
The Abstainer
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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John Keating
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By:
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Ian McGuire
About this listen
“This is Dickens in the present tense, Dickens for the 21st century.” (Roddy Doyle, The New York Times Book Review)
An Irishman in 19th-century England is forced to take sides when his nephew joins the bloody underground movement for independence in this propulsive novel from the acclaimed author of The North Water.
Named One of the Ten Best Books of the Year by Chicago Tribune and One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The New York Public Library • New Statesman • Publishers Weekly
Manchester, England, 1867. The rebels will be hanged at dawn, and their brotherhood is already plotting its revenge. Stephen Doyle, an Irish American veteran of the Civil War, arrives in Manchester from New York with a thirst for blood. He has joined the Fenians, a secret society intent on ending British rule in Ireland by any means necessary.
Head Constable James O’Connor has fled grief and drink in Dublin for a sober start in Manchester. His job is to discover and thwart the Fenians’ plans, whatever they might be. When a long-lost nephew arrives on O’Connor’s doorstep looking for work, he cannot foresee the way his fragile new life will be imperiled - and how his and Doyle’s fates will become fatally intertwined.
In this propulsive tale of the underground war for Irish independence, the author of The North Water once again transports listeners to a time when blood begot blood. Moving from the dirt and uproar of industrial Manchester to the quiet hills of rural Pennsylvania, The Abstainer is a searing novel in which two men, haunted by their pasts and driven forward by the need for justice and retribution, must fight for life and legacy.
©2020 Ian McGuire (P)2020 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“Compelling ... 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)
“O’Connor’s showdown with Stephen Doyle delivers a gut-wrenching finale that will leave readers hoping desperately that McGuire (The North Water, 2016) has an O’Connor prequel in the works. O’Connor’s palpable alienation and the subtly drawn comparisons between the Irish insurgency and America’s then-recent civil war create layers of depth in this exceptional period thriller.” (Booklist, starred review)
“[A] taut, atmospheric tale ... McGuire demonstrates a mastery of classic realism. [This] crackling work is one to savor.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
Excellently written, wonderful descriptions, depressing
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Ruthless
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It is OK. But not even close to as well written and cleverly plotted as North Water. The narration in Irish is good. But when the narrator switches to some weird Long Island/Brooklyn accent for one of the main characters it is kind of cringy.
The bar was set high by North Water. This one is not ven close. Some authors only have one great book in them.
Not very good.
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Great story, Disappointing end
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Great start - strange finish
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Challenging.
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Narration is very good.
“Pinky Blinders” meets “The Abstainer”
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STOP NOW! TOO MANY SPOILERS!!
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Engrossing heartbreaking story
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On par with Northwater
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