Customer Reviews

Trinity

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I read this book from start to finish while sitting on the floor of my bathroom, leaning up against the tub (it was the only room in my apartment with a heater). Around the 400th page I dropped it in a full tub of water by accident, then held the individual pages up to the light so I could continue reading. The last 15 pages took me 2 hours to get through because I was sobbing convulsively and couldn't see through my tears- the words were THAT powerful.

Not only did Uris do an incredible job of helping me understand the basics of 19th century Irish history and events, but both the truth and fiction of the novel connected me to the subject like nothing I've ever experienced. The revelations I had as a result of reading "Trinity" have altered my life permanently. While I always "felt badly" for oppressed cultures, since reading "Trinity" I understand more internally how heartbreaking it can be to live as a member of a subjugated and abused people. Though I have to admit my first instinct upon reaching the last page was to try at all costs to join the IRA (as irrational and impossible as that is), when the tears finally stopped I reluctantly admitted to myself that that was an entirely inappropriate way of directing my anger and adopted pain. Instead, to this day I wish I could go a hundred years back in time and dedicate myself to one of the only causes I know in my soul to have been not only righteous- but not, as Conor feared, hopeless. Since that is impossible, I'm actively looking for a cause that grabs me in a similar way as does the Irish struggle for freedom. Somehow, after reading "Trinity", I'm not as excited as I once was when "Seinfeld" or "Gilligan's Island" comes on TV (not that they don't still make me laugh!)... and that's a good thing. As silly as it sounds, "Trinity" has helped me get a better handle on what are the more important and fulfilling things in life.

If I were the ruler of the world, I would insist that every high school student take a class that picks apart this novel and the concepts it addresses. For anyone who likes to sit and ponder, or yell indignantly, or reach out with their heart, this novel is perfect. Aside from the issue that is Ireland, Uris forces into one's full consciousness the many facets of humanity's ability for evil and good, selfishness and selflessness, and all the other feelings and ideas that make the world what it is.

PS. "Redemption" is the perfect title for "Trinity"s sequel. While in some ways I found it disappointing (there were some incongruities in the complete storyline, and quite a bit of repetition regarding Conor), there are several scenes that made the read very worthwhile. "Trinity" left me overflowing with emotion and a need for "more"; "Redemption" left me content- the circle was completed, and that completion gave me reason to smile. And, if nothing else, the story of Gallipoli is fascinating, horrifying, and an important chapter in the military and colonial history of British Imperialism.

What makes Leon Uris a gift to modern American writers is his ability to allow himself to become totally engrossed in the story which, in turn, draws the reader in with him.

In this book Uris' love for the Irish people comes to fruition as he chronicles the early days of the Irish rebellion against the English colonial occupation. Unlike his other works such as ARMAGEDDON-where he tries to set forth all points of view regarding a subject-he does not even try to justify the partisan politics of Ireland; the English are bad, the Irish are good.
Whether or not you agree with this one-sided mentality and how he represents the political and religious quagmire that is (and was, and probably always will be) Northern Ireland, this is still a great book.
This was the first Uris book I ever read and this made me an instant die-hard fan. The characters are engaging and endearing, almost making you miss then and resent the book for having ended.
The prose is also vintage Uris (this was when he was playing around with multiple narrators and time-frames and yes, he is at his best in this book). But what gripped me was that I had to take a step back and remind myself that Uris is an outsider to this history and these people-as an American Jew he is extremely sensitive to the subject which makes it all the more engaging.

The book is about 800 pages long, so if you are new to Uris you may want to start with something smaller such as MILA 18 or QB VII. But then again, this book is a testament to Uris' talent for detail and heart-warming characters caught in heart-wrenching events, so don't be shy, the summer is long and so is this book. Sit in the sun and enjoy!

*Disclaimer*: if you get a little emotional with good books (like me) you may want to keep some Kleenex handy for the last chapter.

Having read this book,I have come to the conclusion it really gives a complete insight into a definite period of Irish history. For example, it clearly distinguishes three very different families. A nationalist, a unionist, and a family of aristocracy. We read how these families think and behave in very different ways. The nationalist family tend to see the situation from a purely Irish point of view. The unionist see things from a British and Irish point of view. Whilst the aristocrat family see things purely in a British way. So the story enlightens us of what is like to live in a land where there is conflict of interest. The author, it seems has done deep and much research before writing this book. One living in Ireland can easily recognise the existence of such families. Therefore it is not diffcult to realise why this country continues to exist in a state of uneasiness. Finally the author should be congratulated on his work and on his insight to the Irish way of living and life. Mr. Sean Haynes

I can't remember being fascinated by a book for quite a long time. But on reading Uris' story of Ireland, I was. "Trinity" covers roughly the thirty years after the 1880s and tells a story mainly about the leading character Conor Larkin, who - being the son of a proud Catholic landowner in the village of Balleytouge in Northern Ireland - becomes more and more involved in the conflict between Protestants and Catholics, Republicans and Loyalists. The author's skill to melt the personal story and the nearly documentary background of especially the Ulster province into one is brilliant. Thus, there's nowhere the clear- cut contrast between the English and the Irish, revealing lots of more facets of a conflict of old. Conor's commitment to the Irish cause is against his own will, leading him into personal tragedies as well. Trinity is a story of love and hate, richness and poverty, freedom and bondage. What makes it outstanding, is its authenticity. The last chapter's heading is: a terrible beauty. This is, what could also be the best definition of the whole book as well. Whoever starts it, will not wish to lay it aside until he's read the last page. A really great book!

