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Boulevard Wren and Other Stories
Boulevard Wren and Other Stories is the stunning follow-up to the bestselling Gospel According to Blindboy , and a warped mirror held up to the Irish psyche.
Provocative and unsettling, the stories rove through the centuries, from the barren fields of Famine-struck Meath to the chaotic landscape of the near future, where social media has colonized the deepest recesses of the human subconscious. This is a world populated by characters lost and at odds with the demands of contemporary life, for whom the line separating redemption and madness has grown impossibly fine.
Razor-sharp social commentary, it is an era-defining work from one of Ireland's most anarchic satirists.
Praise for The Gospel According to Blindboy :
'Mad, wild, hysterical.' Kevin Barry, author of Night Boat to Tangier
'There is genius in this book, warped genius. Like you'd expect from a man who for his day job wears a plastic bag on his head but something beyond that too. Oddly in keeping with the tradition of great Irish writers.' Russell Brand
'If you've ever witnessed a Rubberbandits video you'll be anxious (there's no other word for it) to read this collection of short stories from one of the originators. I hesitate to use the word author as the experience is as close to reading a traditional short story as being burnt by a blow torch. Essential, funny and disturbing.' Danny Boyle
'Demented, dishevelled and deeply surreal – Blindboy Boatclub's book will shock and delight.' Irish independent
'It's not for the faint-hearted.' Joe.ie
'You won't be disappointed. It will take you to places unexpected.' Ryan Tubridy
Business Post Book of the Year
Provocative and unsettling, the stories rove through the centuries, from the barren fields of Famine-struck Meath to the chaotic landscape of the near future, where social media has colonized the deepest recesses of the human subconscious. This is a world populated by characters lost and at odds with the demands of contemporary life, for whom the line separating redemption and madness has grown impossibly fine.
Razor-sharp social commentary, it is an era-defining work from one of Ireland's most anarchic satirists.
Praise for The Gospel According to Blindboy :
'Mad, wild, hysterical.' Kevin Barry, author of Night Boat to Tangier
'There is genius in this book, warped genius. Like you'd expect from a man who for his day job wears a plastic bag on his head but something beyond that too. Oddly in keeping with the tradition of great Irish writers.' Russell Brand
'If you've ever witnessed a Rubberbandits video you'll be anxious (there's no other word for it) to read this collection of short stories from one of the originators. I hesitate to use the word author as the experience is as close to reading a traditional short story as being burnt by a blow torch. Essential, funny and disturbing.' Danny Boyle
'Demented, dishevelled and deeply surreal – Blindboy Boatclub's book will shock and delight.' Irish independent
'It's not for the faint-hearted.' Joe.ie
'You won't be disappointed. It will take you to places unexpected.' Ryan Tubridy
Business Post Book of the Year
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
91 people are currently reading
1000 people want to read
About the author
Blindboy Boatclub
6 books394 followersBlindboy Boatclub is one half of the famed artist duo the Rubberbandits. Along with Mr. Chrome, the Rubberbandits started working together in 2000 but shot to international fame in 2010 upon the release of their song 'Horse Outside'. Their debut album 'Serious About Men' was released in 2011.
The duo are famed for their satirical and biting takes on Irish culture and are easily identifiable by their masks, made of plastic shopping bags, used to hide their identities. The Rubberbandits are self-proclaimed Gas Cuntists, an art movement they founded that has been described as 'Dada and Fluxus on a horn'.
In 2015, the duo represented Ireland at the Venice Biennale.
The duo are famed for their satirical and biting takes on Irish culture and are easily identifiable by their masks, made of plastic shopping bags, used to hide their identities. The Rubberbandits are self-proclaimed Gas Cuntists, an art movement they founded that has been described as 'Dada and Fluxus on a horn'.
In 2015, the duo represented Ireland at the Venice Biennale.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
December 13, 2019
There is a story in here called "Gruyere in the Desmond". Stopped me in my tracks.
Finest piece of contemporary Irish fiction I have read in a very long time.
The other stories are great. That one is essential.
