Dolly Considine's Hotel

by Eamon Somers

Julian Ryder (aka Paddy Butler) is an eighteen-year-old aspiring writer fleeing his unlived Dublin life. Dolly McClean (née Considine) is knee-deep in running her Hatch Street hotel frequented by late night drinking politicians and actors. Dolly and Julian meet when Julian inadvertently rescues Dolly's barmaid-cum-cleaner from a balaclava wearing thug and is given a job in return. It doesn’t take him long to embroil himself in the gossip of the bar and the guests’ bedsheets. Dolly and her entourage quickly become fodder for his literary ambitions and soon it becomes impossible to extricate reality from fantasy.
Moving fluidly between the 1950s of Dolly’s youth and Julian’s 1980s Summer of Unrequited Love, the hotel becomes a stage for farce and tragedy. As statues give birth to fully grown men and sword-wielding Irish dancers celebrate constitutional change, it is Julian’s stories about Dolly’s secrets and her guests’ political intrigues, that threaten to tear the hotel and maybe even Ireland itself apart. All told in the run up to the Pro-life Constitutional Amendment of September 1983.

520 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2021

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dolly Considine’s Hotel” by Eamon Somers is a very enjoyable story. It is artistically written in a well crafted style that is a bit avant-garde-ish.

Characters are very relatable and very interesting. Each has its own personality. Julian Ryder is an 18 yr old has a dream is to be a writer. Dolly McClean (Considine) manages a hotel overflowing with secrets and political types.

The pacing started out fast and kept that rate throughout.

I recommend this wonderful story.

I received an advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed in the review are my own

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, there is a lot to unpack here and unfortunately I can’t do that to the extent I would like to because it would spoil the read for others. I absolutely think this is the kind of story readers return to and in doing so discover hidden nuances and perhaps parts of the story that flow quietly alongside, whilst the other storylines and characters march pounding through the pages.

One of those marchers, rebels, voices of resistance and change, is of course Dolly herself. A woman, much like many other in the world, who is defined by what profits and pleasures others, as opposed to the changes she is trying to invoke. Take away the hotel for instance and make Dolly a 24/7 stay at home mammy who has played her part in political change or skirmishes, and you will find she will always be defined by the term mammy and housewife. It’s this inequality of perception due to gender, well it really burns and enrages Dolly. Just how much, and what type of hardened steel she is made of, is evident in the last few chapters

The story itself is an interesting conundrum of fact, fiction, truths and misconceptions. No matter who takes on the role of narrator they are usually unreliable. With a wee bit of a Hotel New Hampshire vibe, which is taken up a notch to mirror the political hot cauldron of the times, the story also questions the boundaries of artistic licence.

Somers delivers a deep multi-layered piece with an avant-garde approach when it comes to the style. I enjoyed it. I have left my review blank of the majority of details, so readers can experience it as unbiased as possible.

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in June 2022 and November 2022
Per my Original Review enclosed below, My thoughts and feelings are still the same as they were the first time i read this.

🌟🌟🌟BLOG TOUR REVIEW ALERT🌟🌟🌟
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
Thank you to Travelling Book Tours on Instagram and Author Eamon Somers for picking me to review this FREE COPY for them!!

I loved how unique and different this book was from other Mystery Novels ive read before. It reminded me a little of An Agatha Christie Novel but in a different way.

The Characters were very interesting to read about. I loved everyone in the book felt each character had a different story while keeping the connection with each other.

The Setting was interesting as well since ive never read a Mystery set in the 1960s which made me feel like i was really there while reading.

Overall a Phenomenal Mystery set in a Spooky Hotel in The 1960s!! Can't wait to reread this in September and Can't wait to read more by Eamon in the future!!

[Paterson Loarn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been given a copy of Dolly Considine’s Hotel by Eamon Somers in return for an honest review. Somers writes beautifully, and his complex sentences draw the reader in to a flood of imagery. Many readers will respond enthusiastically to his wry humour and attention to detail. Set in Dublin across two main time periods, Dolly Considine’s Hotel uses the everyday language and rich history of working-class Ireland to portray the experiences of a young gay man in an unsympathetic environment. ‘Julian Ryder (aka Paddy Butler) is an eighteen-year-old aspiring writer in need of shelter from his bullying elder brother….as the new live-in lounge assistant at Dolly Considine’s Hotel Julian soon embroils himself in the shebeen’s gossip – and the guests’ bedsheets….set against the run-up to the Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment of September 1983 and….the 1950s of Dolly’s youth….the hotel becomes a stage for farce and tragedy.’ Personally, I am not part of the natural audience for this novel, so I found it hard to get into.

