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The Thing About December

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The Thing About December

By: Donal Ryan
Narrated by: Donal Ryan
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

He heard Daddy one time saying he was a grand quiet boy to Mother when he thought Johnsey couldn’t hear them talking. Mother must have been giving out about him being a gom and Daddy was defending him. He heard the fondness in Daddy’s voice. But you’d have fondness for an auld eejit of a crossbred pup that should have been drowned at birth.

While the Celtic Tiger rages, and greed becomes the norm, Johnsey Cunliffe desperately tries to hold on to the familiar, even as he loses those who all his life have protected him from a harsh world. Village bullies and scheming land-grabbers stand in his way, no matter where he turns.

Set over the course of one year of Johnsey’s life, The Thing About December breathes with his grief, bewilderment, humour and agonising self-doubt. This is a heart-twisting tale of a lonely man struggling to make sense of a world moving faster than he is.

Donal Ryan’s award-winning debut, The Spinning Heart, garnered unprecedented acclaim, and The Thing About December confirms his status as one of the best writers of his generation.

©2013 Donal Ryan (P)2020 Penguin Audio Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Heartfelt Tiger

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Critic reviews

"A force of nature...a life-enhancing talent." (Sebastian Barry)

"His paragraphs are unnoticeably beautiful, his heart always on show, and he writes with a social accuracy that is devastating." (Anne Enright)

"Painfully moving...Ryan’s work has set a benchmark to which other writers will aspire." (John Boyne)
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this recording is skipping, can't listen to it, have downloaded it twice and same problem

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You can’t listen properly as it keeps skipping. Which is an awful pity as it’s a beautiful book.

Skips

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Powerful story, brilliantly told and beautiful narration. Descriptive power left me breathless. Donal Ryan is a masterful writer and insightful story teller. Loved it.

Wonderful book

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You have to listen to this book just to hear the narrator's accent. it's addictive! And the narrator is the author! That Tipperary accent and the colloquial language are a simply joyful combination. Even though I finished the book yesterday, I listened to a couple of random spots today just to hear them!
And then there is the absolutely believable protagonist, Johnsey. Ryan draws his character expertly. He gets into his head. He expresses his sadness, desperation and humanity, skillfully. And what about Johnsey. You want to step into the story and protect him. Put an arm around him. Coach him through life. Foster his hilarious humour and turn of phrase. But all you can do is observe him. And hope he'll be okay.
This is a masterful book that I miss already. And a masterful author and storyteller.

A sad yet oddly uplifting book

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I found this author through accident and will have to read/listen to more of his books. I think the fact that he read this added a lot Totally had me hooked

Excellent

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Breathtaking in its truth. Beautifully written, so funny at times it reminded me of long forgotten turns of phrases .. this book is a gift that made me laugh and cry and feel human.

An ability to communicate inner feelings

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A sad and very real story. One of the best books I’ve ever come across.

Outstanding

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I found this book heartbreaking and compelling in equal measure! Having the author read was a genius stroke as the characters, language and landscape sprang to life in his local accent, adding authenticity and allowing us to hear the main character’s, Johnsie, world as he was experiencing it - just perfect! Thank you Donal Ryan

Heartbreaking and stunningly well observed!

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I loved it. V sad and very insightful about people living in rural Ireland. I felt I was inside Johnsie and understood how he felt and was misunderstood and was so unsure of everything especially after the deaths of his parents.

The voice of Donal Ryan and the pathos of the story.

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What a beautiful insightful tender book. Highly recommended. The turn of phrase is delightful and I felt like I was present throughout. Fabulous!

Wow

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