The Boy from the Sea

Reviews / Votes

Compulsive reading . . . Compassionate, lyrical and full of devilment -- Louise Kennedy, author of <i>Trespasses</i> Warm, funny, full of lightly worn wisdom and wit. In short, it is a joy . . . the power of Carr's novel lies in the contrast between its warm hilarity and the cold truths those jokes contain . . . vivid, loving and genuinely funny * The Sunday Times * A beautifully written, tragi-comic triumph * Sunday Independent * A novel of heart-bumping power and sparkling vividness. This is a strange, beautiful, truly compelling triumph, a story about a very specific place that somehow comes to seem an everywhere and a people who feel familiar as faces in mirrors. A breathtaking achievement -- Joseph O'Connor, author of <i>Star of the Sea</i> and <i>My Father's House</i> A tremendous story about a family changed by the arrival of a strange boy, which feels like an instant classic . . . huge hearted, masterful . . . Told in a captivating communal voice like nothing I've ever read before . . . The Boy from the Sea is a dazzling exploration of the ties that make and bind us -- Lauren Brown, <i>The Bookseller, Book of the Month</i> A ruefully funny portrait of a dysfunctional family in a struggling town, The Boy from the Sea rings painfully true. I was gripped -- Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of <i>Room</i> Beautifully written - gorgeous modern folklore -- Sarah Moss, author of <i>Summerwater<i/> Stunning * Good Housekeeping * Outstanding . . . one of those beautiful books that soothe the soul * Prima Magazine * The Boy from the Sea is an utterly engrossing read. Atmospheric and incredibly moving, I was captivated by the trials and triumphs of the Bonnars. A bittersweet ballad of a novel I'll be thinking about for a very long time -- Jan Carson, author of <i>The Raptures</i> The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr captures the changing feelings and textures of the latter decades of the twentieth century in Ireland more precisely than any other recent novel I could name. Its language and sensibility reflects the sly humour of its Donegal setting, and the reader is riveted by the heroic efforts of its characters to hold on to one another in the face of gale-force winds of historical change -- Niamh Mulvey, author of <i>The Amendments<i/> An original and rambunctious Irish seafaring novel that vividly portrays a community moving through changing times and tides-as lively a portrait as it is convincing. With a refreshing narrative approach, The Boy From the Sea excels in its clarity and particularity of voice -- Caoilinn Hughes, author of <i>The Alternatives<i/> The Boy from the Sea has that rare quality I often find myself searching for in a novel - narrative intimacy among the vastness of life. Garrett Carr is meticulous and precise in his writing - the skilled invisibility of a true craftsman -- Ronan Hession, author of <i>Ghost Mountain</i> The Boy from the Sea is a single-generation family saga as dazzlingly compact as it is comprehensively insightful, a love story in which the tenderness and forbearance are all the more moving for the eloquence with which the hardships and reticence are rendered. This is as impressively wise and idiosyncratic a novel as I've read in years -- Jim Shepard, author of <i>The Book of Aron </i> A lyrical, beautifully written portrait of a place and its people * Mail on Sunday * Lyrical * The i * Hypnotic . . . Carr has a terrific knack for detail, both poetic and quotidian . . . This is a surprising, tender and warm-hearted novel about a real place and real people: a gentle gift for spring * The Guardian * The son of a Killybegs fisherman, Carr writes from knowledge and reflects with good humour on his characters' inability to understand themselves . . . plenty of emotion and feeling * Daily Mirror * Charming . . . humorous . . . a fresh perspective * Financial Times * Wry, observant, various and thoughtful, this novel does something only art can * Irish Times * Expansive and intimate, funny and warm . . . it carries a cargo hold full of feeling beneath decks * The Herald * Beautifully observed, funny and poignant. I didn't want it to ever end -- Jennie Godfrey, <i>Sunday Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The List of Suspicious Things</i> A delectably warm, communal voice through which the reader bears witness to one family's most private moments * The Observer * A mesmerising, meditative debut; reminiscent of John McGahern and Jon McGregor * Irish Independent * This stunning literary offering holds your heart in its hands from the first page to the last. Masterfully crafted, mischievous and moving * The Courier * Charming . . . a quiet meditation on how family, community and industry intertwine around the bountiful but perilous Atlantic . . . Carr's biggest strength lies in capturing the fishbowl quality of small-town life * The List * Beautiful, funny, utterly glorious -- Nina Stibbe, author of <i>Love, Nina</i> Really impressed by The Boy From the Sea . . . a fascinating family dynamic and an unusual narrative voice. Highly recommended. -- John Boyne, author of <i>The Heart's Invisible Furies</i> Poignant and humane, this work expertly depicts a close-knit community, hardscrabble lives and sibling rivalries * The Economist * Lyrical * The i * Charming . . . offers a sort of Irish silver-tongued devilry some where between Sebastian Barry and Donal Ryan * The Critic * Epitomizing great storytelling from the get-go . . . beautifully observed * Woman's Weekly * [Carr] displays a well honed gift for crafting an involving story * Evening Standard * Expansive . . . an ode to Donegal and its no-nonsense people * The Times, 80 Best Books to Take On Holiday This Summer *