The Unfortunate Fursey cover art

The Unfortunate Fursey

Valancourt 20th Century Classics

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The Unfortunate Fursey

By: Mervyn Wall
Narrated by: Julian Casey
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About this listen

Hailed by critic E. F. Bleiler as a "landmark book in the history of fantasy," Mervyn Wall's classic The Unfortunate Fursey (1946) is set in 10th century Ireland, where the forces of evil have launched an assault on the monastery of Clonmacnoise. Their task is made easier by the fact that one hapless monk, the simple-minded Brother Fursey, cannot manage to pronounce the necessary words of exorcism. When the other monks discover this, the unfortunate Fursey is expelled and sets forth on the first stage of his travels, accompanied by a fantastic procession of cacodemons, hippogriffs, imps, furies, and other dreadful creatures, not to mention the elegant gentleman in black who is their commander-in-chief.

"Wildly fantastic, intensely satirical, and wickedly comic." (Irish Times)

©1946, 2018 Mervyn Wall (P)2020 Valancourt Books, LLC Classics Fantasy Fiction Historical Paranormal Witty Ireland

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The book itself is easy to follow, and very well-paced; I was never once bored or confused at the incredible story told! The characters themselves have a perfect balance between original characterisation and recognisable traits, such as the Bishop's determination and pompousness. Although my original interest in Irish history and religion was minimal, I was gripped throughout, learning new elements of Irish religious history, as well as recognisable traits of it, such as the actions taken to determine if someone is a witch. The narration itself is tremendous, with the intonation between moments of severity and moments of satire being well-delivered. I particularly liked the 'voice' of Albert (though I shan't spoil who they are).
Overall, the book is a wonderful tale of fantasy and religion, with (dark) comedy and satire throughout, and truly great narration sustains the story during its ten well-paced chapters.

Witty, entertaining, and extremely well narrated!

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I have enjoyed listening to this story tremendously. tI was very well read and is a highly entertaining tale. The depiction of the devil is brilliant and very amusing. Also satirical references to the clergy and the church in the Ireland of the time are extremely cleverly made and again very apt and also amusing.

Most entertaining

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This was an absolute treat from start to finish. Mervyn Wall was a true genius of satire, at times riotously, ridiculously funny, at times sagely true. Julian Casey's delivery and voice match the writing perfectly. His understated style suits this work to a tee. My personal favorite was his portrayal of Albert the familiar.
Mervyn Wall's genius is sadly under-appreciated. Listen to this audiobook, read his works, you'll be glad you did!

Perfect Delivery of a Classic Satire

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