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Cold Fish Soup

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Cold Fish Soup

By: Adam Farrer
Narrated by: Adam Farrer
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About this listen

A BBC Radio Scotland Audiobook Club Pick

Before Adam Farrer’s family relocated to Withernsea in 1992, he’d never heard of the Holderness coast. The move represented one thing to Adam: a chance to leave the insecurities of early adolescence behind. And he could do that anywhere. What he didn’t know was how much he’d grow to love the quirks and people of this faded Yorkshire resort, in spite of its dilapidated attractions and retreating clifftops.

While Adam documents the minutiae of small-town life, he lays bare experiences that are universal. His insights on family, friendship, male mental health and suicide are revealed in stories of reinvention, rapacious seagulls, interdimensional werewolves, burlesque dancing pensioners and his compulsion towards the sea.

Cold Fish Soup is an affectionate look at a place and its inhabitants, and the ways in which they can shape and influence someone, especially of an impressionable age. Adam’s account explores what it means to love and be shaped by a place that is under threat, and the hope—and hilarity—that can be found in community.

©2022 Adam Farrer (P)2022 Saraband Cultural & Regional Essays Nonfiction Comedy

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Critic reviews

“Raw, vulnerable, honest … like a warm loving hug … [and] very, very funny.” Alan Bissett, BBC Radio Scotland Audiobook Club

“It reminded me of Victoria Wood – so well-observed … very honest, hopeful.” Bruce Devlin, BBC Radio Scotland Audiobook Club

"Cold Fish Soup understands the oddity, tenderness and brutal ordinariness of small-town life. Adam Farrer is a bold new voice in nonfiction writing. His keen observations are as gentle as they are wry, as attentive to the bleak truths of loss and deprivation as they are to the eccentric humour of humans being entirely themselves... Witty, charming, moving and real." Jenn Ashworth
All stars
Most relevant
Superbly written and masterfully narrated by the author. His voice is richer than Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife. I experienced every human emotion possible during the listening experience. From laughter all the way through to sadness. About an honest a book you’re ever likely to hear. Enthralling from the beginning. Highly recommend. Look forward to the next book from this talented author.

10/10

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A beautiful, funny and nostalgic journey back through my childhood by way of Adam’s wonderful storytelling of my home town.

I cannot recommend this enough and you don’t need to be from the east coast of Yorkshire for this to resonate with you, it’s just a wonderful tribute to a loving family, their loss, their struggles but still managed to make by laugh out loud too, I shall laugh about Christopher the seagull for a long time to come!

Couldn’t stop listening…

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I have found many similarities, My personal in the moment thing is speeding, I totally get the drawn to water thing as well, I liked to swim down as far as I could to test myself. I was laffing and crying in this book. I think putting your balls on a stone like this, shows you might have learned not to pay to much attention to the crowds. your bro would secretly be proud. and would fart in your face for being sentimental. The sooner a human being picks up we are all dying from the day we are born, and most humans are inhumane. you can ignore the negative sounds to create. The sound of the sea is a good noise to drown it out, until the realisation of it kicks in. This was fantastic and depressing to listen to. Thank you

A man on the edge of sanity, love this book

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UFO's, werewolves, crumbling coastlines and teenage angst, a wonderfully written insight into one man's life with his bonkers family.
Highlighting the not talked about enough issues on men's mental health.
I love this book so much, thank you Adam

I laughed, cried and laughed some more

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Adam draws you in to his personal experiences from a seaside Town that is quickly being left behind, he adds a roller coaster of humour and sadness about his family life too.

Raw, personal, humorous

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