What do you think?
Rate this book
An Evil Cradling
good clean secondhand copy, tanned page edges.
307 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 1992
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
February 15, 2017
It is a rare occasion that you get to read a book that manages to surprise you from beginning to end. I didn’t expect anything out of it, but I still discovered I had a number of expectations, because I discovered them whilst I was reading something that seemed to contradict what I subconsciously thought.
This book is written with grace. Yes, grace is the right word. I imagine Keenan with his back straight and a steady hand as he wrote it – though how he could have managed that beats me. To be in captivity for almost five years, beaten, humiliated, forgotten, and to still write in such a graceful, poised way.. It can only speak of the character of this Irishman. The character that kept him going, the strength and intelligence that saved him from becoming as hateful as his guards.
This book is a pure descent into insanity. Keenan’s mind went mad – and then, as only very few minds can do, he coerced himself out of that madness and became sane again. How, again, how he did this is beyond my ability to understand, because I have never been imprisoned or tortured. I can only clinically understand it – like pointing to the x on the treasure map – but the road there is one that only Keenan could take for himself.
This book contains some of the most beautiful writing I have ever seen in my life. Leaving the subject matter aside (though hard to do…), the words themselves fold and float together in a web that tightens and loosens with every chapter, simulating the undulations of the human mind while suppressed and subjected to the most horrific terrors and the most painful tortures. It is, and I say this with my years of experience as a reader, a unique book through and through. I must confess that I strongly believe that this experience of Keenan’s, when for five years he only had the words and the images that his mind could create, completely shaped his writing. It is so intimate, so distressingly beautiful, that I found myself feeling guilty for reading and re-reading passages of his tortures or his insanity moments, because of how accurately and disturbingly he managed to express them on paper.
This book is priceless to understanding the mentality of terrorists. Keenan describes their behavior and beliefs, their points of view. This is not just a book about being captive: this is a psychological study into understanding your captors. Absolutely, hauntingly beautiful, filled with lessons in moral strength and integrity that all of us should learn, but few of us ever get the chance to discover about themselves.
This book has, in one swipe, climbed to the top of my favorite books ever. It crosses the borders of genres, styles and literary might because of its truth and the beauty of the mind of its writer. Truly astonishing, I have no more words of praise for it.
This book is written with grace. Yes, grace is the right word. I imagine Keenan with his back straight and a steady hand as he wrote it – though how he could have managed that beats me. To be in captivity for almost five years, beaten, humiliated, forgotten, and to still write in such a graceful, poised way.. It can only speak of the character of this Irishman. The character that kept him going, the strength and intelligence that saved him from becoming as hateful as his guards.
This book is a pure descent into insanity. Keenan’s mind went mad – and then, as only very few minds can do, he coerced himself out of that madness and became sane again. How, again, how he did this is beyond my ability to understand, because I have never been imprisoned or tortured. I can only clinically understand it – like pointing to the x on the treasure map – but the road there is one that only Keenan could take for himself.
This book contains some of the most beautiful writing I have ever seen in my life. Leaving the subject matter aside (though hard to do…), the words themselves fold and float together in a web that tightens and loosens with every chapter, simulating the undulations of the human mind while suppressed and subjected to the most horrific terrors and the most painful tortures. It is, and I say this with my years of experience as a reader, a unique book through and through. I must confess that I strongly believe that this experience of Keenan’s, when for five years he only had the words and the images that his mind could create, completely shaped his writing. It is so intimate, so distressingly beautiful, that I found myself feeling guilty for reading and re-reading passages of his tortures or his insanity moments, because of how accurately and disturbingly he managed to express them on paper.
This book is priceless to understanding the mentality of terrorists. Keenan describes their behavior and beliefs, their points of view. This is not just a book about being captive: this is a psychological study into understanding your captors. Absolutely, hauntingly beautiful, filled with lessons in moral strength and integrity that all of us should learn, but few of us ever get the chance to discover about themselves.
This book has, in one swipe, climbed to the top of my favorite books ever. It crosses the borders of genres, styles and literary might because of its truth and the beauty of the mind of its writer. Truly astonishing, I have no more words of praise for it.
October 23, 2011
A much better book than might have been expected. Brian Keenan's nightmare incarceration of over 4 years at the hands of some Hezbollah fundamentalist thugs in Beirut has given rise to a remarkable work of literature. Keenan shows little interest in the politics of his captors, but considerable insight into their minds. They are young, religious and sexually repressed. They are more brutalised and diminished by the situation than the men they guard, and periodically beat. This book is at times almost unbearable to read, it brilliantly relates the static conditions of his captivity and the awful odyssey of his mind, how even the entry of an orange into their monotone world is a remarkable object of colour and beauty. It manages a near- perfect balance of narrative and reflection. It also portrays the strange friendship which develops between the Irish socialist(Keenan) and the English public schoolboy, John McCarthy and how they use their humour and friendship to survive such incarceration.
