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Ghosts and Lightning Audiobook
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(3.08) - 171 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Set in contemporary Dublin and the surrounding countryside, Ghosts and Lightning is a picaresque account of Denny Cullen's life after he is called back home to attend his mother's funeral. Denny—a sweet-natured but disillusioned young man who feels powerless in the face of death, dope, and the dole queue—is the steadiest in a cast of unstable characters. Denny and his lads fill their empty days with hooliganism, raucous parties, violence, and even an exorcism, but their fearlessness and humor make them as irresistible as an expertly pulled pint of Guinness.
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"I loved this book. Simple as that. Trevor Byrne is a highly skillful writer, good enough so's you don't really notice it. With the very first sentence you've got the tone, the situation, the young man at the heart of the story, returning home to Dublin, brought back by the death of his mother. And wrapped around his story is the city of Dublin - funny, threatening, shallow, and deep. It's a rich story, richly told."
— Dominic (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Often funny, sometimes very frightening, always very human. I loved it.
— Roddy Doyle, author of the Man Booker Prize winner Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
Ghosts and Lightning Listener Reviews
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" The writing is unique and wonderful. This novel actually has a voice of it's own. The text is so unbelievably rich, you can hear the dialogue, see the sights of Dublin, and witness the chaos and pain. This novel is intelligent, unpretentious and entertaining. "
— Steph, 1/14/2014 -
" ghosts and lightning was an ok book. byrne is a really great writer and i admire his skills at writing the story completely in dublin dialect. you felt like you were friends with all the characters and knew their personalities and mannerisms like you had grown up with them. however, i never got completely absorbed in the book. i could relate to some of the pro-wrestling descriptions and a couple of the british shows they watched, but the book had one of those "coming to terms with myself" plots that i couldn't relate to. "
— Emily, 1/4/2014 -
" If you've ever spent time on a less-than-genteel estate in the UK, you'll be able to understand where Denny Cullen and his family (and pals) are coming from. I didn't expect to like or finish this, but I did in the end, because it's very contemporary and real. "
— Andrea, 12/29/2013 -
" An irishman's gift for storytelling and a flourish of prose does not save this book from drowning and floundering. It is only a slice of life book- no matter what the dust jacket would have you believe. If the story had woven the Sean e and ghosts in deeper or more often, there would have been a tether, but instead it floats an drifts without a clear focus. Beautiful nonetheless in most places and worth the read. "
— William, 12/16/2013 -
" I spoke in an Irish accent all the time I was reading this book. Feckin brilliant. "
— Bruce, 11/28/2013 -
" Why am I reading so many books in dialect lately? This one feels natural, but at first it takes getting used to all the "yis want a pint o this, so". There's a little spookiness, but mainly it explores friendships and family. "
— Mary, 11/14/2013 -
" Laughed out loud, many times over. A 21st c. Ulysses, tragi-comedy, coming of age story as Denny the wastrel wrestles with his mother's death and tries to becvome a man in modern Ireland. Loved,can't wait to read what he publishes next! "
— Melanie, 8/30/2013 -
" I loved the language--all the Irish slang. They sure do a lot of drinking and pill popping! "
— Rebecca, 4/14/2013 -
" Couldnt read it. Written in strange dialect made it difficult. just not interested. "
— Barbara, 7/29/2012 -
" Excellent story of young dubliners at a loss as to what to do with their lives. Written in the vernacular and well worth it. "
— Jen, 1/1/2012 -
" It was ok. I like Roddy Doyle and the writing is very similar, but I wasn't blown away by it. It started to remind me of a Guy Ritchie movie only without a twist. Its a pretty fast read though. "
— Kerri, 12/5/2011 -
" Set in modern day Dublin, heavy on dialect, twenty-somethings friends struggling to find themselves and Denny, the main character is recovering from the sudden death of his mother. Swearing, some violence, drinking, drugs throughout the book, along with some humorous scenes. "
— Michael, 11/14/2011 -
" It made me miss Ireland and my friends there. Aside from making me nostalgic, it was a lovely story. Good craic. "
— Adrienne, 9/11/2011 -
" Just a slice of Irish life. "
— Meg, 9/8/2011 -
" Adult fiction. I think I could like this book--it's got zany, Irish characters and colorful dialogue, but I just couldn't get into it. "
— Tracey, 6/8/2011 -
" I actually would give it 3 1/2 stars. "
— Aaron, 4/19/2011 -
" I loved the language--all the Irish slang. They sure do a lot of drinking and pill popping! "
— Rebecca, 1/30/2011 -
" Laughed out loud, many times over. A 21st c. Ulysses, tragi-comedy, coming of age story as Denny the wastrel wrestles with his mother's death and tries to becvome a man in modern Ireland. Loved,can't wait to read what he publishes next! "
— Melanie, 12/6/2010 -
" Why am I reading so many books in dialect lately? This one feels natural, but at first it takes getting used to all the "yis want a pint o this, so". There's a little spookiness, but mainly it explores friendships and family. "
— Mary, 11/18/2010 -
" Adult fiction. I think I could like this book--it's got zany, Irish characters and colorful dialogue, but I just couldn't get into it. "
— Tracey, 11/6/2010 -
" Just a slice of Irish life. "
— Meg, 4/9/2010 -
" A jumbled yound life <br/>would watch a movie of it <br/>man finding his way "
— Andrew, 3/1/2010 -
" In the vein of Roddy Doyle and Irvine Welsh... "
— Catherine, 2/5/2010
About Trevor Byrne
Trevor Byrne was born in 1981 and brought up in Clondalkin in south Dublin. He attended Trinity College and the University of Glamorgan, where he is currently a tutor of creative writing.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.