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Ross O'Carroll-Kelly #21
Normal Sheeple
'FUNNIEST YET!' IRISH EXAMINERA love affair born in rural Ireland! Two mismatched lovers, locked in a relationship that will change both of them . . . forever! Ross O'Carroll-Kelly was brought up to believe that Gaelic games were invented for people too stupid to understand the laws of rugby. Little did he know that one day he would become a legend of Kerry football. But then, his life has taken a lot of unexpected twists and turns. His father is the Taoiseach of the country. His wife is an actual Government Minister. And his suddenly teenage daughter is heading for the Gaeltacht - and her very first rugby boyfriend. And then there's Marianne . . . Of course, Ross was too busy becoming a Gaelic football star to realise that his family - like the entire country - was being pushed towards a cliff edge. And he was the only man capable of saving Ireland's democracy. Which is just like, 'Fooooooock!'__________________________'I hope this series runs for decades' BELFAST TELEGRAPH'Ross is a national institution' IRISH TIMES
393 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 19, 2021
35 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 14, 2021
I think I'll always enjoy Howards satirical series as it's so relatable to every person in Ireland. He has really outdone himself this time by moving outside the Pale and taking a humorous view of the people of Kerry; how he gets the intricacies of the characters so spot on I'll never know. Even after circa 20 years, the Ross O'Carroll Kelly series is as funny and relevant as ever
September 5, 2021
A great read as always! Some really funny laugh out loud moments!
September 5, 2021
Damn. That was a finish. I need the next book now!
It's a R'OCK Book. You know what you are getting. This spends a fair chunk outside the pale which I did enjoy.
It's a R'OCK Book. You know what you are getting. This spends a fair chunk outside the pale which I did enjoy.
September 15, 2021
It wouldn't be September without a new Ross O'Carroll Kelly book. I really enjoyed this, especially when Ross ends up down the country. And the ending left a cliffhanger, can't wait for the next one.
January 4, 2022
Annual Christmas stocking present from my husband - worth the wait. Brilliant as ever.
March 13, 2025
I absolutely loved this audio book. The Normal People dialogue is priceless! I love how the book mixes comic and silly with the serious. Among the serious topics explored are the breakdown of parent-child relationship, early teen alcohol abuse and the fragility of democracy.
Much as I have enjoyed reading previous books in the series, the audiobooks by Rory Nolan bring it to a new level. I love how so many of the characters have such a mix of positive and negative attributes. Ross has endless patience with his kids, especially Honor, and would do anything to keep them safe but is of course hopeless unfaithful to Sorcha - no change there from all the other books. Honor is, in her own words, a bitch but is so loving to her three foul mouthed unruly brothers. Charles is so corrupt and dishonest but loving to his wife.
I’ve enjoyed this and the previous audiobook so much that I’m going to listen to the audiobook for Schmidt Happens which I read about a year ago.
Much as I have enjoyed reading previous books in the series, the audiobooks by Rory Nolan bring it to a new level. I love how so many of the characters have such a mix of positive and negative attributes. Ross has endless patience with his kids, especially Honor, and would do anything to keep them safe but is of course hopeless unfaithful to Sorcha - no change there from all the other books. Honor is, in her own words, a bitch but is so loving to her three foul mouthed unruly brothers. Charles is so corrupt and dishonest but loving to his wife.
I’ve enjoyed this and the previous audiobook so much that I’m going to listen to the audiobook for Schmidt Happens which I read about a year ago.
April 7, 2024
This book is a masterful act of political satire. Gloriously funny while also offering a clever, biting commentary on our political landscape in Ireland (spoiler alert, nobody knows what the hell they’re doing, and those in power are completely out of touch with what the general public need and want).
Howard creates characters that are so relatable to Irish readers. We know them, we see them, we are them. In Normal Sheeple, Howard explores personalities beyond the Pale, painting a humorous view of rural Kerry, and those who occupy it.
The inclusion of Putin & the Taoiseach’s friendship dates this book a little, in the sense that this was very obviously written prior to the invasion of Ukraine. Interestingly, it makes the portrayal of these political figureheads even more ironic and low-brow humorous, knowing what we know in hindsight.
Howard continues to get the characteristics and personalities of the Irish people spot-on! Stereotypes they may be, but they are inarguably too true to be denied!
'Normal Sheeple' is an absolute gem of political satire, leaving readers thoroughly entertained and reflecting on the absurdities of our political landscape. It's a must-read for anyone looking for a hilarious yet astute commentary on Irish society.
5⭐️
Howard creates characters that are so relatable to Irish readers. We know them, we see them, we are them. In Normal Sheeple, Howard explores personalities beyond the Pale, painting a humorous view of rural Kerry, and those who occupy it.