August 6, 2020
Within loneliness lies a unique world where each should find their own path to understand it. The author dredging up his life, while being a political prisoner, carves out this world into a reality in this book. The effect it brings out reaches out to all as a self reflection of oneself. The struggle and companionship along with the solitude he had had while he was a prisoner throws into light the mysterious ways mind can find its perseverance to remain sane while being lonely.
February 27, 2012
I first read this book shortly after it was published; it is an unforgettable account of brutality and the loss of freedom but also an uplifting account of hope, resilience and friendship. Brian was kidnapped and incarcerated in Beirut and over more than 4 years moved to various hiding places. The account of how he and fellow prisoner, John McCarthy were transported from place to place was both fascinating and horrible. I found myself holding my breath through the ordeal with them. Brian and John became staunch friends during the time they were together, at times mystifying other hostages who crossed their paths over the years, with their irreverant treatment of each other.
In contrast are the passages about illness and beatings were the men cared for each other and kept one another going. Brian Keegan writes with a beautiful and poetic honesty.
This book is an inspiration; I so admired Brian for his determination and humanity throughout and I still do.
In contrast are the passages about illness and beatings were the men cared for each other and kept one another going. Brian Keegan writes with a beautiful and poetic honesty.
This book is an inspiration; I so admired Brian for his determination and humanity throughout and I still do.
August 1, 2013
Brian Keenan went to Beirut in 1985 for a change from his native Belfast. He was kidnapped and held for the next four and half years. It was here that he met fellow hostage John McCarthy. This is an amazing read; Brain is a man full of integrity and compassion and a quality writer. I could quote so many passages from this book but one stands out "I wanted to affirm that I was myself and would not allow my integrity to be taken from me by a surrender to what another believed or would make me be". Throughout the isolation, degrading treatement and abuse, Brian never lost his compassion for others "We cannot know ourselves or declare ourselves human unless we share in the humanity of another".
February 26, 2013
This is a very disturbing and clever memoir. I read it when I was very young (too young, perhaps) and Keenan's writing has stayed with me. Amazing, heavy, shocking account of Keenan's life as a hostage in Beirut. Unforgettable true story.
June 2, 2014
Simply one of the best books I've ever read. It's stayed with me and it's impact hasn't lessened over time. Just read it.
February 7, 2023
At first, I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to make of this. Keenan almost immediately struck me as a little full of himself, if I'm honest, and lo and behold I finished the book still thinking that. At the same time, I don't think he could have written this book without being upfront and honest about all aspects of himself. Whether this was intentional, a desire to avoid shying away from the less pleasant parts of his personality, or whether he just wrote so honestly that the good and the bad revealed themselves in equal balance, I don't know. I just know that the more I got to know him through the book, the less it bothered me. There's also enough insight into his behaviour that makes me realise he's probably grown up a fair bit and stopped doing several of the things that I thought were particularly inappropriate for the circumstances. Pride is all very well and good if you're trying to stop yourself from being completely dehumanised and broken down by extremists holding you hostage, but I think it should be combined with picking one's battles. The hills that Keenan was recruiting his friends to die on with him were simply not worth it, but thankfully he worked this out for himself.
Overall, I think Keenan struck the balance right between focusing on himself and focusing on others. This is a personal piece of writing dealing with his personal experience, and it was written during a time of recovery from the incident itself. Considering he wrote it so soon after the events that transpired, it's impressive that it is so clear and so readable. It is never confused, and he never uses the page to try and work things out in real-time. Having spent the better half of a decade in a series of tiny and empty cells, Keenan has had a lot of time to think, to analyse the situation, to put himself under a microscope. I'm positive that all of the observations and conclusions he writes about in the book were already firm in his mind before he began. It is a completely unflinching account of the brutality and suffering he endured; of the madness he slipped in and out of; of the desperation and the uncertainty and the fear. Yet he manages all this with a firm and unwavering voice; there's a sense that this is just something that happened, that part of him is already at peace with it, and the rest is not far behind. He's never preachy, and he doesn't try to turn it into some hopeful, uplifting message for life. He simply tells what happened so he can lay it to rest behind him, and from what I can tell, he's gone on to do exactly that.
