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On the Origin of Findo Gask
The Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands may well be a tourist's ideal: ancient villages in a beautiful rolling coastal landscape filled with myth and legend; but who the hell would want to grow up there? Certainly not Findo Gask, former child prodigy and by some distance Scotland's ugliest sixteen year old. He's stuck in his Gran's tiny house at the far end of a long single track road and no girl will even look at him, let alone touch his cock.
In a simple story of being sixteen in a place where nothing ever happens, (apart from trying to get served under-age; everybody hating him; suspected demonic possession; his Mum's mystery illness; his nutter Cousin; his nutter Cousin's nutter friend; the terrible misuse of farm equipment; bringing down Christianity; the family mermaid; exams; a spot of kidnapping; the legend of Bonnie Prince Charlie's silver spoons, and happening to be the person who solved the universe that morning without even using maths). All Findo really wants to do is to get drunk this weekend and somehow learn to cope with the forlorn hope of ever finding someone who'll want to touch his cock.
As for the Darwinian Terrorist Organisation he started when he was twelve: well that's all behind him now.
In a simple story of being sixteen in a place where nothing ever happens, (apart from trying to get served under-age; everybody hating him; suspected demonic possession; his Mum's mystery illness; his nutter Cousin; his nutter Cousin's nutter friend; the terrible misuse of farm equipment; bringing down Christianity; the family mermaid; exams; a spot of kidnapping; the legend of Bonnie Prince Charlie's silver spoons, and happening to be the person who solved the universe that morning without even using maths). All Findo really wants to do is to get drunk this weekend and somehow learn to cope with the forlorn hope of ever finding someone who'll want to touch his cock.
As for the Darwinian Terrorist Organisation he started when he was twelve: well that's all behind him now.
266 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2013
1 person is currently reading
207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 6, 2013
Loved this book although it is not for the easily offended. It is cleverly written with laugh out loud humour. Great characters and you just have to love Findos' honesty. He's not a hit with the girls, has been thrown out of his Mums' church for blasphemy and accused of being part of a non existant Black Isle Ku Klux Klan. Read and enjoy. What about Findo part 2?
July 18, 2014
Page 238 made me give this book 5 stars. The ending to this book is so much fun. Great read. � Atheism.
July 15, 2013
The blurb on the back of the book says "Sick. Twisted. Blasphemous. Wrong. And Very, Very Funny." While the first four may or may not be right, the last one certainly is. Findo Gask, an adolescent boy, forced to amuse himself as far as possible in an out-of-the-way hamlet in the Scottish Highlands, is the funniest and most honest character I have enjoyed reading since Owen Meany came climbing over the horizon. Comparisons with Holden Caulfield are inevitable, but since I found Catcher in the Rye unreadable as an adult, I believe that Findo Gask offers more in the way of perspective that an adult can appreciate--and Findo is also funnier. Author David McCreight somehow inhabits the mind of an outcast, sarcastic, sneering, sexually frustrated, angry teenage boy seamlessly, and takes us along as Findo, descendent of mermaids and robbers of historic silver spoons, moves in constant outrage from his attempts at striking out at smug, hypocrytic, showily religious people disintegrate into crime, to his first sexual encounter with a real woman (not what he imagined it would be), to his failed nights out with his friends Diane and Alex which involve a nipple amputation..... and Findo's sense of self-deprecation and refusal to accept the obvious make us his accomplices in his attempts to ..... do something. This book made me laugh out loud in many places. If you like sarcastic humor, incredulous events, a little fantasy thrown in, and the relentlessly funny voice of a boy who needs to be listened to, then you will enjoy this book very much. I am looking forward to seeing what else the author has to offer us in future books---perhaps a continuation of Findo's story?
June 9, 2013
I struggled to get into this book at the start and not sure really why. Maybe its because the book did not really seem to be going anywhere, maybe because I did not take to Findo Gask himself straight away or simply because it was 24 degrees outside and I should have been sitting in a beer garden some where instead of in doors ready. So I put the book down, went off somewhere else and came back to it later. When I got back to the book, cousin Dan made his first appearance and the story line went up a couple of gears and I went from its ok, to really enjoying a wild twisted ride that brought laughter, gasps of surprise in a real fucked up away. The introduction of cousin Dan, Maxwell, Diana and even a minor character Twiglet really brought the book to a different level. This book is not for the easily offended but for those with a sense of humour that can border on the extreme, its is well worth a read and for the price it costs on kindle there is no real reason not to try it. The ending of the book, while maybe a bit abrupt does leave open the possibility of a sequel and I for one would be interested in reading.
September 13, 2016
I won this book via the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway.
I can honestly say I have not read a book this amusing for a very long time but to reiterate previous recommendations it is not for the easily offended, otherwise dive right on in!
David McCreight I am definatly impressed and I am surprised this book is not so well known! Nothing wrong at your end anyway.
My only niggle was a certain medical 'situation' which I was a bit sceptical about but I have to say I was surprisingly satisfied by the ending (rare in my case) but that said I would be happy to see a sequel...
