The Irish Tradition

Since it's more probably that visitors read posts rather than the discussions on blogs, this in an answer for Seana.

(Also I've just been given an IP conflict warning so lets hold on to our hats...)

Elizabeth Bowen owned a house that became famous for the literary visitors. Bowenscourt was in County Cork and the metaphors of a house in the landscape are remarkably well written in her work.

You have probably heard about "The Big House" in the tradition here. Somerville and Ross are much more humourous on the subject in "The Irish RM". "The Real Charlotte" I found quite vicious.

Land is central to Irish writing, which is probably why I have always found it tedious.

I think you would like George Moore. He had another rambling family pile in the west of Ireland that was always a nuisance to maintain.

His memoirs "Hail and Farewell" is wonderful as he had a serious lack of reverence for people like Yeats and had a great eye for character and personal foibles.

The book lost him a considerable number of friends, but it has a sense of reality that is lacking in so many writers of his time.

"The Lake" charts the life of a country priest and lacks the maudlin sentiment that the Catholic novel of the time encouraged. If you think it might be quaint, it could have been written today as he charts the entrapment felt by the central character. I won't write a spoiler, for fear you ever get to read it.