nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Ross O'Carroll Kelly books

SPM1959

I was in a friend's place today and seen a huge collection of Ross O'Carroll Kelly books on his book shelf.

No one who was there could believe that I have never read any of these books. Surely I can't be the only one who hasn't?

Is it worth starting to read them or are they over rated like I always assumed?

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

DivingDuck

I find them very funny, though they won't be to everyone's taste in terms of humour.

Reading them in sequence at this point in time is kind of trippy, though, since they pretty much perfectly sum up the rise and fall of the Celtic Tiger era. Best example I can think of is how his mother initially was incredibly protective of her Nissan Micra in the first few books, then moves on to a Lexus, and then the crash hits...

It's totally far-fetched in places, but great stuff all the same. I also enjoy the current columns, but they aren't representative of the early books as Ross has gone from 17 to 33, so even if he hasn't changed much, his life circumstances certainly have. Give the first book a try and if you like it, I think you'll find the series interesting reading.

thelad95

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Put it this way, they are 'Hilarious' to people who consider it a patriotic duty to pay their TV licence.

What exactly is your point?

sixfingered

I suspect that you'd have to have been conscious of how the country was back in the mid-2000s and a bit earlier to really enjoy them. A lot of the themes and references might go over the head of folks not old enough or paying attention to things back then. Also, you need to have a decent sense of humour and a tolerance for juvenile jokes.

I've read them all. I started because I liked them then ended up reading them for work purposes as the series went on. I've kept reading them since changing jobs because I enjoy them.

My opinion is that the first few are excellent and have a proper arc for the character, as well as being just really funny satire. The next few were sub-par I think, but still easy and enjoyable reads. One is set in the US, that's the only one I would say I didn't fully enjoy.

But for me, after a bit of a dip (when it sky rocketed a bit with plays and the guide to living on 10k etc), the last few have been really good.

For fans of the series "We need to talk about Ross" is absolutely brilliant.

Chancer3001

I'm reading the latest book at the moment.

I think it's the best of the entire lot story wise

Murray007

Love to see the books turned into a tv series or trilogy of films, although they would probably disappoint compared to the books.

lukesmom

keano_afc wrote: »

I like the way the characters have evolved over time. I feared for the series when Ross left college (not that he really went), but Ronan and Honor have taken it on and its still very very funny. I keep thinking the latest installment will be the last, but after I finish it makes me anticipate the next one even more.

Paul is that you????

dee_mc

Murray007 wrote: »

Love to see the books turned into a tv series or trilogy of films, although they would probably disappoint compared to the books.

I often think that, and then realise that the chances are the characters would look and sound different than they do in my head so it would all be ruined

I've never gone to see the plays for the same reason!

sixfingered

Murray007 wrote: »

Love to see the books turned into a tv series or trilogy of films, although they would probably disappoint compared to the books.

Yeah, despite being a big fan I'm not sure that it would translate as well into a tv show to be honest.

dee_mc

sixfingered wrote: »

Yeah, despite being a big fan I'm not sure that it would translate as well into a tv show to be honest.

That's basically what Damo and Ivor was isn't it? Very similar characters anyway. I'd hate if the books were turned into a series like that!

[Deleted User]

They're actually gas. The way he spells out the words in their accents is brilliant in it's own right, you can 'hear' them being said by the characters. The colloquialisms are spot on and,as said by someone else, must be like another language altogether for non natives of even Dublin. The play is really good too. Ross' one liners are the pinnacle.

''She's seen more Jap's eyes than a Tokyo optician.''

entropi

I'll never read them, since I've always had exactly zero interest in doing so. Some people I know have enjoyed them, but they're not for me.

keano_afc

lukesmom wrote: »

Paul is that you????

Ha. My first name is Paul, but my surname aint Howard.

WinnyThePoo

Very funny books. As the books have progressed they perhaps haven't got funnier but are written better.

"I've never actually been with her before, roysh?despite her best efforts, it has to be said?always thought of her as a bit of a BOBFOC, the old Body Off 'Baywatch', Face Off 'Crimewatch' sort."

lukesmom

keano_afc wrote: »

Ha. My first name is Paul, but my surname aint Howard.

I'm psychic!

[Deleted User]

I started reading them when The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress came out, so the fifth one. Bought them all and read them over the summer.

Pretty sure I kept most of my family awake all night for about two weeks I was laughing so hard at them. I actually can't ever remember reading anything else that literally made me laugh out loud like that.

knucklehead6

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Put it this way, they are 'Hilarious' to people who consider it a patriotic duty to pay their TV licence.

thelad95 wrote: »

What exactly is your point?

I think his point is he doesn't like them and he has some strange opinions about the tv licence.

The licence has to be paid because it's the law, and the ROCK books are printed on the same paper as the licences... or something like that.

buck65

suicide_circus wrote: »

Good satire, of its time and place, could be a useful tool for studying the period in years to come.

