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    Thalia Book Club: Anne Enright's The Forgotten Waltz
    Thalia Book Club: Anne Enright's The Forgotten Waltz
    Thalia Book Club: Anne Enright's The Forgotten Waltz
    Audiobook1 hour

    Thalia Book Club: Anne Enright's The Forgotten Waltz

    Written by Anne Enright

    Narrated by Hannah Tinti and Amy Ryan

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Anne Enright sits down with Hanna Tinti to discuss her book, The Forgotten Waltz. Amy Ryan reads an excerpt.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSymphony Space
    Release dateOct 5, 2011
    ISBN9781467663687
    Thalia Book Club: Anne Enright's The Forgotten Waltz

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    Reviews for Thalia Book Club

    3.5/5

    275 ratings34 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The Forgotten Waltz is a contemporary love story set in 2009 in Dublin. It's also a story of adultery told from the perspective of the 'other' woman, who is also married.This isn't a novel I would ordinarily choose to read, but I was lucky enough to win it in a competition and I think it's good to venture outside my preferred reading circles from time to time.The author writes in the first person through Gina, and it is her experiences we are are sharing. The timeline is loosely structured as her thoughts and memories are interwoven throughout the chapters.My favourite part of the book is when Sean, the married man Gina is having an affair with, tells her:"You should never do this with someone - you should never expose yourself to someone like this - unless they have a lot to lose."Both the arrogance and the truth of this statement immediately slapped me in the face. Both Sean and Gina were married, and so both had a lot to lose if their love affair was discovered. Hoever, if one were single and pressured the other to leave their wife/husband, they could wield a lot of power if the other refused.I enjoyed Enright's observations on relationships between lovers, siblings, parents and children and her ability to tease out and expose the insecurities, vulnerabilities and the tender spots we try to shield from others. Having said all of that, it's probably not the kind of book I would actively seek out in the future, but don't mind reading from time to time.
    • 2/5
      A story written on the infidelities of a husband and sister-in-law. It is written in a rather simplistic style and again, I found this one to be fairly boring. I was not drawn in to the characters nor was I fond of them. Pretty much a waste of a couple of hours. Not what I am used to in an Orange Prize listed book. This one will not make the short list.
    • 2/5
      This is my third Enright and while I enjoyed The Gathering, the other two have been meh.I listened to this on Hoopla, and the narrator had an Irish accent that very much placed the story, but was also very clear. The story centers on Gina, the narrator, who tells the story in first person. Much of it is very stream-of-consciousness style, as she narrates her relationships with her husband (Conner), the man she leaves him for (Sean), and Sean's daughter Evie. There are other characters--her sister, her BIL, Sean's wife, her mother, and other characters in the past.This was shortlisted for the Women's Prize and is really not my kind of thing. First person, past tense. Gina is not someone to admire, and listening to her justify her actions is just...not for me.
    • 4/5
      This is an interesting books, it starts out as one thing, but somewhere along the way it morphs into something deeper. Initially it is Gina, telling the story of her affair with Sean and how they come to be together. So much so superficial, you might think. But stick with it and it becomes an exploration of love and memory and how both can play tricks on you. In Gina's case how she and her sister have each responded differently to memories of their father, who dies when they were teenagers. They remember him and his drinking in dofferent ways. Maybe that reflects that each of us has a unique relationship with each parent and that majorly influences the rest of your life and interactions with other people. For a daughter, a father is their first and deepest love. An dso there is then the flip side of the coin, with Sean and his daughter and how Gina fits into that triangle. It's a deeper and more ellusive book at the end than it appears to be at the beginning, but it manages that without necessarily any great gear change, it's a gradual sink to the deep end. Set in Dublin, some of the dialogue is distinctly an Irish woed usage, but it looses none for that/ Although a handy guide on how to pronounce some of the characters' names would have been greatly appreciated!
    • 4/5
      First-person adultery, with the passion offset by Enright's characteristically oblique, ironic view of life. Her narrator, Dublin young professional Gina, is well-aware of her own faults (and even more so of everyone else's), but she can't stop herself from a course that breaks up two marriages and risks alienating her sister as well...Touching and funny, with some very acute social observation (I didn't realise before reading this how many different uses Irish English has for the exclamation "Look at you!"), but it felt a bit slight compared to the more recent Actress, which uses what seems to be a more developed and three-dimensional version of the same narrator. Anyway, I can't help feeling that there must be something intrinsically unconvincing about a book that rests on the assumption that two people (plus his daughter) could love a management consultant.
    • 2/5
      2.5 stars.

      I never got hooked into this book. I only finished it because I enjoyed Enright's writing, but I never really understood where it was going. Or what she was doing.
    • 3/5
      This book, while well written, was not a very enjoyable to read. Not one of the characters was in the least bit likable. This made me not care one iota about what was going to happen to them throughout the novel.
    • 3/5
      First person narrative. Booker prize likes that. Female voice. Story of an affair. I liked the book quite a lot. It rambles, not plot driven. But that is probably the story of most affairs. Gets at the issues. Doesn't overplay. A fine book. (Wanted a 3.5.)
    • 5/5
      Anne Enright is always thought provoking, and her prose sparkles like no other contemporary writer. I've read most of her novels and short fiction. The Forgotten Waltz takes a common subject, adultery, and makes it something fresh and particular. Enright takes the reader to the heart of such an affair with all of its emotional turbulence.
    • 4/5
      If likable characters are one of your criteria for a good book, then this one isn't it.There are some interesting things about the book: It is a first person narrative by Gina Moynahan, a 32 year old, childless, married woman who embarks on an affair with a married man who does have a child....a rather special child, Evie. The narrative is rambling, contradictory, and doubles back on itself as you hear Gina's side of a story complete with her perceptions and judgments of other people and their motives. These perceptions and judgements change like quicksilver, sometimes within the same sentence. At times, the narrative is like overhearing one side of a conversation in a coffee shop, or a cellphone conversation of a woman whose time would be better spent on a therapist's couch. Gina is shallow, self-centered, has few scruples, and is motivated by the trappings that money can buy. The setting is Dublin during the boom time of the early 2000's, heading into the crash of 2008. So money and housing are very important to the story...as are booze, cigarettes, and lust.And the one thing...actually person...that Gina's story hinges upon is dealt with very peripherally at the beginning and end of her story. And that is Evie, the daughter of Gina's lover, Sean. But this is characteristic of the way Gina deals with life. The writing is very well done, even if the story is a bit worn and without much plot. Because of the economic boom and bust theme of the book, I can't help wonder if this is a bit of allegorical tale of Ireland.
    • 4/5
      So I read this in one night. Thick pages & generously-sized font, yes, but also a compelling story.
    • 4/5
      Gina narrates her story about living in a very modern Ireland, and cheating on her husband with a married man. And that's the novel in a sentence.What I Liked: I haven't read much Irish literature, but I really like what I've read so far. There is a world view or a voice or something that I find unusual, but not foreign--sort of like an off-kilter version of the world I know. The Forgotten Waltz fits in with what I know about Irish lit in that case. I liked how the booming, and then busting, Ireland of the early 21st century is almost a character in this novel. But what was strongest for me was the narrator's voice--she spoke deeply about very common things, yet had an outlook that is so different from my own, or anyone I've ever known, that I was intrigued by what would come out of her mouth next. This was aided by the audiobook reader who had a charming Irish accent--this is a world where people "tink about tings" ("think about things").What I Didn't Like: I didn't quite get the point. It was interesting to listen to this Irish person ramble on about the mess she makes of her life, but it didn't go anywhere. I also didn't see much development or growth in any of the characters. And what does the title mean? I guess the back and forth structure and the back and forth relationships are a bit of a waltz, but where is the forgotten aspect? Is it that I will forget this book a week after I finish it?Recommended for: There is some strong writing and mastery of voice here, so if that's your thing (I mean "ting"), then try it. If you need to like your characters, or find them having a degree of integrity, or if you need a strong plot, then skip this one.
    • 3/5
      the story of an affair told by the other woman. while the novel improved as the story went on this is not as good as The Gathering. I did like the main character and there were some sections that were very well written. I wish she would added some depth
    • 3/5
      I read about 70 pages. I didn't like the subject: Adultery.
      Her writing is wonderful. Like something creamy and sweet that melts on your tongue. It was a pleasure but I became satiated quickly.
    • 3/5
      I couldn't quite wrap my mind around this one...
    • 4/5
      Four stars for excellent writing; however, the least likable and emptiest characters ever written. Universally disliked by my book club.
    • 4/5
      This is a story of obsessive love. It captures how it feels to be blind to everything but the object of your love, hurting, bankrupting, abandoning everyone else, how you become so blinkered, your entire view of the world changes. The story is set in Dublin against the backdrop of the financial crisis of 2008, which weaves its way through the story in tumbling house-prices and lost jobs. The subject-matter is dramatic and intense, the writing is perfect - quiet, sparse, pared-down.
    • 2/5
      Despite the rave reviews for this book I did not like the narrative tone and could not feel empathetic with the characters perhaps I will try her first book which I realize is what all the back cover rave reviews were for!
    • 4/5
      Not a guilty pleasure as I expected, but really a great book with complex characters built out of revealing incident and sharp detail.
    • 4/5
      Readers' appreciation of a novel often depend on the extent to which they can identify with the main character. In The forgotten waltz, the main character, Gina Moynihan is a selfish and egotistical woman, and therefore, readers tend to dislike the character as well as the novel.It is brave of Anne Enright to write a novel in which the narrator is a dislikable character. As a type, this protagonist is probably universal: a self-conscious, ambitious and modern woman, who is driven by unscrupulous lust and ambition. She is not 100% bad or evil. She is just that type of person, perhaps quite typical of the 1990s and early decades of the 21 century, that type of go-getter, with a good job, an eye always on stock market and real estate prices, believing social darwinism means cruelty is part of social competitiveness. Naturally, this is not the way she perceives herself. In her own self-perception, Gina appears a quite normal, emancipated woman. There are some (not so) subtle hints in the first part of the books that Gina would think of herself as particularly pure, worried of smut and dirt. There are several times references suggesting that other people are abnormal or weak, in her eyes. Gina's character is soon enough clear to the reader, who will realize that Gina should be considered an unreliable narrator. Her analysis of social relations, or morals and of her own motivations is incorrect.While omitting any specific reasons, Gina seduces Seán Vallely at a barbecue party in her sister's garden. The total randomess of their relationship is emphasised by Gina's characterization of how it came about. She was looking intently at a man who was turned away from her. Had he not turned around, she would have let him go, but as he did turn around and face her, she made her move.From the way Gina has described her husband Conor, mentally undressing him as in her mind she strips his well-built body -- a jacket, and under that a shirt, and under that a T-shirt, and under that a tattoo...-- it is clear that Gina picks her man on physical appearance and her own lust rather than anything else. The fact that Seán is married matters not to her. The time when adultery was a man's thing lies far in the past.Apparently, Gina is very successful at seducing Seán, but meets one obstacle: the couple's daughter, Evie. The child is a factor that Gina has not reckoned with, and completely underestimates.Ever since Freud, it is clear that children are no longer just innocent. The novella that first attested to that insight is probably Henry James' What Masie knew. The forgotten waltz is a modern variation on this theme.Anne Enright's prose is almost as understated as that of Beryl Bainbridge, but gives the reader more clues. Likewise, The forgotten waltz is a fairly thin novel.True, The forgotten waltz was not quite an enjoyable read, but then leaves the reader with a lot to ponder.
    • 4/5
      Beautiful writing. Believable characters and situation but not one you would want any part of. Tough examination of love, marriage, passion.
    • 4/5
      I read this book because of an article I enjoyed about the author, Anne Enright. Her sense of humor intrigued me and led me to this book. I was not disappointed and will read more of her work. I love the description, loosely quoted, I recently heard (third person) of "Literary Fiction" being a book in which not much happens. The Forgotten Waltz is such a novel. The best words I can come up with is that the writing, although it is prose, is poetry. For example, one of my favorite lines is; "I walked up to the threshold with badness on my mind." The reason this isn't a rave review is that there is a section that I found to be a bit "plodding." I should also mention that readers should be aware that the main subject involves adultery and there are some "choice words" scattered throughout which may turn some people off.I dislike rambling reviews, so in the interest of keeping it short, I you enjoy quirky, introspective, masterful writing (I refuse to categorize this as "Irish Fiction"), give this one a try.
    • 2/5
      Well, I am not alone. No one in my book group liked Forgotten Waltz, by Anne Enright. It was supposedly "a tour de force" in the reviews and satirically funny, but I beg to differ. I wasn't attracted to any of the characters. After reading Gina's descriptions of her husband and lover, I couldn't figure out for the life of me why she fell for them in the first place. I also kept waiting for more on the story of the daughter, and how all of this infidelity had affected her, but not much was forthcoming. And worst of all, Enright circled back around through the whole mess again and the literary trick of seeing things from a new viewpoint, or with more knowledge, did nothing to help. I cringed when I saw we were back at the beginning. I grudgingly give it two stars, simply because I did finish it. Maybe I should re-evaluate my ranking system.
    • 4/5
      I expected to like this more because of awards it has won. It was fine, but I had a hard time really getting involved with the characters or finding the situation relevant.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. All the characters are perfectly believable. Unlike most Orange Prize nominated books there's no war, poverty or violence; but there is a very accurate description of a woman engaged in an adulterous affair, the economic downturn, mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, a young girl ascending into adolescence, the reaction of parents to their child's health problems, the attempt to woo the child of a lover. I believed in these people and their reactions and their acceptance of life's being less than they had expected. This was a nomination well deserved.
    • 4/5
      Had The Forgotten Waltz not been nominated for the 2012 Orange Prize, I probably wouldn't have read it. When I read The Gathering by Anne Enright, I found it to be such a bleak novel; I was not in a hurry to read something by Enright again. Thankfully, The Forgotten Waltz was a better reading experience.At the core of this novel is an examination of modern marriage. Gina is newly married when she meets one of her sister's neighbors, Sean. Over time, Gina and Sean begin to have an affair. When Gina's mom died suddenly, Sean and Gina become  little less careful about their secret, and eventually, they must make decisions about their marriages and their own relationship.Sean has a daughter, Evie, who experienced unexplained seizures as a child, leaving Sean's wife, Aileen, overprotective and nervous. Enright does a commendable job showing the strains an unhealthy child can have on a marriage. Furthermore, Enright taps into the difficulties of becoming involved with a person who has a child. As the story progresses, Gina realizes that she will always be second to Evie's needs. She must decide if she can live with that.Gina is an interesting character. If I knew her in real life, I would have to plan an intervention. She is fallible and borderline delusional about her relationships - not only with Sean, but with her husband, sister and deceased parents. She reaches for cigarettes and alcohol a lot, but what she really needs is a good therapist.All in all, The Forgotten Waltz was a solid read that explored relationships, love and marriage. It just goes to show you: sometimes you can't judge an author by just one book.
    • 1/5
      Recommended by literary journalists in numerous publications, I jumped at this book. After 2 months of trying to "get through it". I finally finished. What was it about? I have no idea. The story was disjointed and forced. There was no character development and the writing was well, let's just say that it must have been way over my head as I just didn't get it. The story is told by Gina, a self-centered, narcisstic character who can't even tell a good story. I would have stopped before the book was done but I held out hope until the end that the book would get better.
    • 3/5
      Basically, quite good chick-lit. The narrator embarks on an extra-marital affair with the curiously unlikeable Sean, but his epileptic daughter is part of the package.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautifully written novel describing the feelings, emotions, touch, sounds and sights of passion when one experiences the temporary insanity called "in love". No wonder those Victorian women who took to their beds and died of broken hearts. It's real. Enright examines through her novel the destruction and havoc this temporary insanity can cause, and how helpless one can be when trapped inside it. The writing is poetic. Enright won the Booker a couple of years ago for The Gathering. I loved this book.
    • 5/5
      The Gathering won the Booker prize, but to me, this book was so much better. I kept contrasting it with The Twoweeks, a LibraryThing reviewers copy that I detested, unfortunately. The books were so similar, in content: an adulterous relationship. Enright, however, writes from the inside out - she's inside her character's head, thinking her thoughts and feeling her emotions and seeing the world from her perspective. Duberstein, on the other hand, is just making it up, adding details that feel extraneous, conversations that feel forced.I apologize to Enright for including a writer of such less distinction in this review, but it helped me figure out why some writing feels artistic and others contrived. In short, I loved this book. Beautiful beautiful writing, engrossing, real characters.