I have read a lot of prison literature, primarily from former prisoners of the Soviet Union's gulag system. Every prison is the same; every prison is unique, its prisoners' own untouchable world. Keenan does a remarkable job of reconstructing his world and inviting the reader in, and he also manages something very unique in this style of writing. He directly invites the reader in with him, but he does not force them. I think a reader could choose to go with him or not; either way, they will get something out of it, they will learn, they will know what it's like. But there is a moment where he directly addresses the reader and invites them inside his cell, and I think that a reader can make a decision there, to go that little bit further. How he manages this I don't know. Perhaps it's the urgency, the sincerity with which he offers; perhaps it breaks down some barrier of time and place. Perhaps it's his impeccably evocative writing. Perhaps it's some combination of those things and other things I can't name. But I did go with him, and like all good books, part of me will remain.
The rest of what I would say is too personal for a Goodreads review, even for me. Besides, personal endorsements are not always the best way to decide whether or not you'd like to read a book for yourself. But if you don't shy from dark subjects, and you want to read some of the most descriptive writing you'll probably ever read, I'd recommend picking this up. This book stands up with the classics of prison literature, one of those books that makes you look at even the most mundane example of your daily life and see your freedom in new and appreciative light.
Overall, I think Keenan struck the balance right between focusing on himself and focusing on others. This is a personal piece of writing dealing with his personal experience, and it was written during a time of recovery from the incident itself. Considering he wrote it so soon after the events that transpired, it's impressive that it is so clear and so readable. It is never confused, and he never uses the page to try and work things out in real-time. Having spent the better half of a decade in a series of tiny and empty cells, Keenan has had a lot of time to think, to analyse the situation, to put himself under a microscope. I'm positive that all of the observations and conclusions he writes about in the book were already firm in his mind before he began. It is a completely unflinching account of the brutality and suffering he endured; of the madness he slipped in and out of; of the desperation and the uncertainty and the fear. Yet he manages all this with a firm and unwavering voice; there's a sense that this is just something that happened, that part of him is already at peace with it, and the rest is not far behind. He's never preachy, and he doesn't try to turn it into some hopeful, uplifting message for life. He simply tells what happened so he can lay it to rest behind him, and from what I can tell, he's gone on to do exactly that.
I have read a lot of prison literature, primarily from former prisoners of the Soviet Union's gulag system. Every prison is the same; every prison is unique, its prisoners' own untouchable world. Keenan does a remarkable job of reconstructing his world and inviting the reader in, and he also manages something very unique in this style of writing. He directly invites the reader in with him, but he does not force them. I think a reader could choose to go with him or not; either way, they will get something out of it, they will learn, they will know what it's like. But there is a moment where he directly addresses the reader and invites them inside his cell, and I think that a reader can make a decision there, to go that little bit further. How he manages this I don't know. Perhaps it's the urgency, the sincerity with which he offers; perhaps it breaks down some barrier of time and place. Perhaps it's his impeccably evocative writing. Perhaps it's some combination of those things and other things I can't name. But I did go with him, and like all good books, part of me will remain.
The rest of what I would say is too personal for a Goodreads review, even for me. Besides, personal endorsements are not always the best way to decide whether or not you'd like to read a book for yourself. But if you don't shy from dark subjects, and you want to read some of the most descriptive writing you'll probably ever read, I'd recommend picking this up. This book stands up with the classics of prison literature, one of those books that makes you look at even the most mundane example of your daily life and see your freedom in new and appreciative light.
December 12, 2013
I've owned this book for 20 years or more now and finally felt ready to open it and read. Just remarkable -- a work to remind us how expansive is the human mind, proving that cultural (and religious) education is directly connected to the development of the heart, in the sense that, early on in life, we have the opportunity to either help open that heart through compassion and universal inclusion, or slam it shut by demanding blind obedience to dogma, along with all the heart-mind's potential for good and beauty. A real life tragicomedy. And just exquisitely composed, in every sense of that word -- a soaring, utterly compelling symphony created from Keenan's cries of pain and philosophical musings, mixed with the laughter of his resilience, the tender banter exchanged with his fellow captive, John McCarthy, and the music that is silence. It's as if when you read, a light shines out, and you, in your turn, by reading, shine a light back into the soul of the writer, hence into the world -- reading as an act of solidarity and hope. Essential reading, truly, and not in any sense outdated.
May 5, 2018
This wasn't a very easy read.
I'll start by saying that I started reading this book after I saw a Facebook comment claiming this is good literature. I was intrigued as Middle East history and people overcoming struggles are things I enjoy reading about.
I struggled reading this book because it was very interesting at times but then it became very dull. So I found myself pushing through the dull parts, hoping that it would become interesting again.
