A Long, Long Way

De: Sebastian Barry

Narrado por: John Cormack

In 1914, Willie Dunne, barely eighteen years old, leaves behind Dublin, his family, and the girl he plans to marry in order to enlist in the Allied forces and face the Germans on the Western Front. Once there, he encounters a horror of violence and gore he could not have imagined and sustains his spirit with only the words on the pages from home and the camaraderie of the mud-covered Irish boys who fight and die by his side.

Dimly aware of the political tensions that have grown in Ireland in his absence, Willie returns on leave to find a world split and ravaged by forces closer to home. Despite the comfort he finds with his family, he knows he must rejoin his regiment and fight until the end. With grace and power, Sebastian Barry vividly renders Willie’s personal struggle as well as the overwhelming consequences of war.

©2005 Sebastian Barry (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Amazing story but terrible performance

The story was one I have never heard and a tragically beautiful one but the reading was dreadful, as if the reader had no idea what he was actually reading. It wasn’t the accent but the cheery inflection over everything was just awful. I don’t know if he was directed todo this but nearly ruined an amazing book, wish I would have just bought a hard copy and read it myself

Beautiful story

Moving story, capturing the futility and confusion of war. And it was beautifully read as well

A Perfect Irish Story

As a person of Irish descent and one who is interested in Irish history, I thought this story captured all of the arguments, emotions, and pain associated with Ireland's separation from England. It also captured the futility of war and though it was about WW I it could easily have been about Ukraine and Russia. The characters and the plot were well developed. Mr Barry's prose sounded like poetry when read. As sad as the ending in this book is, it totally fits the story of Ireland. Finally, I disagree with others who found the narrator poor. I thought he carried himself well. I strongly recommend this book.

Narrator ruined a beautiful work

Couldn’t finish this. The cheery sales and advert propaganda voice was discordant and distracting of a beautiful narrative. Will have to buy the book to finish it.