The Haven: Book 1

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Haven was neither of these. It was about the men finding the island and then figuring out how to survive.

I was moved by the sentence on p. 34 ... "Trian wonders why men vie to amass possessions, when they can't even hold onto their own skin for longer than God allots; and, Donoghue excels in creating not just a world but a worldview that is far removed from our own. ... a bold, thoughtful novel, whose austerity matches its setting.' - Financial Times

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As the narrative unspools, Cormac — a garrulous storyteller, to Artt’s silence-loving displeasure — is forever telling young Trian tales of the saints, and as they occur so often, they honestly began to feel like filler. “I’m put in mind of the voyages of holy Breandán and his seventeen companions,” Cormac will say, or he’ll relate the story of holy Brigit’s pupil Darlugdach (who put embers in her own shoes when she was tempted to go to a man in the night); we learn the tales of blessed Molua, holy Colm Cille, and of the time the austere Comgall caught some thieves, etc. When Artt tells a story for the improvement of young Trian, it’s generally along the lines of, “The wisest Church Fathers, and the ancients before them, all agree that a woman is a botched man, created only for childbearing,” or referring to the legendary Sionan as “this perverse daughter of Eve”. When Artt quotes the Gospel in ways that confound the other monks, Cormac thinks, “He doesn’t need to fathom the depths of scripture, only follow and obey.” And it is the vow of obedience — to a self-aggrandising fanatic — that will lead to hunger, exposure, and suppressed dissent; all for the glory of God (or at least for His representative on Earth). The book focuses on fanaticism,obedience and faith. What makes someone truly a saint? Artt believes God will provide. As someone who believes God expects us to use the brains he gave us, I struggled with this blind faith. I also couldn’t help but wonder where Artt’s pride and belief in himself fit into this hardheadedness. The ending was predictable, despite one minor twist I didn’t see coming.

Artt was legendary as a living saint, a holy man of great learning and experience of the world. He dreamed of escaping the society of fallen men, monks who wore embroidered clothing and feasted on roast swan and wine. In his dream he leaves Hibernia with two monks: Cormac, aging and skilled, and Trian, young and naïve. Artt believes that God will lead them to an uninhabited island where they can dedicate their lives to holy living. The pious Cormac and Trian agree to follow and obey Artt as their Prior. Written in an admirably plain and lucid style, Haven is slow but ultimately moving in its revelation of friendship and human decency.' - Sunday TimesYou can also book tables whilst on holiday and there is no need to book outdoor dining, simply turn up and we’ll do our best to get you seated Wherever you live, PLEASE support your local indie bookstore by buying from them either directly or through an indie-friendly hub such as bookshop.org or hive.co.uk. It could be that my tastes have changed since I last read Ms. Donoghue - some other reviewers have loved this book - or it could be that it's boring. Robust evidence of her vast imagination and continued efforts to explore human psychology in the strangest of circumstances.' - Reaction

All offers are subject to availability, apply to new bookings only and cannot be used with any other voucher, discount or offer (unless otherwise stated). I found the story pointless. There's a tiny twist at the end which I think the author could have revealed early on and used it to build tension (would the Prior find out?) throughout the novel, rather than just tossing it in at the end as an afterthought.When Artt has a dream, a dream he is sure is a gift from above, a dream so real he can feel it and see it in his mind, he knows he has been chosen for a mission. This mission is so real to him, he requests a blessing of forming a sanctuary. Haven is a slim novel of agonizing beauty and claustrophobic fanaticism. It tells the story of the charismatic, cruel Brother Artt, who is intent on establishing a remote monastery in the most difficult of conditions as proof of his piety; Brother Trian, an uncertain young man who was given up to the monastery by his impoverished family when he was a child; and the elderly Cormac, a skilled builder, farmer, and storyteller who became a monk after he lost his wife and children to the plague. Before you start your journey, use the My Haven app* or log in to haven.com/experience to view and save your personalised map to navigate to your holiday home on park.

i do think the story itself is very interesting. i love a good survival plot, so i was looking forward to reading about three monks settling an inhabitable island in the name of god. i just wish there had been a greater sense adventure when it came to their actual island experience.

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Guests that book a Haven break will receive a Play Pass giving them access to free entertainment and the opportunity to book free swimming slots and a selection of free and paid activities (subject to availability). Self-catering offers Three monks on a small craggy island off of Ireland many centuries ago (~600 A.D). One of them, Prior Artt, has a vision that he is destined to build a church away from society. In his dream he sees himself doing this with the aid of a young monk and an old monk. So he selects two from the monastery, and off they go in a crap-ass boat and eventually end up on an island. It’s not like Gilligan’s Island let me tell you.