The Brothers Connolly

By: Ted Prokash

Narrated by: Paul J McSorley

Napawaupee, Wisconsin is the hometown you all remember, where the hottest action going is high school football or statutory rape and booze is the salve for what Jesus can't heal." The Connollys of Napawaupee are the quintessential small-town family. They are the "royals of a cast-off kingdom, curators of an inbred knowledge, the keepers of a dull flame."

In The Brothers Connolly, three generations of this proud, prosaic family will be defined by their aspirations, their vices and, finally, by tragedy.

©2015 Ted Prokash (P)2016 Ted Prokash

Scary real small town family conflict...

What made the experience of listening to The Brothers Connolly the most enjoyable?

Exceptionally written and narrated. The author is very articulate and the narrator brings you into the lives of this family. I could actually see every family member as the book unfolds.

What other book might you compare The Brothers Connolly to and why?

The Brothers Karamazov, maybe? This could just be because of the name, but also because of the family fighting for survival with a crazed family member.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scenes were centered around Jack. A homosexual who had to move home after failed attempts to be a playwright in the big city.

If you could rename The Brothers Connolly, what would you call it?

Lives in small town America.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend this book!

Just a great story

This is a well written story about a small family in a small town. How they affect the each other, the people close to them and the town, in general. This is so realistic in the way that one can go to any small town and find a similar family. From the first word to the last, I was hooked. I had a tough time putting it down even when my heart was breaking for the characters.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story and Paul J McSorley is fantastic. I love the timber of his voice and his 'characters' are very believable...right down to the 'screeching, nagging, bitter mother'. That one was so good, I cringed every time 'she' spoke.
I highly recommend this book AND the audiobook.

So, so good...

I love this book. Glad they used a great narrarator to perform it. Extremely well-written, and a great story that will stick with you long, long after you're done. Highly recommended!

Good Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Just a down to earth story that could happen anywhere.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All characters are good.

Have you listened to any of Paul J McSorley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to other performances by Paul J McSorley. He always does a great job and this book is no exception!

Who was the most memorable character of The Brothers Connolly and why?

Again, all characters are good and have their strong points.

Any additional comments?

Good book about an American family getting through life's challenges.

Bittersweet tragic story of a real family

What made the experience of listening to The Brothers Connolly the most enjoyable?

The way the narrator made the various characters seem so real.

Which character – as performed by Paul J McSorley – was your favorite?

Teddy

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Jimmy met his birth mother but never knew it.

Any additional comments?

This book was provided free of charge in exchange for a review.

This book explored a family of 3 sons across approximately 9 months. It involved two older brothers and a younger brother who was a late life child.

The brothers shared very little in common other than the same parents. One a play write returned home after 20 years to rediscover himself, one a high school football coach and his son, the other still in high school.

The story was well written and down to earth gritty. The mother had turned bitter and the father had turned distant. The family interaction was well played as was the action of the young people.

The narrator was outstanding and display passion and anger very well.

Overall good book overall.

Pretty intriguing

Overall, I really like this story. The only thing I I had trouble with was keeping the character's relationship to each other straight. There are father, brothers, grandfather and who belongs to whom? I figured it out in the end though. The story definitely keeps the reader interested. It was certainly different than anything I'd read. It also gave me a new appreciation for my own family, that I once consider somewhat dysfunctional....until I read about this dysfunctional family. This family is plain nuts. You can't go wrong listening to it. And of course, Paul delivers another outstanding performance.