I feel like the observations about humans and cruelty were enlightening. There was something intelligent about this book, you can see they're journalists.
This book lacked backstory. I found myself googling Irish history (cause yeah, can't be expected to know that) and I'm still not sure I understand why they were taken and why they were released. This could have been addressed more clearly.
All in all, I'm happy I read this book, even if it was difficult.
what I'm taking with me
• Humans can overcome with defiance and kindness.
• I can't share the sympathy Brian seems to feel for his captors.
• John sounds like an amazing person.
I'll start by saying that I started reading this book after I saw a Facebook comment claiming this is good literature. I was intrigued as Middle East history and people overcoming struggles are things I enjoy reading about.
I struggled reading this book because it was very interesting at times but then it became very dull. So I found myself pushing through the dull parts, hoping that it would become interesting again.
I feel like the observations about humans and cruelty were enlightening. There was something intelligent about this book, you can see they're journalists.
This book lacked backstory. I found myself googling Irish history (cause yeah, can't be expected to know that) and I'm still not sure I understand why they were taken and why they were released. This could have been addressed more clearly.
All in all, I'm happy I read this book, even if it was difficult.
what I'm taking with me
• Humans can overcome with defiance and kindness.
• I can't share the sympathy Brian seems to feel for his captors.
• John sounds like an amazing person.
March 7, 2011
Brian Keenan is an Irish teacher who was kidnapped in 1985 while working in Beirut. This is a memoir of his four and a half years as a hostage, enduring torture, beatings, and solitary confinement. A very hard book to read at times – how can humans be so cruel? Yet Brian survived mind and soul intact, an amazing testament to the strength of his spirit.
June 22, 2019
One of my top ten ever read! I actually read it many years ago and even now parts of it stick with me.
December 29, 2022
this book is sooooo special and unbelievable .. idk how this dude managed to recount this awful awful thing that happened to him and yet write so beautifully and make u feel hope for humanity ??? im trying not to ‘spoil’ it (can you spoil non fiction … like .. it happened), check tws but if ur up for it it will be one of the best books ull read
August 21, 2014
This is the kind of book that leaves you ruminating. Like a good meal or sermon, you want to glean every last nuance and morsel from it ensuring that nothing is lost, that it all sinks in. A little like Primo Levi's 'If this is a Man' this book leaves you with a sense of awe, reverence even, for this 'beauty of the world, this paragon of animals', for what we are and what we are capable of. It reveals a depth of spirit, a nobility of character and the sheer belligerent will that enables one to fight in the face of inhumane behaviour as well as a sadness at how far short we often fall.
Brian Keenan is not just a good writer; his prose is poetic, descriptive and eloquent, but he is also a good thinker. A true philosopher with the capacity to honestly and unflinchingly look fallen man, the human shadow, in the face, within and without, in all it's ignorance, fear and brutality and over come it with faith, truth, dignity, humour and reason and in doing so, again akin to Primo Levi, he discovers himself; he is humanised, ennobled and empowered through the process.
Few people have been where these men have been, but everybody can take something away from their experience and find enrichment or hope especially when it is shared as honestly and eloquently s this. This book then is like a map on the life of the soul, marking the primal, wild, less travelled territory, frightening extremes of humanity's collective madness, need of redemption, and maybe even charting a way through it into compassion, brotherhood and community.
The following quote is taken from John McCarthy's published account of the same events, McCarthy being Brian's cell mate in captivity;
"Brian made me work my mind as I had never done before. He wants to understand everything, he always needs to know where he stands, where he's going and how best to get there....He has a great ability to explain abstract philosophical or political ideas through personal anecdotes. His language is brilliantly coloured with imagery and humour.....Talking with Brian took me on mental voyages that happily compensated for those physical journeys we were denied by circumstance. One of us would tell a tale, the other would respond and take the trip further, the ideas spread out, forming a progression, often drawing a circle and coming back, through stages of anger, laughter and sadness, to the point of departure. Yet we returned refreshed. We couldn't actually move, we were cramped, but we could grow."
No wonder they became such close friends.
July 1, 2018
I recently read a book,El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency,which mentioned the solitary confinement which prisoners are subjected to in US prisons,frankly it sounded barbaric.Keenan talks about the effect of similar confinement,yes,it is barbaric.Keenan is,of course,Irish,not English,as he reminded his kidnappers continously,not that they cared about the difference,but Keenan thinks that it gave him some unique understanding of his kidnappers,It allowed him to judge them as sexually repressed while referring to those do the same sorts of things in Ireland as being innocent,victims of the Brits.Anyway,perhaps Keenan explains some of the feelings that he had while held for four and a half years,I don't really believe he explained those feelings better than others but worth the read.