[Emer Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comic romp in the style of the adventures of Tom Jones and just as enjoyable. Mikhail the Russian theatre director makes opening the pages of this tome worthwhile on it's own. A tome it is at 504 pages but you'll find yourself turning those pages in fascination drawn in by fantasy and satire that wont let you go until you're on the last page.

[David Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julian Ryder, 18 in 1983, gay and with literary aspirations, relocates to Dublin and gets a job as a barman in Dolly Considine’s hotel. Dolly is firmly involved in Irish politics, where the issue of the day is Abortion Law Reform. A parallel story in the 1950s provides the background to Dolly inheriting the hotel and struggling to keep herself afloat. Times are hard in both eras, especially for unmarried mothers, but despite endless money worries people seem always to have the price of a Guinness.

The author has set himself a challenge in this debut novel, juggling a large and vivid cast of characters through haphazard time shifts. His writing is invigorating, with occasional echoes of James Joyce and more than a few touches of ‘blarney’. There are some engagingly comic gay sex scenes, although one of them ends in fatality. An abortion scene makes for a tough read.

Eamon Somers has published Dolly Considine’s Hotel through "crowd-funding" with Unbound. I look forward to seeing what he does next.

[Carol-ann Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eamon has written this book in a way unlike any others I've read it's almost like a piece of art and hard to believe that it's his debut novel.
He introduces us to an array of characters in Ireland in both the 1950s and 1980s.
I thought the chapter titles were smart and made it a little easier to identify when we were in Julians writing and when we weren't. I won't lie and say I was definitely confused at times but I think this is just partly the aim (I hope haha!)
I think this is a book which you could read twice and get new insights you didn't see at first and one I will definitely be reading a second time myself!
Last point I want to say is how awesome is this cover?? I think it's so quirky and I love it haha!

[pawsreadrepeat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The characters are interesting, relatable, and realistic. I could see myself being friends with the main characters and appreciated the backdrop of Irish polictics during abortion law reform. The secrets contained in this book were thought provoking and had me wondering what other secrets would unfold. They style of writing flows easily and I found myself engaged from start to finish. I look forward to reading more from this author.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Eamone Somers, Unbound, and Travelling Pages. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dolly Considine's Hotel is unlike any book I have read before. This is a book I think would reveal even more when read for a second time.

Somers has created a set of characters that are relatable and realistic and in doing so set many thought provoking scenes.

I really felt like I was getting to read about the secrets at the time that Irish culture would have tried to hide. I had a view of the world from a completely different lens to usual.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it has opened my mind to critically appraise literature and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to read it.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating - 3.5*

Dolly Considine’s Hotel by Eamon Somers was first published July 8th with Unbound, ‘a crowdfunding publisher that works for everybody'. Eamon had toyed with the idea of self-publishing for many years but it was in 2016 when he was inspired to go down this route after attending a writers’ conference where he heard about the concept of the crowd funding publisher.

Dolly Considine’s Hotel is described as ‘a blend of history, tragedy and comedy, grounded in Ireland’s near political past and pro-life lobby. Exploring issues of identity, family, sexuality, women’s rights, religion and politics with wit in an unforgettable story about the differences between the way we see ourselves and the way others see us’

I knew that Eamon Somers was going to test me with his debut and he did. Although set in the two different timelines of the 1950s and 1980s, there is a strong sense of the avant-garde from the prose. I have never read any James Joyce but I have read many novels about James Joyce, most recently Nora by Nuala O’ Connor. I would hazard a guess that Eamon Somers was inspired by the writings of James Joyce when he put pen to paper and created a piece of literature with an almost experimental feel from it. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it.

