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Old God's Time
- Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
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Old God's Time
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Summary
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
TWICE WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR
Tom Kettle, a retired policeman, and widower, is settling into the quiet of his new home in Dalkey, overlooking the sea. His solitude is interrupted when two former colleagues turn up at his door to ask about a traumatic, decades-old case. A case that Tom never quite came to terms with. And his peace is further disturbed when his new neighbour, a mysterious young mother, asks for his help.
A beautiful, haunting novel, in which nothing is quite as it seems, Old God's Time is an unforgettable exploration of family, loss and love
Critic reviews
"His work reminds us how much we need these rare gifts of the natural storyteller." (Tessa Hadley)
"Full of love and heartache, this is an unforgettable novel from one of our finest writers." (Douglas Stuart)
"Shocking, stunning and extraordinarily brave. Barry has once again written a character for the ages." (Liz Nugent)
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What listeners say about Old God's Time
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- P Garbett
- 20-03-23
If you enjoyed the Secret Scripture
If you enjoyed the Secret Scripture, you will appreciate and enjoy this. Indeed, you will note the many little references to the earlier work. It is not quite a sequel though, more a continuation on several themes. In the sole voice of ex-detective Tom, questions of memory, trauma and coming to terms with an often confused past are explored. The trauma in the Secret Scripture arose out of the civil war, here it is the experience of boys and girls within institutional care and the abuse many of them had to endure. Not an easy read, then, but you will be well rewarded. Once again, Barry's wonderful prose is given life by Stephen Hogan.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- catherine
- 13-03-24
very sad tale , beautiful language , very moving
could be triggering for some people. very beautifully written . strong characters and very sad. Very moving .
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jo
- 07-12-23
Sublime
Poetic writing covering love, loss, heartache and retribution. Fantastic narration which echoed every emotion and sentiment. Deliberately unclear whether some emotions and memories are real or remembered so listened twice (back-to-back) - and it was just as mesmerising and enjoyable the second time as it was the first.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Inkypen
- 17-12-23
The language. Oh, the language!
Brilliantly read. A mesmerising listen which takes you into your own soul. No wonder this book has won so many awards.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 23-03-23
An Emotional Whirlpool
Sebastian Barry tells the tale of Old Tom as he peels away the crumbling layers of memory from the retired policemen with his mind haunted by a lifetime of ghosts. He writes with a savage beauty that is also lyrical and poetic even at the most awful of times. Societal changes and attitudes are mirrored in his reflection that at one time it was unmarried mothers that couldn't be buried in consecrated ground, now it should be the priests. I can think of no other contemporary writer who makes sadness and melancholy so compelling to listen to.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Manonim
- 28-04-23
Wow!
Stunning piece of work! Hauntingly captivating in depiction of grief - so beautifully written it wounds.
The wonderful narration meshes perfectly.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tom Farrington
- 02-07-23
Brilliant says it all!
Wonderfully written in Barry's descriptive and unmistakable style. As someone familiar with the location and times and subjects of the story I found the readers performance of it truly captivating. in my opinion a master piece by both author, performer and the team behind who are inevitable involved and often forgotten. I will definitely listen to again despite it's heart rending themes.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- izzy wizzy
- 02-09-23
Old familiar story retold
Another book about abuse by the catholic church in Ireland. Beautiful use of language and imagery but the topic is grim and joyless and the ending in no way redeems this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-06-23
Sublime
This is stunning work, truely. To go from the striking vista of Days without end and A thousand moons to this delicate tale only emphasises the authors mastery. The sheer beauty of it is astounding. Bravo
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- RedAlpinist
- 06-10-23
Really really wonderful from start to finish
Really really wonderful from start to finish. The narration is superb and really drew me in, and the prose is sublime. Highly recommended.
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