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The Glorious Heresies
- Winner of the Baileys' Women's Prize for Fiction 2016
- Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
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The Glorious Heresies
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Summary
Winner of the Baileys' Women's Prize for Fiction 2016.
Winner of the Desmond Elliot Prize 2016.
Longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2016.
Longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year.
He was definitely dead, whoever he was. He wore a once-black jumper and a pair of shiny tracksuit bottoms. The back of his head was cracked and his hair matted, but it had been foxy before that.
A tall man, a skinny rake, another string of piss, now departed. She hadn't gotten a look at his face before she flaked him with the Holy Stone, and she couldn't bring herself to turn him over.
One messy murder affects the lives of five misfits who exist on the fringes of Ireland's postcrash society. Ryan is a 15-year-old drug dealer desperate not to turn out like his alcoholic father, Tony, whose obsession with his unhinged next-door neighbour threatens to ruin him and his family. Georgie is a prostitute whose willingness to feign a religious conversion has dangerous repercussions while Maureen, the accidental murderer, has returned to Cork after 40 years in exile to discover that Jimmy, the son she was forced to give up years before, has grown into the most fearsome gangster in the city.
In seeking atonement for the murder and a multitude of other perceived sins, Maureen threatens to destroy everything her son has worked so hard for while her actions risk bringing the intertwined lives of the Irish underworld into the spotlight....
Biting, moving and darkly funny, The Glorious Heresies explores salvation, shame and the legacy of Ireland's 20th-century attitudes towards sex and family.
Critic reviews
"Totally and unmistakably the real deal." (Kevin Barry)
"A real stunner; a wild ride of a read." (Donal Ryan)
"A gripping and often riotously funny tale." (Colin Barrett)
"A punchy, edgy, sexy, fizzing feast of a debut novel." (Joseph O'Connor)
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What listeners say about The Glorious Heresies
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris N.
- 18-04-17
Shouty Brilliance..
Cracking book - good storyline and memorable , if a bit one dimensional, characters. What makes the novel sparkle though is it's pace and an almost merciless sharpness of tone. It's like the author has unleashed a cruel vituperative energy and then chiseled and hammered it into hilarious dialogue and scintillating descriptions. There are some touching moments but it is the visceral intelligence that makes it difficult to put down. Good reading as well .Not that subtle but then neither is the book!
Totally recommended. . .
Also: . . If the Pope has read this book, could someone encourage him to write a review?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- dee cherry
- 06-07-16
Loved it
Brilliantly written, sensitive and at times funny characters. Excellent narration brought the characters to life, the two combined made it very entertaining.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 17-08-16
Fantastic narration!
I loved the wit of the Irish voice in this story and the talent of the narrator in bringing it to life. Maureen was my favourite - she made me laugh out loud a few times. Beautifully written. Best book I've listened to in a long time.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Doone
- 28-11-20
Amazing!
This is one of the best stories I have listened to. What an incredible performance by Shelley Atkinson.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- wc
- 05-09-16
A glorious read
I thoroughly enjoy this book it was a fantastic read the actors voice was perfect I could not recommend this book enough The author really captures the atmosphere of that world and cleverly waves a story that involves all the characters right to the end
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- My name is your name
- 24-08-16
Exceptional performance of a great book
The performance definitely brought this book to life. Wonderfully evocative language. Heartbreaking characters. Funny, sad and very real
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- emily uk
- 14-01-19
brilliant book. brilliant narration
Fantastic. Funny, gripping, terribly sad. Absolutely loved it. Brilliant narrator. cannot wait to listen to the sequel
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- piddington
- 16-08-20
Amazing story fantastically read
I really loved this book. The story and characters are so well observed and the narrator is one of the best I’ve heard.
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- P. Clarke
- 02-04-19
Heart rending and warming joyous romp
Love this book, the characters are loveable and realistic, the narrative and dialogue are both so artful and witty, the situations sometimes slapstick even! Yet the commentary on Irish religious devotion and women's issues is poignant and powerful. Love the audible narrator, she acts out every syllable with utter passion
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- LocationF
- 20-07-16
Phew!
Darkly hilarious and heart wrenching all in the same breath. Very moving. Very vivid. Foul, but so linguistically beautiful in its narration.
Bravo!
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2 people found this helpful