The inclusion of Putin & the Taoiseach’s friendship dates this book a little, in the sense that this was very obviously written prior to the invasion of Ukraine. Interestingly, it makes the portrayal of these political figureheads even more ironic and low-brow humorous, knowing what we know in hindsight.
Howard continues to get the characteristics and personalities of the Irish people spot-on! Stereotypes they may be, but they are inarguably too true to be denied!
'Normal Sheeple' is an absolute gem of political satire, leaving readers thoroughly entertained and reflecting on the absurdities of our political landscape. It's a must-read for anyone looking for a hilarious yet astute commentary on Irish society.
5⭐️
November 3, 2021
The Rossmeister General bounces back in style with Normal Sheeple. Whereupon I found the last installment to be a bore and stale, Howard has expanded the scope of the story for being a south Dublin bubble world to a national sphere, parodying not just urban Dublin, but rural Ireland as well.
I eagerly await the next book, where we'll find whether the take over of Ireland by Russian will happen, and also when Ross and Ronan will extract their revenge on Charles, Hennessy and K-k-k-k-k-ennett.
The direction Honor has taken was a wise move, perhaps we'll finally learn things from Sorcha's perspective on dating a 'rugby wanker'.
A great light read overall on these long nights!
I eagerly await the next book, where we'll find whether the take over of Ireland by Russian will happen, and also when Ross and Ronan will extract their revenge on Charles, Hennessy and K-k-k-k-k-ennett.
The direction Honor has taken was a wise move, perhaps we'll finally learn things from Sorcha's perspective on dating a 'rugby wanker'.
A great light read overall on these long nights!
November 15, 2023
One of the funniest books I have read that made me laugh out loud in public transport and I kept sending quotes from the book to friends because it was hilarious. I was hesitant to start it as it seemed to be about rugby and I was worried it may be too laddish for me and I’m glad I stuck with it as I felt like I swallowed a babel fish after the first two pages of wondering whether this was English. I didn’t realise it was the 23rd book of a series - you don’t need to have read the others in the series, and I now want to read the others!
November 19, 2021
Thanks again to Paul Howard. He could make so much money by making his comedic talents more internationally relatable but instead he gives us yet another perfect Ireland-specific book... We do not deserve him.
February 20, 2023
Liked this one Ross showed an almost human side , tried his hand at GAA and tries to buy Kieltys. The end falls into farce as e expected this one advances the story nicely. Just beware there seemed to be glitches right at the end of my kindle edition.
September 11, 2021
Always on the pulse.
Ross is a sensitive man with a personal moral compass that isn’t understood by women.
A true rugby douche bag.
Ross is a sensitive man with a personal moral compass that isn’t understood by women.
A true rugby douche bag.
September 30, 2021
I just wait for when everything Ross has done wrong in the book to eventually come out 😂 this book did not fail to deliver as per usual
November 21, 2021
What's to say...it's Rosser, enough said
January 9, 2022
Good laugh
January 12, 2022
Hilarious as always. Michael D Higgins as a character was everything.
February 5, 2022
Plenty of laugh out loud moments and as always a fantastically satirical take on issues of the day. Great idea to have Ross enter the realms of Junior GAA 😂
February 5, 2022
Once again hilarity at its best! Another fantastic read, can’t wait to see what Ross gets up to next 😂
February 5, 2022
Another great read. In this book we see a different side to Ross's character. Still the great gags and one liners but had a more serious theme running through it.
February 9, 2022
still very funny. minus one star because it ended on a cliffhanger for some reason.
March 17, 2022
Strange how this series manages to be insightful, appalling, funny and crude at the same time
May 22, 2022
Proper O'Carroll Kelly satire at its best.
June 21, 2022
perfect laugh out loud holiday reading !
perfect laugh out loud holiday reading!
Great series of books that can be picked up without having read others in the series
perfect laugh out loud holiday reading!
Great series of books that can be picked up without having read others in the series
July 7, 2022
Gas as always
September 3, 2022
Fair focks
October 4, 2022
this was - yeah, no - not as good as I expected? Fair focks tho
July 12, 2023
Satirical and very easy to read, very funny in places but not in others, would I bother to read any more of his books? Probably not.
August 13, 2023
Fair focks
July 13, 2025
Humorous and entertaining, yet another wild and whacky instalment in this unique and funny series. I cannot wait to read the next one to see what wild steps it follows next.
June 3, 2023
Exactly what we have come to expect from a Ross book. The characters and storylines never get old, even after all these years. These books aren't for everyone, but I absolutely adore them. I'm really looking forward to the next installment, especially after how this one ended!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews