Review: A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle
This book was a book I got in a big bag from a friend of mine in a book exchange. So I hadn't heard anything at all about it or the author. I was a bit wary of starting this book, because the synopsis sounds a lot like that of Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, which I really didn't like (review here: http://makemesmarternow.blogspot.dk/2015/06/review-angelas-ashes-by-frank-mccourt.html).
It is about a young Irish boy, who grows up in the slums of Dublin. His parents don't take care of him, so he takes care of himself until he falls under the guidance of Connolly, a man in the Irish Citizen Army. Henry joins the army, even though he is only 14, and fights for Ireland's freedom.
The first few chapters are very similar to Angela's Ashes, but thankfully it quickly gets much better. Not only is there much better plot development in this book, but the writing is beautiful. Henry's voice is poignant without being bitter or self-pitying, even though some of the things he goes through are quite harrowing. As mentioned he joins the Irish Citizen Army to fight for Ireland, even though he mentions a few times he doesn't give a s**t about Ireland. It seems he just joins to find somewhere to belong and to find some semblance of family life with the other men in the army. Later on he seems to take to the cause though. There are a lot of names and places mentioned in connection with this part of the book, and I am sure it would have been easier to follow if you knew a bit more about Irish history than I do. But it is possible to read without feeling like you are missing something. There were a few times where I was confused as to which side some people mentioned were on. Whether they were for or against the Irish. But if you pay attention when reading it should be possible to figure it out. And if not, it is of no great significance for your understanding of the overall plot. In the beginning of his life as a recruit I did worry about Henry having been pretty much brainwashed by the people who took him in, but it was basically inevitable with the way his life had shaped out up until that point. Later in the story he himself begins to realize that maybe he is being manipulated and used for his skills, and he decides to fight for himself rather than the cause.
I really liked Henry as a character. Of course he does some shady things in the name of survival, but he had some redeeming qualities about him too. We only get to know other characters through the eyes of Henry, and while that often bothers me in other books, it was fine in this one, because Henry describes people and their motives really well.
There are some allusions to Henry's story continuing after this book is finished, and as it turns out after a quick check on Goodreads, this is actually a trilogy. I didn't realize this before reading it, and while I do think this book was good, I don't know if I will finish this series. I think it is possible to read this as a standalone, if you don't mind a few smaller loose ends.
I gave this book 3,5 stars on Goodreads.
It is about a young Irish boy, who grows up in the slums of Dublin. His parents don't take care of him, so he takes care of himself until he falls under the guidance of Connolly, a man in the Irish Citizen Army. Henry joins the army, even though he is only 14, and fights for Ireland's freedom.
The first few chapters are very similar to Angela's Ashes, but thankfully it quickly gets much better. Not only is there much better plot development in this book, but the writing is beautiful. Henry's voice is poignant without being bitter or self-pitying, even though some of the things he goes through are quite harrowing. As mentioned he joins the Irish Citizen Army to fight for Ireland, even though he mentions a few times he doesn't give a s**t about Ireland. It seems he just joins to find somewhere to belong and to find some semblance of family life with the other men in the army. Later on he seems to take to the cause though. There are a lot of names and places mentioned in connection with this part of the book, and I am sure it would have been easier to follow if you knew a bit more about Irish history than I do. But it is possible to read without feeling like you are missing something. There were a few times where I was confused as to which side some people mentioned were on. Whether they were for or against the Irish. But if you pay attention when reading it should be possible to figure it out. And if not, it is of no great significance for your understanding of the overall plot. In the beginning of his life as a recruit I did worry about Henry having been pretty much brainwashed by the people who took him in, but it was basically inevitable with the way his life had shaped out up until that point. Later in the story he himself begins to realize that maybe he is being manipulated and used for his skills, and he decides to fight for himself rather than the cause.
I really liked Henry as a character. Of course he does some shady things in the name of survival, but he had some redeeming qualities about him too. We only get to know other characters through the eyes of Henry, and while that often bothers me in other books, it was fine in this one, because Henry describes people and their motives really well.
There are some allusions to Henry's story continuing after this book is finished, and as it turns out after a quick check on Goodreads, this is actually a trilogy. I didn't realize this before reading it, and while I do think this book was good, I don't know if I will finish this series. I think it is possible to read this as a standalone, if you don't mind a few smaller loose ends.
I gave this book 3,5 stars on Goodreads.
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