The House of Gold — Liam O'Flaherty

The first novel to be banned in Ireland, The House of Gold is a rare perspective on the Irish at a major turning point in their history. The House of Gold in a turbulent post-Civil War town in the West of Ireland where the old ascendancy has been replaced by a corrupt native elite headed by the avaricious Ramon Mor Costello and his clerical accomplices. His exotically beautiful wife is the catalyst for a series of violent events that lead to an unexpected climax. Greed, priestly lusts, sexual frustration, alcoholism, and murder are themes woven together in this compelling tale by Liam O'Flaherty, one of Ireland's most acclaimed writers.