The author, in this particular novel, does not appear to empathize with the characters he created. Instead it seems that he composes cliche stereotypes that lack any sort of development despite the life changes he puts them through. Contributing to this lack of character development is the fact that Toibin spends a great number of pages providing very intimate descriptions of minor characters and settings which do not impact the story line. This overly descriptive writing style causes the book to slowly plod along despite the "devastating news from Ireland" which provides a ghost of a conflict.
In spite of the tedious writing I did like the story that Toibin was trying to get across: the dual life of an immigrant and Eilis' inability to fully identify with either life she had created for herself in Ireland and Brooklyn. But rather than choosing to develop this inner conflict, the author brushes it aside in favor of Eilis doing what is honorable. There were so many opportunities for Toibin to develop her into the woman Rose had intended for her to be in coming to America, but Eilis shows an astonishing lack of comprehension of the world around her (i.e. she was unfamiliar with the holocaust) and of her own self-awareness that she remains flat, uninteresting, and difficult to sympathize with.
Lastly, Toibin provides excellent descriptions of the setting in Brooklyn that seem more fitting to the 1920's and 1930's rather than the 1950's. Although I cannot speak for what Brooklyn was truly like in 1950, the absence of the impact of WWII and the constant references to ethnic segregation so prevalent during the time America was a "melting pot", make it difficult for me to believe in the time-frame in which the author chooses.
Unfortunately I would not recommend this book to a friend, although to be fair, there are enjoyable passages within the book.Get more detail about Brooklyn: A Novel.
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