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Actress

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Actress

By: Anne Enright
Narrated by: Anne Enright
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About this listen

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020

From the Booker-winning Irish author, a brilliant and moving novel about fame, sexual power and a daughter’s search to understand her mother’s hidden truths.

This is the story of Irish theatre legend Katherine O’Dell, as told by her daughter Norah. It tells of early stardom in Hollywood, of highs and lows on the stages of Dublin and London’s West End. Katherine’s life is a grand performance, with young Norah watching from the wings.

But this romance between mother and daughter cannot survive Katherine’s past, or the world’s damage. As Norah uncovers her mother’s secrets, she acquires a few of her own. Then, fame turns to infamy when Katherine decides to commit a bizarre crime.

Actress is about a daughter’s search for the truth: the dark secret in the bright star, and what drove Katherine finally mad.

Brilliantly capturing the glamour of post-war America and the shabbiness of 1970s Dublin, Actress is an intensely moving, disturbing novel about mothers and daughters and the men in their lives. A scintillating examination of the corrosive nature of celebrity, it is also a sad and triumphant tale of freedom from bad love, and from the avid gaze of the crowd.

©2020 Anne Enright (P)2020 Penguin Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Celebrity Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

A perfect jewel of a book, a dark emerald set in the Irish laureate’s fictional tiara, alongside her Man Booker Prize winner The Gathering (2007) and The Green Road (2015). Its brilliance is complex and multifaceted, but completely lucid… Actress is a deeply humane, often darkly funny novel about the exercise of power over sexually attractive women. The grim subject matter is illuminated by Enright’s acute sensitivity to language… Enright proves, once again, her genius. (Ruth Scurr)
Anne Enright, the unofficial rock star of literary fiction, cements her stardom with Actress. (Niamh Donnelly)
Actress absolutely enthralled me… [An] immersive, masterful novel. (Anya Meyerowitz)
All stars
Most relevant  
Anne Enright creates a completely believable Maureen O’Hara type character and world. It helps the enjoyment if you know Dublin slightly, but no matter if you don’t. It’s as good as Anne Enright’s recent The Green Road, if not better.

Wry, humane, beautifully read by author

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This was my first encounter with Anne Enright’s work. I quickly realised that she has a subtle and distinctive voice. The writing is full of deep insights and detailed observation. It is both exquisite and unflinching. Her voice is beautiful & musical, revealing nuances that might easily be missed on the page. This performance makes the medium of the audiobook very precious. I’ll seek more of her work.

A vividly imagined life

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Expertly crafted and beautifully read by the author. It is hard to imagine these were not totally real characters playing out a true story. Perfect.

Fascinating and gripping.

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This is another excellent novel by Anne Enright - it is witty, dry and highly original.

Great narration by author

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Loved this, beautifully read by the author, can't believe it's fiction. Wonderful reflection of a mother daughter relationship, and sensitive exploration of an actor.

wonderful

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Actress by Anne Enright

“ I was the most real thing in the room, I was right there, I had been all along. Because tucked inside her on the day she shot out into the world was the little egg of me... She told me that I was nested inside her from the day she was born, like a little Russian doll.”

Actress is the imaginary biography of Katherine O’Dell, written by her fictitious daughter, Norah. A story of an intimate and flawed mother and daughter relationship. It follows O’Dell’s rise and fall; from stardom to her grave. Norah is perfectly placed to tell this story.

Anne Enright is a keen observer and writes with a sharp eye and subtle evocation of her characters’ emotional rollercoaster. It is a finely crafted piece of literary fiction. Exploring themes of sexuality, #metoo, mental health, Ireland’s tumultuous history and the stage; this is a superbly crafted book. * may contain triggers*

Anne Enright narrates the audiobook herself, something I always love. To hear the book and it’s nuances exactly as the writer intended is a wonderful thing. Her Irish accent adds to the depth of the experience.

This wasn’t a book I was expecting or anticipating this month but something drew me to begin the audiobook...I’m so glad I did.

A beautifully crafted novel.

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A wonderfully woven tale, so believable at times, I found myself Googling several of the characters and film titles, too.
The fact that the book was read by the author herself made it all the more real and her reading style, her accent, her timing, everything was just perfect. I laughed out loud, I was close to tears, I replayed several chapters, I didn’t want it to end.
Thank you so much.

It was lovely!

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not always easy to follow, promised more than it actually delivered in the end. perhaps like Katharine O'Dell, the main character?

Irish story

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It is read by the author, absolutely beautifully and with such power. Didn’t want it to end.

Wonderful

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beautiful story. so Irish and familiar. incredibly read. I could listen to Anne read the phone book!

superb

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