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A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man

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A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man

By: Tadhg Hickey
Narrated by: Tadhg Hickey
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It was love at first taste for fifteen-year-old Tadhg Hickey when he drank a can of Scrumpy Jack on the night of his exam results. Straight away it provided a cure for that constant feeling of 'something wrong, something not quite right', a way of numbing anxiety and childhood trauma. He realised he was extraordinarily good at drinking and energetically threw himself into a life of pubs, parties and staying pissed, while also managing to become a comedian. But alcohol had the last laugh ...

A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man shows us the often-hilarious lengths of self-deception an alcoholic will go to, the horrific consequences of addiction and the redemptive process of recovering from this deadly but ultimately treatable illness, and remaining sober. A deeply touching memoir and with a side of self-help, Tadhg's easy-going writing style belies his serious message - that each of us has the power to change our lives. Addiction & Recovery Alcoholism Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Substance abuse Funny Witty Comedy
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Critic reviews

'Tadhg has mastered the skill of making the difficult shit that us humans deal with in life accessible, through a beautiful irreverent cocktail of vulnerability, hilarity, emotional intelligence and charm' (Niall Breslin, aka Bressie)
'An amazing story of addiction and redemption' (Paul Howard)
'Hickey's memoir is self-deprecating and well-paced, but the liveliness is a smokescreen for his more serious intent. However familiar the addiction arc, Hickey's candour could actually really help people, especially those noticing the "craic" mutating into something decidedly less fun'
'[A] memoir of catastrophe and eventual triumph'
All stars
Most relevant
I really enjoyed this one. Really well written and read by Tadgh. I would recommend to alchies and non-alchies alike!

Great listen

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Loved this book, fascinating story, well written story and well delivered. Very thought provoking. Have just finished listening to it and will listen to it again.

Great story, well read by the author

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I’m a lurker on Twitter (X) and I’ve enjoyed following Tadhg. I particularly love the stories he tells in extremely tasteful wigs and jumpers. They are always spot on and tell a story in the most simplistic and understandable way. I also love how they are so near the knuckle - hilarious.

But…… what I didn’t know was Tadhg’s story. I had no idea. Growing up I witnessed first hand how drink can have such a negative impact on the whole family. I’ll not give details, but Tadhg’s story has a different twist on ‘drink’ abuse stories.

I was cheering him on from the sidelines as he told about his struggle to get and stay sober. I feel that I know and understand him much better now.

In the book, he told me he loved me - requited love at last 😂 I look forward to our first date in the Ulster Hall, Belfast on 21st September.

Who knew? Not me!

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Listening to Tadhg tell his story is like sitting down for a chat with an old friend. Beautifully told and well worth a listen! Highly recommend!!

Fantastic book!

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My own early sobriety was influenced by a book - 'Drinking: A love story' by the late Caroline Knapp. I was particularly interested in her later articles, where she wrote of the difficulties of living a sober life.
I had not heard of this author before but I found this book to be entertaining, well written and narrated, and a good exploration of addiction and family issues. It also deals well with idea that getting sober is about more than just putting down the glass.
I, too, had issues with my Irish parents but, as I go along in life, I realize that neither of them had the information/opportunities that I have now to be able to change my attitude to the family dynamics and get sober.
My resentment towards them has turned into a huge sympathy and sorrow for them that alcoholism was so steeped in shame and secrecy in their lifetimes.
I found this book to be thought provoking and helpful.
Well worth a read.

Entertaining journey through addiction & recovery.

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