Books
Reviews
Praise for Jamie O’Connell’s writing:
‘Many … will be delighted to acquire a copy of Best-Loved Joyce, Jamie O’Connell’s selection of quotations and short extracts from Joyce’s fiction, portraying the author at his most accessible. It’s a beautifully produced little volume, lavishly illustrated by Emma Byrne, with a striking cloth cover, silk bookmark, and an introduction by Bob Joyce, James Joyce’s great-nephew, who writes how “Joyce was a conjuror with words and captured the essence of all human life” – or, as a line from Finnegans Wake has it, “They lived und laughed ant loved end left”.’
The Times Literary Supplement on Best-Loved Joyce
‘A very enjoyable book… beautifully designed… a great introduction to [Joyce’s] genius. It’s great.’
Michael Bradley, The Arts Show, BBC Radio Ulster on Best-Loved Joyce
‘a gorgeous publication, beautifully designed. A manageable collection of quotes, it serves as an introduction to Joyce for those who have neither the time nor the inclination to tackle Ulysses … Hardback and pocket-sized, it’s almost like a precious little icon to carry around and dip in and out of when the mood takes you’
‘What is Susan Stairs Reading?’, The Irish Times, on Best-Loved Joyce
‘“Silencio,” a story in Jamie O’Connell’s excellent debut collection Some Sort of Beauty works wonderfully well in class as an introduction to the exuberance of Celtic Tiger Ireland. “Silencio” captures the energy of a youthful self-confidence in which affluence, attractiveness, and success are taken for granted… It celebrates a sense of the exuberance of being carefree in an unburdened present moment.’
Professor James H Murphy, ‘Sleeper Hits of the Irish Studies Classroom’, New Hibernia Review
‘…there is a cadence to his debut: a rise and levelling and fall, melodies which recur, a satisfying tempo…a broadly harmonious collection, and my admiration is wholehearted.’
Sara Baume, Southword Journal, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘O’Connell writes with tenderness and attention, earnestly describing a world in which belief systems have crumbled, where families are in denial about what has destroyed them, where internet sex turns out to be just as vacuous as it sounds, and where commitment to love and friendship is often hazardous.’
The Irish Times on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…the power of the book is in the perspectives it chooses, and the very direct way in which O’Connell goes straight to the emotional centre of each story. Family, love, travel, art, sex - he dives straight in there and he has something to say about all of them. This is a good book, from a writer with a great future.’
Keith Ridgway, author of Hawthorn & Child, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘Jamie O’Connell takes us on an exhilarating road-trip through the trials and triumphs of being young, Irish, ambitious and gay… Very enjoyable. Remarkable for a first book. Great things may be forthcoming.’
Books Ireland on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…a fresh, engaging and powerful set of stories.’
The Sunday Independent on Some Sort of Beauty
‘an impressive maturity of insight and control of language.’’
Kevin Power, author of Bad Day in Blackrock, on A Curious Impulse
‘Many … will be delighted to acquire a copy of Best-Loved Joyce, Jamie O’Connell’s selection of quotations and short extracts from Joyce’s fiction, portraying the author at his most accessible. It’s a beautifully produced little volume, lavishly illustrated by Emma Byrne, with a striking cloth cover, silk bookmark, and an introduction by Bob Joyce, James Joyce’s great-nephew, who writes how “Joyce was a conjuror with words and captured the essence of all human life” – or, as a line from Finnegans Wake has it, “They lived und laughed ant loved end left”.’
The Times Literary Supplement on Best-Loved Joyce
‘A very enjoyable book… beautifully designed… a great introduction to [Joyce’s] genius. It’s great.’
Michael Bradley, The Arts Show, BBC Radio Ulster on Best-Loved Joyce
‘a gorgeous publication, beautifully designed. A manageable collection of quotes, it serves as an introduction to Joyce for those who have neither the time nor the inclination to tackle Ulysses … Hardback and pocket-sized, it’s almost like a precious little icon to carry around and dip in and out of when the mood takes you’
‘What is Susan Stairs Reading?’, The Irish Times, on Best-Loved Joyce
‘“Silencio,” a story in Jamie O’Connell’s excellent debut collection Some Sort of Beauty works wonderfully well in class as an introduction to the exuberance of Celtic Tiger Ireland. “Silencio” captures the energy of a youthful self-confidence in which affluence, attractiveness, and success are taken for granted… It celebrates a sense of the exuberance of being carefree in an unburdened present moment.’
Professor James H Murphy, ‘Sleeper Hits of the Irish Studies Classroom’, New Hibernia Review
‘…there is a cadence to his debut: a rise and levelling and fall, melodies which recur, a satisfying tempo…a broadly harmonious collection, and my admiration is wholehearted.’
Sara Baume, Southword Journal, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘O’Connell writes with tenderness and attention, earnestly describing a world in which belief systems have crumbled, where families are in denial about what has destroyed them, where internet sex turns out to be just as vacuous as it sounds, and where commitment to love and friendship is often hazardous.’
The Irish Times on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…the power of the book is in the perspectives it chooses, and the very direct way in which O’Connell goes straight to the emotional centre of each story. Family, love, travel, art, sex - he dives straight in there and he has something to say about all of them. This is a good book, from a writer with a great future.’
Keith Ridgway, author of Hawthorn & Child, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘Jamie O’Connell takes us on an exhilarating road-trip through the trials and triumphs of being young, Irish, ambitious and gay… Very enjoyable. Remarkable for a first book. Great things may be forthcoming.’
Books Ireland on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…a fresh, engaging and powerful set of stories.’
The Sunday Independent on Some Sort of Beauty
‘an impressive maturity of insight and control of language.’’
