Very pleasant read

I loved the book, reminded me of my trip around the coast of Ireland. I also liked the narrator and the fact that at age of 60 something he went on cycling trip in Ireland.

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A joy to listen...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would as it gives a great flavour of Ireland mixed with humour & history, plus various characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The match maker who fixes up partners...gives you hope that there is someone out there for everyone.

Have you listened to any of Edward Enfield’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No I haven't but his voice is a joy to listen to.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It never made me cry, but it did tell you just how bad the English were back in the 1700/1800's...how can you be so cruel to fellow human beings?

Any additional comments?

This is a must for anyone who wants to find out about Ireland and the people. A very good listen, well told & informative, never far from bringing a smile to your face!

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3 people found this helpful

Not as expected but very good.

More about the people and way of life than the land itself. Shame to miss the North so much. Good capture of culture likely to be lost to globalisation.a

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Very enjoyable

There is something special about a book read by its author : it seems to come over more naturally, as though the person is chatting to you, rather than reading. No doubt the best readers seek to achieve that result.

Edward is reading his own book, telling us about his experiences travelling through Ireland, delivered in a relaxed and jovial manner. It's what I'd call a "Sunday" book : it sustains great interest without recourse to sensational devices.

One or two young people might find it a bit boring, but for anyone who loves Irish history and culture, or who may simply have happy memories of time spent in that wonderfully inspirational country, this audio book is an absolute "must hear" !

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6 people found this helpful

Very boring.

Very boring, a good book to help you sleep. At least a third of the book has nothing to do with cycling around Ireland it just rambles.

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Lots of missed opportunities

I love Ireland and travel books and bought this audiobook several years ago only to return it after 30 minutes of listening. Feeling that I hadn’t given it a fair try I recently bought it again and read all of it. I enjoyed the narration but the story never drew me in. It felt to me that he had no interest in the readers when writing the book but that it had been a chore he wanted to get out of the way so he could do more enjoyable things. It reads like a shopping list “... had fish and chips then went to bed”. He never describes the cycling. Was it tough going or not. How did it feel to him in bad weather and dealing with all the little problems long distance cyclist have to endure. I guess he enjoyed Ireland but nothing stood out. Everything was very briefly described but never enthused about. As I have been to many of the same places and know they are wonderful and full of interesting people and beautiful scenery I felt he also sold the country short too. It’s such a great idea for a book but i felt it was let down by the author.

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