate his work.   

Though Colin was the central character in this novel it came as no surprise to me to learn the author is also an artist.  His passion overflowed and was expressed via Colin.     Like I said at the outset, I've never acquired a true love of art.  Words however are a different matter.  I appreciate the beauty in the written word and this author excelled. Whether he is as skilled with the paintbrush I may never know but I'm very glad he decided to try his hand at writing.    A wonderful debut novel I highly recommend.

My thanks to Eoin Lane, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which I was delighted to provide.

Okay, I requested this book (on Netgalley) mainly because of (unanimously) fabulous reviews and the backdrop of the story. It's about a child who has witnessed a tragedy that affects him badly. Her mother tries everything to make him feel better (and normal) and realises that the child has the talent of painting. And then it's all about his journey as an artist.

Well, it's about art and artist, so it intrigued me, as I am an amateur artist. But, this book really disappointed me (terrible reading phase!).

The beginning is interesting. The language is beautiful but the storytelling is so vague that after certain point, I didn't know what I wanted to know. I didn't care about the journey the protagonist, which is sad. I get it that it's about art and the artist but I feel, for a novel, there's too much art/artist that it started getting dull. There was nothing I was looking forward to. There was no character (after a certain point) that I felt connected to.

To be very honest, I skipped several pages and, to me, it didn't make any difference, which is, again, sad.

Overall, I'm disappointed. I really wanted to like this book but didn't.

I'm sorry I could not finish this book. It was such a slow slow read and just not very well written. It's just seems really flat

"A narrow band of rock emerging from a swathe of grey nothingness. A veiled swirl of nothingness, A fairy fog. A mist. A thin finger of land scratched delicately through the haze. The mythical island of Hy Brasil."

Beyond the Horizon is a fantastic debut novel! Written with lyrical, beautiful style, it's a touching story dealing with loss, grief, betrayal, love and finding yourself.

6-year old Colin is on a summer holiday with his family when the tragedy strikes. While swimming in the sea, the waves engulf him and his father, leaving Colin the only survivor but leaving him mute. We follow him growing up, struggling with the loss and following his dream, as he discovers he's got a talent for painting.

From the very beginning, this novel drew me in instantly. The author managed to create characters and the story that felt real, but wrapped it all up in beautiful words. I especially felt for Colin, this quiet boy and later man, and his journey. We witness him going through so many tragedies, because they're just a part of our lives and we can't do anything about it, but the ending left a smile on my face and left me with a bit of hope.

Even though the main focus is Colin's life and journey as a painter, I felt like the nature and the sea were also very important. Colin is always moving, going from one place to another, searching for the place he could truly call home. In his travels, the sea is his constant companion, and while he goes through the turmoils and struggles, it changes with him too, which shows through his paintings. Even when he's living in the city or in the mountains, I could still feel his yearning for the nature and sea, and as a nature lover myself, I could relate to it and loved that.

The writing was absolutely stunning. The author created beautiful imagery and established a wonderfully flowing style, that's lyrical but not too flowery. The descriptions of nature, Ireland and the sea left me in awe, and I found myself saving a lot of passages, simply because of how beautifully worded they were. It's worth mentioning that Eoin Lane is a talented and accomplished painter, and it truly shows in his descriptive writing. He was also able to perfectly show the readers the inner thoughts of the artist and I found it absolutely fasctinating to read about Colin's painting process.

Finally, I also felt like this novel had this underlying nostalgia and sadness that I sometimes find in the works of Irish writers and I that do love. Rather than outright tragic and full of drama, the story was haunting and powerful in a quiet way. The only thing that I had to get used to was the structure and multiple flashbacks, which would sometimes jump between different timelines from one paragraph to another. But they got more sparse with time and always brought this deeper layer to the whole story.

Beyond the Horizon by Eoin Lane is a wonderful debut that I would recommend to everyone! With beautiful and evocative writing, it's a novel that will transport you to the foggy and windy shores of Ireland, where you would hear the seagulls calling and would feel the salty air on your face. I definitely look forward to any future novels by Eoin Lane and highly recommend that you give this one a try.