Can anyone tell me why Leon Uris does not have one book on the Top 100 20th century novels list? Trinity is and may always be my favorite book. There are an incredible number of themes woven into a story told in the rich Irish storytelling tradition. The desperation of starvation, the hopelessness of oppression and discrimination, the fury of love lost, the morality and justification of vengeance and revenge-- it goes on and on. Trinity is a story of epic proportions. After reading the novel, one spends hours, even days reflecting on it's tremendous content. It is a beautifully told story of a nation of rich history and tragic beauty. The reader's emotions swell and bubble, tremble and burst as the story swings from humor to desperate frustration, from hopelessness to passionate inspiration, from love to hatred. The reader progresses through the life and struggles of a man and a people gradually stripped of all hope, all life. Trinity is the most engrossing novel I have ever read, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to truly understand the basis of the Irishman's Troubles.

Writing a review of the book, Trinity, by Leon Uris is like trying to write a review of the song, "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. It's great and legendary. It's very popular and has sold millions of copies. It reads just a good today as it did when it was written. It was not without controversy in it's day and has a little still today.

You should read this book because it's a great story that also explains history in a compelling way. You will 'feel' what it's like to get caught in sectarian street fighting or a fire trap factory.

Some criticize this author because he writes simple sentences and easy-to-understand characters. Gosh how terrible -- that it's easy to understand. That's why it can be read quickly and lets the reader be captured by the story and not the language.

To decide for yourself, just read the first few pages available here on the Amazon "Look Inside" preview. Chances are good that you will get to the end of the preview and be disappointed that you can't turn the next page. If so, then buy this book.

It disturbed me to learn, while reading Trinity, that Leon Uris passed away at the age of 78. I'm glad I was reading one of his most acclaimed novels when it did happen, so finishing it made it that much more special. I will admit I did try to read this novel about 15 years ago and couldn't due to its heavy subject matter, but I'm glad I took another crack at it.
I must say that Trinity is a wondrous and expansive novel. Uris weaves many, stories and tales over the years with seamless ease.

We are presented with 3 families of different backgrounds, the Larkens (Catholics), the Hubbles (protestants) and the Weeds (Presbyterians). All have an agenda of their own, whether it be respect, money or carrying on a lineage; we are shown each side and how they play on each other. Uris paints a vast portrait of the Irish lifestyles both rich and poor. Friends made and friends lost abound.
What confused me before reading this novel were the other reviews, some went on to say that Trinity drew two dimensional characters and lacked depth, and I can say that that is furthest from the truth. These characters, such as the hero Conor, or his the love interest Shelly, or the power hungry Weed family, each has their side of their story told, and told well. We are carried from the characters' childhood till there mid thirties, and I felt as though I knew each one in and out. This is Leon Uris's most accomplished work, though not my favorite, Armageddon still holds that title, this is without a doubt a great, fulfilling and richly detailed novel about a period and piece of the Irish struggle and how a few people deal with it.
We did lose a great story teller, R.I.P Leon uris, you will be sorely missed.

I read most of this book on the plane on my way over to Ireland, and although it was not by any means my first introduction to that period in Irish history, it was (and is) indubitably the best. Writing from that "tragic, lovely land" now, I can assure you that Uris has captured the spirit of the land and its people in an amazing way. I find myself reading the last thirty pages or so over and over even now, two months after I first finished the book. If you want to understand the troubles in Ireland, read this book. If you want to enjoy an amazing story by a master story-teller, read this book. In other words...READ THIS BOOK!

I had to read this book in high school and was daunted by the size, but once I realized it's not a preachy, symbolic novel like the ones you usually read in English classes I was totally captivated. I've recently re-read it as an adult and it only got better. The politics, families, and conditions of the era are beautifully told and gives you a glimpse into the Catholic/Protestant wars of Ireland.

Having come to "Trinity" after a break of some twenty years since reading the Uris classics "Exodus," "Mila 18" and "Armageddon," it was a very pleasant surprise to be able to discover that old zest for life, that lusty undercurrent which marks his work and fills it with an unmistakable energy. At the same time, "Trinity" enabled me to discover something about my own Irish background, and put the perspective of history into a new position for me altogether. In fact, so tainted were we, some of us, by the version of the other protagonists in that ghastly story, that we had a curious emotion, verging on shame, when it came to being part-Irish and perhaps more importantly, not sufficiently English. I imagine that a great many people know what I mean. It is through books like "Trinity," Keneally's "The Great Shame" and McCourt's "Angela's Ashes," that we are starting, many of us who were not born in Ireland but who have solid links of former ownership (however tenuous they might have appeared), to finally get the gist. I know one person who really had almost a prejudice against their own Irish family of last century, who came away from "Trinity" with a very different perspective indeed.

It's really an awful story, and if you wonder any longer why the troubles have continued so long and so bitterly into the last century and, quite possibly, into this one, you must be reading it upside down. At the same time, it's a great Uris yarn, if one may be permitted to say so. And it doesn't make me ashamed at all, after reading this, to be doing some proper wearing of the green.