926. The Talk of the Town

The Talk of the Town
Ardal O'Hanlon
1998

Around 245 pages

Our main character Patrick Scully is supremely unlikable, but that's not why this novel was so bad. It's painfully boring, it tries too hard to be outrageous, and it's entirely inaccessible if you didn't grow up in a small town in Ireland in the 80s. 

Yet another story about a sexually frustrated teenage boy, who hates the world. It's short and dark, with a predictably depressing end. Of course, the homophobia and misogyny are true to the setting of the story, but doesn't make it easier to swallow. I wanted out of this setting, stat.

I much preferred The Butcher Boy, which explored similar themes with dark humor, and we didn't have to sit through those sexual descriptions. I never want to think about baths again.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Retitled Knick Knack Paddy Whack for US publication.

UP NEXT: Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee