Tipperary by Frank Delaney

Tipperary is historical fiction, with a little bit of a twist. The novel is wrapped by a modern narrator, who shares with the reader the life of Charles O'Brien, an Irishman who seems to have a talent for showing up wherever history is being made. He meets Oscar Wilde on his deathbed (and at the same time the woman who becomes the love of his life), the poet Yeats, James Joyce, various Irish politicians, is present during battles with the Irish Republican Army, and shelters IRA guerrillas. He restores Tipperary Castle while pursuing (sort of) the love of his life, who also happens to be the owner. It's an epic story, spanning decades, with the requisite ups and downs and twists and turns in the life of O'Brien.

But it is the use of the modern narrator to wrap the novel that I believe to be its principal fault. For the first two hundred pages the voice of that narrator is cold and indifferent, much like a non-fiction history book. Sections in the modern narrator's voice intrude on the story, offering little in the way of additional facts that I needed or even wanted. About halfway through the novel, the narrator steps out from behind the curtain and reveals a few facts about himself, but I never developed a real sense of who the character was, never felt a connection with him, and frequently wished that he would stop interrupting the flow of the novel. In the end, of course, the author ties together the narrator and O'Brien, in some revelations that are expected and somewhat trite. I wonder what the novel would have been like if the author had concentrated on the historical fiction, instead of using the device of the modern narrator?

There are also many historical "asides", and it is obvious that the author loves his subject; perhaps he loves it too much, since most of the asides have little to do with the story, and much to do with the history of Ireland.

I still think it is a good read, especially if you like the thrill of searching for hidden family secrets and the delayed gratification of a decades-long love affair.