Dolly Considine is the purveyor of the Curragh House Hotel in Dublin. It is the local for an extremely eclectic bunch of individuals, from politicians to actors and everything in between. Dolly is a very determined and a forward-thinking woman who knows which side her bread is buttered on. When she originally took over the hotel in the 1950s after her Aunt died, it was a business in debt. Her family wanted to see the back of it and sell it up, with her parents determined that Dolly would settle back home and follow in her mother’s footsteps as the wife of an ambitious politician. But Dolly Considine put her foot down responding to her mother’s comments with her own….

“You mean, to be Daddy’s trinket, paraded across the constituency to show the voters what a normal happy family we are.”

Dolly defied her parents remaining at the hotel and now, almost thirty years later, she crosses paths with Julian Ryder (aka Paddy Butler). Julian is a young writer who dreams of being a literary success. He leaves home in a bid to escape his older brother, and with plans to go to England, but rather bizarre circumstances lead him to the door of the Curragh House Hotel. A job as a bar assistant with the added bonus of accommodation included is more than Julian could have hoped for. The personalities that frequent the hotel provide the perfect fodder for Julian’s writing and he explores possible scenarios through his Summer of Unrequited Love, a curious collection of stories that are littered throughout the novel. The Curragh House Hotel is also the home of a small theatre with a Russian director who is very ‘hands-on’. He is a lover of vodka with quite an expressive and diva-ish personality, leading to some heated scenes between himself and Julian.

One very important point to note when reading Dolly Considine’s Hotel is the chapter titles. This little nugget of information will let you know whether you are in reality or submerged in the thoughts and imagination of Julian’s writing. I did get a little confused with this and possibly mixed up my fact with fiction on occasion but once realised it all made sense.

Dolly Considine’s Hotel is a very quirky and unique debut. In retrospect I think it is a book that probably deserves a second reading. Concentration is of utmost importance as the reader is taken on a journey across decades and jumping frequently into the mind of Julian Ryder. It is an unconventional journey with well-depicted caricatures and madcap antics culminating in a complex and unforgettable reading experience.

[Sarah Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the few days I spent in the company of the characters in this book , it is a long novel and I found it benefited from me putting it down and picking it up over a few days rather that reading all at one time
The story is a complex one with at least 2 main time periods and several different narrators mixed with some micro stories which appear out of the main timelines but which involve characters you meet at other times in the book. I have to admit that it took me some time to realise that the chapter titles were important in understanding this as one of the main narrators in the present time is a young aspiring author who is using the experiences of his unexpected summer job to write a novel. This novel The summer of Unrequited love ids populated by the characters that he is meeting and himself , I only understood the complexities of the story when there was a chapter when our young hero dies in rather unexpected circumstances suggesting an over dramatic denouement which didn't quite fit with the story as a whole . Of course he is then alive and well immediately after in his own timeline .This is a complex and clever devise and allows the book to have far greater depth than it would otherwise . I did feel a bit stupid that it took me to well over the half way point to understand what was happening and to begin with. I found there were some chapters when I struggled to understand who was narrating a chapter . Once it had clicked I liked the idea of using a struggling author to tell other peoples stories .I have to admit to quite often skimming through chapter headings like this when I read and this is not the first time this has happened to me
The cast of characters is detailed and interesting with character profiles well described and entirely true to life .There are some eccentric and instantly recognisable character types somewhat Dickensian in style .
The book deals with the Irish abortion debate in the 80s in a sympathetic manner and used the device of some stories from the past involving women who had had unofficial abortions with sad undesired consequences
The main narrator is a young gay man and his hook ups and those of other gay male characters in the story contrasted significantly with those of the straight women , being notably more spontaneous and free but perhaps not without their own elements of coercion and control . I rather liked the story that the bar manager was able to provide space for private hook ups in the basement rather than the gents
The author has a flowing narrative style and the book is easy and enjoyable to read . The author writes with a great deal of wit and intelligence. I would recommend the book to those who enjoy a literary novel , there are some parallels to the writing of Douglas Stuart Shuggie Bain not just because of the gay storylines but in the style of writing
The book is set in Ireland and the sense of place is very strong bath in its Irish roots and the setting in a run down provincial hotel bar . I loved the addition of the pub theatre in the basement of the building which allowed a cast of theatricals to populate the story .
Having spent the last 2 weekends in the soon to be rebuilt Kings Head theatre pub in London I was bale to easily visualise the performance space . The Kings Head has back breaking bench seating instead of the steps with cushions in the story but in most other aspects. was identical
I would recommend the book to those who love a literary novel with a complex cast of characters
I would rate the book a strong 4/5
I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of this book for review from the author themselves who contacted me on twitter seeing that I liked similar books
The book is self published by Unbound

