Ironweed (1983) - William Kennedy Audiobook

Written by William Kennedy
Read by Jonathan Davis
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

The Albany Cycle, Book 3
Length: 7hrs 42min
Release date: 08-13-09
Publisher: Audible Studios

Francis Phelan, ex-ballplayer, part-time gravedigger, and full-time bum with the gift of gab, has hit bottom. Years earlier he’d left Albany after he dropped his infant son accidentally, and the boy died.

Now, in 1938, Francis is back in town, roaming the old familiar streets with his hobo pal, Helen, trying to make peace with the ghosts of the past and present.

Francis story is sad and compelling, and he’s an interesting character. He makes no excuses for the things he’s done or how he lives. Despite his capacity for violence, he doesn’t look for trouble. He’s generous with what little he has as well as compassionate. He’s got a kind of cheerful pragmatism despite the regrets he has.

The book is almost entirely written from Francis’ perspective - through his own neuroses and alcholic hazes, with hallucinations and sudden mood changes. For all of that, Franny is an interesting character that reminds me of an uncle of mine that passed a few years ago.

“Ironweed is an unusual novel which William Kennedy found difficult to get published. Although his three previous novels had been highly praised, eleven major publishing companies rejected Ironweed. The Viking Press finally agreed to publish Ironweed in 1983 along with Kennedy’s two previous novels, which are, like Ironweed, set in Albany, New York. Not only were the reviews enthusiastic, but the novel was awarded the coveted Pulitzer Prize and then the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1984.” –from Random House readers guide.