Will be reading this again in the near future!
I can honestly say I have not read a book this amusing for a very long time but to reiterate previous recommendations it is not for the easily offended, otherwise dive right on in!
David McCreight I am definatly impressed and I am surprised this book is not so well known! Nothing wrong at your end anyway.
My only niggle was a certain medical 'situation' which I was a bit sceptical about but I have to say I was surprisingly satisfied by the ending (rare in my case) but that said I would be happy to see a sequel...
Will be reading this again in the near future!
April 12, 2014
I received this book from Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Firstreads giveaway.
I really enjoyed this book, in places it reminded me of a Scottish highlands version of Youth in Revolt, but a bit more weird! Definitely worth a read! Shame it ends a bit abruptly!
Took me a while to get into and I didn't really like Findo to much until about 2/3's into the book.
There are some great, really funny conversations and one liners, my favourite being findos mum talking about the Ku Klux Clan and mobile phones. The secondary characters really make this book really enjoyable!
I really enjoyed this book, in places it reminded me of a Scottish highlands version of Youth in Revolt, but a bit more weird! Definitely worth a read! Shame it ends a bit abruptly!
Took me a while to get into and I didn't really like Findo to much until about 2/3's into the book.
There are some great, really funny conversations and one liners, my favourite being findos mum talking about the Ku Klux Clan and mobile phones. The secondary characters really make this book really enjoyable!
April 6, 2014
I won this in a GoodReads competition and was apprehensive on reading it, thinking it might just be boring.
However, it was far from boring!!!
With mermaids, nutters, kidnapping - there is no stopping this story of life in Scotland - maybe I should visit Findo Gask !!!
Well recommended
However, it was far from boring!!!
With mermaids, nutters, kidnapping - there is no stopping this story of life in Scotland - maybe I should visit Findo Gask !!!
Well recommended
April 26, 2014
I received this book for free through Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads.
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.� That is how this book, On the Origin of Findo Gask by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous�? Most definitely. “Very, very funny�? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick� and “twisted� for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading On the Origin of Findo Gask, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
“Sick, twisted, blasphemous, wrong and very, very funny.� That is how this book, On the Origin of Findo Gask by David McCreight, is described on the back cover. But how accurate is it? “Blasphemous�? Most definitely. “Very, very funny�? Not so much. Although it is obvious that there is an attempt a humour, it is too “sick� and “twisted� for it to be anywhere near hilarious.
Findo Gask is a rather unattractive sixteen-year-old living in the Scottish Highlands. The narrative, recounted from his point of view, alternates between present day and an account of past events. Findo was once a child prodigy until he began questioning religion openly in church. In order to get back at the Christians, who thought he was possessed by demons, he establishes the Darwin Terrorist Organisation along with Cousin Dan. This, however, eventually gets rather out of hand. Now Findo is living with his Gran and his Mum is in hospital with a mysterious illness. He also believes he has sold the universe.
The fact that Findo is a stereotypical, Scottish, working class teenager makes the amount of bad language almost acceptable; although, to tell the complete truth, it did border on excessive.
At first there did not seem to be much of a plot, but once the past and present join up it is possible to connect all the events included in the story, which results in a considerably explosive ending.
As everyone’s take on humour is different there will undoubtedly be people who love this book. It would not be fair to deliberately put people off from reading On the Origin of Findo Gask, yet at the same time it is not recommended for the easily offended readers, particularly those with strict religious principles and a dislike for foul language.
November 5, 2016
This is a laugh out loud book, but not for the easily offended.
Its quite probably the funniest book I have ever read, but my insights are coloured by living in the Black Isle where it is set.
This guy knows this area. I mean he really knows it. The places he is describing do exist, and are barely disguised. The two pubs in Fortrose exist and the names are so similar. The wall he chucks a glass over exists, and he's right, its someones lawn on the other side. It describes the social tensions of indigenous/ incomer beautifully.
Oh, how I laughed at something so very, very familiar.
He describes my commute to work as, Sea, Fields then trees. Yep, thats how the segments break down. enlightening.
Black Islers, read this book and cry with laughter.
Its quite probably the funniest book I have ever read, but my insights are coloured by living in the Black Isle where it is set.
This guy knows this area. I mean he really knows it. The places he is describing do exist, and are barely disguised. The two pubs in Fortrose exist and the names are so similar. The wall he chucks a glass over exists, and he's right, its someones lawn on the other side. It describes the social tensions of indigenous/ incomer beautifully.
Oh, how I laughed at something so very, very familiar.
He describes my commute to work as, Sea, Fields then trees. Yep, thats how the segments break down. enlightening.
Black Islers, read this book and cry with laughter.
March 29, 2016
Chosen by Barbara - Average score 57 out of 100 - Single word description - Prickly, Funny, Unsettling, Immature, Quirky, Original, Dispiriting, Fxxxing-sweary, Witty
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