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Walking with Ghosts

A Memoir

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Walking with Ghosts

By: Gabriel Byrne
Narrated by: Gabriel Byrne
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About this listen

This audiobook is exquisitely and eloquently read by the author, Gabriel Byrne.

Walking with Ghosts
is the stunningly evocative memoir by Irish actor and Hollywood star, Gabriel Byrne.


'Dreamy, lyrical and utterly unvarnished' Colm Tóibín

As a young boy growing up in the outskirts of Dublin, Gabriel Byrne sought refuge in a world of imagination among the fields and hills near his home, at the edge of a rapidly encroaching city. Born to working-class parents and the eldest of six children, he harboured a childhood desire to become a priest. When he was eleven years old, Byrne found himself crossing the Irish Sea to join a seminary in England. Four years later, Byrne had been expelled and he quickly returned to his native city. There he took odd jobs as a messenger boy and a factory labourer to get by. In his spare time he visited the cinema, where he could be alone and yet part of a crowd. It was here that he could begin to imagine a life beyond the grey world of ’60s Ireland.

He revelled in the theatre and poetry of Dublin’s streets, populated by characters as eccentric and remarkable as any in fiction, those who spin a yarn with acuity and wit. It was a friend who suggested Byrne join an amateur drama group, a decision that would change his life forever and launch him on an extraordinary forty-year career in film and theatre. Moving between sensual recollection of childhood in a now almost vanished Ireland and reflections on stardom in Hollywood and on Broadway, Byrne also courageously recounts his battle with addiction and the ambivalence of fame.

Walking with Ghosts is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking as well as a lyrical homage to the people and landscapes that ultimately shape our destinies.

‘Make no mistake about it: this is a masterpiece . . . poetic, moving and very funny’ – Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin

©2020 Gabriel Byrne (P)2020 Recorded Books
Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Ireland Witty Funny Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

The wonder of this memoir is its unembellished truth. It is written by a man whose amazing story is the stuff of literature (Edna O'Brien)
The allure of Gabriel Byrne's memoir is that it persuasively humanizes what it is to be a big deal movie star. Byrne is wonderfully without cant or bluster or phony humility. Instead he leads with felicity, candor, humor and empathy. In the end, he seems to be somebody you'd be glad to know (Richard Ford)
A wry and warm, swirling poetic reverie of a memoir (Colin Barrett)
A joy of a book - full of heart and humour, beautifully told (Sinéad Gleeson)
The writing is so vivid it’s as if we are by Gabriel Byrne’s shoulder through the sorrowful times and the joyous moments. He weaves an intimate and absorbing tapestry of the poignant and the funny (Kirsty Wark)
A working-class family memoir as well as a meditation on fame and its discontents (Sena O'Hagan)
Walking with Ghosts is exquisite. This book feels like the culmination of a long literary career and not the debut of a famous actor. Byrne makes himself fully vulnerable while in total command of language and form. There is great truth and great beauty in this close examination of a life and the passage of time. I’ve never read a memoir so raw and honest and literary and absolutely, staggeringly brilliant (Lily King)
Mercurial, ferociously honest and moving . . . A poignant symphony of memories and dreams, longing and loss, in a search for the immigrants most elusive prize, home (Karl Geary, author of Montpelier)
A poetic journey into those secret realms of memory which dominate our lives, but are rarely spoken about. By revealing himself with such courage, compassion, and exquisite poise, Gabriel Byrne gives readers that rare gift of being able to see themselves in the feelings of another person. This book is more than a memoir—it’s a mirror that reflects the deepest parts of us in exile (Simon Van Booy)

What listeners say about Walking with Ghosts

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It’s stunning

It’s stunning, and even more so I think if you grew up in Dublin too, like I did. Lots of evocative Dublinisms that made me laugh and others so tender I almost cried.

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Gabriel Byrne. wonderful

amazing! fantastic book . I had to stay up till the early hours so riveting

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humility and integrity walking with Ghosts

an experience to treasure..Gaybriel Byrnes journey..through life is rich in wisdom and gravity earned through having the courage to face his own demons and look in the mirror to reflect his own failings with integrity ..his success with humility..and is often funny and deeply touching in telling the story of family and friends and the many wonderful and not so pleasant people who are now ghosts inhabiting his spirit..and life..

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Beautifully Poetic

loved the book and its openess and honesty. Well written and read. recommend this

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walking with ghosts /amazing

Beautiful ,touching and interesting memoir. It felt like it truly came from the heart.
Enjoyed the way it wasn't in chronological order. Finished it in one day. loved it.

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Funny and poignant

He made me laugh and feel sad in this very honest but fantastically detailed story of some of his life. I found it interesting that his relationships get short thrift but there is a master storyteller here. Does not go into his parts either much but just a lot about Ireland

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Why isn’t everyone listening to this

Faultless sensitive account of an actors dreams and history - not to be missed. Calming and funny

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Incredibly moving & a performance in itself…

Gabriel’s story is one of many hardships & a long road from the streets of working class Dublin to his early years of performing in London & brief forays into his career in acting & how he handles fame.

The performance of this audio book is brilliant too as he perfectly visualises the Ireland of the past he knew & the one he sees now. It feels like you’re both in conversation about it & at no point, does it take you out of it. I highly recommend this if you’re a fan of his work & him as a person.

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Beautifully read, poetic and powerful

A wonderful memoir from a man I knew little about. The honesty of his words, the way he is able to transport the listener between two worlds, his youth and the adult. The sweet memories of childhood in Ireland and the bitter truth of the church, spoken clearly and directly from the heart.
I laughed a lot, his way with words and the old stories and sayings. A truest account of a life well lived and respect for his family and parents all examined under a self reflective gaze. I loved it, one of my favourites so far. Highly recommend

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A wonderful Irish icon

A brilliant listen , I felt it from start to finish. Gabriel is super in all the people he would speak of. His storytelling is a thing of beauty, some sad stories also . Well done

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