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This Is Happiness
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
A profound and enchanting new novel from Booker Prize-longlisted author Niall Williams about the loves of our lives and the joys of reminiscing. You don't see rain stop, but you sense it. You sense something has changed in the frequency you've been living and you hear the quietness you thought was silence get quieter still, and you raise your head so your eyes can make sense of what your ears have already told you, which at first is only: something has changed. The rain is stopping. Nobody in the small, forgotten village of Faha remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard was a condition of living. Now--just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of electricity--it is stopping. Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is standing outside his grandparents' house shortly after the rain has stopped when he encounters Christy for the first time. Though he can't explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed. This is the story of all that was to follow: Christy's long-lost love and why he had come to Faha, Noel's own experiences falling in and out of love, and the endlessly postponed arrival of electricity--a development that, once complete, would leave behind a world that had not changed for centuries. Niall Williams' latest novel is an intricately observed portrait of a community, its idiosyncrasies and its traditions, its paradoxes and its inanities, its failures and its triumphs. Luminous and otherworldly, and yet anchored with deep-running roots into the earthy and the everyday, This Is Happiness is about stories as the very stuff of life: the ways they make the texture and matter of our world, and the ways they write and rewrite us.
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Bevita
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Bailedbailed

Not the right moment. Ireland, small town, electrification. It didn‘t grab me.

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JuniperWilde
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

This is a slow novel in the best possible way. Pages and pages dedicated to landscape and weather. Some very smart structural decisions that help conclude substories without distracting from the main story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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JuniperWilde
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Next up. I‘ve read a lot of good reviews, including here on Litsy. I‘ve read so many great books already this summer. Moon Road, So Late In The Day, Tomb Sweeping, and Intimacies (Lucy Caldwell).

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Cuilin
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

I will never be able to do justice to this novel. On the surface it‘s a very simple story about a 17 year old boy living in the West Coast of Ireland when the parish is getting electricity for the first time. However, it is so much more. If you read it, be prepared to not only enjoy the story and the wordsmithing, you will laugh and cry but you‘ll come away having your heart and soul somewhat healed. 5⭐️
@Suet624 @Gissy set in Ireland 🇮🇪

Suet624 This was the first book I read of his and I was stunned by its beauty. I think of it so often. Absolutely loved it. (edited) 7mo
Cuilin @Suet624 I thought you had read this. Oh my gosh, it‘s so beautiful. I‘m now off to find everything else he has written. 7mo
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Lcsmcat I loved this book too! 7mo
Cuilin @Lcsmcat it was such a joy. Have you read anything else by him? 7mo
Lcsmcat @Cuilin Not yet, but I intend to. What do you recommend? 7mo
Cuilin @Lcsmcat this was my first by him. I was going to ask you the same question. I‘ll tag you if I read and review another of his. (edited) 7mo
Lcsmcat @Cuilin Same! 7mo
63 likes6 stack adds8 comments
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Lcsmcat
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

Soaked in symbolism and the most beautiful prose you can imagine, this lovely book is the opposite of a page-turner. It‘s a slow-down-and-savor, experience in all your senses kind of book. I loved it and wanted to highlight every other sentence. Highly recommend! Number13 for#24in2024 and my irl book club pick.

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Lcsmcat
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Springtime and a good book. This is happiness. 😀

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Soubhiville
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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@CBee thank you so much for this blast of love and happiness. I so appreciate your support. I look forward to reading all of these, and digging in to the snacks. I haven‘t ever tried spicy pistachios, but they sound delicious! I love Reeces, and the gnome is so cute! He‘s perched on my bookshelf now. Sietje enjoyed playing with the wrapping paper 🐶. You are so sweet. Thank you again. 💞

BennettBookworm TIME WAR IS THE BEST!!!!! 11mo
CBee Aw yay!! Glad it made it safely 😊😊 Enjoy everything ♥️ Glad Sietje was able to have a little fun with it too 🐾 11mo
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charl08
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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The shelves were well-stacked, the multitude of things that could go wrong arranged chasteningly under broad rubrics, Head, Ears, Nose & Throat, Eyes, Teeth, Joints. Because they were a sex that concurred with Aristotle, having more to them than the sum of their parts, in their own category: Women.

Furthest from the counter, as ordained by general backwardness in matters of the body, a small shelf: Men. Beside the Men, Animals.

bnp This sounds wonderful! 1y
charl08 @bnp it was! Tough to choose between this and the previous book of his I read, both good reads. 1y
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charl08
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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...when the electricity did finally come, it was discovered that the 100-watt bulb was too bright for Faha. The instant garishness was too shocking. ....

Reality was appalling. It turned out Siney Dunne's fine head of hair was a wig, not even close in colour to the scruff of his neck, Mick King was an out-and-out and fairly unsubtle cheater at Forty-Five, and Marian McGlynn's healthy allure was in fact a caked make-up the colour of red turf ash.

Suet624 I really liked this book@and your quote is an example of why I liked it so much. 1y
charl08 I'm a fan 😁 1y
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charl08
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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In the same way that order of entrance into St Cecelia's was preordained, so too it was a given that men lost interest once the service climaxed. Mossie Pender was always the first to leave. Mossie had reached the age when he no longer held dominion over his bladder, and in the last moments of Mass, host unmelted on his tongue, rushed from St Cecelia's into Ryan's next door....

Cuilin I just bought this. Different cover. 1y
Suet624 @Cuilin Have I told you already how much I enjoyed this book? It's a bit of a slow poke but well worth it (in my opinion). :) Charlotte, are you enjoying it? 1y
Cuilin @Suet624 Can‘t remember how this ended up being a purchase so thrilled to hear your recommendation. I‘ll move it up the TBR 1y
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Suet624 @Cuilin One of the things that happens is the folks in the book become concerned because it is sunny every day. It's a small theme running through the book. It was sunny for 10 days when I was in Ireland and I couldn't help but notice that folks were complaining about it. 1y
charl08 @Suet624 making me laugh so much. @Cuilin hope you like it. 1y
Tamra @Suet624 😂 really? It wouldn‘t have occurred to me. I complain if there are several gloomy days in a row. I really liked the story telling in this book. (edited) 1y
46 likes6 comments
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Tamra
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

To gain some perspective on the length of this audiobook, I listened to it while weeding & laying 50+ bags of mulch to two large beds that hadn‘t been tended at all for 5 years and prepped & painted our library room. 😳

This is Irish story telling at its best. A young man comes of age in a village when electricity is promised to be the second coming. However, the value of life, family, community & love doesn‘t depend on electric illumination.

Jeg You have been very busy. 1y
Leftcoastzen Wow that‘s a task and a half! 1y
LeahBergen I‘m tired out just by reading your post. 😆 1y
Suet624 Great review. 1y
62 likes4 comments
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BarbaraBB
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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#BookReport 15/23

The tagged book was the least favorite this week. I really enjoyed Ben and I‘m a Fan but nothing could compete with Three. What a terrific book. My second week in a row with a 5⭐️ read. Lucky me!

TrishB I‘m glad you loved Three- I did too. Not Freshwater but a different story! 2y
Cinfhen Yay! I‘m so glad you‘re finally finding some 5 star reads💕 2y
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BarbaraBB
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Mehso-so

Electricity comes to a small Irish parish in the 1950s. The man delivering it is Christy, a man with a mission. Or two actually. He finds company in the young Noe, a boy on the brink of adulthood - with its uncertainties.
To me this book is way too long. I love Niall Williams writing and I was eager to follow the plot but the endlessly adding of details worked so distracting that I found myself skimming pages until the story continued. #Roll100

Kerrbearlib Love this pic! Beautiful green. 2y
PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 2y
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squirrelbrain It sounds like a great book on paper… 🤔 2y
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain It is. @Suet624 loved it. It is just my impatience again! (edited) 2y
CSeydel Good review! 2y
Megabooks Too bad it wasn‘t better. 😕 2y
Suet624 Awww, I'm sorry you didn't like it more. Apparently I was in the mood for lengthy paragraphs and wordy descriptions. LOL. Your review reminds me a bit of what I would say about Birnam Woods, which I know you liked a lot. I haven't quite come to grips with that book and so I haven't written anything about it yet. 2y
BarbaraBB @Suet624 It‘s a matter of being in the mood indeed. I can be so impatient! Of Birnam Woods however, I couldn‘t get enough. Strange how our minds work. I am sorry you didn‘t enjoy that one as much 🤍 2y
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Suet624
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

This story of a fictional town in Ireland as it prepares for electricity to be installed in the town is also a story about a stranger coming to town to ask for forgiveness. The story is told so beautifully and the writing takes time to take in. This is not a quick read. It reminded me of my father of Irish descent telling stories - endlessly adding details that ultimately make the story so much better.

