FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Colm Tóibín's consummate narration of his new collection of essays charms and educates in equal measure. The 11 pieces, written between 1995 and 2022, explore topics ranging from Catholic popes and the author Marilyn Robinson to Tóibín's homosexuality, treatment for testicular cancer, and childhood in Ireland. An award-winning journalist, novelist, and poet, Tóibín is analytical, elegiac, and often very funny, with a great eye for the telling detail. His soft, slightly nasal tenor and gentle Irish intonation are interestingly mellifluous; "power" becomes "paar" and "carefully" is "kerfully." He narrates deliberately, giving listeners time to absorb the writing. Occasionally, he lingers over words and phrases for maximum effect. It's a poet's approach, which works. The result is entrancing. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR A GUEST AT THE FEAST
“Colm Tóibín has written superb novels...but if you’ve only read his fiction, you’ve been missing out on a wealth of wonderful essays and criticism....Not to be missed.” —LitHub
“Distinctive, remarkable ...Fans and newer readers will be absolutely glued to every word.” —Bay Area Reporter
“This isn’t Tóibín’s first foray into nonfiction—but it is one of his most intimate." —Sophia M. Stewart, The Millions
“A Guest at the Feast is a reminder of Colm Tóibín's power as a writer of more than just fiction...Tóibín's cleareyed, considered critiques of powerful people and vivid personal essays can make readers long for a place they’ve never seen.” —Sarah McCraw Crow, BookPage
“This volume opens with his poignant journey through cancer treatment and a looming sense of mortality... A hallmark of Toíbín is his uncanny ability to deftly express the emotional undercurrent in his writing, be it loneliness, anger, or nostalgia.” —Bill Kelly, Booklist
“An erudite and consistently stimulating collection.” —Harvey Freedenberg, BookReporter
“Tóibín gathers 11 essays that showcase his versatility in this erudite collection of previously published material... this collection places him in that same class. Tóibín’s fans will relish these sharp reflections.” —Publishers Weekly
“A celebrated novelist... magnificent...these essays show the landscape of the author’s soul, mapping out events that have shaped him as a person and writer... throughout, the poetry of Tóibín’s prose is as impressive as always. Readers will savor every page of this book. Erudite essays from one of the world’s finest writers.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review
“The breadth of the collection is impressive... Written with brutal clarity and flashes of humour, it encapsulates Tóibín as a whole, a master of light and shade.” —Sarah Gilmartin, Irish Times
“Throughout the collection, it is the droll, melancholy elegance of the prose that guarantees the reader’s enjoyment.” —John Mullan, The Guardian
“There is nothing flashy about these essays, no showing off. They are always interesting and intelligent, written in an admirably clear prose free of academic jargon. In short, this is journalism at its best.” —Alan Massie, The Scotsman
“Sumptous... Tóibín creates a sweeping, lyrical portrait of the small-town idiosyncrasies, natural landscapes and family histories in southeast Ireland on which his novels have drawn for three decades... But fittingly, it’s precisely the details of that provincial world that Toibin conjures up superbly here.” —Robert Collins, The Times
“Tóibín’s voice is so powerful and distinct, his descriptions so precise, that a single thread does weave through each of these pieces and does not snap... virtuoso... the pieces in A Guest at the Feast are a tantalizing glimpse into his full fictional powers. Time to crack open Brooklyn again.” —Laura Hackett, The Sunday Times
“Tóibín does something interesting with the illness memoir here: he seeks no lessons; he tries only to be good company on the page. His eyes are always alert; the guest at the feast is always watching closely.” —Kevin Power, Irish Independent
“Tóibín’s writing is what people these days inevitably describe as nuanced, a word that has become a kind of shorthand for expressing a person’s rare ability to understand – or to try to understand – the foibles of others.” —Rachel Cooke, The Guardian
Library Journal - Audio
06/10/2024
Irish novelist Tóibín (The Magician) narrates this collection of 11 essays, imbuing each with expressive warmth and dry wit. These previously published essays dwell on everything from religion to cancer to literature; all are marked by Tóibín's piercing observations and powerful prose. Listeners will be captivated from the beginning, where, in the opening essay, "Cancer: My Part in Its Downfall," Tóibín details his grim battle with testicular cancer. With humor and courage, he describes how an unusual mixture of symptoms delayed his diagnosis, leading to a prolonged ordeal with chemotherapy. The book's middle section contains essays addressing religion and the Catholic Church. Here, Tóibín details the role of faith and Christianity in Marilynne Robinson's writing and discusses his complicated feelings about the Pope. He is critical of the political and social stances of the Church in much of his writing. VERDICT This absorbing collection, so intimately told, is an excellent choice for any library seeking to expand on its religious and social commentary. Tóibín's fans will want to dig in.—Susan Cox