Finest piece of contemporary Irish fiction I have read in a very long time.
The other stories are great. That one is essential.
December 30, 2019
Like Flann O'Brien, but if he vaped CBD oil and watched loads of Black Mirror.
December 16, 2019
According to modern sleep experts, our minds process our thoughts while we sleep, converting short-term memories into long-term memories, and processing our fears, anxieties, worries and other emotions from the day, essentially providing free therapy while we sleep. This mostly happens unconsciously, with occasional leaks into our consciousness which manifest as dreams.
I think Blindboy taps into the same experience, by absorbing our fears and anxieties at a cultural level and expressing them in surreal dreamlike fantasies which process those emotions in a way that regular straight fiction can’t quite express. Just like June Caldwell's abstruse rage and Eimear McBride’s spiky irregular language expresses life’s anger and frustrations in a way that standard prose can’t quite touch, Blindboy's imagination performs dream therapy on our existential angst, our environmental worries, and our everyday anxieties: like the OCD teenage boy who worries that his ardent chicken-choking is causing catastrophes, or the pensioners who become hypnotized by a dead dog and a bucket of maggots, or the artist so bereft by comparisons to her social media peers that she conjures up Donald Duck as an Airbnb landlord in an unconscious effort to create her best work.
I don't want to give the impression that these are all fantasy dream stories. A good few are straight stories (like the beautifully touching "Gruyère in the Desmond" about a group of middle-aged men who meet in the pub to drink beer, eat cheese and save each other from depression and suicide), but even the more fantastical stories are all cemented in realism and then nudged towards the edges of surrealism, but I think they all tap into the same unconscious ennui that our minds do when we sleep.
Collective Jungian Dream Therapy© aside, these are just great stories. When I was reading “Below in Joey Ramone”, about four isolated brothers who have formed a punk cargo-cult tribe with their own language and rituals, I was thinking “Fuck me, this is deadly”. I didn’t care how it ended or what happened on the next page. I was just loving every bit of the story as I read it. That’s a sign of great story-telling, and so rare. It reminded me of the best book ever: The Wasp Factory
Actually, when I started reading Iain M Banks 30 or so years ago, I had an idea for a story that might be set in one of his Culture novels about a superstar "Dreamcaster" who would broadcast his dreams live onto screens in huge stadiums. In my (unwritten) story, the protagonist got stitched up with a dream virus. In Blindboy's title story, Boulevard Wren, people record their dreams and upload them to social media rather than broadcast them live. The protagonist has dull grey dreams and yearns to dream of the days when his boy racer brother was alive and the world was a different place. Another fantastic story. (Much better than a double-crossed dream caster would have been). Sorry I've gone on about dreams way too much!
So that's the last book in my annual target of 52 books a year and what a book to end on this year. Certainty one of the books of the year.
I think Blindboy taps into the same experience, by absorbing our fears and anxieties at a cultural level and expressing them in surreal dreamlike fantasies which process those emotions in a way that regular straight fiction can’t quite express. Just like June Caldwell's abstruse rage and Eimear McBride’s spiky irregular language expresses life’s anger and frustrations in a way that standard prose can’t quite touch, Blindboy's imagination performs dream therapy on our existential angst, our environmental worries, and our everyday anxieties: like the OCD teenage boy who worries that his ardent chicken-choking is causing catastrophes, or the pensioners who become hypnotized by a dead dog and a bucket of maggots, or the artist so bereft by comparisons to her social media peers that she conjures up Donald Duck as an Airbnb landlord in an unconscious effort to create her best work.
I don't want to give the impression that these are all fantasy dream stories. A good few are straight stories (like the beautifully touching "Gruyère in the Desmond" about a group of middle-aged men who meet in the pub to drink beer, eat cheese and save each other from depression and suicide), but even the more fantastical stories are all cemented in realism and then nudged towards the edges of surrealism, but I think they all tap into the same unconscious ennui that our minds do when we sleep.
