Irina’s Eye – H. W. Freedman

Hey there everyone!

Hope y’all had a good week! I’m so happy to finally tell you guys about this book, Irina’s Eye! The author, H.W. Freedman, contacted me through Instagram and sent me his book for an honest review. I was thrilled at this opportunity and I was very happy to get into it.

Without further ado, please enjoy!

Irina’s Eye by H.W. Freedman is a story of a young man named Vaclav and how he survived a traumatic ordeal in his teens, as well as how it affected him and his future.

The plot: When Vaclav and Irina, his friend and lover, tried to escape Czechoslovakia late one night during the time of the Iron Wall, resulting in Irina’s fateful injury and his survival, as well as his future ordeals trying to survive and make a future for himself, first living in a survivor’s camp, joining a ministry in Rome for a short time, and finally, how he made his way to America. However, we also see how his life is filled with drinking, an uncontrollable lust (fueled by his desire to experience seeing Irina’s eye in his hand), rage, and a general lack of trust.

My thoughts: This psychological and historical novel was a very interesting read from start to finish. The twist towards the end was very surprising, but I just wish that a bit more was done with it. I was very surprised at some scenes, as some were very light and some quite dense; so the pace of the book wasn’t very even, but it gave the book a more realistic feeling about the complex and philosophical nature of Vaclav and his nature, and overall I enjoyed the book. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in psychological/historical reads.

My rating:

This type of book isn’t one that I usually go for, but I’m so glad that I took part in reading it! Thank you to Mr. Freedman for sending me this book, and I hope you guys enjoy the review. Who else read this book, and what your thoughts are on it? Let me know in the comments below!

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