Father Frank - Paul Burke

I saw this book at my mother's house and was immediately drawn to it by the cover. The colours are bright and modern (orange and turquoise and there is a litlte black cab with a silvery halo underneath the title. My mother does not (in my experience) usually read books that look this modern, so I had to pick it up and inspect more closely. When she saw me looking at it, my mother said "Oh, you'll love that it's a great book - so funny." Now at the age of thirty-two, I should be past that rebellious age where you contradict everything your parents say but I couldn't resist a "Hmm, it's about a ... more

Father Frank is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Sadly, though, I did feel the build-up (i.e. from the 70s while he was at school, his family background and college days) to Frank's eventual career (a Catholic priest) a little too burdensome - merely because I wanted the story to 'get going' and felt Paul Burke could have began the story a little later in Frank's life. Having said that, his writing style was so fluent and funny that I kept reading - couldn't put it down in fact - until I had finished it 24hrs later! Because Father Frank doesn't believe in God - but holds a ... more

This book has such an original story line - an athiest who goes to Oxford University to read Theology with 3 failed a-level grades, and then becomes a Priest. I wont spoil the ending...... Although many may argue that the story line, however original, is very far fetched, it is my opinion that Paul Burke can carry this off with him light and humourous writing style. If you look closely, this book has all the classic markings of a 'chick lit' novel (i.e. man meets woman, and love conqoures all), yet these are cleverly hidden by the main characters typically 'laddish' perspective. It seems that ... more

This original, comedic novel is blisteringly funny, full of potent one-liners and is warm and engaging from the start. The catholic religion is approached with both insight and humour, Paul Burke is a highly creative writer that injects humour onto each page. The story follows the career choice of one man, his influence on those around him, and the influence of others on him. The characters are both funny yet believable, and allow the book to come to life, creating a novel that is hard to put down. It is one of the only books that I can read again and again, the excitement is not at the ... more