Frogs for Watchdogs

Every so often a novel comes along that will take the reader’s breath away … This novel teeters between profound sadness, near-paralysing anxiety and riotous comedy. It is, in my opinion, a masterpiece * Anne Cunningham, Irish Independent *
A tremendous debut * Alex Clarke, Irish Times *
Frogs for Watchdogs was garlanded with praise on its Irish publication last spring, and it’s easy to see why. It is funny, evokes a child’s vivid sense of place and ultimately is deeply touching … a novel whose crinkle-eyed charm is so hard to resist * Patrick Gale, Guardian *
Seán Farrell’s impressive debut is a very special novel * Alannah Hopkin, Irish Examiner *
I can’t remember the last time I was so caught up in a book … a very special novel * Louise Kennedy *
An enthralling novel, and a remarkable imaginative feat - the narrative voice is wholly convincing, and utterly compelling. Seán Farrell is a magical writer, and his name is one to conjure with * John Banville *
A beautiful novel. I feel real love for it, and a bit emotional after reading it … Jerry Drain is one of the most beautifully rendered fictional characters I’ve come across in a long, long time. I think this is a stunning novel and I know it’ll live long in my imagination. I’m so glad to have read it * Donal Ryan *
Wise and precise, nuanced and frank, this fiction works on several levels at once, creating pleasure, intrigue and unease * Belinda McKeon *
A beautiful novel, painfully yearning, mysterious, and tender. I couldn’t put it down * Una Mannion *
A joy … How difficult it is navigating the trappings and burdens of masculinity, whether it’s the intensity of childhood or the pressures of young adulthood, yet Sean Farrell writes into this with intelligence, sensitivity and humour * Joshua Jones, Dylan Thomas Prize shortlisted author of Local Fires *
A powerful and engaging debut, which does a remarkable job of recreating the peaks and troughs of childhood * Buzz Magazine *
It adds to the sense of care taken on Farrell’s part to execute the most important element of a child narrative: balancing the gap between what the narrator knows and what the reader does. It’s this, together with the charm in the voice, that makes the book succeed * John Self, Critic *
Farrell creates a well-realised world with jeopardy imagined and real, sustaining tension throughout * TLS *

Sean Farrell was born and brought up in the Irish midlands. After graduating from Cambridge University, he spent fifteen years in France working as a labourer. As well as writing, he works as a freelance literary editor. He lives in Sligo with his wife and their four children. Frogs for Watchdogs is his first novel.

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