Ross O'Carroll Kelly books

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.

denhaagenite

Katgurl wrote: »

I'm not sure I'd be bothered if I didn't grow up in south side Dublin though, probably appeals to me because I came across so many of those w@nkers on a regular basis.

Nah we had similar wans growing up in Cork so could identify with it.

I used to read them and did enjoy them. They were well written, funny and I would probably still read them if I had the time. They were kind of along the lines of Adrian Mole, which were hilarious.