BEYOND THE HORIZON is recommended for fans of literary fiction. This is a novel to be savored. If you're in the mood for a fast-paced thriller, look elsewhere. But if you enjoy meticulously crafted prose and an artistic sensibility, BEYOND THE HORIZON is sure to be a winner. I enjoyed Colin's character development as he handles grief from a family tragedy and looks to painting to save himself. The author does a beautiful job at conveying the Irish setting as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This debut novel is a perfect read. I was immersed from the very first page and with each page Eoin Lane paints with brushstrokes of words that are beautiful, lyrical, haunting and thought provoking.
This is the story of a young man, Colin who has been affected by the loss of his father in early childhood and the influence of the ocean. The tragedy he experiences will play a part in his life from that day forward. Through his art and time spent at the sea, he finds comfort and solace as he searches for a place along the coast of Ireland where he can create that one special painting. One that will identify him and his passion for the sea and sky and wait awaits on the horizon.
I devoured this book in one sitting and savored every word. The characters are real and as I lived each moment with them they became a part of me.
I have never read a book with the artistic expression and beauty that resonates throughout each chapter. Eoin has taken a blank canvas and has made a literary masterpiece.
I look forward to future novels from this very talented author.
Five stars.
Highly recommended.

First, congratulations to Eoin Lane on his debut novel Beyond the Horizon!

A fun family outing by the sea turns tragic. Young Colin was traumatized after the event. He would retreat within himself to deal with the grief.

Eileen sees her son Colin has a talent for painting and shows him his father's artwork and a Paul Henry painting. From this point, Eileen encourages him to follow his dream of becoming a painter. Painting soon becomes Colin's passion.

Through Colin's journey in life, his story is filled with love, loss, frustration, and betrayal. He releases his thoughts and feelings by expressing it in his art.

Eion's style of writing pulled me in right away. It was an enjoyable read, unlike nothing I have read before.

I recommend this novel to others you enjoy expression through art,

Special thanks to Eoin Lane, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m judging a 2020 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

The water was changing, but she wasn’t looking. There was sun on her eyelids and the tang of seaweed in a freshening breeze. She moved her hand slightly, spilling the tea, she opened her eyes and watched the colored tumblers rolling like tulips on the sand.

The tension and lyricism in the first pages. Stunning.

Beautiful almost poetic prose in a debut novel by an established artist. Layers of pigment and meaning overlap, creating a work of almost impressionistic beauty. The total effect can only be appreciated at a distance, but the viewer has to get close to appreciate the workmanship.

I enjoyed it. I did find it difficult to follow at times, but it definitely had an artistic storyline, which I always enjoy. The setting and the landscape depictions were beautifully done. I understand the Author is also a painter, which adds to the depth and breath of the story. At times, the book read like a prose poem, with very beautiful artistic language which again, added another dimension and added to the texture of the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to review this woderful book.

jb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

This one is a hard book to review, in the beginning I was a little lost and just couldn’t relate to Eileen and how she handled her son and his life after the accident. I kept wondering if the story would take off or start improving. I realized the book is written in a style that switches back and forth between time frames and sometimes it is difficult to follow who is speaking. But then the story takes a turn, can’t really say when or exactly what timeframe or scene, may have been somewhere with the cat, but at that moment I had a grandeur feeling and realized this book was so deep and absolutely beautiful.
You need to be in the right mood to read this one, don’t try to hurry it and if you are listening instead of reading, it helps to backtrack and re-listen in order to get the full spectrum of the enormity to feel the richness of the scenes and feelings.
This is a beautiful book about the true love and complete loss one person can go through. When Colin starts remembering different aspects of his marriage, that was an eye-opening experience for me. The author does many things right in this one. It’s not a fast-paced mystery murder but it is certainly a heartfelt wonderful experience. One of those books that you will remember with fondness for years to come. The ending was a perfect way to tidy it up.
I want to thank Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. Well worth the read, it’s a 5-star book.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"She points the lens of the camera. The artist turns his head slightly. The light catches his brow and his silver-white hair. She snaps. He is lit like a Vermeer. One man. The sea. One painting."