April 28, 2008
One of the most moving and perspective shifting books I have ever read. Keenan's story of captivity and exposure to a very broken segment of human society is highly topical in this day and age. Anyone who would seek to defend imprisonment without trial should read and consider this man's experiences.
While the second half of the book, his time in captivity with another hostage, does not quite live up to the intensity of the first hundred pages or so, it is still well worth reading. The first section, on his time in solitude, has some absolutely amazing passages, that evoked a stronger emotional response in me than anything else I have ever read.
Highly highly recommended.
While the second half of the book, his time in captivity with another hostage, does not quite live up to the intensity of the first hundred pages or so, it is still well worth reading. The first section, on his time in solitude, has some absolutely amazing passages, that evoked a stronger emotional response in me than anything else I have ever read.
Highly highly recommended.
August 6, 2016
It is difficult to separate the ratings for the book as a book from the ratings of the story: of the immense suffering of a man held captive for four and a half years in appalling and brutal conditions. How can you not just respect the honesty and courage to write about the mental and physical torment which assailed each of the captives Brian Keenan was held with during that time and especially his own. I am so glad I have read the book and have just a chink of understanding of what he and others went through. But as a book, it is not the best written of books. At times I felt frustrated by the fact that it is a telling. So...four stars. Should everyone read it? Yes.
December 13, 2008
This is a powerful memoir which will leave you wondering about how you yourself would cope in situations of such lengthy internment and deprivation.
Darker in tone than his companion McCarthy's account of his captivity (Some Other Rainbow), this book and the questions it raises about humanity will stay with you long after you have finished.
Darker in tone than his companion McCarthy's account of his captivity (Some Other Rainbow), this book and the questions it raises about humanity will stay with you long after you have finished.
March 14, 2009
i could remember at the time when i was growing up the television report of the release of brian keenan and came across this last year and have to say it was powerfull reading to finally understand what it was all about and the hardship he did go through at the hands of his captors,his perseverance and spirit has to be looked at with great respect
March 24, 2012
Brian Keenans view on his capture in Lebanon. Found it difficult to begin with and nearly gave up, but he has a real insight into how to survive abduction, his relationship with John McCarthy, is one of Brotherhood, and he really lets you into some of his worst experiences. I would say worth a read.
August 1, 2010
Made me feel very humble reading about what the hostages survived and how they came through with dignity and humour. Made my son read this when he was in his teens as I thought it was the sort of book to help develop a wider understanding of different cultures, viewpoints and most of all humanity.
February 6, 2011
I read this book some time ago and was mesmerised by it. For years, I followed Keenan in the news and read accounts of his imprisonment. Quite a remarkable account.
May 10, 2017
A beautifully written account of Keenan's time as a hostage in Lebanon, this is a moving and eloquent tribute to the human spirit.
May 17, 2016
An interesting true story of a man kidnapped and held prisoner for four years. Nothing else to say, really! "If you like people being kidnapped, you'll love this."
October 20, 2023
My favourite ever book. Two key takeaways: the importance Keenan places on humour as a humanising quality, and the prison in which both the prisoners and guards were kept (physical versus religious).
Some notes below:
- Amazing preface. Speaks on paradox that make up book: how in the most inhuman circumstances men grow deeper in humanity
- Love it 3 pages in. So much beyond the core subject matter. Interesting insights on perfection of the love versus of the work. For Brian it’s the latter.
- Says that there is justice in people taking up arms in response to a loss of power (talking about Israeli invasion) but says they had no understanding of power or it’s uses. Gives sad story of Maronite girl who became pregnannt from Muslim man. Killed by brother who, based on the family and community beliefs convinced himself that itnwas Muslims that committed the fringe. ‘This kink of mind that confuses love with powers and equates power with aggression remains a painful sore under the skin of Lebanese society’
- 172 pages in and wow this book is incredible. Really nice line on the humanising quality of comedy. ‘In laughter we discovered something of what life really is. We were convinced by the conditions we were kept in and the life we managed to lead that if there was a god that for was above all else a comedian. In humour, something calculated, often childish, life was returned to us’
- Beautiful section on the ‘dreaming man’, the ‘living corpses’ ends with: ‘a man emerges back into life, not because of anything I have said, but the lunacy and the laughter that is at the heart of our life beckon him back and he cannot resist. There are many things a man can resist - pain, torture, loss of loved ones - but laughter ultimately he ultimately cannot resist’
Some notes below:
- Amazing preface. Speaks on paradox that make up book: how in the most inhuman circumstances men grow deeper in humanity
- Love it 3 pages in. So much beyond the core subject matter. Interesting insights on perfection of the love versus of the work. For Brian it’s the latter.
