I'm a former English instructor at the secondary and college level as well as an 80 year old who reads a lot for learning, discovery and entertainment, so I come to this review appreciating different kinds of literature. I respect language structure that communicates clearly. But I couldn't find a way to appreciate THE WREN, THE WREN.

In short, I did not enjoy this author's writing style. I found the narrative hard to follow with bewildering paragraphs where, for example, Carmel would be thinking about schoolbooks, Aunt Deirdre and Phil's death with no interplay or connection to the story that I could discern. Also, I'm put off by a writing style where dialogue is laid out in snatches of disconnected words, and I am confused by abrupt changes from one scene to another with no transitions. Nor could I find a way to appreciate characters who interact with themselves and each other in stream of consciousness that is difficult to follow. Perhaps a college class would benefit from reviewing this book, but It's not my cup of tea in the way of enjoyable reading.