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  • The Heart's Invisible Furies

  • Written by: John Boyne
  • Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
  • Length: 21 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (394 ratings)

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The Heart's Invisible Furies

Written by: John Boyne
Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
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Publisher's Summary

From the beloved New York Times best-selling author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a sweeping, heartfelt saga about the course of one man's life, beginning and ending in postwar Ireland

Cyril Avery is not a real Avery - or, at least, that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he? 

Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamorous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from and - over his many years - will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country, and much more. 

In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit. 

©2017 John Boyne (P)2017 Penguin Random House Canada
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ2S+

What the critics say

"By turns whimsical and heartbreaking, Boyne's sprawling novel treads Dickensian territory across seven decades of Irish history, ending with a redemption for both a country and a native son." (People)

"Bleak, bittersweet, and Irish to the bone...explore[s] the relationship between Catholicism and patriarchy in midcentury Ireland and beyond." (O, The Oprah Magazine)

What listeners say about The Heart's Invisible Furies

Average Customer Ratings
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    5 out of 5 stars

Maybe my favorite Audible book ever...

Highly recommend this one .. I run outside with Audible so I looked crazy at times,sometimes laughter, sometimes tears, but loved every minute of this book. And the narrator was Amazing!! I liked how it didn’t delve too deeply into the sad moments and finished with a beautiful message..

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, excellent narration

Loved the story but the narrator makes it. I have seen a few negative reviews about the narration so I felt compelled to set the record straight. Anyone who complains has surely never heard an Irish-person speak. He nails every single accent and captures each character perfectly. Just great!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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What a great book!

This is an excellent book from start to finish. The story offers insight into archaic, old school mentalities and the great strides made over the last few decades in regards to acceptance and tolerance. It is entertaining and enlightening; I didn’t want it to end.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Worth it

I found this book a little hard to get into at first, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Really pulls at the heart to feel what he went through and his journey throw out life. I loved the 7 year intervals, an interesting concept.

The narrator was good but I found he was not consistent in his sound, so quiet to so loud. Forget about listening to this with headphones with other noises around, you’ll miss half of the dialog or burst or ear drum from turning it up and him having a loud spell.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Not what I expected

After listening to the sample I bought it thinking it was a storey of a young woman. It started out that way and then took an unexpected turn. The more I listened the more it pulled me in until I wasn't able stop listening until it was over. Well done.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • D M
  • 2019-03-13

I did not enjoy the narrator

I really enjoyed the story and would purchase more from this author.
I did not enjoy the narrator. His attempts at dramatic license caused him to scream in my ears one minute and then subsequently whisper so quietly I could not adequately hear him. Very frustrating between frequently adjusting the volume and rewinding. It was not a comfortable listen much of the time.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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deserves 6 stars!!

OMG what an amazing book (not to mention amazing performance). its been a while since I've read a book that has moved me so much. This is a gem. Don't hesitate to spend a credit on it. You'll laugh out loud and maybe even she'd a sentimental tear or two. Am so glad I read this.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

audio quality POOR

The voices had wide variations of volume. Listening was a balance between too low to hear and too loud for comfort. This occured using ear buds & 2 different speakers.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant narrator

I started out listening to this story and immediately thought I wouldn't like it because of the narrator but I was totally wrong. This book was amazing but I think the narrator made it phenomenal. He did a superb job voicing all the different characters, both make and female. I found myself laughing out loud several times and wanting to cry at others. It was a beautiful story and I could not stop listening. I am sad to finish it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great read!

This was a very engaging story! Well written and narrated! When I started the book, I was a bit concerned about how it would be to listen to a 21 hour story, but I was sorry when it ended. I would highly recommend this book.

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