This Is Happiness is one of those novels that takes all of your brain power to process. Niall Williams is indeed a very well-read individual, and his intellect is clearly conveyed in this polished novel "because life enjoys confounding effort." English majors will savor the complex terminology, but for those of you more like me, I would caution you to read this one on a Kindle as you will constantly be highlighting words for definitions. Williams also has a sharp sense of humor, and I often found myself laughing out loud at his subtle wisecracks, "Saint Anthony has often found my glasses, wallet, and keys. Why he keeps taking them in the first place, harder to say."
Personally, I enjoyed the story revolving around the introduction of electricity in Ireland. This is not something I ever stop to think about - what it must have been like in those early days awaiting something so incredibly life-altering. The descriptions of local residents waiting in line to use the one phone in town was also intriguing.
Young Noel and worldly Christy move readers along in this coming-of-age recollection, and the reader is transported into a small, sleepy town where true adventure is only a bike ride away and gossip remains the best form of daily news.
The author also does a fine job of making the reader ponder life and its fleeting quality, as well as the nuances of human nature "So compelling is the evidence of our own eyes and ears, so swift is your mind to assemble your own version of the story, that one of the hardest things in this world is to understand there's another way of seeing things."
Overall, if you're looking for a novel that is refined and thoughtful, one that you have the time and patience to indulge in, then this is your ticket!
Read 10/11/20
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