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On Canaan's Side

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On Canaan's Side

By: Sebastian Barry
Narrated by: Grainne Gillis
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About this listen

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2011

At once epic and intimate, the story of Lilly Bere unfurls as she tries to make sense of the sorrows and troubles of her life and of the people whose lives she has touched. Spanning nearly seven decades, from Dublin at the end of the First World War to Lilly's life in the new world of America, it is a novel of memory, war, family ties, and love.

©2011 Sebastian Barry (P)2011 W F Howes Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Ireland

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I loved The Secret Scripture and thought this would be similar but it's a real disappointment. It just never gets going and I found myself caring less and less about the main character as the story wandered along.
Also got irritated with the overly theatrical narration.
Listened right through to the end in the hope it would improve.
It didn't.

Overblown and meandering tale

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A heart-rending story beautifully told and perfectly narrated. A memorable ending. I cannot recommend it too highly.

Poetic and poignant

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good but a bit difficult to follow in places due to going back and forth with story.

good

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This is a story where the beauty of the language is never quite supported by the storyline. The main character, Lily, is one of life's victims but somehow I could never really feel sympathy for her. I persevered with the book because of the lyric quality of the prose, which I enjoyed and the narration was good, however it was not a book I found emotionally fulfilling.

A story full of tragedy.

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........... in every way. This writer is so gifted; memorable characters, clever plot, recognisable emotions and brilliant story telling. I was captivated from start to finish.

Outstanding ....

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This book was recommended by one of my friends for our next book group meeting and I was hooked from the start. The quality of the narration added greatly to the atmosphere and the story proved to be the perfect companion for long car journey from England to Scotland. I can't wait to download his other novels.

I loved this!

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The prose is lyrical and beautiful, Sebastian Barry's gift for language is in every line. Grainne Gillis' narration is expertly and sensitively delivered. What took me by surprise, was the twists and turns. Literary fiction relies on character and usually, this is a broad generalisation, the plot is not gripping. However this plot is astonishing, as exciting and surprising as any commercial thriller. I am not negating commercial fiction, being fan a Stephen King, Lee Childs, et all. This is a fantastic listen and I have bought the paperback and intend to go back and follow the text.

LYRICAL, SURPRISING AND GRIPPING.

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Where does On Canaan's Side rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best. The narration is superb; relaxed and lilting.

What did you like best about this story?

It's full of surprises and so well written. It starts as a rather rambling account of disparate events, as recalled by Lily who's mourning the death of her grandson. The tale covers some 80 years of family history and I particularly enjoyed the way in which the listener is left to join the dots, but by bit. It's a story of total delight, beautifully crafted and well told.

What does Grainne Gillis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Calm, measured narration; she is the voice at the heart of the story.

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

Many.

Any additional comments?

First book I've listened to by this author; it's powerful and I was totally engrossed so will happily look for more. Covers so many universal themes; love, loss, racism, redemption.

Eloquent, lyrical narrative

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What can I say about Sebastian Barry that hasn't already been said. I came to this book having read The Secret Scripture and finding it beyond wonderful.
This is a story of Lilly told when she was an old lady and remembering clearly and not so clearly at times her life and loves and great losses. She travelled through so much of the history of the time being affected by it although she was a gentle person who never seemed to harm anyone. It was so movingly told and the narrative by Grainne Gillis was just right. I liked the way that sometimes the author hinted at and did not totally reveal everything letting the reader interpret for themselves. I was sad to say goodbye to Lilly at the end but glad I shared her journey.

Sadness Joy Loss & gain wrapped in word poetry

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Such use of language, a pleasure to read or listen to, and an excellent tale besides.

Reliable Sebastian Barry

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