Most Liked? Most Disliked? House of Eire.

Use this forum to discuss the March 2020 Book of the month, "House of Eire" by June Gillam.
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Re: Most Liked? Most Disliked? House of Eire.

Post by Samgum50 »

For me that would have to be Claire's character. Claire was just the embodiment of childhood innocence.
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Post by ThomasCShearman1976 »

I most liked the detailed investigation into the Irish family roots and the inclusion of Yeats. I really didn't like Claire! Oops! She seems popular, but I just didn't really warm to her character at all.

Bridget was a really promising character, too, shame we lost her.
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Post by sirbobthewise »

AmyMarie2171 wrote: 18 May 2020, 17:52 I like the general concept and the setting of the story, as I've always been drawn to stories that feature Scotland and Ireland. However, I had real trouble getting immersed in the presented world because the beginning of the book was painfully dry and slow.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. The setting was definitely my favorite part, and I enjoyed getting the chance to get slightly more information about the Great Hunger. The slow beginning, character decisions, and overall execution of the plot weren't for me.
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Post by Thea Frederick »

I enjoyed the story but I was kind of hoping for a little more Irish culture thrown in there. Also, I think the ending was rather anti-climactic because there is this whole buildup to know what the huge secret about Dermont is that Brigette knows. Then you just find out he didn't want people knowing what his ancestors had done during the great hunger, which other people’s ancestors also probably did. It didn't seem like an extreme enough secret for him to want to hide it so bad.
Also, Seamus’ actions seemed a little extreme without enough character buildup to that ending to explain them.
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Post by ThomasCShearman1976 »

Thea Frederick wrote: 09 Jun 2020, 23:40 I enjoyed the story but I was kind of hoping for a little more Irish culture thrown in there. Also, I think the ending was rather anti-climactic because there is this whole buildup to know what the huge secret about Dermont is that Brigette knows. Then you just find out he didn't want people knowing what his ancestors had done during the great hunger, which other people’s ancestors also probably did. It didn't seem like an extreme enough secret for him to want to hide it so bad.
Also, Seamus’ actions seemed a little extreme without enough character buildup to that ending to explain them.
Good point. The motives weren't properly developed or convincing, as were several plot developments also lacking in persuasion. Some it felt like it was shoehorned in, just because the author wanted it to be in there.
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Post by mairu »

My favorite character was Sarah she is really admirable in regard to how hospitable a person can be as well as appearing like a person who seems easy to get along with
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Post by Nelson Chocha »

The character of little Clair. was incredible but what I disliked is the rap up at the end (i predicted the end). Otherwise, this book is remarkable. :tiphat:
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Post by Thea Frederick »

kelvingat wrote: 29 May 2020, 12:26 The level of crystal clarity in every characters actions as well as the the vivid description employed .
Is that what you liked or disliked most about the book?
I would actually say that the characters’ actions weren't so clear. It seemed to me that both Seamus and Dermont’s characters could have used a little more attention to explain their behavior.
Let me know what you think :-)
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Post by Mary1214 »

What I liked most was Hilary's character development despite her mum not being able to provide the ideal childhood , she still thrives to change that for her daughter, Claire . I thought that was really admirable.
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Post by Ada Ling »

So far, I am in the middle of this book. I like the Claire, Bridget and Ed. I feel the start is slow. And Seamus seems to me is a complicated person.
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Post by lwahls2 »

I loved every description about Ireland and Irish culture. I felt the author did an amazing job describing the scenic countryside and making the reader feel as if they were truly there. Dislikes are hard because I liked the book a lot. As mentioned in another thread, I did not like the way they handled Dermot's punishment. I felt his villainous ways were not dealt with properly.
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Post by MuthoniMuriithi »

I think I loved the character of Sarah throughout the novel. I did not like the predictable ending created by the author. It was so obvious
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Post by Patty Allread »

I loved the character of Claire and the way the author made her very believable as a young girl. I felt Claire and her youthful attitude was central to keeping the story cohesive. On the other hand, Seamus--as colorful a character as he was--was my least favorite. He was not quite believable. For someone who was so weak and spineless, Seamus put on an awfully good act of being in love with Bridget and being worried about what might happen to her.
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