Long Island by Colm Tóibín

‘Long Island’ by Colm Tóibín is the much anticipated follow up to the wildly successful ‘Brooklyn’ from 2009. So how do we find Eilis Lacey and will this updated instalment be as as satisfying as the first outing?

Brooklyn

I'd preordered this (not something I do too often) but I loved the first book. I avoided reviews, but did see a few general statements on bookstagram that avoided plot spoilers, but some readers did say that they were left a bit unsatisfied with it, in particular how emotionally restrained it felt. Others loved it and I couldn't wait to immerse myself in that world again. As usual with my reviews, I’m not going to spoil the plot.

Firstly, it's easy to get ‘Brooklyn’ the film and the book mixed up. I had to remind myself before starting the book that we left Eilis heading to the docks in Enniscorthy in a taxi (does she get on the boat?), whilst in the film we see her back in Brooklyn. And as the book is entitled 'Long island' you can guess where she ended up.

It’s twenty years on in the early seventies (there are a few timestamps - Dublin car bombings, and Watergate are two). All I'm going to say is that Eilis is married in Long island, with Tony, mother to two teenaged children and firmly ensconced in the bosom of her husbands Italian family. So far, so good - until early on, there is a knock on the door.....That's all you’re getting from me.

Enniscorthy & Long Island

Although I enjoyed the Long island setting and how almost immediately it sets up the story, it really sprung into life for me when the ‘action’ moves to Enniscorthy. This is such a beautifully realised world, and I felt the way the narrative switches perspectives between the three characters works really well.

I really enjoy Toibins style of writing, his ear for dialogue, and the little details. A man at a wedding dances his partner around the floor 'like a man driving a tractor.’ l slowed my pace in this one, just to enjoy it that wee bit longer, dragging it out for days longer than I probably needed to but I didn’t want to leave it.

Ireland

I enjoyed the depictions of ireland - it's not radically different from the 50's Ireland of the first book, but lets just say some of the characters are a bit ‘looser’. It’s a changing Ireland, with the church not having as tight a grip. There's a cracking wedding scene, where songs once considered Irish staples are a bit quaint. Mind you, what comes after, with a hilarious Tom Jones classic, doesn't go down well either. Toasted sandwiches suggest a bright new world for Irish cuisine in the pubs, whilst the carryon at the chip shop at chucking out time draws the ire of local residents.

Eilis is a great character - I have to say that she's less reactive than in the first book, where she could be swept along by events. There's a bit more decisiveness to her now, and her character is all the better for it. There are times when she frustrates me, but as we know her thoughts, we come to understand her actions, and to me they are altogether human. I think it also helps that we get to see the situation from three distinct viewpoints - gives space to the narrative.

I don’t get the emotionally restrained accusations - like Brooklyn, or indeed Claire keegans recent works, the feelings are lurking under the surface - I didn't need them spelt out for me. It's whats between the lines, what the characters don't say, the pauses and awkward silences that tell you all you need to know. As a reader, I was all in.

The plot had me gripped until the last sentence. Perfectly paced, I believed in the characters and the actions that they took. I don’t want to say anymore because alas, ‘Long Island’ ends on another cliffhanger. More please.

Summary

Just like ‘Brooklyn’ the film or the book, I found this storytelling to be immensely satisfying, the writing poised and delicate, and can only hope there's a third book. Is the past a foreign country? Or in the words of Dylan 'She says, “You can’t repeat the past.” I say, “You can’t? What do you mean, you can’t? Of course you can.” You’d need to read it to find out if this is true.

This is beautifully restrained, wistful book. Lifting it again felt like reacquainting with an old friend. 

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294 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2024 by Scribner