Life-changing
The Island of the World is so much more than a wonderful
read. It is life-changing. The story of the earthly journey
of the soul of Croatian Josip Lasta is so beautiful that
there were times I wept.
There is nothing more I can add to indicate the profound
power of this book. Read it.
A Novel of My Generation
If you grew up, as I did, a child of the Cold War, and heard the stories of the repressive nature of Communism, then watched the Soviet system and empire fall apart, you might like this as much as I did. It follows a child of Croatia from WWII to contemporary times, chronicling his struggles and spiritual growth. The book is Roman Catholic to the core. Rather long, but it never seemed that way.
Magnificent!!!
This book is a beautiful story of one man's journey through unthinkable tragedy to find love and meaning in life. O'Brien weaves parallels between his character development and the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey. With rich symbolism and an astounding sense of literary genius, O'Brien has created a masterpiece, a work of art. I couldn't put it down and found myself pondering the mysteries of human suffering and existentialism as related to the Christian world view. Very captivating and thought provoking.
Island of the World
Excellent! Should become a classic. I have read all of his other novels and they are also excellent. He is the greatest novelist and storyteller of our times and Josip Lasta (the main character)is an example of moral courage and character in overcoming life's trials. Should be assigned reading for all high school students.
A Powerful Read
I wasn't sure what to expect from this large novel, but I didn't expect something that made me look at my own life a little closer.
O'Brien does a perfect job drawing the reader into the life of his characters. I found myself identifying with Josip Lasta even though we have very little in common. Throughout the entire novel, I couldn't wait to find out what happens to Josip next. I had to keep reading to find out if he finally achieves and keeps happiness.
The tales of life under a series of totalitarian regimes made me feel grateful for my freedoms, and reminded me to be more active in preserving them. Josip's grappling with faith was inspiring, and caused me to ponder my own spirituality at length. I tried--as best I could from a novel--to learn from how Josip interacted with the people in his life. All of it put together left me thinking, and wishing I could go right back into the book and recapture the joy of first discovery.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy thought provoking, deep stories where the true meaning may take a bit of consideration to unearth.
