Not quite sure what to make of this novel. Would have liked some more insight from the author in the afterward.
Very well researched. Great characters. Slow paced but an absorbing read, Room was a truly superb read but others have been off the boil a bit. Religious references galore it was a little preachy.
Good for a book club I suspect

Ab interesting cast of characters - their story, journey and interactions, and their expressions of faith in a time where this was so rigidly defined.
This was clearly well researched and full of detail into all aspects of the monks’ life on the island - and the author note at the end added to this.

My goodness this is an unusual book. I admire Emma Donoghue for being able to research and come up with so many different ideas and styles for books.
I can see that sadly many people will not like this story. It certainly takes some getting into but actually I enjoyed the challenge and felt really glad that I had the opportunity to read it. I can't say that I liked the character of the Priest in charge. Indeed he became more unlikable as the story unfolded but his companions had some guts and I both admired and pitied them both.
To any would-be reader I will say, give this a go, open your mind and imagination and take the challenge to see it through. If nothing else, it will make you think about what is important in your life and what we all really need to make life worth living!

Set in 7th century Ireland, Artt has a vision that he and two companions must set off together in a boat and leave the corrupt, sinful world behind. They must find a haven, a place where they can carry out God’s work.

Donoghue’s novels are so different and varied. I read Room many years ago and it was a novel that I really stuck with me. I would describe Haven overall as an exploration of spirituality and faith. It is an examination of the introspection of the three main characters; the zealot Artt, Cormac-a monk who came to Christianity much later in life, and the young and eager Trian. I found Artt to be a hard and arrogant man, completely unaware of the struggles of his fellow monks. Cormac and Trian were far more interesting characters in terms of their respective backgrounds and their thoughts on their voyage. I struggled with this story as it was too heavy on the Christianity teaching and in particular Artt’s views.

The story was beautifully written and Donoghue’s meticulous research on all aspects of monastic life shines through in this book. The level of detail is astounding; Donoghue describes everything from making candles from bird fat to preparing inks to creating a cross from stone, and I was fascinated by the various activities. This level of description does slow down the pace of the story considerably but I think that this serves to accentuate the experience of the men on the skellig.

Donoghue excels at creating an atmospheric story, reflecting the starkness and isolation of the skellig and the monks’ struggle to exist there.

A story of uncompromising faith and devotion, Haven will appeal to readers interested in medieval history and spirituality. It was however not for me.

3⭐️ Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Haven will be released on August 18th.

Slow in pace, but incredibly compelling to read, when one man's conviction that God will provide is the basis of a journey and a new life.
Set in harsh conditions, the three characters battle with themselves as much as each other I think.
An interesting read.

In many ways, Haven feels like a lockdown novel - it's a story of isolation, claustrophobia and survival. It is also, unfortunately, slow moving and a little bit dull.

Emma Donoghue is not afraid to chart new territory in her fiction, and this is another refreshing concept for her. I enjoyed her attention to detail and the way she really tries to get inside the heads of these early-medieval monks. Her prose is captivating as always, and the world she creates is wonderfully atmospheric, but there is never quite enough momentum to build up the tension.

Donoghue is a writer that never writes the same thing twice, whilst this has worked for me in the past it has sadly not worked for Haven.
I tried three times to pick up this book and couldn't make it past 20%, it is too slow paced and is neither character nor plot driven enough to warrant continuing. A real shame but I will continue to try Donoghue's work in the future.

a story of monks told they have to go to a remote island and leave the world of sin behind

a story of survival

Book binding and making candles from bird fat

Raw and atmospheric

The island in the story is the real star of the show

A medieval wildlife survival programme in a way

Every single book Emma Donoghue writes is very different but the thing that stays the same is her amazing way with language and building such a visual world within her story.

This isn’t a book for someone looking for a rollicking adventure or non-stop action. Out of all of her books this is probably the most introspective. This is a study in human nature and what drives some humans to live a life of austerity and deprivation in the name of God.

Set in the 7th century in Ireland, 3 monks leave behind their lives on the mainland and set out in a small row boat to find an isolated island to establish a conclave dedicated to more serious contemplation of the word of God while living in an even more austere style than their brethren. What they find is the wild and rocky island we now know as Skellig Michael. But Artt the leader is a hard and unforgiving man, much like the landscape they find themselves in and soon the two monks who accompanied him start questioning why they followed him in the first place.

Beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric, this book won’t be for everyone but I found it a fascinating look into what the real lives of these monks might have been like rather than the romanticised version we see on TV and in popular crime/mystery novels.

This book was a real challenge to review because I really disliked the story but I appreciate the author's wonderful writing and world-building. My dislike was because of the sheer bleakness of Artt's faith, the lack of any joy or love and the fact that the depression of the story leaked into my own life making me feel really low whilst I was reading it. Its redeeming feature was definitely Cormac's story-telling which I loved and the feeling of history it evoked.

I've plumped for 3 stars as a middle ground as I feel that this book will appeal to many readers who have an interest in history and survival skills.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

It's the 7th century in Ireland and in the monastery of Cluan Mhic Nóis, the monk Artt has a vision: he needs to set sail with two other monks and find an island which hasn't been touched by humanity's sins, and settle there as a beacon of Christianity.
They find the Skellig islands, and their fight for survival commences. Not only do they have to deal with the wildness of the island, the birds, and the struggle to find food and water, but the real challenge turns out to be the isolation and theological disagreements. The reading experience becomes more and more oppressive, in contrast to the romanticised images we have of the monastic sites of the Skellig islands from pop culture (like the Clannad song, or the Loreena McKennitt song, or the Star Wars set).
Emma Donoghue brilliantly describes what life must have been like, and the book made me question things like "how much is life worth when it's all about survival" and "where is the line between faith and madness". Excellent book.

I'm afraid I couldn't finish this book. The description was lovely but I got half way through and was bored. Nothing happened.

Loved 'Room' and really liked 'The Pull of the Stars'. Sadly, I just couldn't get into Haven. I really wanted to like it, as I have read many books about monasteries and Priors and usually really enjoyed it but here I felt the pace was painfully slow and the characters just so uninteresting. As always, Donoghue's writing is beautiful - possibly just the original premise didn't work.