Call number
FIC DON
Collection
Genres
Publication
Little, Brown and Company (2022), 272 pages
Description
In this beautiful story of adventure and survival from the New York Times bestselling author of Room, three men vow to leave the world behind them as they set out in a small boat for an island their leader has seen in a dream, with only faith to guide them. In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks--young Trian and old Cormac--he rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. In such a place, what will survival mean?
Media reviews
Taking one of her regular breaks from contemporary fiction, Donoghue has left behind none of her ability to spin a compelling story and people it with sharp characterizations...Reminiscent of Room (2010) in its portrayal of fraught interactions in a confined space, this medieval excursion lacks its
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bestselling predecessor’s broad appeal, but the author’s more adventurous fans will appreciate her skilled handling of challenging material.
More fine work from the talented Donoghue. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
In the 7th century, an admired scholar and holy man comes to visit a rural monastery. That night, he has a vision; he and two fellow monks sail down the river and out into the western ocean, seeking an isolated island to found a new monastery on. Brother Artt immediately acts on this vison; he
The three of them set sail on the river in a tiny boat made of skins. They all have what they feel is necessary to live on their own, but the boat is overloaded and so Cormac and Trian are forced to discard important tools and supplies. Artt’s Bibles and other books, though, all stay on board. Artt truly believes he has been chosen by God, and that God will provide everything they need. If it doesn’t appear in their environment, obviously God doesn’t think they need it.
After going down the river for several days, the trio comes to the open sea. Trian can sail, but mostly they go where the currants take them. Any place that has people anywhere near is rejected. Then they come across a couple of islands, a huge, bare rock now called Skellig Michael. Covered with birds but obviously untouched by humans, Artt declares this as their new home. They set about finding shelter for the holy books (but not themselves), finding food and fresh water, and setting up an altar. Trian and Cormac both have good survival skills, but, while Artt is very educated, he’s ignorant as to what it actually takes to survive. He puts Trian, who has been fishing and catching birds to eat, to copying part of the Bible. He puts Cormac, who has been foraging and starting a scraggly garden, to building a church of stone. How will they survive come autumn and winter?
Even though the story is almost completely set outside- they have no real shelter- it’s oddly claustrophobic. They are so closely bound by Artt’s demands- Trian and Cormac have taken vows of obedience to Artt- that it feels like they can’t breathe. It’s a very tense tale, as everything that can go wrong, does. By the end, the tension is almost electric.
The writing is gorgeous. The descriptions of the surroundings and their tasks is absorbing. It doesn’t seem like three people with such limited activities could be interesting, but it is. Almost totally character driven, the Brothers come vividly to life. The whole story is a composition in gray and blue, the colors of both the landscape in which they live and of their dispositions. I know some have found this book boring, because of the limited action, but I couldn’t put it down.
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requests young Trian and old Cormac as his helpers. Trian was given to the monastery as a child- as a slave? It isn’t made clear- and he is from people who live close to the water- he knows sailing and fishing and exploring. Cormac is an old subsistence farmer and mason; he knows gardening and foraging and building. He lost his family to the plague. The three of them set sail on the river in a tiny boat made of skins. They all have what they feel is necessary to live on their own, but the boat is overloaded and so Cormac and Trian are forced to discard important tools and supplies. Artt’s Bibles and other books, though, all stay on board. Artt truly believes he has been chosen by God, and that God will provide everything they need. If it doesn’t appear in their environment, obviously God doesn’t think they need it.
After going down the river for several days, the trio comes to the open sea. Trian can sail, but mostly they go where the currants take them. Any place that has people anywhere near is rejected. Then they come across a couple of islands, a huge, bare rock now called Skellig Michael. Covered with birds but obviously untouched by humans, Artt declares this as their new home. They set about finding shelter for the holy books (but not themselves), finding food and fresh water, and setting up an altar. Trian and Cormac both have good survival skills, but, while Artt is very educated, he’s ignorant as to what it actually takes to survive. He puts Trian, who has been fishing and catching birds to eat, to copying part of the Bible. He puts Cormac, who has been foraging and starting a scraggly garden, to building a church of stone. How will they survive come autumn and winter?
Even though the story is almost completely set outside- they have no real shelter- it’s oddly claustrophobic. They are so closely bound by Artt’s demands- Trian and Cormac have taken vows of obedience to Artt- that it feels like they can’t breathe. It’s a very tense tale, as everything that can go wrong, does. By the end, the tension is almost electric.
