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The Abstainer

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The Abstainer

By: Ian McGuire
Narrated by: Patrick Moy
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About this listen

 ‘Truly terrific' Richard Ford
'Dickens for the twenty-first century' Roddy Doyle
'A powerful, gripping tale' Sunday Times

A man hanging on by a thread.
A city about to snap.

From the acclaimed author of The North Water comes an epic story of revenge and obsession.

Manchester, 1867

Two men, haunted by their pasts.
Driven by the need for justice.

Blood begets blood.
In a fight for life and legacy.

Stephen Doyle arrives in Manchester from New York. He is an Irish-American veteran of the Civil War and a member of the Fenians, a secret society intent on ending British rule in Ireland, by any means necessary. Now he has come to seek vengeance.

James O'Connor has fled grief and drink in Dublin for a sober start in Manchester as Head Constable. His mission is to discover and thwart the Fenians’ plans. When his long-lost nephew arrives on his doorstep, he never could have foreseen how this would imperil his fragile new life – or how his and Doyle's fates would come to be intertwined.

The rebels will be hanged at dawn, and their brotherhood is already plotting revenge.



Praise for The North Water, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016

‘Brilliant, fast-paced, gripping. A tour de force of narrative tension and a masterful reconstruction of a lost world’ Hilary Mantel

‘Utterly convincing and compelling… A startling achievement’ Martin Amis

‘Riveting and darkly brilliant… McGuire has an extraordinary talent’ Colm Toibin

‘Has exceptional power and energy’ Sunday Times

‘A stunning novel that snares the reader from the outset and keeps the tightest grip until the bitter end’ Financial Times

‘A vivid read, full of twists, turns, period detail and strong characters’ The Times

‘Terrific – McGuire’s use of the pitiless, fearsomely beautiful Arctic landscape as a theatre for enduring questions is inspired’ Daily Mail

‘McGuire has a sure and unwavering touch… a writer of exceptional craft and confidence’ Irish Times
 Fiction Historical Fiction Revenge

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Critic reviews

'Unforgettable... McGuire's portrait of two men locked in a grisly, vengeful dance with each other is masterly' The Times
‘The book is written with the vividness and economy of a screenplay, unfolding through a series of sharply observed scenes full of cliffhangers, misdirection and reverses. Its lovely, rhythmic prose evokes the stinks of the Victorian city, its factories, rat-baiting arenas and slaughterhouses. […] McGuire does everything well: evoking the pungent atmosphere of a teeming industrial city, recreating the period in a way that resonates with our own time without seeming preachy, and writing sharp dialogue that crackles with subtext’ Guardian
'McGuire once again crafts compelling and disturbing fiction, rich with atmosphere and carried firmly by a galloping plot' New Statesman
'A powerful, gripping tale' Sunday Times
'The blend of politics, personal tragedy and revenge is moreishly compelling. The book’s powerful setting is almost a character in itself... The physical world that [McGuire] imagines assails the reader’s senses: the stink of a tannery, the clangour of factory bells and the way O’Connor’s grief drives him to a ruthlessness beyond his nature' The Economist
'This carefully researched novel is gripping, touching and quietly devastating' Sunday Express
'The Abstainer tells a story of people trapped by class, a simmering revolution, and their own frailty, but it’s ultimately a very human and compelling novel that gives us a clear glimpse into the hearts and souls of its characters. McGuire is a writer who isn’t afraid to take risks and change course from his previous books.' Philipp Meyer, author of The Son
‘The Abstainer is truly terrific – a can't-put-down book. It's no less than a tight 'n spare 'n suspense-filled noir novel, masterfully set in 1860s Britain and America. And like all superb historical novels, it seems as modern and as contemporary as this morning.’ Richard Ford
‘McGuire has crafted a riveting tale of violence and retribution against the backdrop of the 1860s Fenian rebellion – precursor to the Troubles and one of those rich historical incidents you learn about and wonder, Why didn't I know about this before? He has a keen sense of how to mix precise local details with transcendent global themes.’ Michael Punke, Author of The Revenant
'This is Dickens in the present tense, Dickens for the twenty-first century.' Roddy Doyle, New York Times Book Review
All stars
Most relevant
Really enjoyed the book; right up to the penultimate chapter and then it just seemed to fade away.

90%

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Set largely in Victorian Manchester, this is a stylish novel. And I am full of admiration for those appointed to read audiobooks - especially with regard to novels with many characters.

This performer is good on the Irish accents (of which there are many, even in Manchester). Though I was struck by how many of Manchester’s Irish community - almost all of them with Fenian sympathies - sounded like Ulstermen.

However the Manchester accents were pretty much uniformly nasal, thin and reedy. The Mancunians were pathetic sounding, as if the local police force was manned by the ancestors of Syd Lyttle and Don Estelle.

Also, the district of Hulme is pronounced as in HEWme not HULLme. Similarly Broughton is pronounced as BRAWton, not BROWton. The general lack of feel for matters Mancunian hampered my enjoyment.

But a good novel regardless, with a fine ending.

Interesting novel, disappointed by the performance

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This is a really great book. the narration is absolutely TOP NOTCh as well

EXCELLENT BOOK

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I was looking forward so much to Ian MGuire's next book following "The North Water". It was a hard act to follow being one of my favourite novels. While I enjoyed this book and finished it relatively quickly thanks to excellent narration by Patrick Moy there were a few things that detracted slightly. The next section may contain spoilers.

Like his previous book there is a nasty, particularly cunning, psychopath but this time dressed up as a fanatic. The crucible that brings the bad man and good man together is the Irish struggle for independence rather than a whaling ship. The ending, although a different outcome, is very similar. Good and evil have their final reckoning following some events that felt contrived and somewhat implausible. I liked the way the ending was told through a third person witness, 8 years down the line. Ultimately, I could find no deep or hidden meaning in the story other than it was a journey filled with disappointment, despair and death. The characters were also not as memorable. The protagonist was a somewhat pathetic character who largely engineered his own downfall and his main enemy rather run of the mill as baddies go. Nothing like Drax from the first book who jumped off the page. Look forward to the next one.

Mancunians, Fenians and Yanks

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I really enjoyed this audiobook, it is an absolute treat. It's a great story, and I'm sure I'd have enjoyed reading the novel too, but Patrick Moy does an excellent job as narrator. Each character has a believable voice which adds depth to the characters and makes them more distinct beyond Irish versus British. As for the tale itself, if you're interested in the period, the struggles of the Irish as well as crime/thriller novels then I'm sure you'll favour this too.

Patrick Moy does an absolutely fantastic job

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