Strumpet City

De: James Plunkett

Narrado por: John Keating

Centering on the seminal lockout of 20,000 workers in Dublin in 1913, Strumpet City by Irish writer James Plunkett encompasses a wide sweep of city life. From the destitution of "Rashers" Tierney, the poorest of the poor, to the solid, aspirant respectability of Fitz and Mary, the priestly life of Father O'Connor, and the upper-class world of Yearling and the Bradshaws, it paints a portrait of a city of stark contrasts, with an urban working class mired in vicious poverty.

Strumpet City is much more than a book about the Lockout. Through the power of vivid fiction we encounter all the complexities of humanity. The brilliant and much-loved TV series, originally screened by RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, in 1980, is fondly remembered by many, but to hear the book is to immerse yourself in social and historical writing akin to Chekhov and Tolstoy. Strumpet City is the great, sweeping Irish historical novel of the twentieth century.

©1969 James Plunkett (P)2022 Tantor

Great Novel Ruined by Poor Narration

Please Re-record Strumpet City with a narrator capable of delivering authentic Dublin accents. This attempt borders on offensive.

I can only conjecture that reviewers who like this narration are unacquainted with working class Dublin accents because the majority of the characters here are rendered in what is the Dublin equivalent to Stage Oirish. Every I is Oy, every by is Boy. The sing song ups and downs, constantly ending sentences on an upward inflection even while discussing serious subjects is maddening to someone who grew up in Dublin, hearing real Dubliners. We do not, nor have we ever sounded this way. It's insulting, particularly when the narrator is himself Irish and should know better.

Just as a Floridian actor won’t necessarily be able to do a convincing South Boston accent, or Texan that of a New Yorker, John Keaton is incapable of rendering that of an authentic working class Dubliner. In the case of this novel and the real events it portrays, and the role the novel has in Irish literary history (no disrespect to Joyce, but Strumpet City is THE Irish novel of the 20th century), it beggars belief that a more suitable narrator couldn’t be found.

Dubliners of the tenements in 1913 would have called it ‘atrocious.’

Although the book centres on working class characters, even the accents of the Bradshaw's and Yearling are off as they are rendered here in English upper class accents rather than Dublin upper class accents. There is a big difference.

A personal pet peeve that probably won’t affect many is an added irritant here, the quick intake of breath at the beginning of each sentence. Narrators used to stage or screen performance need to understand that the breathing technique required for an audio recording is very different. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen John Keating perform on stage or screen, he could be a great actor, but his narration here is just not up to the mark in any way, shape or form.

Fantastic audiobook!

Performance was perfect. Irish regional and class accents very any delivered. Strumpet City is itself perhaps the great Irish novel. Well worth every minute.