Very worthwhile read, though I'm convinced that I would have liked it better if I were a guy, a little too much about sex-obsession among adolescents and immature adult males. But beautifully written and makes me want to read Robert Graves.

Meh. Couldn't get into it.

Excellent book with rich characters, especially little Skippy. Sits at #1 on my list of top books from 2010.

Looking at all the previous comments, I don't think I have much to add. Except that this book is FUNNY. Not ha-ha funny, not fun at the expense of others' misfortune. But a kind of sublime humor that arises from the clash of conformity against the chaos and anguish that is youth. This is a book that is worth reading a second time (that is, if you can imagine reading anything a second time in these days!). This is a book that makes me remember what it was, to feel the crush and splendor of first love.

Though it starts with the death of a student this novel is not so much a "who-done-it" as a character study of the students and teachers of an Irish private school. It is written with laugh out loud humour and many poignant moments as you glimpse into the hearts of these characters.

Very compelling and interesting, full of pith and moment, sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes horrifying, nuanced and brutally honest and eye-opening. Story about, as the NY Times review said, "a single catastrophic autumn" at an Irish boys' school (some boarders but mostly day students; also deals a lot with the teachers and admin and touches on the nearby girls' school as well - very balanced). Should appeal to anyone interested in teaching, quantum physics, string theory, growing up, love, the universe, doughnuts....! I don't think my high school ever had "bad boys" as bad as the bad boys in this book (though maybe now every high school does? or perhaps only in bigger cities like Dublin, Toronto, etc) and I sure learned more about the gritty side of life than I cared to. But to its great credit, this book made me feel for teenagers in a way I never have before, even when I was one.

funny, sad, frightening, touching story about teenage suicide; but it is much more about life than death.

Excellent. Bittersweet, funny, and tragic. At times the tone is bleak, but not overwhelmingly so. The author takes a standard Catholic boarding school scenario and makes it highly original. It is that originality that kept me interested and involved with the characters. It's no secret that Skippy dies, but what circumstances lead up to his death? What does his death mean to those around him? The plot has many levels: silly boy pranks, dark teenage angst, scary drug culture, and adults questioning the choices they have made. While each character is caught up in the quandry of their own life, they don't really notice the one person who deserves their attention, Skippy. How does a troubled child slip through the cracks?

Having only completed the 1st volume I'm finding it hard to will myself to continue with the story. I'd imagine that some of the great reviews I've read about this book stem from reading the whole novel straight through. I think Paul Murray captured his characters well but ultimately I found some of his descriptions such as M-Theory tedious. Given that this is only part of the story I'm aware that what I didn't like about volume one may have been corrected in the remainder of the book but I'm not compelled to continue on. I know Skippy dies and I don't really care enough to know more about the events leading up to his death. However if, like me, you grew up in Ireland attending a school run by priests or nuns you'll enjoy the author's depiction of the teachers and his representation of the D4 heads! Of course if you have no idea what a D4 head is then let me please point out that the world of Seabrook is an entirely different world than that of the average Irish person.

The book blurb is a bit misleading, but don't let that keep you away from this book. It's darker, sadder, and bleaker than you might imagine, yet there are moments of sheer beauty in this book, and quite a lot that will make you laugh out loud. This isn't a young adult novel, rather it is an adult book that older teens will like.