Week One Discussion of The Pub Across The Pond [ Edited ]

[dhaupt]

The Pub Across The Pond
Week One

1. Declan and his prologue – does this help set the tone of the novel for you and did it carry on the way you first thought it would

 2. Carlene the most unlucky of people wins a Pub in Ireland
Did the author convince you that Carlene would just pick up and head off to a foreign country after winning a lottery.

Why or why not

3. Ronan-a most fecked up rogue is also a contradiction in motion
How do you feel about him so far
What about his relationship to his family

4. Do any of the other characters stand out for you
who and why

5. What did Carlene’s run through the fountain say to you

6. Let’s talk about the Pub for a minute, as much as it’s not what Carlene imagined it would be and even after the “timber tantrum”  she still seems very positive about it.
Is this believable to you, is it how you would react

7. Let’s talk about the dialogue-
Does it give an overall native feel to the novel for you

Now enjoy some scenery of Galway Bay

[Mary_Carter]

I look forward to the discussion, and wish we were all having it in a pub with a pint, which is how I'm going to imagine it!

[KathyS]

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dhaupt wrote:

The Pub Across The Pond
Week One

1. Declan and his prologue – does this help set the tone of the novel for you and did it carry on the way you first thought it would

***************************************

The tone was set, indeed.  

"Most days it's good ole craic, but sometimes when you're a publican, you've gotta be a bags."

After I read this, I knew I was in trouble!  Help, I said to myself....Can someone "esplain" (As Ricky would have said) this to me, please?  

As I've since read on, and ignoring words I didn't know, the word useages started to make sense, though Declan's narrative didn't continue on.  What's funny is, I just finished reading  Stowe's, Uncle Tom's Cabin...yes, I know, no comparing here, but dialects in that story ran amuck, as well as an unusual narrative.  I really expected Declan to "interupt" the storyline, as Stowe did within her story, with his own dialectic thoughts.

He set the scene, and right off the bat I knew this was going to be a love story.  I hung onto the edges of the book, and hoped and prayed it wasn't going to be just another "love story"...Deb?  I know how you love a good RN...I should have known......But onward and upward I traveled through the first 16 chapters, where I've forced myself to stop reading...Okay, I admit I've gone two chapters beyond, but that's another post.

The tension is placed, the scene is set, within Declan's narrative...Where will Ronan and Carlene end up?
 

K. 

[Mary_Carter]

Great comments, Kathy! Many were the times that something came out of an Irishman's mouth and I thought-- what the heck does that mean?! But as they went on, I too was able to fill in the blanks. An American Declan would have said: "Most days it's a lot of fun working here, but sometimes when you're a bartender, you can't put up with their bull...."

I realized in later drafts that Declan was the right one to open Ronan and Carlene's story. Like any good bartender though, he sets the scene and then disappears so you hardly know he's there. Although I dare say, he's still quite a member of the cast all the way through.

[KathyS]

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Mary_Carter wrote:

Great comments, Kathy! Many were the times that something came out of an Irishman's mouth and I thought-- what the heck does that mean?! But as they went on, I too was able to fill in the blanks. An American Declan would have said: "Most days it's a lot of fun working here, but sometimes when you're a bartender, you can't put up with their bull...."

I realized in later drafts that Declan was the right one to open Ronan and Carlene's story. Like any good bartender though, he sets the scene and then disappears so you hardly know he's there. Although I dare say, he's still quite a member of the cast all the way through.

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Thanks, Mary, for your interpretation of that sentence!  I see what you're saying about Declan...so far in my reading, he's taken a back seat, and even Carlene is starting to miss him.  I guess I was expecting him to be more outspoken, interjecting his words of wisdom, sort of speak, along the way...a backroom, personal confidant to Carlene.    And now the plot thickens on its own...along with that bog hole Carlene stepped in!  

[Mountain_Muse]

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dhaupt wrote:

The Pub Across The Pond
Week One

1. Declan and his prologue – does this help set the tone of the novel for you and did it carry on the way you first thought it would

I love the prologue.  It set the tone and set-up the story.  To have made "the Prologue" just Chapter One of the book, wouldn't have had the impact that it did as a Prologue.  By letting Declan tell his story, in his own way, before the rollicking and rolling started, you had a set "breath", "pause", draw a pint.  Then when I started reading the story, I felt like I knew everyone and dove into the plot.

