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The Heart's Invisible Furies

The Heart's Invisible Furies

Contemporary LiteratureHistorical Fiction
Pages
575
Published
2017
Language
English

Synopsis

The Heart's Invisible Furies is a sweeping historical novel by John Boyne that follows Cyril Avery through nearly eighty years of Irish history. Told in alternating first-person and third-person sections, it spans from 1945 to the late twentieth century, tracing Cyril's journey as he comes to terms with his sexuality amidst Ireland's shifting social landscape — including World War II aftermath, The Troubles, and changing attitudes toward homosexuality. Boyne blends humor, tragedy, and warmth across multiple timelines to create a portrait of love, loss, and resilience.

Prose complexity
5/10

Vibe

MelancholicHopefulReflectiveBittersweet
Coming of AgeFamily SagaFound Family

Genres

Contemporary Literature Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

About the author

J
John Boyne

John Boyne is an Irish novelist born in Dublin. He studied English at Trinity College Dublin and creative writing at the University of East Anglia, where he won the Curtis Brown prize. His novels for adults include The House of Special Purpose, The Absolutist and The Heart's Invisible Furies, and he also writes for younger readers. His best-known book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2006), has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a film, a play, an opera and a ballet.

Characters

Cyril AveryProtagonist

A gay man in Ireland whose life is narrated across several decades, from a troubled childhood to adulthood.

Charles AverySupporting

Cyril's wealthy adoptive father, a banker with vices including gambling and drink, who insists Cyril refer to him only as his "adoptive father."

Maude AverySupporting

Cyril's adoptive mother, a reclusive, chain-smoking novelist who is quietly esteemed by critics while disdaining popular success.

Catherine GogginSupporting

The teenage girl publicly shamed and cast out of her rural Irish village in 1945 for an unmarried pregnancy; Cyril's birth mother.

Julian WoodbeadSupporting

The son of the family's solicitor, and Cyril's lifelong best friend from boyhood, whose confidence and charm captivate Cyril from their first meeting.

All characters in The Heart's Invisible Furies

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