Readergrrl I have this on my TBR. Maybe this will be next read?!?! This is the second time I‘ve seen it reviewed on social media this week! It must be a sign! 2y
BarbaraBB It‘s a sign indeed @Readergrrl , I just started it too! Beautiful review Sue, I am a bit distracted by all characters but I‘m sure I‘ll get used to it! 2y
Suet624 @Readergrrl It is dense in the telling of the story but I felt as though it brought me ever closer to the characters and their feelings. I hope you enjoy it. 2y
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Suet624 @BarbaraBB Haha. I'm trying to remember all the characters at the beginning. I feel as though he whittles it down and it all becomes manageable. I saw a review on Litsy that stated it could use some editing and I suppose that's true - but I really enjoyed the telling. 2y
batsy I don't think I've heard of this. Thanks for putting it on my radar. Lovely cover, too. 2y
Suet624 @batsy it‘s one of those books that is slow to rise on lists but you‘ll suddenly notice more and more people talking about it. I didn‘t know this author and now I have to read more of his work. 2y
Reggie Sounds wonderful. 2y
55 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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BarbaraBB
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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#WeeklyForecast 14/23

I just finished Birnam Wood and now have to deal with a book hangover. So what to read next.

I chose Notes on Grief, which I think will feel very close to home. I also chose a Persephone because you can‘t go wrong with them. The tagged book is for #Roll100 and I look forward to it because I loved History of the Rain.

TrishB Hope they‘re good 😘 (and helpful- grief is a constant roller coaster, be kind to yourself). 2y
BarbaraBB @TrishB Thank you for the warning dear Trish 🤍 2y
Cinfhen Looks promising 😍and I realize your dad‘s passing is coming up on it‘s first year 😪it never gets easy ☹️ 2y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Yes, in June. Time flies but at times it still hits me 🤍 2y
66 likes4 comments
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Suet624
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Often I feel such gratitude for my reading life. Today - despite the snowstorm raging outside on March 31st! - I feel so grateful to be reading these two books at the same time. Williams‘ writing is so detailed and gorgeous and White‘s writing is so fanciful and fun. We readers are so lucky to have such wonderful offerings. Many thanks to @AnnieMcC for the Williams recommendation and thanks to @AvidReader25 and @BkClubCare for #OAFkingalong.

Leftcoastzen Bad weather is a great reason to stay in & read! Stay safe! 2y
Suet624 @Leftcoastzen It's a great excuse to read and nap. :) 2y
BkClubCare This fills my ❤️ 2y
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Suet624 @BkClubCare I'm so glad. Thank you for your postcard! 2y
BarbaraBB This is such a coincidence: I just picked up the Williams to read this week! 2y
Suet624 @BarbaraBB that‘s awesome! 2y
Tamra So many lovely reviews of the Williams book! 2y
Amiable What a lovely post! Thank you for the reminder that we are indeed lucky to have such wonderful books to read and enjoy. 2y
AvidReader25 This is going to be such a fun readalong! 2y
Suet624 @Amiable Such abundance! 2y
Suet624 @AvidReader25 I agree! Thank you for organizing. 2y
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AnnieMcC
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
Pickpick

A beautifully written book about a fictional town in Ireland in the 1950's. I loved everything about this book except that I had to hurry through the last 1/3 of book to get it back to the library on time. I will be reserving it again to finish it the way it deserves to be read, slowly and patiently.

Suet624 Well now I have to track it down! 2y
AnnieMcC @Suet624 I think you will love it!
2y
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GerardtheBookworm
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Mehso-so

Read this for a book club. A glacially paced literary read told from the perspective of a senior Noel reflecting of his time spent in the fictional Irish town of Faha in the 1950's. As the traditional village prepares for the modern age of electrification, it's about the people, the families, and friendships found in this coming age story. Beautifully written with lyrical prose and plentiful with themes, it still needs editing in storytelling.

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ProudBookNerd
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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This book came highly recommended. This is just in the Epigraph and already I am looking forward to diving in. A new book,a quiet Sunday morning, a hot cup of coffee. Bliss.

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Deblovestoread
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Tagged book is on my TBR shelf. Tolstoy knew where happiness can be found. This perfectly lists some of the things I am most grateful for.