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me make clear that I don't know Mr. Somers (though I wish I did) and bought my copy of 'Dolly Considine's Hotel' and my review is entirely the result of wanting everyone to read this wonderful, funny, brilliant novel. I should make clear that I grew up in Dublin in the 1970's and although I was living in London by the time of the the 1983 Abortion referendum the places, events, setting and physical, political and cultural milieu of the novel is one deeply embedded in my DNA. That there are elements, facts, that will probably be unknown to readers who do not know Ireland I would admit but I don't understand the requirement to find reflections of what you know in your reading. I would have enjoyed this novel if the setting was unknown to me because Somers' conjures it so well.

I should be clear that while I do not know Eamon Somers I read this novel because I encountered a short story of his 'Natai Bocht' in a 1994 anthology of gay Irish writing, 'Quare Fellas' edited by Brian Finnegan. That his story led the collection and was immediately followed by one of Keith Ridgway's stories should be a testament that this was a strong literary anthology and most definitely not a piece of vanity publishing (several readers on GR don't seem to know the difference between self publishing, vanity publishing and crowd funded works). That the author of Natai Bocht had to wait until 2019 to see his novel in print is an example of everything that is wrong with publishing today, and maybe with book buyers and readers.

Dolly Considine's Hotel is a superb, funny, picaresque, bildungsroman (though as in all the best coming of age/knowledge tales it is always open to question has the hero simply 'experienced' a rite of passage or learnt something. Perhaps it is living life which will tell if the rite of passage experience has brought on self knowledge - but that would be another novel), a romp, a salacious delight, a blistering - but funny - denunciation of hypocrisy and, also a tragedy direct and indirect.

There are perfectly good reviews, as well as the publisher's synopsis, available - I don't see the point in once more relating them. There are many brilliant characters but I fell in love with the novel's hero? antihero? McGuffin? so many names and meanings can fit Paddy Butler, aka Julian Ryder, but delight is what I would use. My perspective on this cheeky, utterly disreputable, but completely enchanting little shit from Cabra is biased by my own memories of a boy from Finglas (both Cabra and Finglas are, or were, working class areas of Dublin). Perhaps I can't help but love his anarchistic lies and ultimately unintentional destruction of the bourgeoisie mysteries of Dolly Considine's world. This will no doubt be a meaningless comparison to most people today but he is a more brilliant Irish version of Keith Waterhouse's 'Billy Liar'.

I will add my name to the many which already recommended this book and wish heartily and send up prayers to all the non-existent sky gods and their acolytes of saints, bleeding hearts and miracle working virgins that Eamon Somers has another novel published in the near future.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that needs more than one reading, and I think I will appreciate it even more when I go back to it. It can be a bit discombobulating at times, and requires much concentration, but it’s clever, original, unusual, well-written and a great read. Once I’d allowed myself to sink into it and go with the flow, I found it a compelling narrative. It’s the story of Paddy Butler, 18 years old and looking forward to a summer adventure with a friend. But he’s let down at the last minute and whilst pondering what to do next, a chance encounter at the bus station gives him the opportunity to re-invent himself and take a job at Dolly Considine’s Hotel. Set in the Dublin of the 1950s and the 1980s and switching back and forth between the two eras, we meet a motley crew of characters, and bit by bit their back stories are revealed. It turns out that Paddy, now calling himself Julian Ryder, is an aspiring writer – so is he already an unreliable narrator or is he merely chronicling what actually happens? I can’t say more without giving too much away – it’s best to let the story creep up on you. A multi-layered novel, dealing with some weighty issues – pregnancy, sexuality, the Irish Civil War and its legacy, politics, the theatre and much more - it’s an intriguing read and I very much enjoyed it.

[Korinne Tande · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I enjoyed this book. The 4 stars rating is due to initially having a bit of struggle with the historical setting and the characters as the chapters bounced through various time periods with numerous characters. Once I jotted down some notes of the primary characters and got a feel for what was happening and when it was taking place and with whom, I found myself enjoying the story more than I had when I had started reading the book. As such, the storyline is told from various viewpoints as there are several narrators. The characters are intriguing and each one has an important role in the story. I loved all the gossip that made the hotel what it was - somewhat a den of iniquity with booze, women, and secrets. The hotel is a place where politicians and others believe they do not have to worry about their secrets becoming public. The author paints a vivid picture of life during the time periods portrayed in the story. The author has an interesting writing style and provides lots and lots of details. As an aside, I am pretty sure I have seen the carpet depicted on the cover - probably at some hotel somewhere - or something very similar. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the story richly drawn and multi-layered. It's set in Dublin in two timelines – the 1950s and the 1980s and in the latter against a background of the Pro Life Constitutional Amendment of September '83.

Paddy Butler is meant to be having a summer of freedom with his best pal but it's not to be. He therefore reinvents himself and becomes Julian Ryder, a would be writer and young man about town. A chance meeting sends him to Dolly McClean's (nee Considine's) hotel, the bar which is a den of iniquity and therefore a perfect setting for Julian experiencing all life has to offer while writing up about it of course. After he helps one of the bar staff fight off an IRA thug, Dolly hires him as a lounge boy on a temporary contract.

I found the story and characters within it believable as well as interesting and the story totally engrossing, if something I'd not have normally have picked up.

[By Book and Bone (Sally) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if my copy was unedited or an pre-print edition but it has 518 pages, not 320.

If Dolly Considine's Hotel had been 320 pages, I think it might have made 4 stars. I really loved Somers writing but I just didn't enjoy the story or characters passed the 1/3 mark. It's very meandering, has little storyline within that and has one of the least charismatic protagonists I've read in a book I didn't hate.

I'll happily give Somers another go but I won't be recommending this debut.

Note: I was given a free copy of Dolly Considine's Hotel but there was no requirement for me to read and review it. I did so of my own accord.

[Irene Quinn]

This book is not formulaic and is the better for it. What’s enjoyable is its demand of the reader to go into Dolly Considine’s world of guests and staff with abandon. None of them are particularly likeable! The writer presents characters who exist and interact within different time zones, class and political systems within Irish society since the Irish civil war up to the 1983’s very divisive abortion referendum. There are lots of themes running concurrently throughout…sexuality, lust, ambition, the art of expression, the pain of unrequited love, mystery and intrigue. In true Irish tradition, with a big pinch of the Flann O’Brien irreverence thrown in, the writing is very good indeed. This book is hilariously funny at times, poignant, shocking, sad and toys with the tradition of the grotesque. Well worth a read.

[Rory Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Mandy (see earlier review), I appreciated the complexity of the narrative (in terms of interwoven character narratives and layered historical periods), while finding them at times a little perplexing. I loved Somers' command of prose: he fashions beautiful sentences, and describes images and scenes that come alive and fizz in the mind.
Somers takes me back to the many hypocrisies of 1980s Ireland, and opens a window on earlier decades in the country's history. The varied social themes and multiplicity of characters will reward a second reading. Perhaps some of the central characters - Julian, Dolly - might have found the novel, like a certain princess's marriage, just a little crowded. And yet, I wouldn't want to have missed out on meeting any of them.

[Sarah Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed this book a lot but it was a bit hard to get into but once you stick with it you cant put it down. some characters were very interesting like dolly in the aspect of how strong she is.
the book was a little heavy in regards to an abortion scene, so it was a little tough.
i really enjoyed this book, these views are my own.

[Michelle Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it - worked up to a powerful ending and the back stories for the ghosts were especially engaging

[Lisa Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of the Irish Abortion Law Reform in 1983, this book feels incredibly relevant, depicting as it does the battle for ownership of women's bodies and their roles within this battle.

The story takes place in the eponymous Dolly Considine's hotel where 18 year old Paddy reinvents himself as Julian and decides to tell the stories of the people who live and stay there. The narration changes between 1950s when Dolly inherits the hotel, and 1983 when Julian enters the hotel. It is mainly told through the perspective of Julian, but sometimes switches with no warning to other characters mentioned, some dead, some alive. It took me quite some time to realise these aspects were Julian's reimaginings of their stories, and so were unreliable and told with an agenda in mind.