- Says that there is justice in people taking up arms in response to a loss of power (talking about Israeli invasion) but says they had no understanding of power or it’s uses. Gives sad story of Maronite girl who became pregnannt from Muslim man. Killed by brother who, based on the family and community beliefs convinced himself that itnwas Muslims that committed the fringe. ‘This kink of mind that confuses love with powers and equates power with aggression remains a painful sore under the skin of Lebanese society’
- 172 pages in and wow this book is incredible. Really nice line on the humanising quality of comedy. ‘In laughter we discovered something of what life really is. We were convinced by the conditions we were kept in and the life we managed to lead that if there was a god that for was above all else a comedian. In humour, something calculated, often childish, life was returned to us’
- Beautiful section on the ‘dreaming man’, the ‘living corpses’ ends with: ‘a man emerges back into life, not because of anything I have said, but the lunacy and the laughter that is at the heart of our life beckon him back and he cannot resist. There are many things a man can resist - pain, torture, loss of loved ones - but laughter ultimately he ultimately cannot resist’
July 6, 2017
This book is a testament to humanity, though not the idealised view of humanity in which we "ride above adversity because in the end the human spirit wins out." This is much too simplistic a view of humanity, and Keenan is much too clever a writer to adopt it. Yes, Keenan manages to face his brutal captivity with heroic fortitude; however, he is also sharply aware and critical of his own faults, which at times are easily forgiven and entertaining, but at others affect his friend and cellmate, John McCarthy and are therefore less endearing.
Moreover, what I found most fascinating about the book was Keenan's portrayal of the guards. They were just as human as he was ("...anything one human perpetrates against another cannot by its own logic be called inhuman," he ruminates at one point). These were not two-dimensional villains, but humans with desperate, misguided hopes and sinister, obsessive fears. One passage of the book was to me a powerful explanation of radicalization that could and should be used to understand the current threat of homegrown terrorism in Europe (as well as everywhere else). "They cannot find value in themselves. A man can then no longer surrender to such a monstrous condition of life. He seeks power, power that will restore his dignity and his manhood; that will let him stand with other men and know himelf to be their equal and restore him to the community of humanity." Keenan's recognition that his guards were in their own, psychological, prisons was what allowed him to overcome his ordeal. His raw honesty, at times funny, at others, difficult to read, makes this a book that the reader is unlikely to forget.
Moreover, what I found most fascinating about the book was Keenan's portrayal of the guards. They were just as human as he was ("...anything one human perpetrates against another cannot by its own logic be called inhuman," he ruminates at one point). These were not two-dimensional villains, but humans with desperate, misguided hopes and sinister, obsessive fears. One passage of the book was to me a powerful explanation of radicalization that could and should be used to understand the current threat of homegrown terrorism in Europe (as well as everywhere else). "They cannot find value in themselves. A man can then no longer surrender to such a monstrous condition of life. He seeks power, power that will restore his dignity and his manhood; that will let him stand with other men and know himelf to be their equal and restore him to the community of humanity." Keenan's recognition that his guards were in their own, psychological, prisons was what allowed him to overcome his ordeal. His raw honesty, at times funny, at others, difficult to read, makes this a book that the reader is unlikely to forget.
March 31, 2019
There’s something unseemly about the idea of ‘reviewing’ this book, this life, this unspeakable four years, this exploration of a vital relationship with John McCarthy- what comment can I offer? That it should have more action, more female characters, fewer Kalashnikovs?
It’s definitely a strange and unsettling read, and about half way through I found I had to look Brian Keenan up on YouTube- to hear his voice saying some of these things, to know that he survived, to feel his reflective tone- I couldn’t carry on on reading with my own voice.
Listening to him it is extraordinary how much type he takes up with saying something about the men involved, friendship, kindness, seeking a way through, without really referring to God or religion that much. Also extraordinary how restrained he is about John’s personal information and things they must have thought or felt about each other. And perhaps that’s why it’s four rather than five stars for me. - there is a dimension missing, of fighting, or criticising one another or others that is missing. Rightly so perhaps, it would distract, detract from their exemplary survival/friendship mechanism. But it feels too like a parable without it - no thoughts of malice, sex, violence, bitching. I don’t think the book or their relationship could wear that - but without it, there’s something missing.
