"The Butcher Boy is a very great novel indeed and a very important Irish novel. The ambiguity of that is, he's writing a book about an appalling situation and he does it in a hilarious way"

This quote by Stephen Rea talks to the power of Patrick McCabe's unique, The Butcher Boy. Rea is emphasizing the significance of the novel as an Irish work, in addition to its unique capability to tackle a tough subject matter in a funny way. The unique follows the story of Francie Brady, a young boy living in a small Irish town in the 1960s. Despite the hard circumstances of his life, Francie has the ability to find humor in his scenario. Rea is praising the book for its ability to record the intricacy of life in Ireland, while also providing a humorous take on a hard subject. The Butcher Boy is a powerful and essential work of Irish literature, and Rea's quote speaks to its distinct capability to catch the complexity of life in Ireland.