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| Plot Summary of At Swim, Two Boys |
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"Against the dramatic back-drop of rebellion in Ireland, 1915, two young men set out to swim towards the Muglins rocks, off Dublin bay. A growing awareness of their feelings for each other is bound up with Ireland's growing awareness of the coming conflict with their colonial masters, Britain. The 10 years it took the author to write, bears fruit in the wonderful, almost Joycean langauage and the compelling descriptions of Dublin & its surroundings."
Paul McMichael, Resident Scholar
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"I wrote this book, so you won't be surprised that I give it a fairly high score. Still, I think it is worth reading, from your library if not your bookshop. It's set in Dublin 1916, the time of the Rising against British rule. The main story is of two boys who find in their love for each other the country they will fight for. Other things of course happen -- it is 200,000 words long. But the question it asks, put very simply is: Is the love of Ireland so very different from loving an Irishman? The writing at times, I've been told, is quite poetic."
Jamie O'Neill, Resident Scholar
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"Two teens in Dublin, Jim Mack and Doyler Doyle, rekindle their childhood friendships. As they spend more time together, it is obvious they are attracted to each other as more than friends. Together they embark on a quest of self-discovery at the same time that Ireland prepares to rise against British rule. This is the brilliantly written story of their love of each other and their country."
Michael Da Costa, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of At Swim, Two Boys |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- 1900-1920's
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Inside culture (main char)
- Irish
Other aspects:
- story of the poor
Internal struggle/realization?
Yes
Struggle over
- conduct in war
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society)
- Irish
If story of urban/rural...
- Small town life
Coping with loss of loved one(s)
Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Lover is
- of a different social class
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Irish/McCourt
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 9 ()
Water?
Yes
Water:
- swimming on
Small town?
Yes
Style
Person
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- touching of anatomy
Unusual Style:
- a lot of play on words
- No single main character?
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Click here for more information about this book
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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