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A review by thejadedreader
A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle
4.0
Not what I expected from Doyle but did that turn me off it? Absolutely not.
A Star Called Henry is a stark and bare bones look at the slum life in Ireland during the early 20th century where we follow Henry Smart from the time he's only a child crying for attention to when he's fighting for a country he couldn't give a shite about.
It's a story that seamlessly blends fiction with factual events and people who played a serious part in the Irish rebellion but shows them in an entirely new light and, if you're brushed up on your Irish history, will change your view on them.
At times I truly sympathised with Henry Smart. He's a man that grew up surrounded by violence and could never truly break away from that regardless of if he wanted to or not. This will have you clinging on until the end just to see where Henry ends up.
Doyle, once again, is on point with this one. The language and style he uses really brings the era to life and pulls you in, that being said even I, an Irishman, struggled to get to grips with this one. Sure look, different time, different slang wha'?
A surprise hit for me, not one I thought I'd enjoy so much but I suppose that only made it a whole lot better.
A Star Called Henry is a stark and bare bones look at the slum life in Ireland during the early 20th century where we follow Henry Smart from the time he's only a child crying for attention to when he's fighting for a country he couldn't give a shite about.
It's a story that seamlessly blends fiction with factual events and people who played a serious part in the Irish rebellion but shows them in an entirely new light and, if you're brushed up on your Irish history, will change your view on them.
At times I truly sympathised with Henry Smart. He's a man that grew up surrounded by violence and could never truly break away from that regardless of if he wanted to or not. This will have you clinging on until the end just to see where Henry ends up.
Doyle, once again, is on point with this one. The language and style he uses really brings the era to life and pulls you in, that being said even I, an Irishman, struggled to get to grips with this one. Sure look, different time, different slang wha'?
A surprise hit for me, not one I thought I'd enjoy so much but I suppose that only made it a whole lot better.