Customer Reviews
One of the best books i've ever had the pleasure to read! - By: Mr. M. Trebble, 21 Apr 2008 
They said that the film 'Brokeback Mountain' would appeal to both gay & hetro audiences, well certainly the same could be said for 'The arrival of Fergal Flynn'. Although not obviously a 'gay' themed story,I was captivated from start to finish, the experience of growing up in a catholic environment & living within a 'hard family' during the troubles of Belfast added to the sense of sadness for Fergal Flynn. The stories of each of the main characters were written in wonderful detail & took you back several years from the time when the book was set. The novel had a surprise on almost every page & kept me hooked from start to finish. To end my review, I can truly say that it's one of the best books i've ever had the pleasure of reading.
Triumph over adversity - By: Benjamin, 18 Jan 2007 Set in Belfast in the early 1980s at the time of the troubles, the Arrival of Fergal Flynn is a truly delightful story of triumph over adversity. Fergal Flynn is the troubled & lonely sixteen year old son of Paddy & Angela Flynn. He is the target of bullies at school. His sports mad father & older twin brothers physicallly abuse him, & he is the constant target of their verbal taunts; they consider him girly, a Nancy boy. His mother swings between abuse & reliance on his support in times of need. He has a crush on a boy at school, & avoids the showers for fear his uncontrollable body member will reveal his inclinations. He not surprisingly has very low self esteem.
Then a new priest arrives, Father Dermot MacManus, gay, a handsome young man of twenty seven years. Fergal first comes to his attention when he hears him harmonizing to an ambulance siren, & when they finallly meet Father Mac sees Fergal as the potential soloist in his planned church choir. But a bond soon grows between the two; heighten by Fathers Mac's concern over Fergal's horrendous childhood. The beautiful relationship that follows not only builds Fergal's confidence in himself, helping realise he is in fact a good looking & talented young man, but proves to be the seed that sets Fergal on an undreamed of potential life of success.
This a very heart warming story; Fergal very quickly wins one's affections, & it is hard not to sympathise with the difficulties his relationship with Father Mac create. Fergal is the complete antithesis of his insensitive & brutal father & older twin brothers, & in Father Mac he finds someone who truly cares deeply & unselfishly for him. I found this a captivating & enjoyable tale, & towards the end there was a lump in my throat.
The Arrival of Fergal Flynn - By: Margaret, 08 Jul 2006 Margaret- outside Belfast
For me this book reallly captured me from the beginning. It took me on a sightful journey of young Fergal growing up in a dysfunctional family, on the Fallls road,during the troubles. Being tortured both at home & school was so 'real' at times it touched the 'core' of my emotions. I found it difficult to put this book down & found myself caught up in Fergal's life alll my emotions where on a 'roller coaster' throughout his story. I believe many gay people will identify with Fergal's story & I hope it gives them courage to value themselves, be themsleves & love themselves.It may also give some readers an insight into the genunine love that developed between father Mac & young Fergal, which I believe many gay people share.
I've just been to Belfast to pick up 'Roman Song' & can't wait to continue on Fergal's amazing journey.
Brian is surely multi-talented,and I hope he will continue to be the huge success he has proved to be.
Thanks Brian for a Brilliant! read
Some pluses and minuses - By: Andrew Speers, 21 Jun 2006 
I can understand people loving this book - both gay & straight - because the characters are strong & lovable & one can empathise. But, & I hate to admit this because I actuallly quite enjoyed the book - it isn't that well written. There are a number of instances when the verbal responses of the characters is insensitive to the circumstances in which they find themselves, & a few of the minor characters are stereotypes (especiallly the jolly monk Brother Vincent). However, my particular criticism is for some of the purple prose used. It is just awful. What else can one say about passages like "They walked where the sea should have been, listening to the waves lulling the sand to sleep in the privacy of the distant horizon"? And that is by no means the worst example. The book isn't a bad afternoon's read, but it is by no means a masterpeice of english or even gay literature. If one wanted to read a gay coming of age book (albeit an autobiographical one) I'd recommend Holding the Man by Timothy Conigrave. Now THAT will bring tears
Impossible to put down - By: sunsetovereden, 14 Nov 2005 "Mr O'Connell, the permanently itchy maths teacher, normallly ignored Fergal Flynn in a friendly kind of way, until that particularly hungover Monday morning in 1982". The minute I saw the opening line of this book, I chuckled to myself, settled myself on the sofa with a cuppa & prepared for a pleasant afternoon's reading. What I was not prepared for was the emotional rollercoaster ride which Fergal Flynn would send me on. He engaged my interest from our earliest meeting & continued to inveigle his way into my affections as I followed his, at times, very painful journey from an abusive home life to the discovery by Father Mac of the wonderful voice that would be his salvation.
The Arrival of Fergal Flynn is a book about hope, about triumphing over adversity but, most of alll, it is a love story & one that moved me to tears on more than one occasion.