Interesting. It's reminiscent of a procedural kind of story, very mindful of what an artist would experience in thought and emotion as they create a piece of art.

3☆

If you are at all in the mood for a beautifully written book evocative of the art and the artist it depicts, I would recommend you pick up a copy of this story. It is one where the words paint a picture of a picture of the life a person leads who is consumed with a passion that seems to blot out all other things. It's a story that's brooding, a tale of Ireland and its moodiness that at times descends on those who live there. It's a tale of a young man influenced by the sea and a loss that seems to propel his life forward.

What does lie beyond the horizon?

Expecting a day of happiness, Colin, his mom and dad go to the ocean, but then poor Colin is subjected to a tragedy. The drowning of his father, seemingly before his young eyes, occurs. It is a trauma so enormous that Colin becomes mute and this tragedy effects and runs through the rest of his life.

Colin's mother recognizes the inner turmoil her young boy is experiencing and so she shares with him his father's art and gives him a print of a Paul Henry landscape, awakening in Colin a wonderful desire to paint, to create, to capture the sea that took so much from him.

Years later, Colin meets a woman and through her he relates the story of his life. This is a story of love and loss, loss of the ones he loved, loss of friendship, loss of a way forward at times being so consumed by his art that he forgets about being human. It is a sad and brooding tale of a young boy grown to adulthood being drawn to the sea and its power over what he sees and wants to ultimately capture.

Colin seems always adrift and it is only the sea that seems in its way to bring comfort and solace. It is only through his art that Colin feels fulfilled and even though he finds love through the enigmatic Aisling, a troubled soul herself, it's just not enough. For Colin seeks the sea and the place where the sea meets the horizon. He wants to capture it, to paint it, to feel that there is more beyond that place. It is his ultimate goal, it will be the one painting that matters. His life will be dedicated to that destination.

Beautifully told with a keen eye on what it is like being someone who truly sees the world before him, Eoin Lane has created in his first book, a beautiful yet tragic look at what a passion in life can be. He creates a tragic figure in Colin and yet in the end we do see the hope that does come when one is able to see beyond the horizon.

Thank you to Eoin Lane, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of the book due to be released in June of 2020

Lovely study of a life. Sweeping saga of an artists experience from childhood to death. I so enjoyed this exploration into what inspires art and the artist.

BEYOND THE HORIZON - Eoin Lane
Perfect 10
Blackstone Publishing
ISBN-10: 1982641541
ISBN-13:978-1982641542
ASIN: B0842ZBH6M
June 23, 2020
Literary Fiction
Ireland, starting in 1951

Six-year Colin Larkin is playing on the ocean’s beach with his father, Jim. The waves surge and retreat on the shore. Eileen, Colin’s mother is there, too, watching them race into the water before she prepares a picnic lunch. Her three older children are climbing the hills behind them. She looks up at the water again. She can’t see her Jim or her son. Running to the water’s edge she finds Colin and saves him, but not Jim. His body washes to shore days later and miles down the shoreline. Colin doesn’t speak again for a long time. When he does, and goes back to school, he becomes interested in art, drawing water scenes and the effects of light.

Throughout art school, he is best friends with fellow student Michael. Their Instructor, Stanley Fitzgerald, is a tough and blunt advisor telling Colin painting is about more than what can be seen. It is “something spiritual, something intangible.” Colin meets another odd mentor in an older woman, Adeline Bell, who will also encourage his painting. At the end of the three-years of schooling, Colin’s paintings of light, water, and mist on the far northern island of Inishtrahull earn acclaim at the final exhibit. Michael shows up with his girlfriend Aisling. Throughout the years the relationship between the three of them will change in dramatic ways.

In BEYOND THE HORIZON, author Eoin Lane creates a very lyrical novel about life through ever-changing scenes switching from present to past and back, like waves of water flowing in and then receding. Colin’s paintings are like metaphors for this change throughout the story. Viewpoints shift between characters, but all are centered on Colin like waves crashing over an island.

I found the story a little difficult to follow at first, but the awful event of his father’s death kept me reading until I became enmeshed in Colin’s life. It is an unusual story filled with emotion and an excellent read.

Robin Lee