The writing is gorgeous. The descriptions of the surroundings and their tasks is absorbing. It doesn’t seem like three people with such limited activities could be interesting, but it is. Almost totally character driven, the Brothers come vividly to life. The whole story is a composition in gray and blue, the colors of both the landscape in which they live and of their dispositions. I know some have found this book boring, because of the limited action, but I couldn’t put it down.
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LibraryThing member japaul22
I'm not sure why I loved this book, but I really did. It's an odd premise for a contemporary novel - a well-respected monk, Artt, has a vision of himself living for the glory of god on a remote island off the coast of Ireland with two monks from the monastery he is visiting, an older man named
How long will faith alone preserve these three?
I was totally enamored with this book. I thought the setting, the exploration of how destructive one man's idea of faith can be, and the survival elements were all so interesting. I just really loved it. Donoghue's books can be hit or miss for me, and this was a huge hit.
I just can't imagine anyone else will like it!
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Cormac, and a young man name Trian. They are honored to be chosen and the 3 set off through the ocean with minimal supplies and only Artt's vision in mind. They land on "Great Skellig" a virtually inhabitable island of rock, and Artt declares it their stopping point. Instead of finding food, water, and shelter, Artt insists they keep the focus on God by carving a cross, making an altar, and copying the Bible. How long will faith alone preserve these three?
I was totally enamored with this book. I thought the setting, the exploration of how destructive one man's idea of faith can be, and the survival elements were all so interesting. I just really loved it. Donoghue's books can be hit or miss for me, and this was a huge hit.
I just can't imagine anyone else will like it!
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LibraryThing member arubabookwoman
"The dream is an instruction to withdraw from the world to set out on a pilgrimage with two companions, find this island, and found a monastic retreat."
This historical fiction novel is set in 7th century Ireland. Artt, a visiting "monk-celebrity" dreams that he must set to sea in search of a remote
When they arrive at a barren island, rising from the sea and inhabited only by birds, Artt declares this to be the place he saw in his dream. They begin to establish a settlement, somehow needing to provide sustenance (food) in a place where there is not soil to grow crops, shelter where there in no wood, only a lone stunted rowan tree. But there are plenty of stones (and birds) and Artt's constant refrain is that God will provide. Instead of the practicalities of life, like food and shelter, Artt is more concerned with copying scripture and building a chapel. And Artt is unwilling to let Trian or Cormac, who are more practical about their needs, visit the mainland to trade. And for a while, Trian and Cormac, who are bound by their vow of obedience to Artt, are compliant.
Donohue is a wonderful writer, and for most of the book I loved it. I loved the descriptions of the hostile setting, which is based on a real place (Skellig Michael, which you can google). But then as the book is nearing its crisis point (i.e. will Cormac and Train remain obedient to Artt's command to let God provide, and probably die, or will they disobey and survive?), there is a revelation about Trian relating to why his family placed him in the monastery. SPOILER: It's about Trian's gender ambiguity, and I felt that this issue did not need to be in this book. For me, it caused the intrusion of 20th/21st century sensibilities to a Medieval setting and time. There was plenty enough to provide conflict with Artt's religious obsession and probably insanity without this additional issue to set Artt off. Artt was unsympathetic and irrational enough without having him turn on Trian for this. It took me off the island, out of the story, and back to the present. I don't know if the intrusion of sexual/gender issues was an attempt to draw in more contemporary readers, but it didn't work for me.
First line: "Trian's stomach growls."
Last line: "No one and nothing to bar his way to heaven."
2 stars
This historical fiction novel is set in 7th century Ireland. Artt, a visiting "monk-celebrity" dreams that he must set to sea in search of a remote
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island and found a monastic retreat. The monastery assigns two monks to accompany Artt, Trian a young red-headed fairly new monk, and Cormac, a former farmer and older monk. They set forth in a small boat with only a minimum of supplies for survival.When they arrive at a barren island, rising from the sea and inhabited only by birds, Artt declares this to be the place he saw in his dream. They begin to establish a settlement, somehow needing to provide sustenance (food) in a place where there is not soil to grow crops, shelter where there in no wood, only a lone stunted rowan tree. But there are plenty of stones (and birds) and Artt's constant refrain is that God will provide. Instead of the practicalities of life, like food and shelter, Artt is more concerned with copying scripture and building a chapel. And Artt is unwilling to let Trian or Cormac, who are more practical about their needs, visit the mainland to trade. And for a while, Trian and Cormac, who are bound by their vow of obedience to Artt, are compliant.