As opposed to a history book?

The_Captain

It's a bit weird how people are saying it's not funny because it's about posh people, or how they find it funny because they've known people like Ross.
I don't get the logic of it. You can read and enjoy 1984 without ever living in an oppressive communist state, you can like To Kill A Mockingbird without having lived in the US deep South in the 1930s.

The books are funny and Howard is a very clever writer.

La_Gordy

They're great books if you like satire and Irish interest. I see them as being Ireland's Adrian Mole. The pictures are great too.

thelad95

The_Captain wrote: »

It's a bit weird how people are saying it's not funny because it's about posh people, or how they find it funny because they've known people like Ross.
I don't get the logic of it. You can read and enjoy 1984 without ever living in an oppressive communist state, you can like To Kill A Mockingbird without having lived in the US deep South in the 1930s.

The books are funny and Howard is a very clever writer.

True, but generally people find things they can relate too, be it songs or books or plays more appealing to them. It's why my grandfather, who lived through World War 2 is constantly reading history books about it, whereas I would fall asleep after a few pages.

goose2005

there can be some great lines, I remember in the last one someone gets punched in the face and he "collapses like a Scottish scrum"

thelad95 wrote: »

I think they're hilarious and good satire. Some of the more recent books are a tad more far-fetched in terms of the plot than the first one and the character of Ross never really grows up at all.

Actually he does, a bit. In the later ones you can see that he's turning into his father, even adopting his mannerisms and turns of phrase

thelad95

goose2005 wrote: »

there can be some great lines, I remember in the last one someone gets punched in the face and he "collapses like a Scottish scrum"

Actually he does, a bit. In the later ones you can see that he's turning into his father, even adopting his mannerisms and turns of phrase

I thought that too but he seemed to take a step back in the last book again in terms of maturity eg.

keeping the rats for Honor and spitting in the sandwich.

Frigga_92

I have read all the books and really enjoyed them all.
To avoid it becoming "samey" Paul Howard's writing has really evolved over the years and the stories are always very well written and formulated.

As for Ross's character, I think his heart is in the right place, always wants to stick up for his friends, his horrible daughter etc. but doesn't really know how to without going totally overboard.

charlietheminxx

I love them, always have, since I picked up the first one almost 10 years ago! Mind you, I am a Dublin northsider who works in Dublin 4 and attended UCD for a brief period, so I find both ends of the satire equally ridiculous but relateable. I couldn't put the last book down!

The character of Ross is both detestable and endearing, I end up rooting for him when he doesn't deserve it, I think that's a sign of great writing.

Katgurl

The_Captain wrote: »

It's a bit weird how people are saying it's not funny because it's about posh people, or how they find it funny because they've known people like Ross.
I don't get the logic of it. You can read and enjoy 1984 without ever living in an oppressive communist state, you can like To Kill A Mockingbird without having lived in the US deep South in the 1930s.

The books are funny and Howard is a very clever writer.

Yes you're right, they are funny regardless but it is impressive how he gets it bang-on every time.

I want to marry Paul Howard but apparently he's already taken

razorblunt

Have to say I like them, they're a very easy read and you fly through them. I think the jokes decreases as the books go on as the character changes, but the one liners and throwaway lines are still great. It's great for improving a Dublin accent ... "Shadden .... Shadden".

Hennessy negotiating in the last book was brilliant by the way.

jpm4

Originally very funny, but I do think it is just diminishing returns at this point. I've found Ross to be less likable as he gets older - he just seems more of an obnoxious d**khead rather than a lovable rogue at this point.

sligojoek

thelad95 wrote: »

I thought that too but he seemed to take a step back in the last book again in terms of maturity eg.
keeping the rats for Honor and spitting in the sandwich.

Don't forget the 'waffle maker' prank.

Dr Turk Turkelton

elefant wrote: »

I started reading them when The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress came out, so the fifth one. Bought them all and read them over the summer.

Pretty sure I kept most of my family awake all night for about two weeks I was laughing so hard at them. I actually can't ever remember reading anything else that literally made me laugh out loud like that.

Ha I remember in one of them (not sure which) he was at some girls house for dinner with her friends.
He went upstairs for a sh1t and it was so big he couldn't flush it. He wrapped toilet paper round his hand and fired it out the window.
When he went back downstairs they were all standing in the conservatory looking up at the glass roof and the giant sh1te sliding down it and he came out with something like "must have been some bird done that".
Actually hurt my ribs reading that part.

razorblunt

jpm4 wrote: »

Originally very funny, but I do think it is just diminishing returns at this point. I've found Ross to be less likable as he gets older - he just seems more of an obnoxious d**khead rather than a lovable rogue at this point.

Really? Interestingly I think he's gone the opposite way in later books.