The Wacky Man
by Lyn G. Farrell
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Pub Date 2 May 2016 | Archive Date 15 Dec 2016
Description
Longlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize 2016
'An astonishing tour de force!' -- The Daily Mail
'Book of the Year!' -- Clio Gray, Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction-shortlisted author
A striking debut from the winner of the 2015 Luke Bitmead Bursary
BookMuse Recommended Read
My new shrink asks me, 'What things do you remember about being very young?' It's like looking into a murky river, I say. Memories flash near the surface like fish coming up for flies. The past peeps out, startles me, and then is gone...
Amanda secludes herself in her bedroom, no longer willing to face the outside world. Gradually, she pieces together the story of her life: her brothers have had to abandon her, her mother scarcely talks to her, and the Wacky Man could return any day to burn the house down. Just like he promised.
As her family disintegrates, Amanda hopes for a better future, a way out from the violence and fear that has consumed her childhood. But can she cling to her sanity, before insanity itself is her only means of escape?
Advance Praise
'Harrowing, unsettling, but brilliant from first page to last. My Book of the Year.' Clio Gray, Man Booker International and Baileys Prize-nominated author of The Anatomist's Dream
'The Wacky Man makes for a visceral piece of realism.' Rob Ward, Brown University
'An ambitious, dark, searing debut novel... didn't let me go from page to raw, agonising, heart-wrenching page.' Mark O'Brien, MADE in Leeds
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781785079566 |
| PRICE | £4.99 (GBP) |
Average rating from 20 members
Featured Reviews
Stephanie S, Reviewer
I would like to thank Lyn G. Farrell, Legend Pressand Netgalley for giving me an advance copy for my honest review!
Review By Stephanie 4.5 Stars WOW!! Can someone please give me a Xanax?!?! The Wacky Man had me on the edge of my seat, my heart pounding and glued to my kindle! This review is so hard to write, as I do not know what to write because I want all readers to go into this book blind. You need to read Amanda's story not knowing her horrible past and her outcome. As Amanda uncovers each piece and they all come together the finished product is just WOW!!
Mandy J, Reviewer
A powerful and emotional story of Amanda, a young girl with serious mental health issues as a result of a lifetime of abuse at home. When we meet her she refuses to even leave her room and gradually we go back in time to discover what a nightmare she and her family have been enduring. This is a hard-hitting novel indeed, and one which feels totally convincing and authentic. I can only imagine the author has had some first-hand experience. She gets to the heart of what the effects of abuse really are, whether physical, psychological or emotional, and what abuse can do to a family and the individuals in it. The result is a brutally honest and searing account which cannot fail to move, but also enlighten, the reader. This is an excellent piece of writing, especially for a début novelist, well-crafted, well-paced and very well-written.
Vicky S, Reviewer
The Wacky Man is possibly one of the most important books that I've read so far this year. The subject matter is tough, but necessary.
Light reading it is not, but this novel's length makes it readable without being too dark.
The Wacky Man details Amanda's early life and the events leading up to her isolation in her bedroom.
As the youngest child, and the only girl, Amanda was the black sheep of the family from the moment she was born.
Amanda's Father Seamus, comes from a large stereotypical Irish family, his wife Barbara has never been 'good enough' for his family. From the moment they are married Barbara struggles to control her husband's moods.
When the Twins, come along Barbara trusts that she is doing the right thing for her family by staying with her husband.
And then Amanda arrives, a noisy, demanding baby who seems to bring out the worst in her Father...
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