Donohue is a wonderful writer, and for most of the book I loved it. I loved the descriptions of the hostile setting, which is based on a real place (Skellig Michael, which you can google). But then as the book is nearing its crisis point (i.e. will Cormac and Train remain obedient to Artt's command to let God provide, and probably die, or will they disobey and survive?), there is a revelation about Trian relating to why his family placed him in the monastery. SPOILER: It's about Trian's gender ambiguity, and I felt that this issue did not need to be in this book. For me, it caused the intrusion of 20th/21st century sensibilities to a Medieval setting and time. There was plenty enough to provide conflict with Artt's religious obsession and probably insanity without this additional issue to set Artt off. Artt was unsympathetic and irrational enough without having him turn on Trian for this. It took me off the island, out of the story, and back to the present. I don't know if the intrusion of sexual/gender issues was an attempt to draw in more contemporary readers, but it didn't work for me.
First line: "Trian's stomach growls."
Last line: "No one and nothing to bar his way to heaven."
2 stars
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Haven is Emma Donoghue's novel imagining what the first monastic settlement on Skellig Michael might have looked like. Beginning with a cleric from a wealthy background visiting a small monastery in the west of Ireland. He's traveled widely, is intently devout, and that night he dreams of founding
I never quite bought the story that Donoghue was telling. She certainly provided details, but the story hinges on the devoutness of the three men and how that affects their decisions and thoughts. Religious zealotry is a hard thing to explain and the author largely abandoned her attempts to do so in favor of focusing on the two monks sent along with the prior and how their straightforward faith and obedience was tested; a simpler but less interesting story.
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a reclusive order with two of the monks, musicians who played after the dinner the night before. He gathers them, along with a curricle filled with minimal supplies and sets off to find a place beyond the map's borders. The island they find is as unfavorable and bleak as anything they've ever seen. But the real struggle is in making their small trio into a team that can survive in this rugged space. I never quite bought the story that Donoghue was telling. She certainly provided details, but the story hinges on the devoutness of the three men and how that affects their decisions and thoughts. Religious zealotry is a hard thing to explain and the author largely abandoned her attempts to do so in favor of focusing on the two monks sent along with the prior and how their straightforward faith and obedience was tested; a simpler but less interesting story.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Haven is Emma Donoghue’s latest novel and is quite the departure from her previous novels. The setting is ancient Ireland when Gaelic and Latin still ruled, and Christians were the minority rather than the majority. Following one priest and two monks seeking a new land to claim for Christianity,
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the story should be rather dull. Instead, a lot is going on within its pages. Ms. Donoghue captures the hypocrisy of modern Christian religions in Artt, the priest who views himself as the leader of his little tribe simply because he has more scholarly knowledge. As Artt’s plans for his new community quickly flounder, we see in Artt much of what we’ve seen in fundamental Christians throughout the US over the past few years. Haven is not so much a story to enjoy as it is a story that warns and educates. It is the type of novel I contemplated not finishing because I detest any story with a strong religious undertone, but I am glad I finished it because of its messaging. Descriptive and powerful, Haven may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a life-altering read for a particular reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
Emma Donoghue is a brilliant writer and I always look forward to her newest book. And that would be the just released, Haven.
I've enjoyed every book she's penned, but I find myself most drawn to the historical pieces, as they are based on or take their inspiration from fact. In this case its
Haven tells the story of three monks set out to find an isolated, never settled island to build their own monastery. Their Prior is Artt - a visitor to an established community. He has a dream and asks the monastery for two monks to accompany him - the elderly Cormac, and the younger Trian.
Their journey is not easy and the reader can see where there be strife. They land on a rocky, barren island that seems inhospitable, but Artt has faith that God will provide for them. His goals, intents and actions are obediently taken as God's word by the other two. But, there are cracks in the foundation.
Haven is a story of faith and survival, both of which are tried many times. I found the survival thread to be fascinating. How do you survive when there's nothing there? Or is there? Cormac and Trian's skillsets were unexpected and underline what a human can and will do to survive. I very much liked these two. However, I can't say the same for Artt. His motives, his inner dialogue and his sanctimonious attitude really rubbed me the wrong way. This will be the character that will prompt readers to form their own thoughts on the theological themes and threads in Haven.
The ending was satisfying to me. I was on the fence about a piece of the plot that I could see coming. But after letting it sit with me for awhile, I decided it fit with what had gone before. It speaks to faith, acceptance, and survival. (I know that's quite cryptic, but I don't want to provide spoilers.)
