Last Roddy Doyle book I read was Paddy Clarke, which I liked a lot. The first 100 pages of this one didn't really work for me - I'm not crazy about throwing fictional and non-fictional characters into the same story. But it picks up nicely after that -- Doyle's prose is lean and physical (cant' think of a better word at the moment), and he writes like someone who knows how people actually talk. Overall, a good read. Although fictional, this book made me think of what it must truly be like for individuals who were part of the IRA movement in the early part of the 20th century living in the last 30 years in Ireland. In particular, how strange it must have been for them to watch the next generations try out movements of their own including the hunger strikes of the 1980s. Further, what if you were in the IRA and every step you have ever taken had been engineered for you--in other words, you have been set up ALL THE TIME no matter which side of the ocean you were residing on. I was so weirded out by this. It begs the question, how much personal freedom do we truly have and/or how much of our destiny is determined by our heritage and/or birthplace? As Henry contemplates everything that is happening to him, step by step, you can't be sure if he is paranoid or has just been sleepwalking through his own life! This is the third in a trilogy--of course, I am intrigued by all things Irish because of my heritage. And I always enjoy Roddy Doyle but I have to say I like the movies of his books better than his books--his books to me are stilted and all over the map (where in time are we?). Also, there is a lot of dialogue (which I like) but it is almost like a screenplay (a different way of writing for sure.)For me, this was hard to follow. In this book, the main character Henry acts as a reluctant advisor for the ground shattering film, 'The Quiet Man'. What an imagination Doyle has to create scenes between Henry and director, John Ford. In book 2, "Oh, Play That Thing" Henry is a sidekick for Louis Armstrong. What a funny idea! Anyway, I have always loathed 'The Quiet Man' because it seemed overly sentimental and rang false for me. It is also a favorite of Irish Americans (of which I am one) but seems so cheesy. I have to watch the movie again, after having read this book, to see if I can have a new appreciation for it after viewing it through this fantastical lens. I took the time to watch "The Quiet Man' again and found that I really liked some parts in it. So here I am having a love/hate relationship with it. My beef definitely is the way women are treated in it but I sure did love the beauty of Ireland--very well captured.
What do You think about Una Vita Da Eroe (2010)?
Despite what critics say, I did not enjoy this book as much as the previous two Henry novels.
—Treesea
A beautiful book. Don't read it before reading other books in "The Last Round trilogy".
—sarah
Intense, very intense. Makes the implausible action so real!!
—Subak
