From Powells.com
Roddy
Doyle writes like nobodys business. Each of his titles, from The
Commitments (Doyles debut) to The
Woman Who Walked Into Doors, has earned both critical and popular acclaim.
Paddy
Clarke Ha Ha Ha, his funny, pitch-perfect perspective of a Dublin ten year
old, won the 1993
Booker Prize.
Now, in A Star Called Henry, hes upped the ante tenfold, producing
some of the most aggressive prose youre ever likely to read. Henrys fathers
flight, a mere sixty pages into the book, is one of the great narrative achievements
of recent years.
But for all Doyles narrative acrobatics, his amazing new novel is, more than
anything, an enthralling, spilling-over-its-sides story. On page one, Henry
Smart introduces himself through the eyes of his pregnant, soon-to-be-mother
right away, Doyle catches us off guard. Compared by some to the expansive
fictions of Gabriel
García Márquez, A Star Called Henry presents the years leading up
to and following the 1916 Easter Rebellion in a wickedly crooked, dramatic light
perfectly suited to the subject. Henry Smart is a big character, bigger than
life. "Ive always tried to make sure that everything that was said and done
could, in fact, happen," Doyle
told Powells.com, "This time around I didnt give a toss." Dave,
Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Born at the beginning of the twentieth century, Henry Smart lives through the evolution of modern Ireland, and in this extraordinary novel he brilliantly tells his story. From his own birth and childhood on the streets of Dublin to his role as soldier (and lover) in the Irish Rebellion, Henry recounts his early years of reckless heroism and adventure. At once an epic, a love story, and a portrait of Irish history, A Star Called Henry is a grand picaresque novel brimming with both poignant moments and comic ones, and told in a voice that is both quintessentially Irish and inimitably Roddy Doyle's.
Review
"Doyle just gets better and better....This is history evoked on an intimate and yet earth-shaking scale, with a huge dash of the blarney, some mythical embellishments and a driving narrative that never falters." Publishers Weekly
Review
"[Doyle] breaks impressive new ground...masterly....Absolutely extraordinary. Readers who thought Doyle had outdone himself with the deftly juxtaposed comedy and drama in his recent fiction will be amazed and delighted all over again." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Stunning...not only Doyle's best novel yet; it is a masterpiece, an extraordinarily entertaining epic." The Washington Post
Review
"Doyle expertly weaves his well-known wit into even the most violent and most tender passages of the tale. This is an immense story, and it's only the beginning...giving readers a lot to look forward to." Booklist
Review
"Brawling and lyrical....Doyle vividly portrays the wild passions of an Irish Everyman...[and] the birth of the modern Irish nation." Time
Review
"Doyle has [written an] Irish epic, and he wields the style like a sword, with the power and grace of a master." The Village Voice
Review
"Although some of Henry's violent actions seem forced, Doyle's dialog and water and sexual imagery are sublime....Highly recommended." Library Journal
Review
"A Star Called Henry is a triumph of craft and intelligence and toughness of mind. Doyle has not sentimentalized the past or capitulated to it." Charles Taylor, Salon.com
About the Author
Roddy Doyle is the author of five previous novels, three of which The Commitments, The Snapper, and The Van were made into movies. The Van was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1991. Two years later Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (Penguin) won the Booker Prize and was a New York Times bestseller. His most recent novel, The Woman Who Walked Into Doors (Penguin), was a national bestseller. Also a screenwriter, Roddy Doyle lives in Dublin.