Collective Jungian Dream Therapy© aside, these are just great stories. When I was reading “Below in Joey Ramone”, about four isolated brothers who have formed a punk cargo-cult tribe with their own language and rituals, I was thinking “Fuck me, this is deadly”. I didn’t care how it ended or what happened on the next page. I was just loving every bit of the story as I read it. That’s a sign of great story-telling, and so rare. It reminded me of the best book ever: The Wasp Factory
Actually, when I started reading Iain M Banks 30 or so years ago, I had an idea for a story that might be set in one of his Culture novels about a superstar "Dreamcaster" who would broadcast his dreams live onto screens in huge stadiums. In my (unwritten) story, the protagonist got stitched up with a dream virus. In Blindboy's title story, Boulevard Wren, people record their dreams and upload them to social media rather than broadcast them live. The protagonist has dull grey dreams and yearns to dream of the days when his boy racer brother was alive and the world was a different place. Another fantastic story. (Much better than a double-crossed dream caster would have been). Sorry I've gone on about dreams way too much!
So that's the last book in my annual target of 52 books a year and what a book to end on this year. Certainty one of the books of the year.
November 5, 2020
I would love to be able to write stories like these.
Having spent more time listening to Blindboy than my mother over the last few years through his podcast, I found his voice very vivid and pronounced throughout this collection of stories. The writing is crisp and every story is well paced, I never for a moment felt it drag.
Every tale is gas and imaginative while some simultaneously hit on deeper and poignant themes. As mentioned in a lot of other reviews, Gruyère in the Desmond, takes the biscuit here. The absurdity worked well for me but I can see it not being everyones cup of tea. There are times, not many, where it feels a bit forced.
Well done Blindboy for continuing to be a gas cunt, I look forward to sharing a cold WKD Blue and performing the Giants of the Galtee Mountains soon.
Yours,
Donald Duck
Having spent more time listening to Blindboy than my mother over the last few years through his podcast, I found his voice very vivid and pronounced throughout this collection of stories. The writing is crisp and every story is well paced, I never for a moment felt it drag.
Every tale is gas and imaginative while some simultaneously hit on deeper and poignant themes. As mentioned in a lot of other reviews, Gruyère in the Desmond, takes the biscuit here. The absurdity worked well for me but I can see it not being everyones cup of tea. There are times, not many, where it feels a bit forced.
Well done Blindboy for continuing to be a gas cunt, I look forward to sharing a cold WKD Blue and performing the Giants of the Galtee Mountains soon.
Yours,
Donald Duck
January 4, 2020
4/5
Massive, massive trigger warnings are needed for this one. I did my duty and added them to Did the Dog Die so go over there to check out what I mean.
I didn't know this but Blindboy Boatclub is a huge deal in Ireland: he is part of a comedy duo, has a well listened podcast and is an accomplished writer.
I got this book for Christmas from my mother-in-law and dug in pretty soon after. Half of the inlaws are Irish so I was happy to receive a book which would maybe teach me more about their culture. That it did, although not necessarily the positive parts. Blindboy shuns no subjects at all. AT ALL. I did have to Google a fair few words but luckily we have resources like Urban Dictionary!
Some of the stories were absolutely brilliant, others were meh. I get what Blindboy was trying to do but it wasn't always hammered home so well. I did love Jo Lee (which is weird to say about a story that makes you literally gag and want to puke but here we are), Maura (females of my age can all probably relate to her a little bit) and Letter to the Irish Times (I laughed out loud on the train reading this one).
My opinion of this book is somewhere between HE IS A LITERARY GENIUS and, well, this was okay but not mind-blowing. I hope Blindboy is a little more consistent in his writing next time around, I will certainly try and pick up his first collection to compare.
Massive, massive trigger warnings are needed for this one. I did my duty and added them to Did the Dog Die so go over there to check out what I mean.
I didn't know this but Blindboy Boatclub is a huge deal in Ireland: he is part of a comedy duo, has a well listened podcast and is an accomplished writer.
I got this book for Christmas from my mother-in-law and dug in pretty soon after. Half of the inlaws are Irish so I was happy to receive a book which would maybe teach me more about their culture. That it did, although not necessarily the positive parts. Blindboy shuns no subjects at all. AT ALL. I did have to Google a fair few words but luckily we have resources like Urban Dictionary!
Some of the stories were absolutely brilliant, others were meh. I get what Blindboy was trying to do but it wasn't always hammered home so well. I did love Jo Lee (which is weird to say about a story that makes you literally gag and want to puke but here we are), Maura (females of my age can all probably relate to her a little bit) and Letter to the Irish Times (I laughed out loud on the train reading this one).
My opinion of this book is somewhere between HE IS A LITERARY GENIUS and, well, this was okay but not mind-blowing. I hope Blindboy is a little more consistent in his writing next time around, I will certainly try and pick up his first collection to compare.
May 4, 2022
Still stunned, wiping my mouth and trying to remember how to blink!
Highly recommended indeed.
Highly recommended indeed.
June 16, 2020
I read this over Christmas and I LOVED it. Gruyere in the Desmond was flawless and beautiful, and the rest of the stories ranged from dystopic science fiction to classic off the wall Blindboy fare.
I've heard a lot of people felt it wasn't as strong a follow-up to his first collection... not having read that one, I can't comment, but I'm excited to read that one next.
I've heard a lot of people felt it wasn't as strong a follow-up to his first collection... not having read that one, I can't comment, but I'm excited to read that one next.
June 13, 2020
Being a huge fan of ‘The Gospel According to Blindboy’, and knowing full well that comparison is the thief of joy, I want to give this book more than three stars. But I can’t.
I’m sorry to say that it just didn’t live up to my expectations. Where is the intricate web of references available to Blindboy’s encyclopaedia-like mind? Where are the endings that send shockwaves down your spine? Sure, there were a couple of stand-outs, that measured up to Blindboy’s first collection if not outshone them, but I felt that the majority just lacked pizzaz, that something else. Not to mention that ‘The Giants of the Galtee Mountains’ started off as strange and then quickly escalated to disturbing like many of Blindboy’s other tales, but unlike any of his others, it really crossed the line and wound up being thoroughly unenjoyable.
There was plenty I loved about it. The versatility of the main narrators, crossing both genders and all sorts of professions. I thought that ‘The Hellfire Scum’ was an excellent story and its beautiful descriptions made it shine bright for me. And I just LOVE anything which provides a well-due critique of the Catholic Church. Including a dystopian tale was a nice touch amongst all of the more historical settings, but nonetheless I felt that ‘Boulevard Wren’, the title tale, was not Blindboy’s best. I still have a huge amount of respect for him and liked the book, but for me it would require just that bit extra to measure up to the masterpiece that is his first collection of short stories and merit a four or a five-star review.
I’m sorry to say that it just didn’t live up to my expectations. Where is the intricate web of references available to Blindboy’s encyclopaedia-like mind? Where are the endings that send shockwaves down your spine? Sure, there were a couple of stand-outs, that measured up to Blindboy’s first collection if not outshone them, but I felt that the majority just lacked pizzaz, that something else. Not to mention that ‘The Giants of the Galtee Mountains’ started off as strange and then quickly escalated to disturbing like many of Blindboy’s other tales, but unlike any of his others, it really crossed the line and wound up being thoroughly unenjoyable.
There was plenty I loved about it. The versatility of the main narrators, crossing both genders and all sorts of professions. I thought that ‘The Hellfire Scum’ was an excellent story and its beautiful descriptions made it shine bright for me. And I just LOVE anything which provides a well-due critique of the Catholic Church. Including a dystopian tale was a nice touch amongst all of the more historical settings, but nonetheless I felt that ‘Boulevard Wren’, the title tale, was not Blindboy’s best. I still have a huge amount of respect for him and liked the book, but for me it would require just that bit extra to measure up to the masterpiece that is his first collection of short stories and merit a four or a five-star review.
June 25, 2020
I'd say roughly half the stories were a hit for me, personally. I really enjoy Blindboy's style and variety. You never quite know how absurd a story might get until it's already dropped on you. He's also able to craft some real good moments of revelation and suspense as to what extremes the characters might go to. Also some real good 'hit you hard' endings to some of these. I'd say it's a net positive and there's some real good craft on display here. Gruyere in the Desmond might be my favourite short story ever.
April 18, 2021
This man is so strange, but so creative. Stories were very engaging and quite different! An enjoyable read and left me saying "WTF?" A lot
March 25, 2025
Boulevard Wren and Other Stories / Blindboy Boatclub
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ Your walk becomes a little dance. You are happy, you notice that you are happy and this makes you even more happy, and then that makes you feel a sense of meaning. Fuck purple Dublin… ~
Another trip into the wilds that is Blindboy. I’m glad I read in the order I did. Topographica really honed the craft, The Gospel was the beginning, so Boulevard Wren really just sits in the middle. But it has some of the best stories.
Big fan of Maura and Toby, two of my faves. These stories just took it to another level for me. But all stories as bizarre and absurd as they are all hold heart, and keep you going through it all.
I must now start listening to the pod tbh. Having hit on all the stories I feel a void that needs to be filled. YURT.
📚 Borrowed from #LoughboyLibrary as part of @kilkennylibrary and @librariesireland 📚
Read: 21/03/25 - 25/03/25
Release Date: 01/11/19
ISBN: 9780717189502
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ Your walk becomes a little dance. You are happy, you notice that you are happy and this makes you even more happy, and then that makes you feel a sense of meaning. Fuck purple Dublin… ~
Another trip into the wilds that is Blindboy. I’m glad I read in the order I did. Topographica really honed the craft, The Gospel was the beginning, so Boulevard Wren really just sits in the middle. But it has some of the best stories.
Big fan of Maura and Toby, two of my faves. These stories just took it to another level for me. But all stories as bizarre and absurd as they are all hold heart, and keep you going through it all.
I must now start listening to the pod tbh. Having hit on all the stories I feel a void that needs to be filled. YURT.
📚 Borrowed from #LoughboyLibrary as part of @kilkennylibrary and @librariesireland 📚
Read: 21/03/25 - 25/03/25
Release Date: 01/11/19
ISBN: 9780717189502
August 1, 2021
He's very good isn't he ? Reading this book felt like eating a really tasty dinner - loved it but wish I took my time with it to savour the stories more 🧃.
Although I didn't read one story because it had a dead dog.
Although I didn't read one story because it had a dead dog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2022
It's nice to get away from fantasy every now and then and engage with stories where the author highlights the madness and absurdity of the everyday world.
October 12, 2023
So bizzare and weird but so enjoyable and hilarious.
April 11, 2024
Some excellent surreal short stories
February 2, 2023
Amazing. Had me gasping with laughter at certain stories (Maura, Darn Submerged), freaking out at others (Jo Lee, Wind Milker) and contemplating where society is at right now and headed (Boulevard Wren, Gruyère in the Desmond)
Some stories had less of an effect than others, (e.g., The Hellfire Scum) but they all had something.
Overall an amazing read and would highly recommend reading it, even if only for the bizarre "Maura"
Some stories had less of an effect than others, (e.g., The Hellfire Scum) but they all had something.
Overall an amazing read and would highly recommend reading it, even if only for the bizarre "Maura"
September 20, 2021
Really enjoyable read. Some of the stories are so bizarre and out-there that I often had to just sit there and process the madness I'd just finished reading. A few of these stories are even weirder than I thought possible.
May 29, 2020
Boulevard Wren and Other Stories is very good. Gruyere in the Desmond should be essential reading for any man or woman in Ireland. Maura and Darn Submerged also feel very important although they're admittedly more surreal in their execution. Overall, though, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the book when compared to The Gospel According to Blindboy.
Blindboy is an artist's artist. He's not shy when it comes to talking about how he creates for himself: if you like it, good; if you don't? Good. Stories in this collection feel like Blindboy trying to take the next evolutionary step as a writer. Some of them, however, felt like that vomitting Frog Prince from The Simpsons, you know the one: "Please kill me. Every moment I live is agony." I was listening to him on Rick O' Shea's Book Show and he was talking about how Kevin Barry enabled him to write in his Limerick vernacular. That vernacular was the shining jewel in the crown of his first book, but language has its limits. Context is everything. The language and geography of Limerick sparkle in Gruyere in the Desmond and Darn Submerged; shoe-horning modern Limerick slang into the mouths of two women starving to death in Famine-era County Meath isn't inventive so much as it is monstrous.
