A work of genius * Guardian *
One of the finest novels of the past 50 years * Mail on Sunday *
Funny, sad and beautifully written; prescient, wise, original and unexpectedly eccentric -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *
TROUBLES has everything: great story, compelling characters, believable dialogue and big ideas. It's a book good enough to win the Booker in any year. Not just 1970. * GUARDIAN *
Like Fawlty Towers written by Evelyn Waugh -- Rachel Cooke * Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival *
No finer work has ever been written about this transitional period in Irish history: it remains a landmark in 20th-century Irish literature, and one that deserves to win The One And Only Great Retrospective Booker * IRISH INDEPENDENT *
Farrell's vision and voice are unique, inimitable -- John Banville
It's funny, sad and beautifully written; it's prescient, wise, original and unexpectedly eccentric. Vote JG, I say. Or even better, just read him. -- Rachel Cooke * OBSERVER *
Troubles has everything: great story, compelling characters, believable dialogue and big ideas. It's a book good enough to win the Booker in any year. Not just 1970. -- John Crace * GUARDIAN *
Like Fawlty Towers written by Evelyn Waugh -- Rachel Cooke * Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival, 2010 *
'I can't praise this book enough. It's a good rule that reviewers should be forbidden from using the word genius...But it's hard to know what else to say when faced with a book like Troubles. There's no avoiding it. JG Farrell was a genius.' -- Sam Jordison * GUARDIAN BOOKS BLOG *
No finer work has ever been written about this transitional period in Irish history: it remains a landmark in 20th-century Irish literature, and one that deserves to win The One And Only Great Retrospective Booker. -- Kevin Myers * IRISH INDEPENDENT *
Troubles stands up at every stage. It has a fine beginning and a brilliant ending, and is sustained throughout by this wit, laughter and intelligence. -- Tobias HIll * INDEPENDENT *
meaty and magnificent?He [Farrell] is a master at controlling pace, and his writing is satisfyingly solid. He is capable of the most vigorous farce, and then he will bring things to the knife edge of tragedy?a fine and fitting winner. -- Philip Womack * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
Poignant, meticulously observed, often hilarious, it is one of the finest novels of the past 50 years. -- Simon Shaw * MAIL ON SUNDAY *