 2. Carlene the most unlucky of people wins a Pub in Ireland
Did the author convince you that Carlene would just pick up and head off to a foreign country after winning a lottery.

Why or why not

Carlene was looking for an escape from her life.  Come on now....she lived with a severly OCD father and operated a men's boxing gym.  UGH!!!!!  I felt sorry for the girl!  She needed a break.  I didn't need to be convinced that she was going to win the lottery...I knew that when I picked up the book.  To me, it's not about how she got there, but what's she going to do with it and how's she going to keep it that is going to make the story....and this Ronan.....Hmmmm....welll that's the "red chili' in the stew.  The Irish don't have Red Chili, do they?  Oh well.

3. Ronan-a most fecked up rogue is also a contradiction in motion
How do you feel atbout him so far

  I love "Fecked Up"  I wonder if that's like  "nekked" vs. "naked"?  Sorry, about that.  What do I feel about Ronan???  A guy with way too much charisma (Irish Charm) and enough good looks to make a girl forget whether or not she's married, in a relationship, or has ever seen another male with horrmones.  Wow, did I say that?  One of those that a timid mousy girl will melt into a puddle if he speaks to her.  But, oh no....Carlene NOT AGAIN!  Maybe he'll be different than Brandon....Surely.  I'm already getting shamrocks in my eyes and I've got my own Irish/Scotsman....big strapping one, too.
What about his relationship to his family

Only boy, baby brother.....spoiled rotten.  They'll always forgive him no matter the crime. His charm and baby blues melt the sis's as bad as all the other females in the region.

4. Do any of the other characters stand out for you
who and why

I DON'T like uncle JOE!!!!  And I wouldn't have been as nice as Carlene with the tree!  The first day.  I don't like sneaky, sleasy, sly, underhanded, bamboozling, old men that think they can do anything they want and get away with it....What he did to the sisters and then to Carlene, knowing she was coming....set my blood boiling. I'm still thinking about what she needs to do to get even   no it needs to be stronger than that.  Get the point across to him that she is not a weakling that can be run over!  And she won't put up with his shinanigans.

5. What did Carlene’s run through the fountain say to you

"I'M FREE!  I'M FINALLY FREE! All that I am, all that I want to be, I CAN BE ME!!!  NO HOLDING BACK! In the here and the now.  I can go where I want, I can say what I want, I can go anywhere I want to go!!! I AM FREE TO BE MEEEEEE" 

6. LeIt’s talk about the Pub for a minute, as much as it’s not what Carlene imagined it would be and even after the “timber tantrum”  she still seems very positive about it.
Is this believable to you, is it how you would react

More later

7. Let’s talk about the dialogue-
Does it give an overall native feel to the novel for you

Love it, love it.  On spot, fecking and all.

Thanks for the scenery.  

Muse

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[KathyS]

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dhaupt wrote:

The Pub Across The Pond
Week One

 2. Carlene the most unlucky of people wins a Pub in Ireland
Did the author convince you that Carlene would just pick up and head off to a foreign country after winning a lottery.

Why or why not

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Well, yes and no.  I think when Carlene entered that lottery, she had "dreams...or hopes" of escape, of getting away from her routine life.  She liked her job, but I think her father became more of an obligation, and burden, for her.  But, when she heard she had won, she didn't have any great qualms about leaving.  I could just imagine her father going off the deep end with this news!  I can't imagine myself just packing up and leaving my life here, moving to a foriegn country, even though that country was calling....over and over...thinking this is where she thought she belonged.  

Now that I think about it, that's exactly what I did when I moved to Utah!  Holy crap!  I was running away....making myself believe I belonged in that new place.  But I had family there, which I see as a distinct difference....What an adventure it was, too!...But, that's my story, not this one. 

I just accepted Mary's story telling, and Carlene's actions as a way she wanted to be led.  I may question the character's actions, but who am I to put myself in someone else's head/or needs?...even though I did wonder, and still do, if Carlene will miss her family and friends enough to go back "home".  So far it's been fun watching her romp around the place, interacting with the "locals"...a very definate learning experience all 'round.

[seattle07]

I loved Declan’s prologue. I felt as if I were in the pub listening to a local legend and great love story. His comments about love and needing a sheep for a Facebook game cracked me up. It was hard to stop at Ch.15, lucky I was busy with houseguest and can now find out what happens next!

I was so glad that Carlene decided to go to Ireland. She’s a good daughter and a good friend and she has people who care about her, but it seemed like she was always catering to the needs of others. Carlene was settling for second best and it’s time for her to experience romance and adventure!

I thought Ronan’s the lovable rogue. I was disappointed that he lost the pub in a poker game, but I’m glad that he cared about how his mom and sisters would react. It seems that he has a history of angering and disappointing his family.

I love families with lots of sibling and I have a soft spot for the “baby” of family. Maybe because one of my favourite aunts is the baby of the family and like Katie, she’s optimistic and fun loving.

Carlene’s run through the fountain was a way to reinvent  herself. Nobody knows her in Ireland so she can be anybody that she wants. Carlene’s decided to be more fearless, carefree and take more risks. “This was more than a chance to start a new life, this was a chance to finally be free, to find out who she was without her father’s compulsions and her mother’s ghost.”

I think that Carlene’s determined to look on the bright side and stick with the pub and Ireland. I don’t think I’d be as positive as Carlene after the “timber tantrum” but I’d be determined to stay for at least 6 months and see how things pan out.

I’ve never been to Ireland, but reading the dialogue, rhythm of sentences and words used by the Irish customs officer (loved her comments about her uniform and great-great can of bean), Declan, Ronan and his family & the people of Ballybeog make me feel as if I’m there.

[Mary_Carter]

It's been so hot lately I'd consider jumping in a fountain too. Although, yes for Carlene it was an expression of freedom, and daring herself to do things she normally wouldn't do. Every year Guinness held that contest raffling off a pub in Ireland, I always knew I would have gone if I'd won-- and imagined how life changing, lucky, and exciting it could be for the winner. Writing this book was the next best thing, although in a novel you have to throw in some conflict, which is difficult when it comes to the beauty and charm of Ireland. Luckily it's not hard to stir up a few troubles though whenever you get a group of people in close proximity to each other. I don't think Carlene would have been as nice to Uncle Joe if there hadn't been a group of people in his shop christening a baby. Then again, Ohians are always pretty polite.

[Mountain_Muse]

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Mary_Carter wrote:

It's been so hot lately I'd consider jumping in a fountain too. Although, yes for Carlene it was an expression of freedom, and daring herself to do things she normally wouldn't do. Every year Guinness held that contest raffling off a pub in Ireland, I always knew I would have gone if I'd won-- and imagined how life changing, lucky, and exciting it could be for the winner. Writing this book was the next best thing, although in a novel you have to throw in some conflict, which is difficult when it comes to the beauty and charm of Ireland. Luckily it's not hard to stir up a few troubles though whenever you get a group of people in close proximity to each other. I don't think Carlene would have been as nice to Uncle Joe if there hadn't been a group of people in his shop christening a baby. Then again, Ohians are always pretty polite.

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Mary,

I really do believe the Christening was what saved Uncle Joe's bacon.  But then, she did look at the rows of goods in the shelves and stop and think about what level she wanted to take the "one up" manship to.... It left me wondering what she would have done if she hadn't run into babies and priests.

Muse

[Mary_Carter]

First castle from Shannon airport....

Bringing back memories. Here I am with a dear Irish friend on what was literally my first hour in Ireland. They had to pull over and get a photo with me and Annmarie in front of the castle. Afterwards we piled in the car and Annmarie excitedly pointed out the window and yelled, "Cows, Mary, cows!" I just looked at her and said, "We have cows in America too, Annmarie." She got so excited over my castle-reaction, she forgot. You may have noticed a reference to this if you read the acknowledgments-- so there's the scoop!

[KathyS]

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Mary_Carter wrote:

First castle from Shannon airport....

Bringing back memories. Here I am with a dear Irish friend on what was literally my first hour in Ireland. They had to pull over and get a photo with me and Annmarie in front of the castle. Afterwards we piled in the car and Annmarie excitedly pointed out the window and yelled, "Cows, Mary, cows!" I just looked at her and said, "We have cows in America too, Annmarie." She got so excited over my castle-reaction, she forgot. You may have noticed a reference to this if you read the acknowledgments-- so there's the scoop!

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Thanks for the scoop!  That's so funny....And speaking of cows...as I was driving to a Dr. apt this afternoon, I thought about your book!...I forgot bring it with me...blast!   And, yeah, that scene with Carlene, with her foot stuck in the mud...and talking to the cows!  A vivid picture was forming in my head, and  I just started to giggle, and giggle and giggle..So, thanks for the giggles too!

K.

[seattle07]

I was hoping that Carlene would be able to one up Uncle Joe. He was saved by the christening, but maybe she find a way to outsmart him.  He's a great bad guy-so easy to instantly dislike the man! I'm wondering why is he so bitter? Is it just the way he is or did Jimmy do something to him? I'm guessing that maybe Joe had a crush on Mary but Jimmy fell in love with her. Maybe Joe is hard on Ronan because he's a lot like his dad?

-Seattle

[aprilh]

Declan's prologue immediately immersed me in the Irish speak and I began to get a feel for the language. He was the perfect person in my opinion to start the story. He personally knew all the characters in this love story and working at the pub, he probably learned so much more by listening to the conversations going on around him. I was hooked from the opening line, "It was the greatest love story ever told in Ballybeog when everyone was drunk but nobody wanted to go home and all the other great love stories had been told." I wanted to know more about the people involved in this love story.

After entering the contest to win the pub, I think Carlene realizes how much she wants/needs a fresh start in her life. I believed it to be realistic when she actually wins and travels to Ireland. She had a lot to deal with at home with her mother's death and her father's OCD. After she wins the pub and decides to go to Ireland, her father begs her to stay, but she remained strong and went anyway. Her father had to cut back his hours at the gym after Carlene's mother died, leaving her with more responsibility and his OCD has become so extreme, that I get the feeling that Carlene has switched roles with him and has taken over the parental role. I think she needed to make a big move to be able to start living her life for herself instead of keeping herself behind to take care of her father.

I really like Ronan so far. I did not agree with his choice to gamble away the pub, but I think he is a very charming man. I loved that sparks started flying the minute he set eyes on Carlene. The chemistry between them radiated off the page. He begins calling her Carlena at the racetrack and she vows never to let anyone else call her that. Sort of like his pet name for her. As for his relationship with his family, I think he feels like the screw up of the group with good reason. His mother and sisters all love him, but I get the impression that this isn't the first time he has royally messed up. I think they're fed up with his antics, especially now since he gambled away something that belonged to all of them, which is why they decided to take matters into their own hands and raffle off the pub. They all have a very close relationship, which we saw when he called the family meeting. They all dropped everything to attend. They knew that gambling was Ronan's Achilles heel and couldn't leave their fate in his hands any longer even if raffling off the pub would upset him.

I can't wait to see if something happens between Carlene and Ronan. Right now they're my favorite characters. I also love reading about Ronan's sisters.  I thought the author did a good job introducing us to the half dozen (or the estrogen gang as Ronan refers to them). With six sisters, trying to keep them all straight could have been a real challenge, but in the beginning at the pub they were all lined up on stools at the bar in birth order. This made it so much easier to remember who was who, making me feel like I had known the sisters forever. Brilliant! Each sister has their own personality, but when they are all together, they seem as one. Their relationship with one another is fascinating to me.

When Carlene ran through the fountain, it was her way of reinventing herself. She had made the conscious decision to be a more daring person than she used to be. Here no one knew her and she could be whoever she wanted to be.

To me, Carlene seems so grateful to be able to travel to a new country and start a new life, that nothing is going to ruffle her feathers. When Uncle Joe cuts down the tree branch she's upset, but she pushes the negativity aside to enjoy the first look she has of the inside of her pub and to enjoy the party going on inside. I loved how she handled the situation the next day by dragging the tree branch into Joe's shop and presenting it to the couple christening their baby! That was brilliant! Carlene was so calm and poised like that had been her intention all along and not something that came off the top of her head. I think Uncle Joe will have a worthy adversary in Carlene!

[ReadingPatti]

0

The Pub Across The Pond
Week One

1. Declan and his prologue – does this help set the tone of the novel for you and did it carry on the way you first thought it would-  But it go better as I read more. After I read it and continued on I saw why Declan did his prologue.

 2. Carlene the most unlucky of people wins a Pub in Ireland
Did the author convince you that Carlene would just pick up and head off to a foreign country after winning a lottery.

Why or why not-Yes, I thought she would. She always wanted to travel and this her chance. As chance to change her life.

3. Ronan-a most fecked up rogue is also a contradiction in motion
How do you feel about him so far- At first I thought this book was going to be slow. I was wondering what he thought as Rohan was at the poker table and why he would put up the pub and risk losing everything.
What about his relationship to his family- Has a diffcult relationship with his Uncle Joe and the other members seem to interfer in his life without his asking or knowledge.

