OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea

(Paperback)

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Description

Funny, gripping, and sometimes heartbreaking essays from a big new comic talent Patrick Freyne has tried a lot of stupid ideas in his life. Now, in his scintillating debut, he is here to tell you about them- like the time (aged 5) he opened a gate and let a horse out of its field, just to see what would happen; or the time (aged 19) he jumped out of a plane for charity, even though he didn't much care about the charity and was sure he'd end up dead; or the time (aged old enough to know better) he used a magazine as a funnel for fuel when the petrol cap on his band's van broke. He has also learned a few things- about the power of group song; about the beauty of physically caring for another human being; about childlessness; about losing friends far too young. Life as seen through the eyes of Patrick Freyne is stranger, funnier and a lot more interesting than life as we generally know it. Like David Sedaris or Nora Ephron, he creates an environment all his own - fundamentally comic, sometimes moving, always deeply humane. OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea is a joyous reading experience from an instantly essential new writer.

Reviews

One of the year's funniest books ... witty, wise and worth returning to again and again * i Paper *
Funny, smart, soulful and sometimes devastating, this book shows life in all its shades. It made me laugh and cry -- Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self
Warm, wry, charming, absorbing ... It's the most gorgeous and heartbreaking book about humans and why we need each other -- Daisy Buchanan * via Twitter *
Funny and adorable -- Nina Stibbe
I was reminded - very happily reminded - of Kurt Vonnegut. But Patrick Freyne is his own writer and this book is clever, lovely and great, great fun -- Roddy Doyle
Patrick Freyne has a distinct and enviable gift for story-telling ... Full of humour and tenderness, this book is an absolute JOY -- Sinad Gleeson, author of Constellations
One of the best-written, smartest and gosh-darn-it funniest books I've read in a very long while -- Samus O'Reilly
Hilariously, painfully, Freynefully brilliant -- Joseph O'Connor
Whether he's writing about his childhood on a military base, working in a kebab shop with a nazi in his teens, playing in punk bands in his twenties, or grappling with the question of whether to have children, Patrick Freyne is a writer of rare humour, depth, and humanity. These essays are a delight -- Mark O'Connell, author of To Be a Machine
A cracking, sad, funny, honest, brave and hilarious read -- Liz Nugent * via Twitter *
No one makes me laugh like Patrick Freyne -- Paul Howard
Superb ... The stories move from breathtakingly vulnerable to extraordinarily funny, and all with such skill and lightness of touch. I loved it -- Louise O'Neill
I don't know another writer who could balance poignancy and hilarity with such grace ... Goosebumps! Guffaws! It's got it all. I love this book -- Doireann N Ghrofa * via Twitter *
Guffaw-out-loud funny * Business Post *
A riotous read from the get-go ... An absolute tonic for our times * RT Guide *
F*cking fantastic. Patrick is a brilliant writer -- Blindboy Boatclub * via Twitter *
Lovely ... It's very worth reading -- Dara Briain * via Twitter *
A wonderful book ... done with a gorgeous twist of humour and great emotional insight ... One of my books of the year -- Ryan Tubridy * RT Radio 1 *
Exquisite ... One of the funniest writers in Ireland * Irish Examiner *
Immensely readable, warm, human and very, very funny * Irish Daily Star *
Pixies were loud-quiet-loud. Patrick Freyne is funny-sad-funny. I really loved his new book -- Ed O'Loughlin * via Twitter *
Readers are sure to find themselves touched by Freyne's writing ... Delightful * Journal.ie *
Freyne's thoroughly entertaining debut is a flash of warmth and wit in the darkness * Totally Dublin *
Genuinely moving ... [It] will evoke warmth in anyone who isn't totally sociopathic * Hot Press *
A delightful insight into the mind of the hilarious Patrick Freyne * Irish Country Magazine *
So honest, so funny, and most importantly, 11/10 for self-deprecation -- Sarah Breen
Brilliant ... An absolute mind hug -- Niall Breslin
Freyne's radar is precision-honed to find the madness within the mundane * Sunday Independent *
More moving that I ever expected and somehow funnier than I assumed -- Emer McLysaght * Irish Times, Best Books of 2020 *

Author Bio

Patrick Freyne spent most of his twenties trying to be a rock star before turning to the much more stable and secure world of journalism. He is a features writer at the Irish Times. OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea is his first book.