Reviews

Life Without Children by Roddy Doyle

tctimlin's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

 Ten short stories set during the pandemic lockdown in Ireland.  Explores family, isolation, the opportunity for introspection and re-evaluation of life and relationships.  In the title story, a father of four grown children flirts with who he would be if he had never had kids.

mcearl12's review against another edition

5.0

So glad I read it.

abigailkking's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.0

foxedfolios's review against another edition

Loved Roddy Doyle’s novels way back when and so hoped this might finally be my way into short stories. I should have known better. How many times have I tried with short stories and failed? Too many to keep track of. Also, probably filled not to have read the synopsis, which would have alerted me to the fact that this is a “pandemic collection”. Just not interested in pandemic stories.
So DNF. But definitely a “me” thing.

foxedfolios's review against another edition

It’s definitely a “me” thing. I almost never enjoy short stories. And yet I will keep trying! 
Also, should have  read the synopsis. Definitely not in the market for “tales of the pandemic”. 
So, again, it’s me, not the book. 

knitter22's review against another edition

2.0

Roddy Doyle writes with lovely language, but even that couldn't save Life Without Children from winning the "sad, frustrated, and disgruntled old men during the pandemic" award from me. One man throws a mug at the wall during a fight with his wife and thinks that at least it didn't shatter, just broke in half "along an old crack", another contemplates abandoning his family while on a work trip, and yet another man searches for the son he drove away years earlier with his cruelty. It might have been better if I read this short story collection 10 years from now, maybe when we're all beginning to forget about covid or have completely gotten used to it. Doyle can convey emotion with his characters, but it's too soon and the emotions are ones we're all far too familiar with and would like to forget.

“The lockdown has ripped away the padding. There’s no schedule, no job, no commute. There’s nothing saving him.”

jeffrossbooks's review against another edition

5.0

No one writes like Doyle. I was very pleased to be granted this book via #netgalley Having read the title story, Life Without Children, I started to burn through the rest of the stories here. Then I slowed down. This is, truly, what Doyle's writing deserves - some focus and patience. Even while his stories (and novels) drive you headfirst towards the end, they grow and add deeper meaning when taken one at a time, and read slowly.

Honestly, if you like Doyle, get this. If you like good writing, get this. If you want to try and figure out what has happened to us all over the past year and a half, get this. It's a remarkable book by one of our greatest writers.

fluffernutter's review against another edition

Read about half. Interesting stories but they started to blend together.

cvlitt's review

3.0

I keep forgetting that I don’t really like short stories, they just feel so unfinished to me. Also I found it hard to relate to older men living in Ireland during the pandemic. But I liked the way it was written and I could see why other people might like it.

charlotte_lechair's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0