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From a Low and Quiet Sea

Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2018

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From a Low and Quiet Sea

By: Donal Ryan
Narrated by: Stephen Hogan, Gerry O'Brien, Ramon Tikaram
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan, read by Stephen Hogan, Gerry O'Brien and Ramon Tikaram.

Farouk’s country has been torn apart by war.

Lampy’s heart has been laid waste by Chloe.

John’s past torments him as he nears his end.

The refugee. The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred by all they have loved and lost, are searching for some version of home. Each is drawn towards a powerful reckoning, one that will bring them together in the most unexpected of ways.

'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel' RODDY DOYLE

 Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Middle East Heartfelt War

Critic reviews

A thing of such beauty and compassion, a reminder of what the very finest sentences can do to shatter and then reassemble our hearts
Beautiful and affecting
I struggle to think of a writer who has been so prolific and consistent in quality as Ryan . . . Brutally honest, moving and often hilarious
An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel; Donal Ryan is giving us characters - their angles and their language - that we haven’t seen in Irish literature before. (RODDY DOYLE)
Donal Ryan has not only bounded over a wall into new territory, but built himself a castle there . . . This is a superb novel. (JOHN BOYNE)
From a Low and Quiet Sea is not only very cleverly constructed, but deeply moving too. I loved it.
Donal Ryan writes characters so well that as a reader you think ‘I’ve met that man’, or ‘I know that woman.’ But as a writer you simply wonder ‘how does he do it?’ From a Low and Quiet Sea is brutal and beautiful, carefully crafted portraits, deep and real, tied together, fashioned by a true artist. I absolutely loved it. (KIT DE WAAL)
Themes of kindness and humanity are the binding thread…and Ryan writes of them with characteristic warmth and insight.
The book has stayed with me (Jonathan Franzen)
It’s a beautiful, luminous kind of piece - full of mystery, compassion, woven with such skill; heartbreaking and restorative. I will carry these splintered men around with me for a long time, along with the women who have loved them. (RACHEL JOYCE)
All stars
Most relevant
Struggled at the change of story feeling like a couple of short stories and then you get the idea when another story starts.
Compelling and well read.

Confusing start knits together later

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The book is composed of four sections, all of which come together in the final sections and with surprise. Three characters, one from Syria and two from Ireland, all attempting to deal with pain and to find a sense of belonging. The language of the book is both poetic and truthful. I will listen again, as I'm aware that, like many good novels, 'From A Low And Quiet Sea', will reveal even greater depths second time round. catches the essence of Ireland in all its absurdity, confusion and love. Very well performed by all three readers.

Strong and Poetic

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Three interweaving stories that conclude in a thin enough way. I think the point that stood out the most for me was how funny the middle story was, excellently told, of a young Irish man and his mundane life and how sad the first story was in its long quiet move from a town in Syria to a Greek island (and what that journey means). Very much recommend.

Funny, sad, powerful

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Do not be put off by the strong language! This book is very well written and reflects the way people are all over the world. Although 2/3 of it takes place in rural Ireland, the stories are universal. Loved listening.

A master pjece

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I was alerted to this book by a positive review from John Boyne and when I saw that one of the narrators was Stephen Hogan then I knew that I wanted to listen to it rather than read it.

It comprises three linked stories spanning a generation and linking war torn Syria with rural Ireland in a way that you would never expect.

For perhaps obvious reasons I found the Syrian section the most moving and the final section the bleakest but there is plenty of black humour in the middle section and for such a short novel it packs a real emotional punch. Weeks after finishing it (and in the midst of other less gripping books) I find my thoughts still returning to it. Highly recommended.

A Beautiful & Moving Book

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