The Raptures

Reviews / Votes

Absolutely MAGNIFICENT: dark, witty, charming. I LOVED it * MARIAN KEYES * Heart-rending, hilarious . . . It's a belter. * LOUISE KENNEDY * An Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit, a dark supernatural mystery and an account of mass trauma. Carson forges these parts into a tragicomedy in which fantastic elements slot almost seamlessly alongside kitchen-sink realism...compassionate and meticulously observed.' * GUARDIAN * Original and vivid, The Raptures is its own beautiful, unique thing * IRISH TIMES * The book's beauty comes from its hilarious depiction of claustrophobic small-town life * Sunday Times * An utterly compulsive and gripping portrayal of the brilliance of children, the power of intergenerational relationships, and the certainty of our human desire to belong. An utterly engrossing read - one that confronts the trauma of loss and the dangers of religious zealotry through powerful narrative, compelling characters and sharp wit. Jan Carson is a true original. An absolute must read. Outstanding. * ELAINE FEENEY * The Raptures is a wonderful piece of fiction. It engages the reader with a clever plot and with its perfect portrayal of parochial life in Northern Ireland imploded by tragedy told in prose that shimmers with empathy, warmth and humanity. * IRISH INDEPENDENT * A fascinating tale of trauma, fury and panic. * INDEPENDENT * I gobbled up The Raptures. It's a delightful read - sharp, packed with wit and heart, and always utterly absorbing. And it's got that perfectly Irish mix of darkness and humour, the smartarsed wink into the void. * LISA MCINERNEY * A blistering account of small-town Ulster life, The Raptures is unflinching in its exploration of the corrosive effects of fear and small-mindedness on a community, and the trauma wreaked by uncompromising religious fundamentalism on a young and tender soul. Rich in a glorious colloquial idiom, rich with Jan Carson's sharp, sardonic wit, it is ultimately a hopeful read, too, about the ways - whether we like it or not - we are all connected. This is a book written from the guts and from the heart. * LUCY CALDWELL *