For me, Haven was another great read from Donoghue.
I've enjoyed every book she's penned, but I find myself most drawn to the historical pieces, as they are based on or take their inspiration from fact. In this case its
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Skellig Michael - home to a Gaelic monastery that was founded between the 6th and 8th centuries.Haven tells the story of three monks set out to find an isolated, never settled island to build their own monastery. Their Prior is Artt - a visitor to an established community. He has a dream and asks the monastery for two monks to accompany him - the elderly Cormac, and the younger Trian.
Their journey is not easy and the reader can see where there be strife. They land on a rocky, barren island that seems inhospitable, but Artt has faith that God will provide for them. His goals, intents and actions are obediently taken as God's word by the other two. But, there are cracks in the foundation.
Haven is a story of faith and survival, both of which are tried many times. I found the survival thread to be fascinating. How do you survive when there's nothing there? Or is there? Cormac and Trian's skillsets were unexpected and underline what a human can and will do to survive. I very much liked these two. However, I can't say the same for Artt. His motives, his inner dialogue and his sanctimonious attitude really rubbed me the wrong way. This will be the character that will prompt readers to form their own thoughts on the theological themes and threads in Haven.
The ending was satisfying to me. I was on the fence about a piece of the plot that I could see coming. But after letting it sit with me for awhile, I decided it fit with what had gone before. It speaks to faith, acceptance, and survival. (I know that's quite cryptic, but I don't want to provide spoilers.)
For me, Haven was another great read from Donoghue.
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LibraryThing member akblanchard
In this beautiful novel, a trio of Irish monks attempts to establish an outpost for God on an inhospitable, bird-infested island. The story takes place in about 600 CE, and there is much detail regarding fishing, hunting, and other survival techniques of the time period. Yet it is the interactions
Emma Donoghue has once again demonstrated her grace and versatility as a novelist. Highly recommended.
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among the three men, young musician Trian, old warrior Cormac, and their fanatical leader Artt (the Prior) that make this book truly memorable. Emma Donoghue has once again demonstrated her grace and versatility as a novelist. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Rosareads
The most painful exquisitely written book I have ever read. Emma Donoghue is an incredible author. This book is about tragedy and man's inhumanity to man.
LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
This is the tenth book of Donoghue's I've read, each one better than the last, though I admit I like her historical fiction better than her contemporary stuff. This book is set in the 7th Century. Artt, a respected ascetic saint-wannabe, has a dream that he and two monks live on a deserted island
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and dedicate their lives to the glory of god. He picks two monks from a monastery he is visiting, Cormac an older story teller and musician and Trian, a younger sailor-worker, musician and decides they will fulfill this dream. The saint wannabe knows god loves nothing more than hard work and self denial. I have little use for religious people, even less for ascetics, and even less for those who impose that asceticism on others. Artt spends the book making sure he destroys every bit of happiness he can for the glory of god. Every few pages I found myself saying "Jesus Christ" or "Lord o' Mercy" so you can see it was a very religious experience. Show Less
LibraryThing member maryreinert
Strange story set in the 12th century. Three monks under the leadership of Artt leave their monastery in order to plant Christianity in a new place. In a vision, Artt has been told to take an older monk, Cormac, along as well as a young man Trian. They leave with very few possessions and supplies
There's a lot about catching and eating birds, building fires without timber, seeds and herbs. It isn't until almost the last 10 pages that things totally fall apart after Trian accidentally drops some valued ink used for writing manuscripts. I kept reading just to see where this strange plot was taking me.
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in a small boat eventually landing on a skellig with two peaks. Conditions are unbelievably harsh and after disaster after disaster, Artt keeps the other two men under control by telling them that God will provide what is needed - period. There's a lot about catching and eating birds, building fires without timber, seeds and herbs. It isn't until almost the last 10 pages that things totally fall apart after Trian accidentally drops some valued ink used for writing manuscripts. I kept reading just to see where this strange plot was taking me.
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LibraryThing member tangledthread
A zealot monk sets out to establish a monastery on a rock in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland. He believes his current monastery is impure and requests two monks to accompany him, choosing the youngest and the oldest of the group to accompany him.
By doing this, he ensures that he has the
In managing their lives, he sets religious ritual ahead of the basic needs for survival: food, shelter, clothing. The outcome of that over time is not at all surprising.
