It is the summer of 1979, Ireland and Northern Ireland are dominated by the Troubles, but on a small remote island off the west coast of Ireland, this is hardly noticeable. On the island, other conflicts arise with the arrival of two strange men, highlighting the consequences of colonisation. Only gradually do the events of the Troubles weave their way into the everyday lives of the inhabitants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
London artist Mr. Lloyd is spending the summer on the island, hopeful of reviving his stagnant career. He wants to paint the island’s cliffs, which the residents oppose, but he repeatedly ignores their objections. However, the young islander James is taken with the artist and begins drawing himself, proving to be extremely talented. Mr. Lloyd promises him great opportunities, an exhibition and a place in an art school in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, French linguist Mr. Masson visits the island for the third year in a row. He is completing his dissertation on the change and decline of the Irish language. Three generations live on the island, and with each generation, English gains more influence. With great passion, he wants to encourage the inhabitants to continue speaking Irish, and in doing so, he repeatedly clashes with Mr. Lloyd. He feels nothing but contempt for the effect of his visit and the resulting stronger presence of English on the island. Masson also promises the inhabitants a lot: They will report about them on TV. They will become famous as one of the few places where Irish is still intact. As a reader you ask yourself constantly: Will the men keep their promises?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The novel alternates between the events on the island and those on the mainland. The lives of the islanders and their visitors are depicted in great detail, slowly and quietly. Maggee plays with poetic fragments and sometimes even switches not only between the characters’ perspectives but also the narrator’s perspective in the middle of a sentence. In contrast, the brutality of the attacks on the mainland, but also their everyday nature, is depicted in short chapters that are similar in style to news reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Audrey Magee has written a powerful, atmospheric novel that skillfully switches between English and Irish. She provides deep insight into the history of the Irish language and highlights how endangered it is (if you’re interested, we talked about language death and the influence of colonialism on languages in our first podcast episode).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The central theme of the book is the impact of colonialism. Whether on language, the question of identity, or the everyday lives of the islanders, their hopes and dreams. The book’s German translator, Nicole Seifert, describes Magee’s novel as \u201ca clever parable on colonialism\u2026\u201d and I couldn’t agree more. As readers, we observe two men from large colonial powers who want the island for themselves and expect the inhabitants to submit to their wishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A highly recommended read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Colony was first published in 2022 by Faber & Faber and was nominated for the Booker Prize the same year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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