A truly lovely book

Beautifully written and beautifully read. Nora and her family will live with you. Now find Brooklyn.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Enjoyable listen

I really enjoyed this book , story line was very catching and the feelings of Nora the mother were very real , and yet strong in an environment where it was difficult for a widow to step out from the norm . The family story was very realistic and the narration was excellent

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Audible at its best

Fiona Shaw is the perfect actor to bring this story to life. Her rendering of the many different voices is faultless.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

I kept waiting for something to happen!

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

Fiona Shaw's reading of the story is good - she gives it a secure, steady tone.

Any additional comments?

As an observation of a woman struck with the death of her husband, it's a beautifully drawn piece, but I kept expecting an event of significance to occur - which it didn't. That's probably truer to 'real life' but it leaves me feeling a bit empty.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

Excellent

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Fiona Shaw such a good reader and makes all the characters quite distinct. I enjoyed it far more than I would have done if I’d read the book myself, as I couldn’t have done the accents in my head, and it makes such a difference.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Wonderful performance by Fiona Shaw

Would you listen to Nora Webster again? Why?

Yes I would listen again to hear the sensitive way Fiona Shaw narrated this book.

Would you recommend Nora Webster to your friends? Why or why not?

It was a slow starting book and initially I took time to be drawn into the characters. However the unfolding of the story and the way it was told became engrossing.

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

Her wonderful reading, true local accents and a great sensitivity to the characters and all their complexities

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

I came to love the characters and feel both great sorrow and a sense of hope for them. Initially I did not like many of the characters.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

well read & well written but lacks any suspense

Easy to become embroiled in Noras story but it is a rather normal one, albeit well written. I saw a lot of my own grandmother, widowed at 40 with 5 children, in Nora Webster. Don't expect any twists or plot turns, but rather a desire to see into Noras life as she adjusts to the absence of her late husband. Poignant and beautifully written however i wouldn't rate it as high as Brooklyn. once again I'm impressed that Colm Toibin can write from these perspectives so convincingly.
really well read!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Wonderfully moving!

For a book so full of everyday life, you might be tempted to expect this book to be mundane or depressing, but it's just fantastic! Moving, funny and gripping, it has definitely spurred me on to read more of Toibín's books.

Nora is such a well-rounded character - fiery and flawed; I'd love to know how Toibín came up with the ideas for her.

Lovely narration from Fiona Shaw too!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Absorbing

this is a study of bereavement. Nora's loss is paralysing but she has it locked away even though we share her thoughts. Everything is low key. Friends, family and her community are quietly hilarious. Nora notes that the local saintly Sister Thomas would in previous centuries have been burned as a witch.
But beneath the little town comedy and the successful efforts of a concerned community to draw Nora out, there is a lurking sense of danger. Are the children safe. Is Nora safe?
Fiona Shaw is Nora and is this place. The voices of a tribe are all individual. The comedy never overwhelms the warmth and humanity. I could happily listen to her read the phone book but this is perfect for her and she for it

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Really enjoyed it

Lovely story about grief and getting on with life. Beautifully read. I love how it's written. Highly recommended

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!