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The Country Girls

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation of the Landmark Trilogy

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The Country Girls

By: Edna O'Brien
Narrated by: Jonathan Forbes, Charlie Murphy, Aoibhinn McGinnity, Shaun Mason, full cast
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About this listen

All three BBC radio dramatisations of Edna O’Brien’s coming-of-age trilogy set in 1950s Ireland

Now a much-loved modern classic, The Country Girls Trilogy was fiercely controversial when first published in the 1960s. Banned by the Irish censors and burned by the Church, the books nonetheless achieved widespread acclaim and international success, and launched Edna O’Brien’s literary career.

These three BBC radio adaptations follow the lives and loves of best friends Kate and Baba, two teenage girls growing up in repressive rural Ireland in the years before the sexual revolution. The Country Girls sees the duo leaving their small country village for convent school – but the bright lights of Dublin beckon, promising glamour, adventure and romance. In The Lonely Girl, dreamy Kate longs for love, while worldly-wise Baba makes the most of the opportunities the big city offers. Girls in Their Married Bliss finds the two friends living across the sea in London, where both have found husbands – but will marriage and motherhood bring happiness or heartbreak?

Funny, moving and painfully honest, these evocative dramas are a passionate affirmation of female friendship and desire, and a vivid portrait of a country struggling to throw off the shackles of prudishness, misogyny and religious conservatism. Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley) stars as Kate, with Aoibhinn McGinnity (Resistance, Nightflyers) as Baba.

Edna O'Brien is the much acclaimed author of The Country Girls Trilogy. She recently won the David Cohen Prize for Literature for having “broken down social and sexual barriers for women in Ireland and beyond and moved mountains both politically and lyrically through her writing”.

Written by Edna O’Brien

Dramatised by Lin Coghlan

Produced and directed by Sally Avens and Jessica Dromgoole

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 August-6 September 2019 (The Country Girls), 14-25 October 2019 (The Lonely Girl), 9-13 December 2019 (Girls in Their Married Bliss)

©2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Ireland Happiness Heartfelt Marriage Funny
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What listeners say about The Country Girls

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wonderful book and dramatisation.

I loved this! I didn't want it to end. Definitely one I'll listen to again.

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Would recommend

Wonderful story of a time gone by but seen through the eyes of the characters who are all very believable. Throughly enjoyed the story and the actors were very compelling. Would highly recommend.

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Highly recommended

Can't recommend this highly enough. I had read Edna O'Brien's 'Country Girl - A Memoir' which is memorable, so needed more of her. I recognised some of her own story in her fiction. I will certainly be reading more of her work.

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Entertaining, compelling and relatable

Wished it continued! Why nuatci write 15 words for a review? that seems silly Audible

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Excellent engrossing fabulous acting

Amazing performances. Fabulous acting. A brilliant story and top notch dramatization. One of the best audible books I’ve listened to - will be recommending to my fellow devotees

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Fabulous

Fabulous, captivating content and performance. Overall a great listen, can thoroughly recommend this excerpt of life in this period.

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A Story without Grit

Personally I didn't enjoy this very much. The humour wasn't funny and the story was not gripping. The main character seemed to feel sorry for herself a lot and to be honest I gave up caring. The descriptions of her love was weak as well as her joys
Sadly I was glad when the book finished

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