Ireland

De: Frank Delaney

Narrado por: Frank Delaney

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.

©2005 Frank Delaney (P)2005 HarperAudio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A sprawling, riveting read....Rich and satisfying." (Publishers Weekly)

The Irish Bible

This book must be whatcthe Irish consider to be their Bible. Beautiful stories woven around Irish history

An engaging vehicle for Irish History & more

Beautifully written - it strings together lots of Irish Myths/Stories in a very different way. I did not guess one of the best parts until it was actually told. Frank Delaney narrates his own work and he has a voice you could listen to all day and all night. There is surely a itinerant storyteller in his heritage somewhere. You won't be sorry you read/listened. (I have to say, though I did it in audio, I was amazed to see how many pages it was, I would never have guessed.) Anyone interested in Irish history, both recent and ancient, will be enthralled.

Absolutely Wonderful

My wife suggested I read this book before our trip to Ireland next month. This was a wonderful introduction into the history of Ireland as well as the importance of history and storytelling. Listening to the narrator enhanced the experience far better than actually reading the story. While the book does slow down a bit in the middle, the ending brings a stellar conclusion weaving the many disparate elements to a satisfying finale. Books like this make me keep reading!

Ireland feels like home

Frank Delaney’s story and his narration of it made me feel so proud to have Irish blood. I’ve been to this great country and met its wonderful people and they are what he says they are. Now I want to go back accompanied by these great stories.

Different, fun & memorable history of Ireland

Hard to get into they got better and better. Unique way of telling history. Fun and Memorable.

Excellent Book that gives you the stories of Irish History and a life as it was in post WWII era.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was very well written. I had read other reviews and many complained about the slowness of the story. It wasn't slow. it was an accurate depiction of what life was like at that time. If you are in a hurry to get to the end, this is not the book for you. It is meant to be savored like a fine wine. The numerous characters are examples of the individually of the Irish people at that time and the regional differences based upon locations as well as the differences between the Irish Catholics and their English Protestant oppressors. The verbal history of Ireland is critical to the story in explaining the character of Ireland today, which can still be seen in the countryside today. I highly recommend this book.

Ireland

I have a 50 minute commute. This is a great relaxing and fun read. The author's voice is wonderful and I love the vignettes. If traffic gets a little heavy, or somebody cuts me off, it doesnt seem to be important compared to the wonderful stories' flow. Sometimes I get to work and have to stay in the car a little longer to get to a natural pause in these lively stories.

disappointed

After listening to the preview and reading the other reviews, I was sooooo looking forward to this book! I was disappointed.

The history of Ireland is woven in as a minority to the main story of an odd young person whose own story is uninteresting and dominates the book. I did enjoy the story-telling aspect; the fireside, the pipe and all that, make for a cozy setting. Yet, if you are English or Christian, be prepared to be offended because this author does not like you and makes his opinions prevalent.

for lovers of Ireland and storytelling

Wow. What a wonderful surprise. I have been on the fence about listening to this ever since it first came out, because I really like plot lines and I understood this would not be that kind of book. I will say that while the point of the book is not the plot line there is a plot there is a logical flow of thought.

The thing I love the most is it essentially tells the history of Ireland in such a wonderful way that makes it easy to see it through the eyes of the people who were there. And the author, as others have said, was the perfect one to read this, including how he gave different characters their own voice. This is a story I will listen to again and again in the future.

If you are interested in Ireland's history, if you love well told stories, this book is a gift.

Took a bit to get into but once in all in!

I love the narration and the way the story leaves you hanging till the unexpected end! I love the history and the passion of the storyteller and Roland. Very good…