By doing this, he ensures that he has the
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strength of youth and the wisdom of experience to accompany him. But it also ensures that he will be able to bully them. In managing their lives, he sets religious ritual ahead of the basic needs for survival: food, shelter, clothing. The outcome of that over time is not at all surprising.
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LibraryThing member Perednia
A parable about how faith affects action as three monks settle on Skelling Michael to found their own monastery. The difference between religion and faith, especially in the way we treat others, is starkly played out.
LibraryThing member Castlelass
In seventh-century Ireland, three monks embark on a journey to an island their leader, Artt, has seen in a vision. They vow to leave worldly things behind. They row a small boat, arriving at a rugged and isolated location, where they encounter many trials. Artt fervently believes that “the Lord
This is a story of asceticism, zealotry, and obsession. The personalities and psychological aspects are very well developed. Cormac is an older recently converted ex-warrior. He is practical and offers suggestions on how to survive in a harsh environment. Trian is a young idealist who wants to prove himself. He has a helpful nature but is perhaps too innocent and trusting. Artt leads with an iron fist. He is pious in an obsessive way and his decisions are questionable. He does not appear to care if they die on this island, as they would become saints or martyrs. He takes religious fanaticism to an extreme.
It is unusual and creatively told. At first, I was unsure if this would be a book for me, but it kept me invested in finding out what would happen to these three. They are obviously at odds over how best to handle the situation, with different objectives and priorities. I think it is ultimately about living in harmony with nature versus viewing nature as something to ravage in service of humans. It also has something to say about single-mindedness, whether on the side of blind obedience, religious fervor, or abuse of power.
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will provide.” Trian and Cormac trust their leader and follow their vows, but it becomes increasingly difficult to survive. This is a story of asceticism, zealotry, and obsession. The personalities and psychological aspects are very well developed. Cormac is an older recently converted ex-warrior. He is practical and offers suggestions on how to survive in a harsh environment. Trian is a young idealist who wants to prove himself. He has a helpful nature but is perhaps too innocent and trusting. Artt leads with an iron fist. He is pious in an obsessive way and his decisions are questionable. He does not appear to care if they die on this island, as they would become saints or martyrs. He takes religious fanaticism to an extreme.
It is unusual and creatively told. At first, I was unsure if this would be a book for me, but it kept me invested in finding out what would happen to these three. They are obviously at odds over how best to handle the situation, with different objectives and priorities. I think it is ultimately about living in harmony with nature versus viewing nature as something to ravage in service of humans. It also has something to say about single-mindedness, whether on the side of blind obedience, religious fervor, or abuse of power.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
7th century Ireland. The novel starts when Artt, a most respected man of the church, arrives at the monastery. He is dismayed by all he sees, and soon states that the monastery and blasts the place for its laziness, spite and lust. He says he has been sent a vision by our lord to build Ina place
When they arrive, after several days, on an Skellig Michael, deserted except for birds, they find a barren, rock laden place to build their new church. It now becomes a matter of survival. Little to eat, hard work and Artt, a heavy taskmaster, is a fanatic, his answer to all, is that the Lord will provide. They do whatever they can't survive and some of it makes for difficult reading.
This novel, though beautifully written, will not appeal to all. It is quiet, contemplative and moves, at times achingly slowly. But it is a novel of time and place, of parables told a with a real historical background, and skilled characterizations. Once I adjusted myself to the slowness, and gave myself up to the gorgeous prose and the predicament of these men, I savored their story. I thought the ending was a long time coming.
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not inhabitated by man where they can live purely and work to give glory to our maker. He takes two men of the monastery with him, an older man Cormac, who lost his family from the black death and Triann, a younger man given to the church by his family.When they arrive, after several days, on an Skellig Michael, deserted except for birds, they find a barren, rock laden place to build their new church. It now becomes a matter of survival. Little to eat, hard work and Artt, a heavy taskmaster, is a fanatic, his answer to all, is that the Lord will provide. They do whatever they can't survive and some of it makes for difficult reading.
This novel, though beautifully written, will not appeal to all. It is quiet, contemplative and moves, at times achingly slowly. But it is a novel of time and place, of parables told a with a real historical background, and skilled characterizations. Once I adjusted myself to the slowness, and gave myself up to the gorgeous prose and the predicament of these men, I savored their story. I thought the ending was a long time coming.
