Customer Reviews

Fork in the Road

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's been a week since I finished this book, and it's still in my mind every day. One of the best books I have ever read, period. I was mouthing aloud the Irish street dialogue as I was reading to savor it. So authentic. No one can accuse Hamill of shallow characters either; Gina Furey is only the most unforgettable character I have ever come across in fiction.

But this novel isn't merely a character study - it's also a tragedy, a love story, and bits of lough-out-loud hilarity.

The one warning, however, is that if you're offended by foul language, it'd be a good idea to stay away. I'm not offended by it at all, and believe it necessary in fact, as these characters would surely speak like this if it were reality.

The highest praise I can give this book is that I'm now reading it again, more slowly and carefully this time. That's something I've never done with any book.

I recently spent a weekend reading this book. I made time for eating and sleeping, but not much else.

I haven't read something in a while that so satisfied all of the reasons I like to read: I read to laugh and this book has some amazing one-two punches that had me laughing uproariously. I also read to find heart and this book is full of heart, these characters are complicated, made up of all the broken pieces that drain us and all the warm qualities that make us human. I read to find the truth, or someone's own version of it, and this book is very true to its characters. These characters are three dimensional and more, so complicated that you're never sure which direction they're going to take.

This story buoyed me up yet broke my heart at the same time. Denis Hamill has written a fine book, let's hope the movie people don't screw it up. It'll be damn near impossible to put Gina Furey on the screen, but I wish them a lot of luck as she is an incredible character.

This is the best book I have read this year.The insights into the travellers' life in Ireland were fascinating. The emotional side of the story was handled in a very realistic way. Unlike many "love stories" the characters in this book are not all good or all evil - they have faults and flaws which do not magically disappear in order to have a "happy ending". I look forward eagerly to the next book from this gifted author.

I really liked this book. There were parts that made me wince, there were parts that made me sad, there were parts that made me laugh out loud. You find yourself wanting to shake the protagonist, make him see some sense. You find yourself wanting to talk to the characters, help them figure out the messes they're in. You're drawn into the book, absorbed by the issues and problems, swallowed by the circumstances that surround the two lovers.

As a part-Irish American, married to an Irish-Canadian, I was fascinated by the slice of Irish life presented in this book. The realities of life for the Irish Travelers are so far different from those we Americans experience! Hamill illuminates these people with an unflinching glance at their lives (assuming his descriptions are true), and lets us see how a dismal childhood can affect one's entire life.

All in all this book is a great read. I found it hard to put it down, and when I did, I wanted to be reading it to see what was going happen. It's not the most uplifting book I've ever read, but certainly captures ones attention and holds it to the bitter end.

In this novel, a young American filmmaker named Colin meets Gina as she is picking his pocket in a bar in Dublin. Both lives become forever changed at this point and the rest of the book is about choices made, cultural differences, love, family ties, and making movies. It is a roller coaster of emotions and a wild ride with characters you will never forget. Street talk makes you feel like you are really in Dublin as the author transports the reader to another place in today's world. Denis Hamill writes scenes that are hilarious, tragic, gritty, and fun from Dublin to Los Angeles to NYC. The jacket art caught my eye and once I started reading, I couldn't stop.

In this extraordinary novel, Denis Hamill gives new meaning to the phrase "bringing characters to life." They are so riveting that several months after reading it, I can still remember exact scenes, dialogue, and details. This novel is one of my all time favorites, and I've been telling everyone to read
it.
The fork Colin Coyne takes veers through the Irish sub-culture of tinkers, or travellers. Colin has fallen for an enigmatic tinker woman, Gina Furey, and this wreaks havoc in his life. Gina and company are the type who would "steal the sugar out of your punch," as my Irish grandmother would say. Colin and Gina's story is so compelling it was very hard to put this book down. I plan to read it again, for the pure pleasure of it.
This is the best detour you'll ever take!

I read this book on a flight to Hawaii. Much as I wanted to sleep, i couldn't put it down. I felt like I was watching a very good mystery/love story. The suspence kept me turning the pages. This author has mastered the Irish manner and voice. I instantly got attached to all the characters. The family of travelers was as bizarre as any Felini cast. So many emotions were explored throughout the chapters. The juxtaposition of Ireland and New York was fascinating. There was never a dull moment.

I decided to read this book because I saw that Alexander Payne, who directed the movie "Sideways", is going to direct the movie version. I'm sure he will greatly improve this story, as he did in adapting "Sideways", the novel. This is a great idea for a story, and it will make a great movie if done right! There is a ton of plot, and you will turn the pages eagerly. The Irish dialect and the locations of Dublin, New York and Los Angeles are very well used and interesting. The mesmerizing Irish female character, Gina, is one you will not forget. The problem is that at a certain point the characters' actions cease to remain believeable, and even worse, you as the reader become preoccupied by it, and start to resent it. The author has set up this great story for you, and then he sabotages it by often losing touch with how real people would remotely act. I think the author simply went for too much plot, at the expense of his characters, who we do care about. Still, a week after finishing the book I continue to think about it, and that says something. Can't wait for the movie.

Thoroughly enjoyable novel! The characters are very well developed even if the situations they find themselves in stretch the boundaries of reality - but isn't that why we read novels.
As an Irish woman, I can say that the language and slang used are very true to form. I could hear the Irish Traveller accents clearly in my head. Those of you who thought the bad language was overboard have obviously never spent any time in inner city Dublin. This is genuinely how many talk.
It is nice to see an American writing about Ireland without the pathos and Oirishness we so often see!

This novel begins as a light, amusing love story but picks up momentum in the latter half of the novel when reality sets in. The young Irish gypsy is wonderfully written and the language, though coarse, is colorful and quite typical of the expressions and accents of my Irish friends. The author has done considerable research into the Irish traveller community and provides us with real insights into this impoverished, marginalized people. I cared deeply for both characters in the end, tearing through the last 100 pages to learn their fate.