The High Road (novel)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Edna O'Brien |
| Products | Fiction book |
The High Road is a novel released in 1988 by the Irish writer Edna O'Brien. The narrative centers on an unnamed Irish character who is convalescing on a Mediterranean island. This work represents O'Brien's tenth novel, appearing eleven years subsequent to Johnny I Hardly Knew You.
Critical reception
According to Kirkus Reviews, the book exhibits notable lyrical qualities but received criticism for its stylistic approach, described as being "perhaps excessively dominated by the drive toward lyricism" while addressing themes such as aging accompanied by fear, desire, and passion. Meanwhile, Publishers Weekly characterized the novel as "undermined by symbolism and unlikely occurrences."
Maura Boland from the Chicago Tribune expressed reservations about the storyline and character portrayal, asserting that "poetic language and vivid metaphors alone do not suffice," and highlighted how the episodic format along with dense literary and religious references occasionally cloud the plot.