This Is Happiness
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This Is Happiness
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Narrated by:
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Dermot Crowley
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Written by:
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Niall Williams
About this listen
Change is coming to Faha, a small Irish parish unaltered in a 1,000 years.
For one thing, the rain is stopping. Nobody remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard is a condition of living. But now - just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of the electricity - the rain clouds are lifting.
Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is idling in the unexpected sunshine when Christy makes his first entrance into Faha, bringing secrets he needs to atone for. Though he can't explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed.
As the people of Faha anticipate the endlessly procrastinated advent of the electricity, and Noel navigates his own coming-of-age and his fallings in and out of love, Christy's past gradually comes to light, casting a new glow on a small world.
Harking back to a simpler time, This Is Happiness is a tender portrait of a community - its idiosyncrasies and traditions, its paradoxes and kindnesses, its failures and triumphs - and a coming-of-age tale like no other.
Luminous and lyrical, yet anchored by roots running deep into the earthy and everyday, it is about the power of stories: their invisible currents that run through all we do, writing and rewriting us, and the transforming light that they throw onto our world.
©2019 Niall Williams (P)2019 W. F. Howes LtdYou may also enjoy...
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 14
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14
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Written by: Jorge Luis Borges
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Ulysses
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- Written by: James Joyce
- Narrated by: Patrick Gibson
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
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What listeners say about This Is Happiness
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Fiona McBride
- 2021-04-11
Beautiful lyrical story
I enjoyed the gentle humorur and descriptive prose. Like many an Irish tale this story meanders. It takes you through memories of youthful summers in Faha. Read it for the author's way with words. If you are looking for a succinct story full of high drama, look elsewhere, but if you want a gentle story with phenomenal characters and turns of phrase that lift the corners of your mouth then this will be your happiness.
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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
- Robert Crosley
- 2022-07-28
Brilliant!
A classic, beautiful writing, wonderful narration. Every word is there for a reason. I have 250 books in my audiobook library, I rank this one #1.
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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
- RI in Canada
- 2023-04-28
Brilliant character study
This is a slow moving study in character and setting that evokes a gentle history of a world gone by in rural Ireland.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Travelling Crone
- 2021-06-17
A Slow Start Resolving Into Infatuation
Having indulged in multiple listens of Muderbot, This Is Happiness proved to be a challenging leap. Happily it didn't take long before I fell under the infamous Irish charm and the delightful magic of Mr. Williams's wordsmithery. I know I will return to enjoy it again with delight.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Louise Nicholson
- 2022-04-15
can I give it 6 stars?
I loved this book so much that when it was done I simply started it all over again! I can't recommend this book enough.
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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
- Joy Noonan
- 2023-08-03
Ohhhh my what a beautiful story
This story and the WAY it gets told … pure magic. This is the best audiobook I have ever heard.
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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
- Glenda Berry
- 2023-12-14
Beautiful language
Wonderful characters in an old Irish village. Storytelling that is taking its time and savoring every word. ❤️
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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
- Nora Ohanjanians
- 2021-10-26
I didn't want it to end
I loved This is Happiness for many reasons.
It was light and laugh out loud funny. It was unabashedly sentimental, and making fun of itself for being sentimental. The characters were very vivid and believable despite being quirky. And the writing was exquisite. Dermot Crawley's reading made it even more authentic and enjoyable. Highly recommended for readers who value more that just plot.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Kelly
- 2023-11-28
A slow story
There is nothing wrong with this story, it’s just not my kind of book. Quite religious, so if that is something you enjoy, then give it a try.
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