Eggshells

Vivian was not quite wired right. She has no friends, she avoids mirrors, she tells unwelcome truths and fighters children. She has inherited her aunt's house, freeing her of the need to work, so she spends her days searching for a portal into the fairy world in which she believes she belongs.Vivian has a distinctive voice that does remain consistent to the end. Initially this is beguiling; the reader wants to diagnose Vivian, perhaps cure her. The reader hovers uneasily between horror and humour as Vivian fails to comply with society's norms. Some of her actions are endearing - advertising for a friend called Penelope - and some are irritating - making long lists of words that the reader soon learns to skip. There is also a strong sense of pscho-geography with walks around Dublin, peeling street signs appearing to have been edited by fairies, and a tour of the various modes of public transport - we even get to go to the airport even though Vivian is not flying anywhere.However, for a short book this feels very long. The unvarying voice and lack of narrative arc become very fatiguing. Perhaps there is supposed to be an unravelling of Vivian's sad background but it seemed quite obvious from an early stage. That left the whole thing feeling like a short story told over and over again, never going anywhere and certainly never arriving.

EGGSHELLSBYCAITRIONA LALLYVivian Lawlor is searching for friendship and companionship as she struggles to find her place in this world, a world in which she believes she does not belong in.‘It’s that space between kingdoms where transformation occurs, that thin place that I am trying to find’.She has been left her recently deceased Aunt Maud’s house on the North Circular road in Dublin. Vivian does not find it easy to wallow in the habitual. She finds daily life frightening.‘I don’t know why people talk of the terror of being buried alive-surely the terror is in being alive’.Vivian’s daily quests to find her true place in the world take her out through the streets of Dublin where she searches for:‘The places that contain fairytales and magic portals to another world, a world my parents believed I came from’.Vivian visits graveyards where she reads the headstones of the ‘Dearly Beloved or the Sadly Missed.‘Death brings out the worst of lies’.She didn’t cry when her father died; she cried when he was alive. Despite all this gloom and doom the account of Vivian and Penelope’s friendship is uplifting and very funny.It has been a long time since I have read a book so captivating and emotionally exhausting. I cannot praise this book enough. To me it is like a national treasure and I thank Caitriona Lally for creating a magnificent magical portal to an intriguing world.In my opinion this is a work so precious I can barely begin to quantify this book’s impact on me. Suffice it to say I will be recommending this little literary gem to everyone.

This could have been a brilliant, Eleanor Oliphant-esque story… instead, it was 95% (literally) repetition of Vivian’s daily outings, her different ways of interacting with people and how she views the world… with no substance.The book’s description says that someone should ask “is Vivian ok?” - but nobody does! What?! Vivian clearly has a tragic past and uncertain future, but this isn’t explored at all.I hate to leave a negative review, but I’d really suggest not bothering with this book, unfortunately.

This is a totally charming story! Caitriona uses beautiful and colourful descriptive language to illustrate the story of Vivian who does not fit into the world with any great ease. Vivian looks at life from a perspective different to anyone else whom she knows. She is misunderstood. She is not afraid to try to be what she thinks she is - a changeling looking for her right path. It is localised in Dublin, bringing me to consider some likeness to the writing of Joyce and Beckett, particularly in the language style and the free association. The roads and streets of Dublin come to new life as do the people on the streets as we walk and travel with Vivian. I look forward to the next book from Caitriona Lally.

For me this felt like a failed attempt to write an "Eleanor Oliphant" style book, but without an actual story to maintain the reader's interest. The many lists became boring page fillers, there was very little, if any, character development. It was repetitive beyond the point of tedium. It's only positive was the price. I skim read the second half, just to find out what, if any, resolution would be reached. Alas, I was disappointed to the end.