The Gates

by Jennifer Johnston

Once, the villagers would tip their hats respectfully when the McMahons drove out through the ornate iron gates at the end of the drive. Now, when the estate is in a state of peaceful decay, Minnie returns home, disrupting the tranquillity.

Genres: Fiction, Irish Literature, Ireland

167 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Jennifer Johnston was an Irish novelist. She won a number of awards, including the Whitbread Book Award for The Old Jest in 1979 and a Lifetime Achievement from the Irish Book Awards (2012). The Old Jest, a novel about the Irish War of Independence, was later made into a film called The Dawning, starring Anthony Hopkins, produced by Sarah Lawson and directed by Robert Knights.

Reviews

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never read anything by Jennifer Johnston before and came accross this book and was drawn firstly by the beautiful cover and secondly by the blurb. This is quite a short book and is about the McMahon family who live in a decaying big house in the 1950s Ireland Minnie the Major's rebellious niece retuns home from school and from here the story begins. This is a well written novel and a nice story however at times I felt I was reading a diary belonging to someone and was just reading day to day entries without anything much exciting happening however towards the end of the book the story picks up pace a little and this becomes a plesent book. I would definatly look for something elso by Jennifer Johnston.

[A. Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minnie is the orphan child of a decaying estate, educated in England by an emigrant uncle, and returned to live with a decaying uncle and Ivy, the housekeeper. She's only just into her teens, and Johnston does a very credible job of creating her confusion and frustration and dreams. She also clearly creates the Kelly family, paragons of poverty, drink, violence. The weak spot is Minnie's parents. They almost non-existent, and it isn't surprising that the family isn't forthcoming with information, but what little the girl gets isn't made sense of at all. Everything else is so tight that the stray ends are obvious. Kevin Kelly, the oldest of eight, is desperate to escape his lot, loathes his father, and hates his mother for allowing herself to be beaten, as he sees it. Kevin, uneducated and unwashed, is Minnie's crush. When the heritage tourists come with their American dollars, Minnie and Kevin concoct their plans. Johnston crafts the characters and their circumstances so smoothly and convincingly that when the end comes, who could hate Kevin for what he does? Not me. Not Minnie.

[Melanie Vidrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book by Jennifer Johnston that I have read. This one is excellent, as were the others. I have just ordered three more of her novels, hoping they arrive before vacation. But don’t get me wrong, these are not light summer reading.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully haunting book about the decay of an Irish estate. Uncle Frank is still hanging on to the memory of the estate as it was in its heyday, always talking about how he is planning to get some more hunters for the stables and having the young people to tennis. Minnie, at sixteen years old, comes home after finishing school with a much more prosaic attitude in her plans to make money. The lack of money of the estate is contrasted with the extreme poverty of the Kelly family and Minnie finds some people will do anything for money.
The descriptions of the Irish countryside are so atmospheric. A portrait of each character is developed with a few well-placed sentences of dialogue.
A wonderful portrait of Ireland after World War II and the slow decline of so many country villages during that time as the lure of London called to Ireland's youth.

[Bookwormthings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably should have spent longer reading this, there is a lot in this novella.

[John Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry to say this book failed to capture me as so many of Johnston's other books did. I'm not quite sure why.

[Geoff Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written novel that paints a detailed picture of the characters' lives and where they live. At some points the story seemed to stall and lose momentum but still a very good read.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't see the inevitable coming

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and very sweet, in a bitter, heart-rending, down-to-earth sort of way. Beautiful, unassuming prose.

[Velvetink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just way too short.

14/03/13 1 of 19 books for $10

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad and delightful book with a beautiful ear for conversation and timing.

[melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking amazing.