title: How to Build a Boat by: Feeney, Elaine published: 2023-04-20 read: 2023-11 preview

Apologies. When Anne Enright says, ‘Beautifully rendered and imagined’, one may also interpret that as negative criticism because of what Enright does not say in that sentence; but I took it as a recommendation I could pass on. Enright’s ‘The Wren, The Wren’ is amongst my all-time highlights, so this must be a great book, too. And it got a Booker Prize longlisting on top, so I cannot go wrong.

Right?

Wrong.

When he was 13, there were two things he especially wants in life: to build a Perpetual Motion Machine, and to connect with his mother Noelle, who died when he was born. Felix father’s stoicism and his own imagination create an emotional landscape where memories rule.

While Felix’s father embodies both protection and distance, friends and local townsfolk shows their own struggles. The boat becomes a symbol – not only of Felix’s inventiveness but also of his desire to navigate through his feelings and reach out to connect with Noelle in some ethereal way. As he works on his project, Felix learns about resilience, acceptance, memory.

Yet despite its potential for depth, “How to Build a Boat” ultimately felt like it drifted along without anchoring itself in profound themes or character development. While I anticipated an exploration akin to Enright’s celebrated works – rich in emotional nuance – I found myself needing more. The writing created vivid imagery; but it often felt as though it was merely skimming the surface rather than going deep.

Perhaps this book is worth reading if you appreciate poetic language – but don’t expect it to anchor you as powerfully as you might wish. Not for me it did.