This is still a very good collection of stories that people should absolutely read. There's a lot to take away from it. When Blindboy hits his stride (finds his flow) he's magnificent, but one or two of these stories (including the title story weirdly enough) just missed the mark for me; they came off as half-baked, draft attempts.
Blindboy is an artist's artist. He's not shy when it comes to talking about how he creates for himself: if you like it, good; if you don't? Good. Stories in this collection feel like Blindboy trying to take the next evolutionary step as a writer. Some of them, however, felt like that vomitting Frog Prince from The Simpsons, you know the one: "Please kill me. Every moment I live is agony." I was listening to him on Rick O' Shea's Book Show and he was talking about how Kevin Barry enabled him to write in his Limerick vernacular. That vernacular was the shining jewel in the crown of his first book, but language has its limits. Context is everything. The language and geography of Limerick sparkle in Gruyere in the Desmond and Darn Submerged; shoe-horning modern Limerick slang into the mouths of two women starving to death in Famine-era County Meath isn't inventive so much as it is monstrous.
This is still a very good collection of stories that people should absolutely read. There's a lot to take away from it. When Blindboy hits his stride (finds his flow) he's magnificent, but one or two of these stories (including the title story weirdly enough) just missed the mark for me; they came off as half-baked, draft attempts.
May 31, 2024
I absolutely adore this book. The stories are incredibly creative and written in language that’s rich, clever and truly it’s own. Each story features a multitude of themes, any of which are complex enough to solely span the length of a novel never mind a single short story; still it doesn’t feel like these themes are crammed in or glossed over as their inclusion is tasteful and genius. Their inclusion almost follows a “it’s not done when there’s nothing left to add, it’s done when there nothing left to take away” mindset meaning one of these themes can be perfectly presented entirely within a paragraph or piece of dialogue.
The only… that’s ONLY… thing that stops this book being a perfect 5/5 is that a couple of the stories feel like filler. They’re still brilliant, clever, creative, etc. But they feel more like the result of needing to write rather than wanting to tell a particular story. Still there’s no denying that they’re stories to be proud of and it’s only in the extremely high calliper of their surrounding stories that anything ill could be said about them.
If I could give this book a 4.999 rating I would and, if (or really when) I read this book again, it’s highly likely I’ll up the rating to a 5/5.
The only… that’s ONLY… thing that stops this book being a perfect 5/5 is that a couple of the stories feel like filler. They’re still brilliant, clever, creative, etc. But they feel more like the result of needing to write rather than wanting to tell a particular story. Still there’s no denying that they’re stories to be proud of and it’s only in the extremely high calliper of their surrounding stories that anything ill could be said about them.
If I could give this book a 4.999 rating I would and, if (or really when) I read this book again, it’s highly likely I’ll up the rating to a 5/5.
January 10, 2021
I might be slightly biased in my rating of this book because I am a big fan of Blindboy. This second book of short stories is a great read with some really out of the box but intelligent plots and characters. Every story was entertaining, funny and thought provoking.
I feel like these stories are chronicles of a dream diary that has been translated into prose. Scenes and storylines that are so imaginative but yet easy to identify with. Also because all the characters are Irish and their habits, memories and way of talking all make sense to me, allowing me enjoy these stories in a way that someone who didn't grow up in Ireland may not get to experience.
"Wind Milker" is a work of art. Its horror, psychological thriller and comedy all rolled into a juicy 20 odd page treat for your enjoyment.
Loved this book, and will be eagerly waiting for his next one.
I feel like these stories are chronicles of a dream diary that has been translated into prose. Scenes and storylines that are so imaginative but yet easy to identify with. Also because all the characters are Irish and their habits, memories and way of talking all make sense to me, allowing me enjoy these stories in a way that someone who didn't grow up in Ireland may not get to experience.
"Wind Milker" is a work of art. Its horror, psychological thriller and comedy all rolled into a juicy 20 odd page treat for your enjoyment.
Loved this book, and will be eagerly waiting for his next one.
February 4, 2020
I'm not normally one for writing reviews, but for Blindboy, I'll make an exception.
Boulevard Wren is everything I want in a book. It's so incredibly imaginative that I often found myself audibly reacting to a surprising twist of fate or actually laughing out loud to a random bit of absurdist humor. Some stories are also incredibly dark and twisted and some are lonely and desperately sad. Boulevard Wren puts the human existence under a microscope, so long as that microscope was utilizing a lens made of surrealism, instead of a normal glass lens, as microscopes are wont to do.
Essentially, if you're looking for something truly original and creative, this is the book to read.
Assuming you're not particularly squeamish.
Boulevard Wren is everything I want in a book. It's so incredibly imaginative that I often found myself audibly reacting to a surprising twist of fate or actually laughing out loud to a random bit of absurdist humor. Some stories are also incredibly dark and twisted and some are lonely and desperately sad. Boulevard Wren puts the human existence under a microscope, so long as that microscope was utilizing a lens made of surrealism, instead of a normal glass lens, as microscopes are wont to do.
Essentially, if you're looking for something truly original and creative, this is the book to read.
Assuming you're not particularly squeamish.
October 21, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Blindboy has an amazing imagination and the story are just pure original.
The only reason I didn't give it the full five stars was because I just felt at times that there was just one really dark story after the other and I had to put the book down for the day so my mental health could recover from it.
But that's just my own personal thoughts and my own personal rating. Can't criticise the talent.
The only reason I didn't give it the full five stars was because I just felt at times that there was just one really dark story after the other and I had to put the book down for the day so my mental health could recover from it.
But that's just my own personal thoughts and my own personal rating. Can't criticise the talent.
November 15, 2019
Truly sensational writing from Blindboy, I expected no less after his first offering.
A perfect blend of themes that hit close to home, (the opening few pages of “Maura” in particular), and outright surrealism.
The stories are well written, distinctively Blindboy in style, and I found myself thinking about them long after I’d finished reading them.
Can’t wait to see what’s next!
A perfect blend of themes that hit close to home, (the opening few pages of “Maura” in particular), and outright surrealism.
The stories are well written, distinctively Blindboy in style, and I found myself thinking about them long after I’d finished reading them.
Can’t wait to see what’s next!
May 19, 2020
I tried. I really tried. I’ve been a fan of Blindboy for a long time but this really wasn’t my thing. I enjoyed the first book but I couldn’t get into this at all. I kept waiting for the humour that ran through the first book but it just felt bleak and dark. Which, to be fair, is normally my exact thing.
April 13, 2021
I didn't think it would be possible for him to surpass the first book but I reckon he has.
Demented and hilarious.
Demented and hilarious.
Read
November 17, 2024Laughed. Cried. Threw up.
March 12, 2023
A Letter to the Irish Times is the funniest story I’ve ever read.
How did the book make me feel/think?
Crap, why is there a Bee on my arm?
I’m trapped in a fever dream.
I’m stung.
A combine is harvesting my dreams, monetizing them—nothing is to be left untapped. Until…?
I’m on all fours, naked, and being chased by an amped-up bull—I want to be a bull. I think I might be a cow.
I sit in a food court, bite my taco, read a few pages, and laugh out loud.
There’s a short form of that. No. I won’t.
I take another bite. What am I reading? I cry. Why am I crying when I’m laughing? This is the funniest story I’ve ever read (A Letter to the Irish Times). Am I okay? Quit looking at me. I suggest you try to laugh occasionally. This book is craic.
I scratch where the Bee stung me. Oh no, the Bee was a Quantum Bee; my body was sucked into the sting hole (a black hole). Rhododendron. So long, purple. I’m inside out. My vital organs are on the outside. Gross. My skin is deep. They say beauty is skin deep. I must be beautiful.
I laugh again, even louder. LOLEL.
I need to reset myself. Pass me a baggy. The one marked Lindsay 1981. Straw me, snort.
That’s better. I’m restored.
What am I even talking about?
Boulevard Wren + Other Stories have etched its way into my all-time favourites. It might not be your cup of tea—but if you open your mind—take a sip; you will fall out of your chair cringing with laughter (an abdominal exercise).
Steer clear, of Bees and horny amped-up bulls.
Where are we heading? Here?
Inside out is enlightening. And painful. And…
WRITTEN: 12 March 2023
How did the book make me feel/think?
Crap, why is there a Bee on my arm?
I’m trapped in a fever dream.
I’m stung.
A combine is harvesting my dreams, monetizing them—nothing is to be left untapped. Until…?
I’m on all fours, naked, and being chased by an amped-up bull—I want to be a bull. I think I might be a cow.
I sit in a food court, bite my taco, read a few pages, and laugh out loud.
There’s a short form of that. No. I won’t.
I take another bite. What am I reading? I cry. Why am I crying when I’m laughing? This is the funniest story I’ve ever read (A Letter to the Irish Times). Am I okay? Quit looking at me. I suggest you try to laugh occasionally. This book is craic.
I scratch where the Bee stung me. Oh no, the Bee was a Quantum Bee; my body was sucked into the sting hole (a black hole). Rhododendron. So long, purple. I’m inside out. My vital organs are on the outside. Gross. My skin is deep. They say beauty is skin deep. I must be beautiful.
I laugh again, even louder. LOLEL.
I need to reset myself. Pass me a baggy. The one marked Lindsay 1981. Straw me, snort.
That’s better. I’m restored.
What am I even talking about?
Boulevard Wren + Other Stories have etched its way into my all-time favourites. It might not be your cup of tea—but if you open your mind—take a sip; you will fall out of your chair cringing with laughter (an abdominal exercise).
Steer clear, of Bees and horny amped-up bulls.
Where are we heading? Here?
Inside out is enlightening. And painful. And…
WRITTEN: 12 March 2023
Read
December 29, 2020my favourites were a letter to the irish times, the giants of the galtee mountains, & maura. blindboy is clearly a gifted comic writer, his delivery is impeccable & a lot of the stories made me crack a genuine smile. i do agree with critics that say the stories feel a bit repetitive but tbh i've read plenty of medium to well critically acclaimed collections of short stories where they all blend into each other if you read them in one go. i do wish the stories were a bit tighter though, although i haven't q untangled in what way. i don't think his writing is mature enough yet to merit the comparisons i am seeing to his literary influences (flann o'brien, james joyce, etc.) BUT i am keen to see how it develops. i think what comes through most in these stories is blindboy's work in tv & podcasting & his influences there (blue jam especially) - i would love to hear these stories developed into audio pieces because i feel like that's where they would really come into their own ! also blindboy if you are reading this, call me x
March 24, 2021
This is the first book of short stories I’ve ever finished. It’s brutal, shocking, thought provoking and original. Some stories are truly appalling yet gripping and ‘Gruyere in The Desmond’ is the jewel in the crown > beautiful, melancholic and desperately sad.
Comparisons from Black Mirror to Iain Banks to Irvine Welsh are warranted but also fail to describe this satirical, disturbing read. In terms of the magnitude of the author’s imagination - I’ve never read anything like this. It reads like madness or a bad trip.
It’s worth adding that if bad language, graphic sex or any disturbing images bother you, then maybe leave this.
Brilliantly ‘out there’ in the best sense of the phrase.
Recommend but not for those easily offended.
Comparisons from Black Mirror to Iain Banks to Irvine Welsh are warranted but also fail to describe this satirical, disturbing read. In terms of the magnitude of the author’s imagination - I’ve never read anything like this. It reads like madness or a bad trip.
It’s worth adding that if bad language, graphic sex or any disturbing images bother you, then maybe leave this.
Brilliantly ‘out there’ in the best sense of the phrase.
Recommend but not for those easily offended.
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