The first novel by Liam Mac Cóil, and the first Irish language book to be shortlisted for The Irish Times Literary Awards. My own doctor sent me to see him. "You have an illness," he said that day, "that doesn't have a name.

Doctor Áthas is very skilled in this sort of thing," he said. "I'm going to send you to him. He's a psychoanalyst." That's how this story begins; if it is a story. A challenging work which incorporates elements of the best detective writing, large chunks of anaysis concerning Freud and psychoanalysis... some hilarious and delightfully sharp literary and other references as well as plain good fun.—Seosamh Ó Murchú, The Irish Times

This is the best book published in Irish in years. —LÁ This is one of the best-written, the most different, and the most interesting — in pne word, the finest — book published in Ireland for many a year.

You are kept in suspense from page to page. —Pearse Hutchinson, RTÉ Guide The classic Irish novel of the latter part of this century, holding its own with anything by William Trevor or John Banville. —Gearailt Mac Eoin, The Irish Times

”An Saothar is fearr a foilsíodh i nGaeilge le fada an lá.” An chéad úrscéal le Liam Mac Cóil, agus an chéad leabhar Gaeilge a cuireadh ar ghearrliosta Dhuaiseanna Liteartha an Irish Times. Ba é mo dhochtúir féin a chuir chuige mé.

“Tá galar ort,” a deir sé an lá seo, “nach bhfuil aon ainm air. Tá an Dochtúir Áthas an-sciliúil ina leithéid,” ar seisean. “Tá mé chun tú a chur chuige. Is síocanailíseoir é.” Is mar sin a thosaíonn an scéal seo; más scéal é. A challenging work which incorporates elements of the best detective writing, large chunks of analysis concerning Freud and psychoanalysis… some hilarious and delightfully sharp literary and other references as well as plain good fun.—Seosamh Ó Murchú, The Irish Times Seo e an saothar is fearr a foilsíodh i nGaeilge le fada an lá.’ —Gearailt Mac Eoin, LÁ