A History of Loneliness, John Boyne
A History of Loneliness, John Boyne
1 Rating(s)
List: $14.99 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.49

A History of Loneliness

Author: John Boyne

Narrator: Gerard Doyle

Unabridged: 12 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/03/2015


Synopsis

The riveting narrative of an honorable Irish priest who finds the church collapsing around him at a pivotal moment in its history.Propelled into the priesthood by a family tragedy, Odran Yates is full of hope and ambition. When he arrives at Clonliffe Seminary in the 1970s, it is a time in Ireland when priests are highly respected, and Odran believes that he is pledging his life to “the good.”Forty years later, Odran’s devotion is caught in revelations that shatter the Irish people’s faith in the Catholic Church. He sees his friends stand trial, colleagues jailed, the lives of young parishioners destroyed, and he grows wary of venturing out in public for fear of disapproving stares and insults. At one point, he is even arrested when he takes the hand of a young boy and leads him out of a department store while looking for the boy's mother.But when a family event opens wounds from his past, he is forced to confront the demons that have raged within the church and to recognize his own complicity in their propagation, within both the institution and his own family.A novel as intimate as it is universal, A History of Loneliness is about the stories we tell ourselves to make peace with our lives. It confirms John Boyne as one of the most searching storytellers of his generation.

About John Boyne

John Boyne is the author of numerous works of fiction, including The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a young adult novel that became an international bestseller and was made into an award-winning film. His books have been translated into forty-six languages, and he is the recipient of two Irish Book Awards, the Bistro Book of the Year award, and numerous international prizes. He lives in Dublin.


Reviews

Goodreads review by jessica on August 14, 2020

i just moved to ireland, so i cant think of a more perfect reread. <3 _____________________________ my heart is aching right now. john boyne has the unparalleled ability to take a character, who couldnt be any more different from me, and make me feel such emotion for them. what a powerful talent that......more

Goodreads review by Karen on January 26, 2019

I need to give this 5 stars because the writing was superb and, well, it’s John Boyne.. a favorite. This is the story of an Irish boy, Odran Yates, and his path to priesthood. He is a very good man and he becomes aware, at too late of a time, about the abuses going on in the Catholic Church. This cov......more

Goodreads review by Felicia on January 28, 2019

Testing...testing...is this thing on? Ahem....tap tap tap tap...can y'all hear me in the back?....quiet, quiet please...we're about to get started, y'all. Please, if you'll all take your seats this will only take a moment and then you can get back to your books. *crowd ssshhhhhhhh's the rude folk* Th......more