brooke_review's review against another edition
3.0
While many people have heard of the Guinness Brewery empire, they may not be aware of the family behind the name eponymous with dark stouts - the Guinnesses themselves. I certainly wasn't before reading Emily Hourican's latest novel, The Glorious Guinness Girls, which details the coming of age of the three Guinness sisters, Aileen, Maureen, and Oonagh, told through the eyes of a fictitious girl Felicity, sent to live with them when her mother can no longer care for her.
The "glorious Guinness girls," were part of the "Bright Young Things" crowd - that group of glittering gals and gents of the roaring 20s, known for living lavish lifestyles and throwing raucous parties. Their exciting lives whispered about and splashed across the press, the Guinness girls lived a life that only those who were a part of high society could aspire to. Felicity, their newfound friend, was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but even so, the Guinness girls embrace her and treat her like a sister, welcoming her into their fold and making her one of their own. However, as Felicity is strung from one party and debut to the next, she can't help but feel like an outsider looking in, a part of things, but not QUITE a part of it all. This puts her in the unique position to describe life with the Guinness girls, as is detailed in Hourican's novel.
As 100 years have now passed since the infamous roaring 20s, this time period has been getting a lot of attention in media lately, so I was excited to read Hourican's novel about a group of society girls whom I was not previously familiar. I quite enjoyed learning about the Guinness girls and their high brow lifestyle, as it is so different from anything I have ever been exposed to in my own.
This book draws comparisons to Downton Abbey, and I can see similarities - set in the same time period, featuring a wealthy family of three sisters, and showcasing the lives of both the rich and the poor - but where Downton Abbey shines and The Glorious Guinness Girls lacks is in utterly compelling storylines. The Glorious Guinness Girls lives to TELL us what life was like for the trio, as opposed to showing us through rich details and characterization. The Guinness girls are unfortunately flat, and much of this novel consists of conversations between the girls and Felicity about boys and parties. This book is not bad, per say - I did enjoy it - but I wasn't compelled to pick it up and did find myself bored at times, especially through the middle of the novel. There just isn't much plot here, and if a book doesn't have a plot, it needs to have strong, distinctive characters. Unfortunately, The Glorious Guinness Girls had neither.
Read this book if you are curious about the Guinness sisters and what it was like to be a part of the Bright Young Things societal circle, but don't expect to be blown away by the storyline.
The "glorious Guinness girls," were part of the "Bright Young Things" crowd - that group of glittering gals and gents of the roaring 20s, known for living lavish lifestyles and throwing raucous parties. Their exciting lives whispered about and splashed across the press, the Guinness girls lived a life that only those who were a part of high society could aspire to. Felicity, their newfound friend, was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but even so, the Guinness girls embrace her and treat her like a sister, welcoming her into their fold and making her one of their own. However, as Felicity is strung from one party and debut to the next, she can't help but feel like an outsider looking in, a part of things, but not QUITE a part of it all. This puts her in the unique position to describe life with the Guinness girls, as is detailed in Hourican's novel.
As 100 years have now passed since the infamous roaring 20s, this time period has been getting a lot of attention in media lately, so I was excited to read Hourican's novel about a group of society girls whom I was not previously familiar. I quite enjoyed learning about the Guinness girls and their high brow lifestyle, as it is so different from anything I have ever been exposed to in my own.
This book draws comparisons to Downton Abbey, and I can see similarities - set in the same time period, featuring a wealthy family of three sisters, and showcasing the lives of both the rich and the poor - but where Downton Abbey shines and The Glorious Guinness Girls lacks is in utterly compelling storylines. The Glorious Guinness Girls lives to TELL us what life was like for the trio, as opposed to showing us through rich details and characterization. The Guinness girls are unfortunately flat, and much of this novel consists of conversations between the girls and Felicity about boys and parties. This book is not bad, per say - I did enjoy it - but I wasn't compelled to pick it up and did find myself bored at times, especially through the middle of the novel. There just isn't much plot here, and if a book doesn't have a plot, it needs to have strong, distinctive characters. Unfortunately, The Glorious Guinness Girls had neither.
Read this book if you are curious about the Guinness sisters and what it was like to be a part of the Bright Young Things societal circle, but don't expect to be blown away by the storyline.
kleedc73's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rosiebp's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laura_storyteller's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
msvenner's review
2.0
I found this book frustrating. I wanted to like it but I felt like I kept waiting for something to happen. I think the modern timeline set the readers expectations for something that never materialized. What was Fliss looking for and why bother?
The timeline was interesting. There could be great stories in the Irish struggle for home rule and in the London social whirl of the 1920s, this just wasn’t it. The problem may have been, in part, the protagonist. I’m not sure what she brought to the story, beyond an attempt at a Downton Abby style look at upstairs downstairs, and even that didn’t exist because Fliss never really existed ‘downstairs’.
There were some interesting moments but, overall, the author just never made me care about the characters.
The timeline was interesting. There could be great stories in the Irish struggle for home rule and in the London social whirl of the 1920s, this just wasn’t it. The problem may have been, in part, the protagonist. I’m not sure what she brought to the story, beyond an attempt at a Downton Abby style look at upstairs downstairs, and even that didn’t exist because Fliss never really existed ‘downstairs’.
There were some interesting moments but, overall, the author just never made me care about the characters.
naterjane's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
3.0
For poor relation Fliss, the opportunity to go live with the Guinness family means she can get away from home, get an education and move on. Her beloved elder brother Hugh is away at school and Fliss grows up at the heart of a rich family. The Irish are in revolt and Hugh is in sympathy but when he disappears after a party Fliss just believes he has emigrated. Later she becomes an onlooker as the family moves to London and the three girls join the wild society of the Bright Young Things.
I wasn't sure what to make of the structure of this book. At first it jumped between the present day and the past but that model seemed to disappear after a while and everything was about the 1920s. The effects on the Anglo-Irish or the uprisings in Ireland were actually interesting but the rest just seemed to drag a little.
I wasn't sure what to make of the structure of this book. At first it jumped between the present day and the past but that model seemed to disappear after a while and everything was about the 1920s. The effects on the Anglo-Irish or the uprisings in Ireland were actually interesting but the rest just seemed to drag a little.
thebookishdogmom's review against another edition
2.0
The summary led me to think this would be an exciting tale about life in Ireland and the Guinness family and business. Unfortunately I found it to be a rambling slog the whole way through with no clear plot line even til the end. A disappointment.