The Spinning Heart

A Novel

By: Donal Ryan

Narrated by: Wayne Farrell

Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner - The Guardian First Book Award

Winner of two Irish Book Awards - Newcomer of The Year and Book of The Year

Longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize

In the aftermath of Ireland's financial collapse, dangerous tensions surface in an Irish town. As violence flares, the characters face a battle between public persona and inner desires. Through a chorus of unique voices, each struggling to tell their own kind of truth, a single authentic tale unfolds.

The Spinning Heart speaks for contemporary Ireland like no other novel. Wry, vulnerable, all-too human, it captures the language and spirit of rural Ireland and with uncanny perception articulates the words and thoughts of a generation. Technically daring and evocative of Patrick McCabe and J.M. Synge, this novel of small-town life is witty, dark and sweetly poignant.

Donal Ryan's brilliantly realized debut announces a stunning new voice in fiction.

©2012 Donal Ryan (P)2013 Steerforth Press LLC

Critic reviews

"Irish author Ryan's debut takes readers to the 'heart' of hardscrabble life in Ireland in the era after the economic boom and bust of 2008. The novel received Book of the Year honors at the Irish Book Awards.... Reminiscent of Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, this book gives readers a story—or rather stories—told from multiple perspectives, each chapter using a different voice. . . . Disturbing and unnerving but ultimately beautiful." ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"The recession has hit rural Ireland, and 'the sky is falling down." Through 21 different voices, Donal Ryan's virtuoso debut novel pieces together a fractured portrait of a community in shock. . . . What is so special about Ryan's novel is that it seems to draw speech out of the deepest silences; the testimony of his characters rings rich and true – funny and poignant and banal and extraordinary – and we can't help but listen." ( The Guardian)

"Wayne Farrell's gifted voice and captivating Irish brogue are mesmerizing.... Farrell is so versatile that listeners may sometimes think they're hearing a full-cast recording.... There are times when a narrator enhances a book, and there are times like this when he makes it." ( AudioFile)

Great talent

I thought the writing was excellent !
The narration was also excellent !
The story was good but depressing. I look forward to
reading his next book.
El

Excellent

best book I've read in years. wonderful. I'm reading everything offered by Ryan. Good day, Sir

A surprising book that builds like the tide

What did you love best about The Spinning Heart?

Each character is profiled and it builds into a mosaic that gradually becomes clear

What does Wayne Farrell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration perfectly complements the story, which is quite complex yet made simple by the narration.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The end came too soon

Any additional comments?

Terrific book, if this is a first novel we can expect great things in the future.

Mesmerizing Irish Brogue

Any additional comments?

The Spinning Heart is an excellent collection of 21 stories surrounding the collapse of the Irish economy in County Tipperary. The main character is Bobby Mahon, a young married man who is upset after getting laid off of work at a construction company. He especially feels cheated by his boss, Pokey Burke, because he and all other laid off employees lost their pensions.

Each chapter is a different resident providing commentary on recent events in the town, their neighbors, their businesses, the collapse of Burke’s company, the disappearance of a small child from daycare, and Mahon’s arrest for the murder of his father.

Wayne Farrell's narration is outstanding. He has 21 distinct voices, one for each of the residents of Tipperary. I was fully immersed in Farrell’s narration that I felt like I was listening to 21 different voice actors. Simply put, Farrell’s Irish brogue is mesmerizing!

Tremendous story and narration

This is a gripping story of an Irish community during the post 2008 recession/depression. The story is told from the perspective of all different narrators in the community. Every chapter reveals something new about both the plot and the other characters. Each narrator gets only one chapter. The result is a tightly fit puzzle of brilliant description and exposition. I ended the book wanting to go back and re-listen all over again. The narrator is top notch, using varied voices to pull you into each character's story. The plot is perfectly played out and the narrator makes it perfect.

Utterly, heartbreakingly brilliant

I was moved to tears half the time when I was reading this book. Listening to it was an even more shattering experience. It couldn't have been more perfectly narrated. Bravo.

Brutal clarity

With a clear voice Donal Ryan weaves a painfully vivid narrative. Well done, expertly performed.

Its as if he’s describing family and neighbors, people he knows well, such is the authenticity. It may be fiction, but shite man - feels all too real.

Dark complex story of a recession ridden Irish town

I can't say I enjoyed the book and often I was confused about who was speaking, but this interwoven tale is a powerful and sad depiction of the weight of family and community.

My new favorite book!

I was hesitant to read this because the only Irish writers I’ve read (all amazing) were so depressing! But my book club chose this and so I did - WOW! I was blown away! Not that it’s a happy, uplifting book (there’s plenty of sadness and despair!) but there’s so much MORE than that. In addition, the choice to structure this around multiple viewpoints (no repeat narrators) was brilliant and it didn’t matter at all if you were able to keep track of relationships between characters (author did an amazing job w that). I did find a “prezi” diagram on line that visualizes it though.

The language was fantastic - it’s like poetry !

It’s the first book that I’ve ever read where I want to listen to it immediately again after finishing.

Disappointed

I really wanted to like this book. The dialogue was great and I loved all of the old Irish expressions. There were too many characters to follow, so I had to create a chart to show the connections. Then the story abruptly ended.