CASHELMARA

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece!
Review: Like another reviewer on this page, I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite books. I have re-read it several times and it gets better each time. Howatch is a master! I too find her Church of England series tedious and wish she would write another book in the tradition of Cashelmara, Wheel of Fortune, The Rich are Different - stories that are rich beyond compare and universally appealing.

Rating:
Summary: Susan's Worst!
Review: Rave rave rave. You'll never tire of this complex and revealing novel, and once you read it, it will occur to you at odd moments forever.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping Multigenerational Saga Of The English In Ireland
Review: Susan Howatch has written a gripping multigenerational tale of a titled English family who live on their Irish estate, Cashelmara, during the 19th century. This family saga is interwoven with Irish and English politics of the period, self-rule, the Great Famine, emigration, etc.. The years after the Irish famine were marked with issues like the land question and the struggle for independence. Tenants started to demand more security of land tenure. At the same time, landlords were eager to remove paupers from their land to reduce their poor law charges. The landlord/tenant divide was exacerbated by this conflict. The drama of Cashelmara takes place against this explosive backdrop.

Edward de Salis, an English nobleman with vast landholdings in Ireland and England travels to America and visits the Marriot family, distant relations in New York City. De Salis, a man in his fifties, has been a widower for eight years and has a young son, Patrick, and three older daughters, all married or living away from home. He returns to England with plans to marry seventeen year-old Marguerite Marriot, to his family's great consternation. Marguerite and Edward are married at the family estate, Cashelmara. Oddly enough the marriage turns out to be a love match. Times become difficult when Edward dies and finances become tight. Cashelmara and the situation in Ireland begin to weigh heavily on the family with unexpected results. This historical novel is filled with romance, intrigue, social and political unrest and family drama.

Ms. Howatch is able to vividly describe the same situation through the eyes of various characters. These differing points of view give tremendous depth to her characters and interesting insight into their personalities and ulterior motives. The events they are involved in become more complex when all the versions are compiled. Cashelmara's plot unfolds through the individual stories of five people. The author's research and attention to detail are meticulous and give the reader insight into the hardships and difficulties of 19th century Ireland. Cashelmara is an example of excellent historical fiction.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: Praise for a great writer
Review: This and every one of Susan Howatch's novels are well worth the time put into them. They're literate, challenging and dare to explore questions of faith, love, family and loyalty. And while her "potboiler" novels are excellent, DON'T be put off by the 6-volume Church of England series. The characters are engaging and the questions and answers they discover during the traumatic events of their lives and the eventual renewal of their souls took me to philosophical places I'd never been before and forced me to often consider the same issues the characters themselves grappled with. That's what's wrong with people today - they're intellectually lazy and don't want to deal with issues of faith, belief, and the renewing powers of love. However, Ms. Howatch does so with a style and flair and gift with the written word that I can only sit back, read and envy and admire. More! More!

Rating:
Summary: Praise for a great writer
Review: This and every one of Susan Howatch's novels are well worth the time put into them. They're literate, challenging and dare to explore questions of faith, love, family and loyalty. And while her "potboiler" novels are excellent, DON'T be put off by the 6-volume Church of England series. The characters are engaging and the questions and answers they discover during the traumatic events of their lives and the eventual renewal of their souls took me to philosophical places I'd never been before and forced me to often consider the same issues the characters themselves grappled with. That's what's wrong with people today - they're intellectually lazy and don't want to deal with issues of faith, belief, and the renewing powers of love. However, Ms. Howatch does so with a style and flair and gift with the written word that I can only sit back, read and envy and admire. More! More!

Rating:
Summary: Cashelmara
Review: This is the first book I have read by Susan Howatch. I generally dont read much of fiction and this book looked too thick as well. But I picked up this book at a friend's place when I had nothing to do and started reading it just for the sake of it. Well, I had to borrow the book home (and have no intentions of returning it) and read it as if my life depended on finishing it. The story spans three generations and the characters seem real. These are people who driven by circumstances (including a crop famine) and family ties hate, love,sacrifice, take revenge, and even kill. Gripping stuff. You will be able to identify with all the characters in the book and thanks to the writer's skill, will be able to understand why they behave the way they do. Just read it! .

Rating:
Summary: Cashelmara
Review: Unlike some of the reviewers, I read this book because I liked the Church of England series. This "family" history was captivating and unusual because each section was told through the eyes of different family members. It was somewhat like looking at the family through a prism. Ms. Howatch writes delicately and well and manages to adjust her style to the different characters' styles and personalities.

Although the book is long, it is not a difficult book to read. There is probably not enough here for my book club to discuss, (no Poisonwood here); however, it is a very enjoyable book.