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LibraryThing member mojomomma
Three monks take off for an island off the coast of Ireland to found a monastery and spread the word of God by copying Scripture. But they are unprepared for life on a rocky island. As summer ends and the seabirds migrate away, they live with fewer and fewer resources until finally two of them sail
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away to get back to mainland before they starve. Show Less
LibraryThing member mdoris
Authority, arrogance, control, dominance, cruelty, intolerance,
Servitude, submission, obedience, relinquishing freedom of thought and speech, subservience, vulnerability,
Wow, this book was riveting. It takes place on a remote isolated island in 7th century Ireland by 3 monks in the capture of
Donoghue is a master story teller and gifted with language. This is my 5th book of Donoghue's that I have read. I will read more!
Servitude, submission, obedience, relinquishing freedom of thought and speech, subservience, vulnerability,
Wow, this book was riveting. It takes place on a remote isolated island in 7th century Ireland by 3 monks in the capture of
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faith. What relevance does this to present times? Plenty!Donoghue is a master story teller and gifted with language. This is my 5th book of Donoghue's that I have read. I will read more!
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LibraryThing member icolford
Human habitation on Skellig Michael (also known as Great Skellig)—a barren piece of rock jutting abruptly out of the rough seas a few miles off Ireland’s stormy west coast—is commonly believed to date from the 7th century AD. Tradition holds that monks seeking to isolate themselves from a
Donoghue generates enormous tension by placing her emphasis on the growing divide among the three men. Both Trian and Cormac have lived through pain and loss. We know what they have suffered and we sympathize with the quandary they face as their spiritual leader loses his grip on reality. But Artt remains an enigma to the end, a man who bends others to his will with the force of his convictions and his contention in the face of impossible hardship that “God will provide,” a declaration that rings increasingly hollow as, one by one, the group’s means for survival slip beyond reach.
Haven is a timely allegory. It seems that every other day the media is showing us another example of true leadership usurped by a cult of personality. How far down the path to destruction will Artt’s followers go, simply because he tells them to? In Emma Donoghue’s vivid rendering, even the most besotted devotee is willing to endure only so much.
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sinful world traveled there intending to worship God free from temptation. In Haven, Emma Donoghue turns her considerable narrative skills to this period and imagines into being a trio of monks making the journey and their subsequent struggle to establish a settlement in God’s honour under punishing physical conditions. The story begins in Cluain Mhic Nóis, a monastery located in central Ireland. Brother Artt—regarded as a “living saint” because of his encyclopedic knowledge of scripture, ascetic practices, and strict devotion to God—has had a vision and believes God has instructed him to build a new monastery on a remote island unsullied by human desire and worldly concerns. Two monks from Cluain Mhic Nóis feature in his vision, and Artt persuades the Abbot to let them accompany him on the journey: young Brother Trian and elderly Brother Cormac. Little of Artt’s background is revealed to the reader. We learn however that, for reasons that remain unclear until near the end of the novel, when he was 13 Trian’s parents left him with the monks of Cluain Mhic Nóis. And Cormac, who is probably in his 50s, is a survivor, a commoner who withdrew to a life of devotion and service after suffering grievous injury in battle and losing his family to an outbreak of plague. Trian and Cormac are honoured to be selected by Artt and go with him willingly. But even at this early stage, readers will have reason to question Artt’s leadership after he orders his crew to lighten their load by jettisoning important items from the small boat that will carry them down the Sionan River and eventually into the open sea. After several days on the water, Artt lays eyes upon Great Skellig and instantly recognizes the island of his vision. The three make landfall. Artt is enthralled by their new home—an inhospitable vertical spike rising from churning waters and inhabited by seabirds. But Trian and Cormac—pragmatists who are inclined to consider practical along with spiritual matters—find themselves troubled with misgivings, which they struggle to defeat because they’ve pledged to follow Artt through thick and thin. Through the middle chapters of the novel Donoghue chronicles the group’s efforts to fulfill their spiritual quest in a place that seems to become increasingly hostile to their intrusion. Meanwhile, as conditions deteriorate, the demands that Artt makes of his companions become outlandish and unreasonable, even cruel. With the exhaustion of their food supply, no fuel to build a fire, inadequate shelter, the approach of winter heralded by wild winds and rain, and open hostility among the group, the situation reaches a critical impasse.Donoghue generates enormous tension by placing her emphasis on the growing divide among the three men. Both Trian and Cormac have lived through pain and loss. We know what they have suffered and we sympathize with the quandary they face as their spiritual leader loses his grip on reality. But Artt remains an enigma to the end, a man who bends others to his will with the force of his convictions and his contention in the face of impossible hardship that “God will provide,” a declaration that rings increasingly hollow as, one by one, the group’s means for survival slip beyond reach.
Haven is a timely allegory. It seems that every other day the media is showing us another example of true leadership usurped by a cult of personality. How far down the path to destruction will Artt’s followers go, simply because he tells them to? In Emma Donoghue’s vivid rendering, even the most besotted devotee is willing to endure only so much.
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LibraryThing member rosienotrose
Twelve kilometres off the Irish coast, lashed by Atlantic storms, sits the Skellig islands with their steep inhospitable landscape. Made famous in recent years by the Star Wars movies, in Irish history they are known for their monastic settlements. It is here author Emma Donoghue sets a fictional
Artt, a widely travelled priest arrives home to Cluain Mhic Nóise monastery 300km from the Skelligs and finds himself at odds with the lack of godly endeavours. After a divine dream reveals he must travel far into the western ocean and find an island set aside for him by God, Artt engages two monks from his vision for the journey. Cormac has failing eyesight but a knowledge of planting and building, and Trian who is barely into his adult years brings his youth and strength. Neither man is particularly pious, but they are awed at being chosen for this journey by the religious Artt and go willingly if somewhat naively.
When they land on Skellig Michael their belief in the journey and in Artt is tested and as the months pass and provisions dwindle the harsh island life challenges both the men’s faith in God and their obedience to Artt.
We are kept to a cast of three characters and the feeling of fellowship, claustrophobia, and the importance of compliance to an unyielding master is palpable. Questions raised by Cormac and Trian on how to survive on an island with little vegetation and no shelter are seen by Artt as a lack of faith. In contrast Artt's relentless believe that ‘God will provide’ comes across as impractical and foolhardy as survival becomes more and more precarious for the three men. The island itself along with Artt is a captor and the only way it seems the men will leave is together or not at all. I felt there was only one way the story would end.
Donoghue presents a world that feels present and real, in particular the sense of brotherhood and caring between Cormac and Trian. There was a late revelation that came as a surprise and while the ending did not give a dramatic climax you might expect from another author, I still felt it was true to the characters.
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tale of the first monks to call the Skelligs home. Artt, a widely travelled priest arrives home to Cluain Mhic Nóise monastery 300km from the Skelligs and finds himself at odds with the lack of godly endeavours. After a divine dream reveals he must travel far into the western ocean and find an island set aside for him by God, Artt engages two monks from his vision for the journey. Cormac has failing eyesight but a knowledge of planting and building, and Trian who is barely into his adult years brings his youth and strength. Neither man is particularly pious, but they are awed at being chosen for this journey by the religious Artt and go willingly if somewhat naively.
When they land on Skellig Michael their belief in the journey and in Artt is tested and as the months pass and provisions dwindle the harsh island life challenges both the men’s faith in God and their obedience to Artt.
We are kept to a cast of three characters and the feeling of fellowship, claustrophobia, and the importance of compliance to an unyielding master is palpable. Questions raised by Cormac and Trian on how to survive on an island with little vegetation and no shelter are seen by Artt as a lack of faith. In contrast Artt's relentless believe that ‘God will provide’ comes across as impractical and foolhardy as survival becomes more and more precarious for the three men. The island itself along with Artt is a captor and the only way it seems the men will leave is together or not at all. I felt there was only one way the story would end.
Donoghue presents a world that feels present and real, in particular the sense of brotherhood and caring between Cormac and Trian. There was a late revelation that came as a surprise and while the ending did not give a dramatic climax you might expect from another author, I still felt it was true to the characters.
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LibraryThing member mskrypuch
Emma Donoghue is brilliant when it comes to creating believable and consuming characters and setting them in unique landscapes that resonate with truth. What a character study this novel is and what an exploration in the meaning of holiness, tolerance and "God's will". Reminded me of The Poisonwood
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Bible. Readers of Donoghue's other novels may find this one slower, but that's a feature and not a bug: it's a slow and satisfying burn. Show Less
LibraryThing member mskrypuch
Emma Donoghue is brilliant when it comes to creating believable and consuming characters and setting them in unique landscapes that resonate with truth. What a character study this novel is and what an exploration in the meaning of holiness, tolerance and "God's will". Reminded me of The Poisonwood
Show More
Bible. Readers of Donoghue's other novels may find this one slower, but that's a feature and not a bug: it's a slow and satisfying burn. Show Less
LibraryThing member nancyadair
Artt was legendary as a living saint, a holy man of great learning and experience of the world. He dreamed of escaping the society of fallen men, monks who wore embroidered clothing and feasted on roast swan and wine. In his dream he leaves Hibernia with two monks;, Cormac, aging and skilled, and
They pack a boat with the bare necessities. A chest holding holy scripture and communion supplies. Two bags of flour to make communion host. One extra garment among them. Oats and candles and one extra sail. Goatskin flasks of water and a pouch of seeds. A crowbar. Cloaks which they can wrap themselves in for sleeping. And they set off down river, to the sea, until they come upon a desert rock filled with roosting sea birds. Artt decides this is their home.
As the monks struggle to find food and shelter on the desert island, Artt insists that prayer and God’s work come before concerns of the body. Cormac is tasked to built an alter and a chapel before they have shelter. He creates a midden to nourish his crop of greens and roots in the thin soil. Trian knows how to fish and is tasked with copying the holy scripture, standing outside, writing upon a natural rock slab.
After their supplies run out, they use the birds and their eggs for food, then the oil and the bodies of the birds for fuel, and then are reduced to eating raw fish and seaweed. Cormac pleads to return to shore for supplies, but is told they will never leave, never return to the pollution of human society. God will provide, Artt tells them.
In Haven, Emma Donoghue explores a faith that is idealistic, unmoving, inhuman. We have seen this time and again, whenever ideals are held closer than the beauty of the Earth and love of its people. It is a faith that out to death women and girls believed to be witches. It rounded up and killed people whose religion was different. We read about it in history books, and we see it today.
Trian’s observation of the birds and nature mesmerizes him, raises questions. Trian feels guilt at massacring such abundance, an ominous pre-shadowing of humankind’s depletion of the abundance of the Earth. Donoghue’s descriptions of the island’s native flora and fauna are exquisite.
That’s the problem with a vow of obedience. It tends to make sheep of men.
from Haven by Emma Donoghue
The crisis comes when Trian’s secret is out, and Cormac must decide between obedience and his own moral conscious, deciding if he is Artt’s man, or Christ’s.
Donoghue was inspired by Skellig Michael and the monks that lived on the jagged island since 1044.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
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Trian, young and naïve. Artt believes that God will lead them to an uninhabited island where they can dedicate their lives to holy living. The pious Cormac and Trian agree to follow and obey Artt as their Prior.They pack a boat with the bare necessities. A chest holding holy scripture and communion supplies. Two bags of flour to make communion host. One extra garment among them. Oats and candles and one extra sail. Goatskin flasks of water and a pouch of seeds. A crowbar. Cloaks which they can wrap themselves in for sleeping. And they set off down river, to the sea, until they come upon a desert rock filled with roosting sea birds. Artt decides this is their home.
As the monks struggle to find food and shelter on the desert island, Artt insists that prayer and God’s work come before concerns of the body. Cormac is tasked to built an alter and a chapel before they have shelter. He creates a midden to nourish his crop of greens and roots in the thin soil. Trian knows how to fish and is tasked with copying the holy scripture, standing outside, writing upon a natural rock slab.
After their supplies run out, they use the birds and their eggs for food, then the oil and the bodies of the birds for fuel, and then are reduced to eating raw fish and seaweed. Cormac pleads to return to shore for supplies, but is told they will never leave, never return to the pollution of human society. God will provide, Artt tells them.
In Haven, Emma Donoghue explores a faith that is idealistic, unmoving, inhuman. We have seen this time and again, whenever ideals are held closer than the beauty of the Earth and love of its people. It is a faith that out to death women and girls believed to be witches. It rounded up and killed people whose religion was different. We read about it in history books, and we see it today.
Trian’s observation of the birds and nature mesmerizes him, raises questions. Trian feels guilt at massacring such abundance, an ominous pre-shadowing of humankind’s depletion of the abundance of the Earth. Donoghue’s descriptions of the island’s native flora and fauna are exquisite.
That’s the problem with a vow of obedience. It tends to make sheep of men.
from Haven by Emma Donoghue
The crisis comes when Trian’s secret is out, and Cormac must decide between obedience and his own moral conscious, deciding if he is Artt’s man, or Christ’s.
Donoghue was inspired by Skellig Michael and the monks that lived on the jagged island since 1044.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dinahmine
Haven is a fascinating and immersive story. I really enjoyed the characters and relationship between them. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so emotionally involved in a historical fiction, but the plot moved a little too slowly for me to increase to 4 stars.
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Shortlist — 2024)
Pages
272
ISBN
0316413933 / 9780316413930