Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Wild Laughter cover art

The Wild Laughter

By: Caoilinn Hughes
Narrated by: Chris O'Dowd
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $29.99

Buy Now for $29.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

Named a most anticipated title for 2020 by the Financial Times, The Irish Times and Rté.

Hilarious, poignant and utterly fresh, The Wild Laughter cements Caoilinn Hughes' position as one of Ireland's most audacious, nuanced and insightful young writers.

It’s 2008, and the Celtic Tiger has left devastation in its wake. Brothers Hart and Cormac Black are waking up to a very different Ireland - one that widens the chasm between them and brings their beloved father to his knees. Facing a devastating choice that will put their livelihoods - and even their lives - on the line, the brothers soon learn that the biggest danger comes when there is nothing to lose.

A sharp snapshot of a family and a nation suddenly unmoored, this epic-in-miniature explores cowardice and sacrifice, faith rewarded and abandoned, the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we resist. Hilarious, poignant and utterly fresh, The Wild Laughter cements Caoilinn Hughes’ position as one of Ireland’s most audacious, nuanced and insightful young writers.

©2020 Caoilinn Hughes (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing

Critic Reviews

"Caoilinn Hughes is a writer of immense ability and vitality - she’s a true natural, with the talent to match her ambition." (Kevin Barry, author of Night Boat to Tangier)

"So funny and bleak. I loved the madness, the tone, the ending, the realisation, The Third Policeman charge of the whole thing." (Roddy Doyle, Booker prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha)

"Extraordinary.... A book of wicked intelligence and tender heart." (Max Porter, author of Lanny)

What listeners say about The Wild Laughter

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly written!

From the first word, the author took me on a rollercoaster journey of human emotions through her insightful, beautiful language. I was hooked to the very end. The icing on the cake was the totally brilliant, believable, lilting narration. Highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.