Customer Reviews

Divided Loyalties

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Divided Loyalties is a book I read on my holidays. It was not a book I had intended to read but since I finished my other book somewhat quickly I was forced to read the first available book I could find in our appartment, which just happened to be this novel by Irish writer, Patricia Scanlan.

The story centres around two sisters: Carrie, who is juggling family life, while trying not to become too boring, and Shauna, who searches for some desperate meaning in her relationship with her husband, Greg, who does not want anymore children. Other family members such as their estranged brother, Bobby and their controlling father, Niall, not to mention their imposing inlaws are also dealt with.

The novel is written reasonably well but there is no hiding the fact that it is incredibly dull. The story itself of two ordinary sisters family lives has great potential but it somehow all goes very wrong. It is just boring. Although it is interesting at times to see the different points-of-view of the characters in relation to each other there really is not enough plot to keep the non-existent story going. The characters spend most of the novel eating and meeting up complaining about their problems. Annoyingly at times the author even decides to inject some children's dialogue into the novel making it a tiresome read. Furthermore none of the characters are really likable. They all come across as either whingy or self-indulgent.

Standing at over six hundred pages it is far too long. The book could have half the length. Everything about it is just so plain, dull and ordinary lacking any form of life or conflict. There is nothing wrong with ordinary but if one wants to read ordinary I would suggest a true story.

To conclude I would not recommend this novel to read unless like me you are bored and desperate for something to read. Even at that one might find their mind drifting to other pool-side distractions.

Well, I seem to be out of step here, waited eagerly for this book, but it was very much more of the same but with different names. Ms Scanlans families are very much of a type each time, the homely responsible sister, the ambitious attractive one, and a loose cannon, this time Bobby the gay.

From the end of the first chapter you could forecast the ending..and sure enough the "family" comes out on top, the sisters having "bitched" their way through the book..come on Ms Scanlan, a bit more effort and imagination next time please!

I knew this was just a chick lit novel when I purchased it but I thought at nearly 700 pages it would be just right for when I fancied a light read. I was looking forward to a good easy read about a family and its `Divided Loyalties', well I was disappointed. This was the first book and I suspect the last that I have read by this author.
Three Irish siblings with contrasting lifestyles and problems. No real story line as such, apart from following the family ups and downs over four years. Their father Noel was my least favourite character and I hated the way the author portrayed him as an old man at 65. Ok he was 69 when the story ended but I just feel that this is not considered old these days and therefore his behaviour annoyed me immensely.
The other very annoying thing about this novel for me was the author's use of grammar. She used `bring' where I would have used `take' and `in' where I would have used `at'! Is this maybe an Irish foible?
I did surprisingly finish this book as I just kept hoping it would improve but disappointingly it never did.

I was a bit disappointed with this book as i have read previous books by Patricia Scanlan and really enjoyed them. However this one I felt was really lacking in plot, the characters were nice enough but I kept expecting something to happen to get the storyline going, yet it never did and then you found yourself at the end of the book. It was easy enough to read but a bit of a let down.

This book was OK and if you have nothing else to read or want something not too taxing then this book is perfect. The plot was very predictable, I knew what Greg was going to do about 3 chapters before it happened. The character of Della was at times just annoying and at others quite genius. The fued between Bobby and Dad seemed to be over in a few pages whereas we had pages and pages of descriptions for the parties and clothes wore by Shauna. OK but definitely not the best book I've ever read!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have read quite a few Irish authors now and like another reviewer said the bring and takes thing is quite annoying but I have got used to that now, at least I don't make my husband jump by shouting it's take not bring every time I came across it, which is quite a lot

I liked reading it. But just because I like reading.

It wasn't great...it wasn't even good. It's an elongated essay from a 10 year old. It's the first Patricia Scanlan I've read and I don't think I'll go there again.

It's nice to sit and read without any concentration though. Just not what I'm used to.

The way she used the word 'ruedully' drove me up the bloody wall.

She couldn't get enough of it! And it annoyed me...a LOT!

So yeah. Thumbs down from me.

I loved this book, as I have loved all of Patricia's books. The characters were so believable and I really got involved in their lives. I would recommend this as a great holiday read as you would have no trouble finishing it. The only trouble you might have was putting it down to do other things.

Read Divided Loyalties earlier this month while visiting Dubai - strange to read the ins & outs of a foreign country while actually visiting it - just couldn't put it down.

Really enjoyed this book - the twists and turns were excellent and there was definitely someone in the book that everyone could connect with; from the disowned son to the horrible sister-in-laws.

Great book for the summer :-)

There is something very comforting about Patricia Scanlan's books. They always feature families that are feuding or estranged, many of which bare resemblences to our own families.

This latest offering is no exception. Same old formula: One slightly spoilt sister, one more homely one. A bitter father and some pretty useless husbands.

Forgive me, however, if I sound negative, as I did really enjoy this book. I read it on holiday and it is perfect for that. I am a fan of Scanlan's books and this one did not disappoint. Not much of a storyline, but it doesn't really matter. Give it go!