A very well built story
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I did really enjoy the reading of this book. A captivating story set back at the time of the Great Famine, one of the darkests periods in Irish history. Very well defined characters and a plot that entangles you until the end. Maybe a few reduntant pages, from time to time, but overall a book I strongly recommend.
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Enjoyable froth
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Star of the Sea is a good old fashioned tale of adventure and romance on the high seas. Most of the passengers of the eponymous ship are fleeing Ireland, a country brought to its knees by potato blight and famine, for a new life in America, the promised land. In the first class cabins, aristocrats, servants and writers play out their own personal dramas, while down below in steerage, a mysterious club footed passenger roams the decks, contemplating the terrible choice he has before him. The ship's captain, Lockwood, fills in many of the gaps with his matter of fact Captain's Log.
Much of the story is told in flashbacks, as we learn more about teh characters' past lives and the events that led up to their decision to sail to America. Lord Merridith's privileged life is sharply contrasted with the grinding poverty of the Irish peasants. No holds are barred in O'Connor's descriptions of the degradations they suffered in order to survive.
It's a gripping yarn in places, a nicely inconsequential page turner that rips satisfyingly along to its conclusion. Where it fails is, occasionally, in the characters' voices - Merridith's somewhat affected, aristocratic speech is sometimes uneasily grafted upon other characters. The frequent references to "Chas" Dickens are irritating at best and frankly ridiculous at worst. And the ending, while overlong, is frustratingly vague, discursive and inconclusive. But if you're looking for a fun, forgettable way to while away the time, this novel should do the job.
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Beautifully woven tale revealing a shocking history
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I have to agree with the majority of the previous reviews. This a beautifully woven tale revealing a shocking history; a chapter from British history of which I was not aware and which goes some way to helping understanding the resentments of recent years.
The tale is slow to get started, but soon we get the intricate back stories which form the texture of the novel. I won't give away the ending, but I thought it stretched credibiliy - the only low point.
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A joy to read.
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O'Connor has produced a masterpiece with Star of the Sea. A book which is filled to the brim with tortured souls on their way to the United States to escape the hardship of their past. A film version has been muted which is understandable although I fear it will never live up to the standard of the book
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WICKED deeds and MONSTROUS acts with DEVASTATING consequences
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Having looked briefly through the other reviews, I can see that this book has drawn mixed reviews. In my opinion, there is some truth to the reviews that loved this book, and those that hated it...because this is one of those love-or-hate type of books.
For starters, you need to get past the first 100 pages. It took me about 80-120 pages before I began to be swept into the tale. My problem was that it took me a while to adjust to the complicated structure of the book - whereby each chapter is portrayed through a different type of account (e.g. captain's report, letter, doctor's report, etc) and the chapters switch between three narratives: (1) the "current narrative" in which the narrator presents the events from 70 years after they occurred, (2) the "storyline narrative" which furthers the story along through the various accounts, and (3) the "historical narrative" which provides a further insight into each of the characters. It is this switching technique that compels the reader to continue reading on to the next chapter.
By the time I had made the adjustment to O'Connor's style, I enjoyed this book thoroughly. This is a book that is compelling, informative, and portrays the characters intimately and sympathetically.
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