January Colours: Two Broken Lives in Need of a New Beginning

by Curtis Adler

A subtle and moving debut from a new Irish talent; January in Dublin. Margaret Boyle is at an all time low. Her academic career has stalled, her self-esteem is crumbling and she fears her American husband is on the brink of an affair. In a moment of desperation she sends him packing. Without a home and bewildered by his wife's behaviour, Paul finds himself renting a room from an elderly widow while he deals with the turmoil at work and attentions of the pretty, flirtatious Elaine. Curt Adler examines the passion, the greed and ultimately the vitality of contemporary Dublin life, as gradually Margaret and Paul try to piece together their broken lives and search for something enduring, something that will finally last.

320 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Amy]

In 2011, I decided to set myself a little reading challenge quite apart from my Goodreads number (which is 100 for this year, by the way) and decided to read a book each month with that month in the title.

That, therefore, is how I came to January Colours. It's June now as I'm writing this review and I can safely say that this has been my least favourite of the first five months (I'm yet to read my June book - still deliberating!)

There's nothing actually wrong with this book. It's not badly written and it hasn't got a plot full of holes but I just couldn't quite bring myself to like it. The lost man making friends with an old wise lady thing is so, SO horribly overdone and I'm tired of it. In fact, I was tired of this book halfway through - I can't say I found it subtle nor moving like the blurb so forcibly suggested I would. It is a book populated by people in pain but they are people that I can't bring myself to care about what happens to them, unfortunately.

[Lovesreading06]

I did this for a challange i'm doing. Its not my usual books i go for but i really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other people.


I really enjoyed this book.

[Shadoh]

Different...seemed too simple tho confusing at first...gets better....strangely worded chapter titles