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  • Dubliners

  • By: James Joyce
  • Narrated by: Chris O'Dowd
  • Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (243 ratings)

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Dubliners

By: James Joyce
Narrated by: Chris O'Dowd
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Summary

Form-defining short stories.

First published in 1914, James Joyce defined what the short story could be with his collection Dubliners. A mixture of prose and poetry, each story can be listened to independently or as a collection. From childhood to maturity, we see what life - and ultimately death - can be, via an extraordinary cast of characters, all of whom experience an epiphany. There’s Father Flynn, the priest; Evelyn, the shop girl who dreams of escape; Mrs Mooney, the butcher’s daughter, who runs a boarding house.

Joyce described the stories as ‘a moral history of my country’. Written by a young Joyce, with the devastating potato famine still in living memory, he wanted to explore the reasons why a city and its occupants could be so paralysed. For the modern listener, the stories also provide a fascinating snapshot of early 20th-century life - from clay pipes to sixpences, petticoats to ginger beer. In your mind’s eye, walk round Stephen’s Green, wander down Grafton Street and over the River Liffey. You’ll never forget this city or its occupants.

The stories:

  • 'The Sisters'
  • 'An Encounter'
  • 'Araby'
  • 'Eveline'
  • 'After the Race'
  • 'Two Gallants'
  • 'The Boarding House'
  • 'A Little Cloud'
  • 'Counterparts'
  • 'Clay'
  • 'A Painful Case'
  • 'Ivy Day in the Committee Room'
  • 'A Mother'
  • 'Grace'
  • 'The Dead'
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What listeners say about Dubliners

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Beautifully read

What an excellent narration of these varied atmospheric stories. The Dead is one of my favourites and this is simply beautifully read. A real pleasure to listen to

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O’Dowd amazing

Chris O’Dowd has put in a great performance - incredible range and ability to convey mood. First time reader of Joyce - ran hot and cold through the stories and their mundanity and routine, but think that was probably his intention. Was feeling exasperated at how it would all come together and then came the last intense 5 minutes of ‘the dead’, which seemed to provide a hopeful glimpse that one character might escape from his life of paralysis

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Beautiful performance

What a beautiful performance of this classic James Joyce. I recommend it and will definitely listen to it again. I especially enjoyed The Dead.

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Perfection

O'Dowd was born to do this. He takes you by the hand to walk the streets and houses of Dublin. As a child once Said "I like the wireless better than TV. the pictures are better". Never more true than Chris's Dubliners.

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Peerless Storytelling

The narration cannot be bettered. Stories are beautifully crafted and genuinely affectionate.Humour abounds .Brilliant in every respect. Immensely enjoyable. A perfect introduction to Joyce.

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The best

I’ve known these stories almost as long as I can remember - the best are brilliant and stay with you for a lifetime. And if you are wondering which recording to get, wonder no more and get this one, Chris O’Dowd captures them perfectly.

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Complete and utter TREAT

Absolutely convincing, with great characterisation of every person in each of the 15 short stories. Chris O’Dowd might have been born to do this. If he ever records Ulysses, I’ll be there in a flash.

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A Classic Treat

This is a treat, poetic prose in the beautiful Irish style and magnificently narrated in the soft, melodious voice of Chris Dowd. Perfect.
I will be listening to this recording many times.

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Excellently narrated

I love this book and have revisited the streets of Dublin a few times through these stories. I enjoyed how brilliantly Chris O’Dowd captures the different Dublin accents. Well worth a listen to, and I will be listening to this again soon.

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A joy!!

I can’t believe I have never read this.. but now I’m glad I didn’t as hearing it read by Chris O’Dowd was just magical. I enjoyed it so much .

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