Are You Somebody? (Abridged) Audiobook

" I'm writing about Nuala O'Faolain for an undisclosed encyclopedia and picked this up for research. My skim was intriguing enough that I'm going to give it a real read when I'm through with the writing. "

" I struggeld with this book and halfway through was sure I really disliked it - and then around page (115)? it all changed and I began to see why the book was so popular. My first impressions were that is was poorly done stream of consciousness - she seemed to skip from topic to topic, time to time and I (at least) had trouble following her. However, at that midpoint it began to come together and "make sense" and I was able to get into the story and follow it more easily. By the end of the story, I had greatly increased my "rating" of this book. I would like to re-read the first part to see if I might make better sense of it - but I have quite a stack of books on my "to read" shelf, so not sure I will get to it immediately! "

" Excellent memoir about Ireland. "

" this book devastated me. "

" Whoa! An Irish woman's much needed voice, finally heard. Thank you, Nuala! "

" A beautifully written account of a woman gaining a perspective on her life, freed finally from defining herself in terms of her parents. "

" Fairly well written and interesting but, like most memoirs, something of a downer. She and her 6(or 8?) siblings were adversely affected by the alcoholism and dysfunction in their family. And some chapters seemed written simply to drop names, most of whom I'd never heard of. However, a couple of chapters I intend to re-read because the way the ideas were strung together, and held together, and made a compelling story whose direction was never predictable. I just wish the entire book had been that way. "

" Sad story of an Irish writer's life and dysfunctional family.I recently read that she is dying of cancer. "

" I'd have to really think about who I was recomending this book to as everyone would not enjoy it. Some of it was OK but after awhile I got tired of her sad life. "

" Started out okay, interesting. Someone a bit older than me, life in Dublin, growing up, etc. But I got bored at the litany of lovers, jobs, projects, name-dropping. This is supposed to be some insightful book? I don't think so. "

" What I find most fascinating is the way the author sums up people's character. I've never seen humans defined quite this way. "

" I just read this book for the second time. Must be the Irish in me that brings me back to Ms. O'Faolain. "

" I really struggled to get into this book. The author's writing style was dry and for a memoir it seemed so impersonal. The second half was easier reading than the first, but overall the book left out more about her life than it included. "

" Some of the most haunting and bittersweet writing I've ever read. "

" I probably would've gotten more out of this if I was more familiar with the Irish literary and cultural figures that feature in the narrative. "

" A very honest book "

" a little on the downer side...but it's interesting to read about Ireland in the 1960, especially from a woman's perspective. "

" Even better than reading this book is listening to the recording -- the author is the reader, and hearing it in her voice adds a whole new level. "

" I loved the raw honesty of this book. Her unflinching look at her charming but flawed parents, her upbringing, her blind spots, her failures, her vulnerability, and yet, her enormous courage. An ordinary extraordinary everywoman and a very talented writer. "

" I loved this honest account of a woman from Ireland with the typically alcoholic family background...she did a beautiful job of staying true to where she comes from and true to herself as well. "

" Her novel, My Dream of You, is excellent. Her memoirs are quite good, as well. "

" I think i got to page 40, then gave up. each paragraph seemed to take hours to read, and i couldn't stay interested. "