Charming Billy Audiobook By Alice McDermott cover art

Charming Billy

A Novel

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Charming Billy

By: Alice McDermott
Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
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*Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary with a brand new audiobook recording*

*Winner of the 1998 National Book Award for Fiction*

*Program includes a bonus conversation between Alice McDermott and Matthew Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed novel We Are Not Ourselves*

Alice McDermott's striking audiobook, Charming Billy, is a study of the lies that bind and the weight of familial love, of the way good intentions can be as destructive as the truth they were meant to hide.

Billy Lynch's family and friends have gathered to comfort his widow, and to pay their respects to one of the last great romantics. As they trade tales of his famous humor, immense charm, and consuming sorrow, a complex portrait emerges of an enigmatic man, a loyal friend, a beloved husband, an incurable alcoholic.

©1998 Alice McDermott (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

Accolades & Awards

National Book Award
1998
Literary Fiction National Book Award Fiction Genre Fiction Witty

Critic reviews

“This is fiction as good as it gets.” —USA Today

“A luminous and affecting novel.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“There's no one like Alice McDermott for catching the ebullient particulars of the Irish-American sensibility…her touch is light as a feather, her perceptions purely accurate.” —Elle
All stars
Most relevant
Charming Billy by Alice McDermott is truly a literary masterpiece. The writing is so elegant, the characters so real as revealed through their dialogue, and the story remarkably complex and interesting in the most human way. I couldn’t stop listening. Bravo and thank you to Alice McDermott.

Masterpiece

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Unfortunately- though it held promise what with the established reputation of the author , it was none the less a boring listening experience

Tedious

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This novel is just beautifully constructed and doesn’t have a false note throughout. It ranges from the time when World War II is winding down into the eighties, and focuses on an Irish community of friends and relatives that is very convincingly portrayed. It’s easy to see why it won the National Book Award. Also, the narrator gives a perfectly balanced performance. Highly recommended!

What a graceful novel!

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I had to listen to this book twice. The first time I wasn’t quite sure I got everything out of it that I should have. Then I listened to the interview with the author at the end of the book which was very enlightening. After listening to the interview, I listened to the book again and I was able to put characters, places and minor players into their proper perspective. This is quite literally a phenomenal read.

Phenomenal!!

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I read this years ago love Alice McDermott books but the narration was flat. Perhaps a man’s voice would of been better.

Terrible narrator

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