Kevin Power, author of Bad Day in Blackrock, on A Curious Impulse
‘Many … will be delighted to acquire a copy of Best-Loved Joyce, Jamie O’Connell’s selection of quotations and short extracts from Joyce’s fiction, portraying the author at his most accessible. It’s a beautifully produced little volume, lavishly illustrated by Emma Byrne, with a striking cloth cover, silk bookmark, and an introduction by Bob Joyce, James Joyce’s great-nephew, who writes how “Joyce was a conjuror with words and captured the essence of all human life” – or, as a line from Finnegans Wake has it, “They lived und laughed ant loved end left”.’
The Times Literary Supplement on Best-Loved Joyce
‘A very enjoyable book… beautifully designed… a great introduction to [Joyce’s] genius. It’s great.’
Michael Bradley, The Arts Show, BBC Radio Ulster on Best-Loved Joyce
‘a gorgeous publication, beautifully designed. A manageable collection of quotes, it serves as an introduction to Joyce for those who have neither the time nor the inclination to tackle Ulysses … Hardback and pocket-sized, it’s almost like a precious little icon to carry around and dip in and out of when the mood takes you’
‘What is Susan Stairs Reading?’, The Irish Times, on Best-Loved Joyce
‘“Silencio,” a story in Jamie O’Connell’s excellent debut collection Some Sort of Beauty works wonderfully well in class as an introduction to the exuberance of Celtic Tiger Ireland. “Silencio” captures the energy of a youthful self-confidence in which affluence, attractiveness, and success are taken for granted… It celebrates a sense of the exuberance of being carefree in an unburdened present moment.’
Professor James H Murphy, ‘Sleeper Hits of the Irish Studies Classroom’, New Hibernia Review
‘…there is a cadence to his debut: a rise and levelling and fall, melodies which recur, a satisfying tempo…a broadly harmonious collection, and my admiration is wholehearted.’
Sara Baume, Southword Journal, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘O’Connell writes with tenderness and attention, earnestly describing a world in which belief systems have crumbled, where families are in denial about what has destroyed them, where internet sex turns out to be just as vacuous as it sounds, and where commitment to love and friendship is often hazardous.’
The Irish Times on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…the power of the book is in the perspectives it chooses, and the very direct way in which O’Connell goes straight to the emotional centre of each story. Family, love, travel, art, sex - he dives straight in there and he has something to say about all of them. This is a good book, from a writer with a great future.’
Keith Ridgway, author of Hawthorn & Child, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘Jamie O’Connell takes us on an exhilarating road-trip through the trials and triumphs of being young, Irish, ambitious and gay… Very enjoyable. Remarkable for a first book. Great things may be forthcoming.’
Books Ireland on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…a fresh, engaging and powerful set of stories.’
The Sunday Independent on Some Sort of Beauty
‘an impressive maturity of insight and control of language.’’
Kevin Power, author of Bad Day in Blackrock, on A Curious Impulse
‘Many … will be delighted to acquire a copy of Best-Loved Joyce, Jamie O’Connell’s selection of quotations and short extracts from Joyce’s fiction, portraying the author at his most accessible. It’s a beautifully produced little volume, lavishly illustrated by Emma Byrne, with a striking cloth cover, silk bookmark, and an introduction by Bob Joyce, James Joyce’s great-nephew, who writes how “Joyce was a conjuror with words and captured the essence of all human life” – or, as a line from Finnegans Wake has it, “They lived und laughed ant loved end left”.’
The Times Literary Supplement on Best-Loved Joyce
‘A very enjoyable book… beautifully designed… a great introduction to [Joyce’s] genius. It’s great.’
Michael Bradley, The Arts Show, BBC Radio Ulster on Best-Loved Joyce
‘a gorgeous publication, beautifully designed. A manageable collection of quotes, it serves as an introduction to Joyce for those who have neither the time nor the inclination to tackle Ulysses … Hardback and pocket-sized, it’s almost like a precious little icon to carry around and dip in and out of when the mood takes you’
‘What is Susan Stairs Reading?’, The Irish Times, on Best-Loved Joyce
‘“Silencio,” a story in Jamie O’Connell’s excellent debut collection Some Sort of Beauty works wonderfully well in class as an introduction to the exuberance of Celtic Tiger Ireland. “Silencio” captures the energy of a youthful self-confidence in which affluence, attractiveness, and success are taken for granted… It celebrates a sense of the exuberance of being carefree in an unburdened present moment.’
Professor James H Murphy, ‘Sleeper Hits of the Irish Studies Classroom’, New Hibernia Review
‘…there is a cadence to his debut: a rise and levelling and fall, melodies which recur, a satisfying tempo…a broadly harmonious collection, and my admiration is wholehearted.’
Sara Baume, Southword Journal, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘O’Connell writes with tenderness and attention, earnestly describing a world in which belief systems have crumbled, where families are in denial about what has destroyed them, where internet sex turns out to be just as vacuous as it sounds, and where commitment to love and friendship is often hazardous.’
The Irish Times on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…the power of the book is in the perspectives it chooses, and the very direct way in which O’Connell goes straight to the emotional centre of each story. Family, love, travel, art, sex - he dives straight in there and he has something to say about all of them. This is a good book, from a writer with a great future.’
Keith Ridgway, author of Hawthorn & Child, on Some Sort of Beauty
‘Jamie O’Connell takes us on an exhilarating road-trip through the trials and triumphs of being young, Irish, ambitious and gay… Very enjoyable. Remarkable for a first book. Great things may be forthcoming.’
Books Ireland on Some Sort of Beauty
‘…a fresh, engaging and powerful set of stories.’
The Sunday Independent on Some Sort of Beauty
‘an impressive maturity of insight and control of language.’’
Kevin Power, author of Bad Day in Blackrock, on A Curious Impulse
