Ireland

A Novel

By: Frank Delaney

Narrated by: Frank Delaney

From a land famous for storytelling comes an epic novel of Ireland that captures the intimate, passionate texture of the Irish spirit.

One evening in 1951, an itinerant storyteller arrives unannounced at a house in the Irish countryside. In exchange for a bed and a warm meal, he invites his hosts and their neighbors to join him by the wintry fireside, and begins to tell formative stories of Ireland's history. Ronan, a nine-year-old boy, grows so entranced by the storytelling that, when the old man leaves abruptly under mysterious circumstances, the boy devotes himself to finding him again.

Ronan's search for the Storyteller becomes both a journey of self-discovery, long unspoken family secrets, and an immersion into the sometimes conflicting histories of his native land.

A sweeping novel of huge ambition, Ireland is the beautifully told story of a remarkable nation. It rings with the truth of a writer passionate about his country and in full command of his craft.

Simply Grand!

This story captivated me three minutes into its telling, and nineteen hours later I found myself unwilling to let the characters go. The central character is possibly Ireland's last seanachi, a wandering storyteller who tells the tales that make up Irish history and folklore. We first meet and subsequently follow the seanachi through the eyes of Ronan O'Mara, who in 1951 was nine years old. The magic of those stories stays with Ronan, who vows to find the man somehow and hear more tales. Ronan's quest leads him eventually to a degree in history, and a tour of self-discovery, and along the way he becomes quite an accomplished storyteller himself.

But at its core, this is the story of Ireland itself told by a native son with pride and nostagia. We sit by the fireside listening right along with the villagers who crowd into the house, and Frank Delaney is himself the seanachie. And what a job he does!! He turns the tables on the dictum that writers should never read their own works. I am convinced that no one but Delaney could do this immense work justice. It is grand. And so is he.

absolutely masterful

Frank Delaney weaves an enchanting rendition of Irish history that is part fact, part fiction, part legend. Not for the historical purist or pedantic scholar, but as the Storyteller in the novel tells his captive audience: you can't tell Irish history without entering the mythical realm. If Delaney's main goal is to give the reader a sense of the forces that shaped Irish history and the Irish character, he succeeds brilliantly. I love how the novel flip-flops from past to present, and the variety of devices and plot twists the author uses to get us from one time period to another. Best of all, Delaney does his own--and absolutely superb--narration. Hands down the most enjoyful audiobook I've listened to in a long while.

Breath-taking book

I started listening to this book (I'm reviewing all three parts here) as preparation for a trip to Ireland this summer. I love antiquity and history, so I thought this would set the mood for my trip. In fact, it was indispensable. Many of the places described in the stories told here were already on my itinerary, and the Irishness of the text as well as of the audio couldn't have complemented my travels better. I plan to listen to the whole book again, soon.

Brilliant narration

The book's plot structure of Ronan's search for the storyteller is a convenient container for the true gems of this novel - wonderful, colorful stories covering the breadth of Irish history, from the making of the 5000 year old tomb at New Grange, the legend and fact of St. Patrick, Strongbow and the invasion of the Anglo-Normans, Daniel O'Connell and the repeal of the penal laws, to the 20th century troubles. In every breath of this novel, the Irish gift of gab is celebrated. I must say that this is most captivating audiobook I've heard to date.

Outstanding!

Grab a cuppa and sit by the fireside. A story by a storyteller about a story about a storyteller about a story about a storyteller.