#Gratitude

BarbaraBB I still have this one on my TBR too. I loved his 2y
Deblovestoread @BarbaraBB I haven‘t read him before but I love all things Ireland. Stacked 2y
Eggs Well said! 2y
43 likes4 comments
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SamHeartCoffee
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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This has come very highly recommended. Probably will check it out! Has anyone read it and loved it too?

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Ellohcin
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Becker
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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This book isn‘t big on plot but if you are a lover of language, this is your next read. The writing is lovely. Carefully crafted word by word- sometimes funny, sometimes profound and always beautiful. I was so distracted by the language I would have to re-read the page because I hadn‘t paid any attention to what was going on. 😆

Suet624 I‘m experiencing the same thing with this book! 2y
Becker @Suet624 I‘m happy to hear you‘re enjoying it. It‘s a little gem. 2y
Tamra @Becker @Suet624 oh my, I only just started the audio and the language of the story telling is so captivating! 2y
Suet624 @Tamra isn‘t it something??? 2y
Becker @Suet624 @Tamra I‘ve been meaning to read something else by this author ever since I read this book and I haven‘t got around to it. Maybe this is my reminder. 🙂 2y
25 likes5 comments
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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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I received this book as a gift for my upcoming birthday! How lovely is that?!

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aemchenry
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
Pickpick

Well-woven, multi-threaded tale of a young man at his grandparent's home in rural Ireland. I listened to the audio book & enjoyed it very much.

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monalyisha
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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I haven‘t been a good reader lately — or anything -er, since that implies a verb. 🙈 So, I‘ve got to pause the book I started (tagged), which was lovely (the little bit I read, anyway!), to crack open my Book Club book.

Starting over tonight with Evvie Drake Starts Over. It seems like a quick read, though, so hopefully I‘ll finish in time! 🤞🏻

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monalyisha
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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“The shoes of all grandparents are inestimable mysteries, hold them in your hand and they are strange and tender somehow.”

Pictured are me & my Mom with my Grandma at my wedding. Inexplicably, my Grandma is holding her own shoe. 😅🤷‍♀️ (She wasn‘t doing super-well by this point & she passed away about 6 months later...but she was so happy & proud that day.)

MicheleinPhilly What a lovely photo. I miss my grandmothers terribly. ☹️ 4y
monalyisha @MicheleinPhilly Me too. 💞 My Grandma actually died on Valentine‘s Day, & this year was the fifth anniversary. She‘s been on my mind. 4y
AllisonM89 I've been scanning all of my mother's photo albums onto the computer. Photos are magical, especially those of loved ones we miss dearly ❤️ 4y
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AmyG My Grandma‘s picture hangs in my reading room. What a beautiful photo and she must have been overjoyed to see her granddaughter get married. 4y
marleed Wonderful photo! 4y
MicheleinPhilly ❤️ 4y
Bookzombie This photo and the others you posted are lovely. So happy she was with you on your wedding day. Also, I thought your mom was your sister before I read what you wrote. 4y
monalyisha @AllisonM89 A worthy & heartfelt project! 💞 4y
monalyisha Thanks, @marleed @MicheleinPhilly ❤️! And @Bookzombie — everyone does. 😅 4y
Cathythoughts Bless ❤️ 4y
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monalyisha
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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“The known world was not so circumscribed then nor knowledge equated with facts. Story was a kind of human binding. I can‘t explain it any better than that. There was telling everywhere. Because there were fewer sources of where to find out anything, there was more listening.”

Crazeedi Spooky beautiful photo 4y
Hooked_on_books Gorgeous pic! 😍 4y
Tera66 Great picture! I love fog! 4y
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BarbaraBB I have a copy of this book too. Is it good? 4y
monalyisha @BarbaraBB It‘s beautifully written so far! I‘ll keep you posted. 4y
BarbaraBB Thanks for keeping me posted! I‘ve been looking forward to it since 4y
Redwritinghood @BarbaraBB I loved this book. 5⭐️ for me. 4y
BarbaraBB @Redwritinghood Thanks! That is so good to know! 4y
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monalyisha
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Most recent #LibraryHaul — with an @erinreads haul as the cherry on top!

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Canadian.Reads
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

A ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me and a book I will be recommending to those looking for a heartwarming and soul nourishing novel. Themes of storytelling, romantic and non romantic love, music, and landscape shape this beautiful tale of electricity coming to Faha, County Clare in Ireland. It is, truly, happiness!