4. Do any of the other characters stand out for you
who and why-Carlene, I liked her from the beginning and had a feeling she was going to win the pub and change her life for the better.

5. What did Carlene’s run through the fountain say to you-Fun, simple. She did not she may not have done if she stayed home.

6. Let’s talk about the Pub for a minute, as much as it’s not what Carlene imagined it would be and even after the “timber tantrum”  she still seems very positive about it.
Is this believable to you, is it how you would react-What do any of us know of a pub unless you have been to one. Especially in another country. I think she just had a feeling about the place and what it could be to her and her life. 

7. Let’s talk about the dialogue.
Does it give an overall native feel to the novel for you-Very native. Sometimes I had to reread to be sure I knew what was being said and why.

I must confess that I have finished the book. I really liked it and promise not to give anything away.

ReadingPatti

[ReadingPatti]

1. Declan and his prologue – does this help set the tone of the novel for you and did it carry on the way you first thought it would-  But it go better as I read more. After I read it and continued on I saw why Declan did his prologue.

 2. Carlene the most unlucky of people wins a Pub in Ireland
Did the author convince you that Carlene would just pick up and head off to a foreign country after winning a lottery.

Why or why not-Yes, I thought she would. She always wanted to travel and this her chance. As chance to change her life.

3. Ronan-a most fecked up rogue is also a contradiction in motion
How do you feel about him so far- At first I thought this book was going to be slow. I was wondering what he thought as Rohan was at the poker table and why he would put up the pub and risk losing everything.
What about his relationship to his family- Has a diffcult relationship with his Uncle Joe and the other members seem to interfer in his life without his asking or knowledge.

4. Do any of the other characters stand out for you
who and why-Carlene, I liked her from the beginning and had a feeling she was going to win the pub and change her life for the better.

5. What did Carlene’s run through the fountain say to you-Fun, simple. She did not she may not have done if she stayed home.

6. Let’s talk about the Pub for a minute, as much as it’s not what Carlene imagined it would be and even after the “timber tantrum”  she still seems very positive about it.
Is this believable to you, is it how you would react-What do any of us know of a pub unless you have been to one. Especially in another country. I think she just had a feeling about the place and what it could be to her and her life. 

7. Let’s talk about the dialogue.
Does it give an overall native feel to the novel for you-Very native. Sometimes I had to reread to be sure I knew what was being said and why.

I must confess that I have finished the book. I really liked it and promise not to give anything away.

ReadingPatti

[Mary_Carter]

It's funny, even while writing the character Joe, I didn't hate him. He has his own set ways and thoughts about things and there was more than a bit of sibling rivalry between himself and Jimmy that still exists even though Jimmy is gone. He's not a drinker so the pub has always seemed a bit evil to him. He's probably a tad lonely too. I have a feeling Carlene can handle him. He'd be a millionaire if those sunbeds would just catch on.

[dhaupt]

Thank you all for your participation so far this week.

First of all I as you know review tons of books a month and I'm constantly getting new novels so I tend to cover shop to pick the ones I want to read, well needless to say a few pages in I was laughing so hard my husband said I was bothering his news watching. So I immediately thought it would be a good read for the forum, especially between two thrillers I thought we needed some comic relief and a little luv too.

I can't wait to read more coments

Mary I love the stories you're telling about your writing in general and your trip to Ireland

thanks so much for how much your putting into this for us. I hope your enjoying your stay as much as we are having you here.

[Author_Carter]

It's me-- Mary -- something happened to my log in and my email today. So somehow I couldn't log in under my author name. No worries! I'm really enjoying all the comments and knowing people are getting a few laughs and enjoyment out of my characters makes all the hard work worth it!

[dhaupt]

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Author_Carter wrote:

It's me-- Mary -- something happened to my log in and my email today. So somehow I couldn't log in under my author name. No worries! I'm really enjoying all the comments and knowing people are getting a few laughs and enjoyment out of my characters makes all the hard work worth it!

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Mary, I'm so sorry. If you still can't later on, it could be a browser issue but I will contact my boss and we'll get you straightened out

in the mean time I'd like to introduce you to our nemesis

• 

who sometimes haunts the eworkings at B&N.com

[Author_Carter]

He looks scary. It wasn't just this sight, I had to sign onto everything. The problem is, I never remember what passwords and emails I use for what. I think that little guy has been following me around though!