The Big House of Inver

by Edith Œnone Somerville

Somerville, E. OE. / Ross, Martin (Edith Somerville and Violet Martin). The Big House of Inver. London / Melbourne / New York, Quartet Books, 1978. 11 x 20cm. 312 pages. Original softcover. Excellent condition with only very minor signs of external wear. Previous owner's name on half-title page. The Big House at Inver is a product of the fruitful collaboration between cousins Edith Somerville and Violet Martin, who together wrote some thirteen novels, including the classics The Real Charlotte and Experiences of an Irish R.M. The Big House at Inver is, in the words of the history of one of those minor dynasties that, in Ireland, have risen, and ruled, and rioted, and crashed in ruins. The novel records the rise and fall of the Prenderville family in their majestic house on the west coast of Ireland. It opens in the late nineteenth century with the birth of Kit Prenderville whose upbringing is in the hands of his devoted half-sister Shibby. Her single-minded aim is to restore the Prendervilles to their former glory by finding a suitable bride for Kit. But his principal concern is training horses, and his interest in getting married is strictly secondary. The characters in this tragicomic story are drawn with all the skill and force for which the authors are justly famous. [From jacket notes]

Genres: Irish Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Edith Anna Œnone Somerville (1858 - 1949) was an Irish novelist who habitually signed herself as "E. Œ. Somerville". She wrote in collaboration with her cousin Violet Martin aka "Martin Ross" under the pseudonym "Somerville and Ross". Her 'Irish RM' books were made into a TV series in 1983



See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_S...

Reviews

[Alistair Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging and entertaining novel set in the West of Ireland shortly before WW1 albeit the setting in terms of the period isn't relevant to the plot. It essentially tells the story of a family, increasingly impoverished over the centuries by marrying below themselves, poor management and drink until it comes to the story of the young heir Kit and his older, illegitimate half sister Shibby who acts as a mother figure. It's a well observed story of rural Ireland and a pleasant read.
Recommended

[Leona · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Big House of Inver is a fictional novel that explores the rise and fall of wealthy families from the "big house" and their subsequent ruin. This book apparently took inspiration from the family of St George who owned Tyrone House in Kilcolgan. The family is so fascinating and I read this book in tandem with a non-fiction book on the family. So many scenes in the book are plucked straight from history, including a lot of the detail of the interior of the house.

I had high expectations for the book but it didn't reach them, I found myself not loving the pacing and it jumped around quite a bit between the characters and storylines making it hard to follow. I felt the book would have benefitted from a family tree at the start considering a lot of the characters had the same name. Despite reading the non-fiction book alongside it didn't really help determining who was who when this novel had changed some names. I did however enjoy reading about the rise and fall of such families usually due to the poor management of money by the family which was the same for the St George Family. It definitely sheds a light on rural life during this time period. Overall, it was an okay book but it's not one I'll pick up again.