An interesting book that works like a view of life in each chapter. This book has believable dialogue too.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

While initially drawn in by merely the title of the novel (or to be more specific the titular character) I am glad to say that the book was enjoyable for many reasons other than an interesting name.

The story spans decades, using memories, conversations and so on to detail Henry's life to this point. It is reflective, trying to figure out was there any point that his life significantly changed or is there something missing which has affected where he has found his life culminating to at this time. For readers of a certain age, this reminiscent look back at hometown influence, growing up and how that shapes us will be a familiar, if even slightly, feeling. As someone who also grew up in a Catholic family and neighbourhood, this element resonated with me too.

The novel is unapologetic in looking at Henry's life - it opens with a memory of having to identify some of his classmates after a fatal crash - and is a wonderful, if at times uncomfortable, exploration of life.

With thanks to Netgalley for the copy of this for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Henry Enright is a regular guy telling his story. He could be you or me. Henry talks about childhood, mean nuns and soft spoken nuns at catholic school, the humiliation of being clobbered by a bully half his size, a horror he witnesses as a teen, his high school girl, marriage, kids, the job, responsibilities, bills, the daily grind and always thinks back to those days as a boy. Henry tells these stories as though he's sitting across from you just talking. It's like the conversation you have where, at first you might think "oh, he's going to keep talking" and then you quickly think, "I hope he keeps talking, I want to hear more".
I found myself identifying with Henry. I'm 59 and often wonder when my "real life" is going to start. The real life that I think will be free of resentment, annoyance, sadness, loneliness, aching.
Then I came to the final chapter. No spoilers. I'll just say that yes, the final chapter brings with it the epiphany and when you're done hearing Henry's story you'll walk away feeling lighter. Forgiveness does that.
#netgalley #TheObsessionOfHenryEnright

This was an emotional rollercoaster through another time. Life was much different in the 50s, but one thing that hasn't changed is it isn't easy being a teenager, especially when your entire life is uprooted, and you move to a place quite different from what you're used to. Henry lives in the middle of a whirlwind - new experiences, pressures of home, and tragedies. Lorden did a great job of painting a picture for the reader, and it felt like we were following Henry as his life unfolded before him. I won't give any spoilers, but I do wish the ending had gone slightly differently, even if it meant making the book slightly longer to explore more possibilities. Overall a good historical coming of age.