Reviews

A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle

pphair's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.75

teachergetslit's review against another edition

Could not get passed this long-winded intro. Normally don’t have a problem with Irish writing but this one was a bit too slow a start. Will try again later. 

angeerah's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

hayforrest's review

funny 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

3.5

darcy_kummerow's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

djmurm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

catreeney's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Read this for my book club and I was seemingly the only person who quite enjoyed it. The writing style is chaotic (seems the best descriptor) but the plot is so good it makes up for it. While the book is mainly from a male perspective there are some key women and the experience of women is given a lot of space too.

I'd never read much about life in Dublin in the early 20th century, or about the Irish war of independence so this book was really interesting and I learned a lot - especially about the guerrilla warfare nature of the conflict in a lot of areas.

embo970's review against another edition

2.0

Rambling prose, easy to read but it felt like there wasn't much in there. Good start, boring middle to end. It seemed like a macho fantasy—rough and tumble, good looking, f*cking all the women and f*cking over every one else. meh.

dhilderbrand's review against another edition

3.0

I started this two years ago but put it down after first part. It is dark, sad. It was also powerful, interesting, an enlightening look at that time in Irish history. Very glad a finished it

irenekelly's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.5