Stations by Louise Kennedy: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
Róisín McCaffery and Red Camelin, between a Kildare town and a London squat, from the early 1980s to 2007.
Short answer: for the Stations audiobook vs book choice, we say read it on Kindle (70% confidence, leaning). Critics single out the prose, which favours print. Róisín moves between two accents and the dialogue is full of dialect, which favours audio. The prose carries more weight, so it leans to print.
Read it on Kindle
Critics praise the prose, which points to print; the accents and dialect point to audio.
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Confidence 70%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Bríd Brennan | Bríd Brennan |
| Length | 9 hours 17 minutes (9h 17m), unabridged | 9 hours 15 minutes (9h 15m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 6h 11m | about 6h 10m |
| At 2x | about 4h 39m | about 4h 38m |
| Audio publisher and date | Bloomsbury Circus, 24 September 2026 | Penguin Audio, out 3 November 2026 |
| Audiobook price | £14.67 on Audible UK | $19.80 on Audible US (pre-order) |
| Kindle price | £13.99 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Bloomsbury hardback, 304 pages, 24 September 2026 | Riverhead, 288 pages, 3 November 2026 | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.85 from 59 ratings | Not out yet |
The Penguin Audio listing, also read by Bríd Brennan, is a pre-order on Audible UK and US until 3 November 2026. Whether it is the same recording as the Bloomsbury one is not confirmed.
Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
Stations
Louise Kennedy
- Genre
- Literary fiction
- First published
- 24 September 2026
- Length
- 304 pages (Bloomsbury hardback)
- On audio
- 9 hrs 17 mins, Bríd Brennan
- Shortlisted
- Waterstones Book of the Year 2026
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: unfamiliar names or dialect (3), 3 points. Reading: literary or dense prose (7), 7 points. 70% of the confirmed points favour reading, so the verdict is read it on Kindle at 70% confidence (leaning).
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Bríd Brennan, Bloomsbury Circus, 2026, 9h 17m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- Penguin Audio listing, out 3 November 2026
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed
What this book actually is
Stations is Louise Kennedy’s second novel, from the author of Trespasses. It follows Róisín McCaffery and Red Camelin between a town in Kildare and a squat in London, in three sections running from the early 1980s to spring 2007. Róisín first appeared in a short story in Kennedy’s collection The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac.
It is on the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist. What becomes of Red, and of Róisín’s search, is not covered here. The book deals with addiction, bullying and parental abandonment.
The case for reading it
Critics praise the writing itself: “a masterwork” for the Irish Times, “hauntingly luminous” for Kirkus. Prose that close-grained rewards reading at your own pace.
The book moves forward in big leaps between its three sections, and in print the section breaks make each jump obvious.
The case for listening to it
Róisín switches between two accents, and the dialogue is full of dialect words, which an Irish actor can carry in a way the page cannot. Listeners rate Bríd Brennan’s reading 4.85 on Audible UK.
At 9 hours 17 minutes it comes down to about 6 hours 11 minutes at 1.5x.
The audiobook in detail
Bloomsbury Circus publishes the unabridged recording on Audible UK (24 September 2026), read by Bríd Brennan at 9 hours 17 minutes. A Penguin Audio listing, also read by her, is due on 3 November 2026 in the UK and US; whether it is the same recording is not confirmed.
No PDF companion is listed.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards audio if you want to hear the voices and accents done properly, or loved Trespasses on audio. Lean towards print if it is the sentences you are there for.
Audiobook
- Read by Bríd Brennan
- 9h 17m, or about 6h 11m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; accents and dialect done by an Irish actor
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
The Things We Never Say
Also on the Waterstones shortlist.
Normal People
An Irish love story across years.
Hamnet
A story that interleaves two timelines, with nothing confirmed pointing to audio.
John of John
Also on the Waterstones shortlist.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates Stations by Louise Kennedy?
Bríd Brennan, on the Bloomsbury and Penguin Audio listings.
How long is the Stations audiobook?
9 hours 17 minutes for the Bloomsbury listing, or about 6 hours 11 minutes at 1.5x.
Is it abridged?
No, it is listed as unabridged.
How many pages is Stations?
304 in the UK Bloomsbury hardback and 288 in the US Riverhead edition.
Is Stations a novel or short stories?
A novel. Róisín first appeared in a short story in The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac.
Is Stations connected to Trespasses?
No. It is a separate novel by the same author.
When and where is Stations set?
Between a town in Kildare and a squat in London, from the early 1980s to spring 2007.
Should I read or listen?
Read, at 70%, leaning. The praised prose points to print; the accents and dialect point to audio.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said read it on Kindle. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Amazon UK, Bloomsbury, Riverhead, the Irish Times (1 October 2026), the Irish Examiner (2 October 2026), the Boston Globe (28 October 2026) and Kirkus.
- Verdict last reviewed: 30 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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