'A wonderful take on the chaos of the modern word' Louise O'Neill
'Carl has the rare gift of combining analytical clarity with maniacal vulnerability' Blindboy Boatclub
In At Least It Looks Good From Space, journalist Carl Kinsella attempts to solve the great human mystery of why we are the way we are in this chaotic era of internet algorithms, disinformation campaigns (Carl's only responsible for one of these), pandemics (he's not responsible for any of those) and the judgement-clouding influence of nostalgia.
Here, Carl explores the complexities of being friends with men, how online platforms might be making us addicted to attention, the way millennials relate to the generations around them, and that one time he fell into a lagoon when investigating a mystery in Lahinch. From OCD and intrusive thoughts to unknowingly breaking the law at Dollywood, he revisits the pivotal events in his life - times of true joy, paralysing fear, and confusion. Mostly confusion.
Honest and deeply human, At Least It Looks Good From Space is a colourful search for answers about what it means to be losing your mind in a world that encourages it.
The weekend before last, I sat myself down on the couch and read Carl Kinsella’s new book cover to cover over the course of an evening.
It’s a book of essays, some comical, some very poignant and others wryly observant, on topics as diverse as US politics, a road trip across America taking in Dollywood, the relationship between Carl and his father, Carl’s (very frank) struggles with his mental health and a diagnosis of OCD, and a lads’ trip to Clare involving the matchmaking festival and a giant hole of water on a beach that Carl fell into. There is photographic evidence of the hole on his Instagram.
The book is written with humour and candour, and I felt quite protective of Carl reading it - I don’t know him personally, but such is the tone of the book, he brings you into his confidence and comes across as just a lovely, genuine and very, very clever chap. I was also intrigued by the stories about the unnamed all boys’ secondary school near me that features in the book 👀(I was able to guess from the context which school it was).
The book as a whole reminded me very much of the experience of reading Patrrick Freyne’s Ok Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea a few years ago, a book I loved for its warmth and humour. This one is going on the shelf right next to it. A 5/5 ⭐️ read for me. You’ll just know if it’s for you too.