by Anura Guruge
on August 31, 2021
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I just finished listening to ‘56 Days‘ this morning. I had been listening to it, during my daily 2-hour walk, for the last few days. I enjoyed it, thoroughly — but, as you can clearly see from my previous two posts (above), I am quite smitten by her. I think she is very clever & I like her uncomplicated, engaging style of writing. Others, including those in my family, disagree. They find her desire to tell a story by constantly changing the timeframe, from chapter to chapter, confusing — if not outright annoying. I kind of think it is clever. She took this timeshifting to the max. in her previous book, the aptly titled ‘Rewind‘.
Timeshifting is also an integral part of this book — each chapter dealing with a day within the a 56 day period (that gives us the title). Though the main story per se takes place within a 56-day (i.e., 8-week) window (when Ireland was in the initial throes of the COVID pandemic), there a couple of chapters that are from before & after this core period — not counting a key event that took place many, many years earlier. [I am NOT going to spoil the storyline for you. That is not my style.]
Some will claim that the story becomes predictable (& yes, by design, she has a LOT of repetition of scenes & dialogues — albeit portrayed from the perspectives of the two main protagonists). All I will say is that she has at least one major twist. Yes, she leads you down a path & you are well & truly suckered into that when she casually lets it drop that you got it wrong.
I think she is very clever & talented. It would appear that there are quite a few that agree with I. It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is whether you like her stories. So, please try to read one or listen to one. I am sure you will enjoy it.
