As a debut novel, Lagan Love succeeds in portraying a vivid setting and thus showcasing the writer's prowess. I was easily transported to 1980's Dublin and Ireland through the descriptions of life at the time, the pubs and coffee shops as meeting points and background for the clashing of generations and views. History is woven into the story through the musings and wandering tours of the local characters and adds to the artistic and literary environment created. The story is made more real by the romance drama at its core, the self-discovery of a younger generation, which in turn is further engrained in the Irish setting by the myths that threaten its peace (namely the Leanan Sidhe).

While I appreciate all those elements as they kept me intrigued, I found the story too ambitious to deal with them all properly, or rather at a proper pace. The rhythm felt chaotic to me, with very little to keep me engaged, especially in the first half of the book. I didn't know whether the book wanted to be a history or literary book, or more of a romance. Either one is not completely my preferred genre, so that might have impacted my enjoyment as well. I also thought the characters either unlikeable (e.g. Janice) or dull (e.g. Sinead), so it was difficult to keep my interest at certain points in the story. The Leanan Sidhe intrigue running throughout was definitely the shining star for me.

Overall I think it is quite a good debut novel, showing a lot of promise for Murphy's future works.

Lagan Love by Peter Murphy is a dense novel steeped in Irish lore and angst. Janice, a Canadian, is a young student at the famed Trinity in Dublin, and she is easily swept up in the tumult that clings to the brooding poet Aiden. She’s a student who dreams of painting and traveling the world, and at one point dreams of her life with Aiden as the famous poet and painter duo. Is Aiden a struggling poet who has sold his soul for a few hundred dollars and a published collection, or is he the next Seamus Heaney?

His first collection of poems is published with the help of Gwen/Bridey, with whom he’s sleeping and who is married. Aiden thinks that by introducing Gwen and Janice, he can ensure Janice’s paintings get noticed and that his affair with Gwen remains a secret because publicly Janice will be seen as his muse/girlfriend. It’s not just Gwen, Aiden, and Janice, but Sinead as well who are searching. Searching for love or the darknesss within the light and vice versa.

Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2011/07/lagan-love-by-peter-murphy.html

As a debut novel, Lagan Love succeeds in portraying a vivid setting and thus showcasing the writer's prowess. I was easily transported to 1980's Dublin and Ireland through the descriptions of life at the time, the pubs and coffee shops as meeting points and background for the clashing of generations and views. History is woven into the story through the musings and wandering tours of the local characters and adds to the artistic and literary environment created. The story is made more real by the romance drama at its core, the self-discovery of a younger generation, which in turn is further engrained in the Irish setting by the myths that threaten its peace (namely the Leanan Sidhe).

While I appreciate all those elements as they kept me intrigued, I found the story too ambitious to deal with them all properly, or rather at a proper pace. The rhythm felt chaotic to me, with very little to keep me engaged, especially in the first half of the book. I didn't know whether the book wanted to be a history or literary book, or more of a romance. Either one is not completely my preferred genre, so that might have impacted my enjoyment as well. I also thought the characters either unlikeable (e.g. Janice) or dull (e.g. Sinead), so it was difficult to keep my interest at certain points in the story. The Leanan Sidhe intrigue running throughout was definitely the shining star for me.

Overall I think it is quite a good debut novel, showing a lot of promise for Murphy's future works.