I really struggled with the character of Julian. I couldn't understand why he was allowed to stay in the hotel and allowed to continue with his quite frankly disrespectful and dangerous behaviour, considering the underground activities going on within the hotel. He seemed to have just waltzed in and managed to get immediate power over everyone he meets - sexual, political, controlling. These are people who are politically well known and have been carrying out dodgy dealings for years and would know how to handle people far more astute than he was. Julian allows his imagination to get away with him, ignoring the very real danger around him and culminating in tragedy and fatality.

I would have liked to see more of Dolly, who clearly is a strong character but we hardly see anything of. She intrigued me, with her strong matriarchal role, and her ability to get the men around her to do what she wants while thinking it was their decision.

The book is very dense, with historical and political references. I had to stop a lot to research certain elements to have a full awareness of the circumstances that motivated the characters, which meant it took a lot of concentration and time, and for a 500+ page book this was a large commitment. I think I would enjoy this book more on a rereading as I could enjoy the fictional elements more, although I did enjoy the educational element and felt I came out of it with a broader understanding than I went into it.

The writing is experimental and interesting, changing voices and time frames as often as it does, it sometimes feels like a different book. The writer has a dark sense of humour, with some lines that made me laugh and some scenes that made me gasp. There are dark scenes of death, and abortion, and some graphic sex scenes as Julian experiments with his sexuality. Again, I couldn't always understand his sexual relationships, some were clearly for gain (with women) and some seemed motivated by want (with men) but not really desire as he was dismissive and often disdainful of his sexual partners, particularly Mikhail. There is an age gap between Julian and Mikhail, which leads to a power imbalance but it is difficult to tell who is taking advantage of who.

The ending is shocking, dark and confusing. I found it difficult to tell who was still standing at the end of the book, and how accurate it was or whether it was the ramblings of people struggling to come to terms with what had happened. It's difficult to discuss without giving spoilers as one of the death scenes is so incredibly original and shocking!

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I think if I had understood the journal elements of it earlier I would have understood it more, and enjoyed it as the unreliable fictional element would have been clearer.

[Caitlin Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

* 3.5/5 *

[Lauren Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it is a book, I need to read a second time. A lot is happening at the one time and it is easy to find yourself getting lost amongst the noise that each chapter brings.

Once figuring out that each chapter lets you know if you are in reality or Julian’s imaginative story then it became a lot clearer, in the beginning I found myself getting a bit lost.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book hard going. I just couldn't get into a rhythm of reading and I started by skipping tracts and then finally gave up.

With the number of split timeframe novels around at present, I am well aware of this style, but really struggled to be drawn in this time.

Paddy Butler reinvents himself as Julian Ryder. Aged 18 in 1983, gay and with aspirations to be a writer, he moves alone to Dublin alone and gets a job as a barman in Dolly Considine’s hotel. Set in the 1950s and the 1980s  this multi-layered novel, deals with confrontational themes – illegal termination of pregnancy, gay sexuality, the Irish Civil War and its never ending politics and violence.

Chapters are short and we bounce around timeframes.

I believe there may be more twists and turns if you persist but I had to let this one go. I recommend Dolly Considines Hotel if you enjoy an avant-garde non fiction, which incorporates factual events and locations, and major turning points in Ireland's evolution.

Thank you NetGalley and Unbound Digital for this copy of Dolly Considine's Hotel

[Lissa Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most striking thing about this novel is the quality of the writing. The style and language hit you immediately as a reader, that this novel is a bit above the ordinary. The style in which it is written, too, is interesting, with alternating chapters between each of the initial two main characters, also alternating between the events in Dolly's life in 1953 to their convergence as she and Julian meet in 1983. Gradually other characters are allowed chapters, carefully introduced to aid the flow of the plot without confusing the reader. This means it's a bit of a slow-burner and gradually builds to quite a hectic crescendo as all the threads come together. An interesting array of unusual characters, political backdrop and Julian's fanciful imagination as a would-be writer adding to the mix to make it a thoroughly entertaining novel. It makes the reader work and think. I would sum it up by saying it's a very cleverly-told story.

[theirishbooklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars