Starred review from July 11, 2005
Frank and Malachy McCourt and 13 Irish actors bring Joyce's short stories to life in this well-produced audiobook. None of the readers employ a thick accent in the narrative portions, but for dialogue they let their imitative talents shine and their Irish lilts bloom. Brendan Coyle and Charles Keating, reading "A Little Cloud" and "Grace" respectively, give such wonderful expression to the idiosyncrasies of every individual voice that the listener is never confused even when numerous men are talking. Joyce wrote only sparingly in actual dialect, but most of the readers interpret his intentions freely and successfully. Fionnula Flanagan is perfect reading "A Mother," her voice shifting easily between prim and proper tones and fiery indignation punctuated with little sighs. It helps that Joyce's writing is so masterful that when Flanagan and the two other actresses read the three stories that revolve around women, their words sound utterly natural. Not all the performances are on the same level—Stephen Rea's cold, somber voice is apt for the meditative beginning and ending sections of the collection's most famous story, "The Dead," but too flat for the central description of a lively party. This audiobook creates the atmosphere of a fireside storytelling session that will hold any listener in rapt attention.
June 26, 2017
Actor Sheridan proves an excellent choice to interpret Joyce’s classic story collection, first published in 1914. He brings an authentic Irish accent and an air of gravitas to the 15 tightly observed scenes of ordinary people around Dublin. He infuses life into Joyce’s numerous and wide-ranging characters, from an adolescent boy’s stifling infatuation with the girl who lives across the street (“Araby”) to the husband and wife whose marriage is haunted by the death of the wife’s former lover (“The Dead”), easily handling the shifting points of view from story to story. Each character is given a distinct personality and individual voice. But it is with Joyce’s rich descriptive prose that Sheridan’s skills shine brightest. His thoughtful and heartfelt delivery captures the full emotional weight of the stories, and by the end the listener has been transported to Joyce’s Dublin.