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The Wild Laughter

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About this listen

It’s 2008, and the Celtic Tiger has left devastation in its wake. Brothers Hart and Cormac Black are waking up to a very different Ireland – one that widens the chasm between them and brings their beloved father to his knees. Facing a devastating choice that will put their livelihoods – and even their lives – on the line, the brothers soon learn that the biggest danger comes when there is nothing to lose.

A sharp snapshot of a family and a nation suddenly unmoored, this epic-in-miniature explores cowardice and sacrifice, faith rewarded and abandoned, the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we resist. Hilarious, poignant and utterly fresh, The Wild Laughter cements Caoilinn Hughes’s position as one of Ireland’s most audacious, nuanced and insightful young writers.

©2020 Caoilinn Hughes (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Witty Funny

Critic reviews

‘Caoilinn Hughes is a writer of immense ability and vitality – she’s a true natural, with the talent to match her ambition.’ (Kevin Barry, author of Night Boat to Tangier)
'So funny and bleak. I loved the madness, the tone, the ending, the realisation, The Third Policeman charge of the whole thing.’ (Roddy Doyle, Booker prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha)
'Extraordinary... A book of wicked intelligence and tender heart.' (Max Porter, author of Lanny)
All stars
Most relevant
Chris O'Dowd brought this story to life and it was his energy and perceptiveness that kept me engaged. The Wild Laughter felt too mapped out. What was missing were more subtle and layered observations that came from the gut. My wish was that Caoilinn Hughes had tried less and been more present within "the landscape" of the lives she has portrayed.

a fine performance

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This is a sensational book. The writing is outstanding. A perfect balance of humorous and tenderness, never becoming overly sentimental. I think Hart Black is one of my favourite fictional characters ever.

Mesmerising prose

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Really enjoyed this book - absorbing and funny - with excellent narration by Chris O'Dowd!

Excellent!

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Lovely poetic prose can't disguise a bleak story with almost no happiness about it.

Grim family saga

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I listened to the whole thing, waiting to become interested in the main character. This never happened. It did give me an insider view on how and why arrogant men have sh*t sex with women though, which was as appalling as it was edifying. Human w*nksock. Nice. Maybe this story is only interesting if you're that kind of man, hence all the awards from other d*ckheads. If you're a woman or have a soul, don't bother with this godawful sh*te. The only satisfaction I got from this book was that it all ended badly for pretty much everyone. It wasted my time.

Overrated

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