#LitsyAtoZ, Letter T

AmyG Sounds wonderful. 4y
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Canadian.Reads
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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"I sometimes think the worst thing a young person can feel is when you can find no answer to the question of what you are supposed to do with this life you've been given"... "I can now say that another version of that happens in old age, when it occurs to you that since you've lived this long you must have learned something, so you open you eyes before dawn and think: What is it that I've learned, what is it I want to say?"

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Canadian.Reads
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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"The known world was not so circumscribed then nor knowledge equated with facts. Story was a kind of human binding. I can't explain it any better than that. There was telling everywhere. Because there were fewer sources of where to find out anything, there was more listening."

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KatieB
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

I loved this book. A story about electricity arriving to a small village in Ireland (but really about so much more). The writing was phenomenal and actually quite comedic. I can‘t remember how this book ended up on my TBR but I‘m so glad it did and so grateful to #bookspinbonanza for the impetus to pick it up. Book 3 done. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BarbaraBB I can‘t wait to read it. I loved another one by him: 5y
KatieB Ooooh, thanks for the recommendation @BarbaraBB ! It‘s going straight on my TBR! 5y
BarbaraBB Also I read a great book about electricity in an American village that I loved too. 5y
Beatlefan129 This book was a delight, I really loved it 5y
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KatieB
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Onto book 3 of #bookspinbonanza and just blown away by the writing! I can‘t remember how this book ended up on my TBR but grateful (so far!) that it did!

Redwritinghood It‘s a really great book. I loved it. 5y
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Beatlefan129
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

You would be hard-pressed to find anything more Irish than this gem of a novel.It‘s a story about electricity coming to a rural Irish village in the late 1950s.But the beauty of the story lies not in the exact details of what happened but in the way in which it is told.This story is told with joy, heartbreak, humor, warmth, and a deep reverence for people and places that now only exist in our memories.Photo is from my own trip to Ireland in 2007.

Redwritinghood This was one of my favorite reads so far this year. 5y
Beatlefan129 @Redwritinghood Mine too! I loved this book, I can‘t wait to recommend it 5y
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Beatlefan129
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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I love this quote at the intro to this book. Apologies for the dog hair on the screen . . .

Buechersuechtling How beautiful‼️ and, considering these times, so apt‼️ I know, it surely s very impolite to respond to a quote by such a known man with another quote but this nevertheless reminds me of what John Green wrote in “Turtles all the Way down”: “Your now is not your forever.” 5y
BarbaraBB I am looking forward to your review of this book! 5y
Redwritinghood This is a fantastic book. One of my favorites that I‘ve read this year. 5y
57 likes3 comments
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Redwritinghood
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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Pickpick

I adored this book. It was charming, witty, and wise. The writing was rich and all the characters seemed alive. This is ultimately a book about the changes in the course of a life that are pivotal, even though you don‘t often know that at the time. Set in a small Irish village, a young man leaves seminary school and comes to live with his grandparents following his mother‘s death. He befriends an older man who is there to rekindle a lost love.👇🏻

Redwritinghood The whole village is also being transformed as electricity is finally brought to their homes. Through finding and losing love, death and changes in the modern world, the story of a young man dealing with the big changes in his life is told with great warmth and humor. #hoopla (edited) 5y
charl08 Ooh loved History of the Rain. Will look for this one. 5y
BarbaraBB Echoing @charl08 , I loved History of the Rain. I was disappointed afterwards by the tagged one but I am more than willing to give Williams another try! 5y
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iread2much Is this set in the modern era? And do the elder characters play a significant role in the story? I‘m always looking for books with elder characters for my book club 😀 5y
Redwritinghood @charl08 I liked this more than History. I hope you like it. 5y
Redwritinghood @BarbaraBB I haven‘t read that one. Also, I read this as an audiobook and I‘m sure the lovely voice of the narrator helped me enjoy it even more. 5y
Redwritinghood @iread2much No. I believe it is early 1900s. The older people figure prominently. The set up for the story is an old man telling about a time in his past when he was quite young. His grandparents and another older man and woman are a focus of the story though. 5y
iread2much @Redwritinghood thanks so much! 5y
readordierachel This sounds lovely! 5y
65 likes4 stack adds9 comments
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RowReads1
This Is Happiness | Niall Williams
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TEArificbooks Pretty cover 5y
53 likes1 comment