One of the wittiest and sharpest books I have read this year has to be "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" by Roddy Doyle. In his Barrytown trilogy (The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van), Roddy Doyle brilliantly explored family life through various members of the Rabbite family. These three novels ... Read review
In Roddy Doyle's Booker Prize-winning novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, an Irish lad named ... more
Paddy rampages through the streets of Barrytown with a pack of like-minded hooligans, playing cowboys and Indians, etching their names in wet concrete and setting f...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
In Roddy Doyle's Booker Prize-winning novelPaddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, an Irish lad named ... more
Paddy rampages through the streets of Barrytown with a pack of like-minded hooligans, playing cowboys and Indians, etching their names in wet concrete and setting fi...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
In Roddy Doyle's Booker Prize-winning novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, an Irish lad named ... more
Paddy rampages through the streets of Barrytown with a pack of like-minded hooligans, playing cowboys and Indians, etching their names in wet concrete and setting f...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
A novel that describes the world of ten-year-old Paddy Clarke, growing up in Barrytown, ... more
north Dublin. From fun and adventure on the streets, boredom in the classroom to increasing isolation at home, it tells the story of a boy who sees everything but understands less and less.
In Roddy Doyle's Booker Prize-winning novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, an Irish lad named ... more
Paddy rampages through the streets of Barrytown with a pack of like-minded hooligans, playing cowboys and Indians, etching their names in wet concrete and setting fires. Roddy Doyle has captured the sensations and speech patterns of preadolescents with consummate skill, and managed to do so without resorting to sentimentality. Paddy Clarke and his friends are not bad boys; they're just a little bit restless. They're always taking sides, bullying each other and secretly wishing they didn't have to. All they want is for something--anything--to happen. Throughout the novel, Paddy teeters on the nervous verge of adolescence. In one scene, Paddy tries to make his little brother's hot water bottle explode, but gives up after stomping on it just one time: "I jumped on Sinbad's bottle. Nothing happened. I didn't do it again. Sometimes when nothing happened it was really getting ready to happen." Paddy Clarke senses that his world is about to change forever--and not necessarily for the better. When he realizes that his parents' marriage is falling apart, Paddy stays up all night listening, half-believing that his vigil will ward off further fighting. It doesn't work, but it is sweet and sad that he believes it might. Paddy's logic may be fuzzy, but his heart is in the right place. --Jill Marquis
Postage & Packaging:£2.75 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Takes you back Disadvantages: Hard to put down
...a boy of ten - Paddy Clarke - growing up fast and discovering new aspects of childhood as each day passes.
Paddy Clarke has a realism which helps to explain Doyle's success. Through this realism the reader can rediscover some of the forgotten tragic and comic areas of childhood.
"Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" deals with Paddy and his hatred for his brother, peer group and his mother and fathers rocky marriage in 1960's ... ...due to this sometimes we are not understanding the situation fully, just as we do not fully understand the ramblings of a ten year old's day at school. Roddy Doyle's use of dialogue in this novel brings you back to your childhood as you remember how cruel children can be to each other,
"-Really, the referee will have to take control of the situation.
-Shut up you.
-I'm supposed to talk. It's my job.
-Shut ... more
One of the wittiest and sharpest books I have read this year has to be "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" by Roddy Doyle. In his Barrytown trilogy (The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van), Roddy Doyle brilliantly explored family life through various members of the Rabbite family. These three novels combined comedy and sadness to such effect that they established the author as a major new talent. In "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" Doyle maintains the Barrytown/Dublin setting but focuses on a different family, and the narrative point of view is changed to a boy of ten - Paddy Clarke - growing up fast and discovering new aspects of childhood as each day passes.
Paddy Clarke has a realism which helps to explain Doyle's success. Through this realism the reader can rediscover some of the forgotten tragic and comic areas of childhood.
"Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" deals with Paddy and his hatred for his brother, peer group and his mother and fathers rocky marriage in 1960's Ireland. Paddy tells the story throughout the novel and due to this sometimes we are not understanding the situation fully, just as we do not fully understand the ramblings of a ten year old's day at school. Roddy Doyle's use of dialogue in this novel brings you back to your childhood as you remember how cruel children can be to each other,
"-Really, the referee will have to take control of the situation. -Shut up you. -I'm supposed to talk. It's my job. -Shut up; your dad's and alco."
This insult is deliberately chosen to hurt. Aiden's father is an alcoholic and his friends don't think twice about using this as against Aiden and his brother, Liam.
Paddy's brother Sinbad, is another victim of this cruelty, however it is physically. Three of the boys, one being his brother Paddy, hold a lighter and match to Sinbad's mouth waiting for him to open it. Eventually his mouth is forced open and Sinbad looks like he has no lips for two weeks. Another example of child cruelty.
Paddy's understanding of his mother and fathers marriage and their problems is very simple, and we feel we'd like to know what is really going on, but as its Paddy's story we do not get to know this. This, in a way, changes our perception of things in Paddy's life.
Roddy Doyle's dialogue and style, to the reader, is comic, with its flat, matter of factness. But also deep, even though it's from a ten year old's viewpoint. "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" is a superb novel which succeeds realistically conveying childhood. Through the novel, the reader can look back on his own childhood and remember incidents which mirror many of their own. Doyle's techniques are supremely effective in conveying a child's view of life. The reader can, as a result, almost take a step back and rediscover himself.
Advantages: funny touching memorabelia Disadvantages: A few too many Irish references (can't help that)
...story (what a voice!!) of Paddy Clarke growing up (in 50-60's Ireland) and coping with life.
To beging with he hates his brother and performs all those horrible rituals every younger sibling has had to endure, he loves George Best, he wants to be a priest.
The narrative jumps all over the place with random interjections of wisdom spinning off tangents, which can be annoying.
The book grows with Paddy as his attitudes change to almost everything ... ...his Da and Ma are always arguing.
There are way too many things in his antics which remind me of my past (surely Roddy Doyle did most of this himself). The overall result is a very touching very sweet very funny book I'd recommend to anyone, particularly if it's read to you. ...
DiazX 23.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - Roddy Doyle
Little boys, growing up in Ireland, mischief, fun and nonsense. This is a book written from a child's perspective and is great. The book captures all those thoughts of childhood all that mystery in the world and is superbly written. Some parts are just classic writting that probably could not be bettered. There is a storyline but it is cleverly burried until the last third of the book. This is a must read, the book is original and witty and captures ...
KingHerrod 31.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - Roddy Doyle
...was not to be disappointed! Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha is the story of a young boy growing up in Dublin. It describes with incredible
accuracy the antics of a young boy growing up in less than ideal conditions. Roddy Doyle has suggested that the basis of the book comes from his own childhood and the mischief he used to end up in as a young lad. The adventures include shoplifting and discoveries on a farm.
An enjoyable and funny book. ...
JulieP 07.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - Roddy Doyle
Advantages: good storyline, entertaining Disadvantages: quite expensive (but worth it)
Roddy Doyle's Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha is about a young boy of 10 (called Paddy) growing up in 1950's Ireland. It is a great book which mixes humour with thought - provoking images of working class Ireland. Paddy and his young brother Sinbad have a real love - hate relationship and are both very aware of their parents' marriage falling appart. They go round with a gang of boys who live near to them (in Dublin) and often, Roddy Doyle describesscenes ... ...I won't go into too much detail as I don't want to ruin the story but i would thoroughly recommend the book - it definitely took me back to my childhood! You can get hold of it for around £6 at any good bookshop ( i bought my copy from Linghams Booksellers ). However, you could always borrow it from your local library for free!!
Happy reading! ...
laurajones 07.04.2001 (08.04.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle's Booker Prize-winning novel describes the world of ten-year-old Paddy Clarke, growing up in Barrytown, north Dublin. From fun and adventure on the streets, boredom in the classroom to increasing isolation at home, "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" is the story of a boy who sees everything but understands less and less.
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