Invariably, people talk about human spirit in assessing this book - I’d like to think that, that it is within any of us such survival, humour, kindness - but strongly suspect it’s HIM, or THEM- that love, fortitude, chemistry- it was them. It would not have been anybody else’s story.
It’s definitely a strange and unsettling read, and about half way through I found I had to look Brian Keenan up on YouTube- to hear his voice saying some of these things, to know that he survived, to feel his reflective tone- I couldn’t carry on on reading with my own voice.
Listening to him it is extraordinary how much type he takes up with saying something about the men involved, friendship, kindness, seeking a way through, without really referring to God or religion that much. Also extraordinary how restrained he is about John’s personal information and things they must have thought or felt about each other. And perhaps that’s why it’s four rather than five stars for me. - there is a dimension missing, of fighting, or criticising one another or others that is missing. Rightly so perhaps, it would distract, detract from their exemplary survival/friendship mechanism. But it feels too like a parable without it - no thoughts of malice, sex, violence, bitching. I don’t think the book or their relationship could wear that - but without it, there’s something missing.
Invariably, people talk about human spirit in assessing this book - I’d like to think that, that it is within any of us such survival, humour, kindness - but strongly suspect it’s HIM, or THEM- that love, fortitude, chemistry- it was them. It would not have been anybody else’s story.
June 5, 2021
This is a difficult book to grade because the content attempts to mirror actual events that were not particularly compelling.
When I first started reading I was partially anticipating a harrowing tale of survival but this was not the case; instead this book details a tale of endurance overcoming mind-numbing monotony and tedium.
I believe that the author was trying to portray a story that was as close to the truth as he could get and as boredom was the over-riding feature of his confinement then it would not do justice to him or his imprisonment if it were 'jazzed up'for an audience. The author was very clear that the writing of this book was a cathartic exercise; I sincerely hope that it served that purpose.
There are occasional beatings but at no point did I feel that the author was in danger of losing his life, those beatings said more about some of his jailers that it did about him; some were sociopaths who were often just as bored and frustrated as the prisoners. Not a great combination.
If you are looking for a tale of torture and severe maltreatment during which the survival of the prisoners appears unlikely then this is not for you. If you wish to read a book of a person enduring solitary and near-solitary confinement and the mental gymnastics required to get from day to day then you may get something from it.
The book does contain a lot of introspection which some may find boring.
When I first started reading I was partially anticipating a harrowing tale of survival but this was not the case; instead this book details a tale of endurance overcoming mind-numbing monotony and tedium.
I believe that the author was trying to portray a story that was as close to the truth as he could get and as boredom was the over-riding feature of his confinement then it would not do justice to him or his imprisonment if it were 'jazzed up'for an audience. The author was very clear that the writing of this book was a cathartic exercise; I sincerely hope that it served that purpose.
There are occasional beatings but at no point did I feel that the author was in danger of losing his life, those beatings said more about some of his jailers that it did about him; some were sociopaths who were often just as bored and frustrated as the prisoners. Not a great combination.
If you are looking for a tale of torture and severe maltreatment during which the survival of the prisoners appears unlikely then this is not for you. If you wish to read a book of a person enduring solitary and near-solitary confinement and the mental gymnastics required to get from day to day then you may get something from it.
The book does contain a lot of introspection which some may find boring.
February 3, 2023
An Evil Cradling covers the four years of Brian Keenan's capture and imprisonment at the hands of extremists, focusing on his subjective experience of the ordeal, his relationship with fellow captive John McCarthy, the methods used for survival and how this experience affected him. Considering that he spent several years in a series of rooms, he does well to make the experience interesting and compelling. I was very interested in the details given, both the practical reality of his days and his methods of survival and why it was effective.
The writing itself was overall fine. There were certain areas where I do think that he wrote in excess, and could have benefited from being more direct. I have an inherent respect for anyone who could survive for so long in such brutal conditions, but while the experience itself is interesting, that doesn't necessarily make for an enjoyable read.
From the beginning, Keenan states that he is writing this book as part of his healing, and is presenting the facts not as a chronological record but as an attempt to capture the subjective experience of what it was like to go through his ordeal. He doesn't spare any words to the wider political context, instead conveying only the facts that were aware to him at the time.
He also states,
Although he specifies physical abuse and brutality specifically, such is the method that he approachces everything, including the other people with him. Keenan provides his own processed self-examination and reflection, keeping blunt details wrapped in an "extreme care and sensitivy," which ultimately keeps everything described at a remove. Even the observations that he makes about his own survival and mental state at the time feel distant, something that he's already thought through and is offering up to the reader pre-digested.
This is especially unfortunate when it comes to his account of the people that he's met - although his respect and compassion for his fellow captives, particularly McCarthy, are very evident, the actual writing fails to bring anyone else to life. The other people in Keenan's life come across as very two-dimensional, which is a shame. [ETA 3/2/23 And I found that this attitude also extended towards his captors. While I understand that, given the dynamics, anything he says about his captors would come from a place of assumption and analysis, he comes across as ridiculously arrogant when he assumes to know the reasoning for their actions. I can see why rationalising their actions in such simplistic, definitive ways may be a necessary part of his healing -- to apply narrative to such brutality -- but overall I find it an unfortunate writing choice that weakens the overall narrative, and my trust in him as a narrator.]
At least in part, I accept that some of the issues that I have are simply a matter of taste. Writing with such focus on self-reflection and reprocessing of events is less interesting to me than straightforward fact.
The writing itself was overall fine. There were certain areas where I do think that he wrote in excess, and could have benefited from being more direct. I have an inherent respect for anyone who could survive for so long in such brutal conditions, but while the experience itself is interesting, that doesn't necessarily make for an enjoyable read.
From the beginning, Keenan states that he is writing this book as part of his healing, and is presenting the facts not as a chronological record but as an attempt to capture the subjective experience of what it was like to go through his ordeal. He doesn't spare any words to the wider political context, instead conveying only the facts that were aware to him at the time.
He also states,
There will be, I am sure, a desire to know of the torture and brutality. I will not spare the reader but neither will I feed the voyeuristic vulture. I will reveal the moments of physical abuse but with extreme care and sensitivity so that what might be vicarious and even terrifying may be underscored with sympathy.
Although he specifies physical abuse and brutality specifically, such is the method that he approachces everything, including the other people with him. Keenan provides his own processed self-examination and reflection, keeping blunt details wrapped in an "extreme care and sensitivy," which ultimately keeps everything described at a remove. Even the observations that he makes about his own survival and mental state at the time feel distant, something that he's already thought through and is offering up to the reader pre-digested.
This is especially unfortunate when it comes to his account of the people that he's met - although his respect and compassion for his fellow captives, particularly McCarthy, are very evident, the actual writing fails to bring anyone else to life. The other people in Keenan's life come across as very two-dimensional, which is a shame. [ETA 3/2/23 And I found that this attitude also extended towards his captors. While I understand that, given the dynamics, anything he says about his captors would come from a place of assumption and analysis, he comes across as ridiculously arrogant when he assumes to know the reasoning for their actions. I can see why rationalising their actions in such simplistic, definitive ways may be a necessary part of his healing -- to apply narrative to such brutality -- but overall I find it an unfortunate writing choice that weakens the overall narrative, and my trust in him as a narrator.]
At least in part, I accept that some of the issues that I have are simply a matter of taste. Writing with such focus on self-reflection and reprocessing of events is less interesting to me than straightforward fact.
September 8, 2022
I feel mean giving this book only three stars. I can only justify this by saying it didn't really grab me but then one could argue that there is nothing much in a true account of a horrendous hostage incident lasting over four and a half years to be grabbed by.
It is a heartfelt reflection on the authors time as a hostage in Lebanon. As an Irishman going there to teach, there was no logical reason for him to have been captured by the fundamentalist militia but captured and held he was and he eloquently writes of the experience describing the frustration, the squalor, the brutality, solitude, torment, torture and beatings.
It is an intriguing study of the emotions of human beings under such adverse circumstances and how, even in these most restricted conditions (for much of his time in captivity he was blindfolded and chained) we are able to experience a range of emotions, adapting to our circumstances and battling to survive.
For part of his time he was held with another hostage, John McCarthy with whom he developed a deep friendship and one get the impression that on many occasions it was this association the kept them both sane.
A very interesting read but hard hitting and more the stuff of nightmares than a satisfying read!
It is a heartfelt reflection on the authors time as a hostage in Lebanon. As an Irishman going there to teach, there was no logical reason for him to have been captured by the fundamentalist militia but captured and held he was and he eloquently writes of the experience describing the frustration, the squalor, the brutality, solitude, torment, torture and beatings.
It is an intriguing study of the emotions of human beings under such adverse circumstances and how, even in these most restricted conditions (for much of his time in captivity he was blindfolded and chained) we are able to experience a range of emotions, adapting to our circumstances and battling to survive.
For part of his time he was held with another hostage, John McCarthy with whom he developed a deep friendship and one get the impression that on many occasions it was this association the kept them both sane.
A very interesting read but hard hitting and more the stuff of nightmares than a satisfying read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews