A Star Called Henry-Signed Advance Unc. proof

Roddy Doyle

ISBN 10: 0141800828 / ISBN 13: 9780141800820

Published by Viking, NY, 1999

About this Item

Viking, NY, 1999, 344 pgs. First thus Advance Uncorrected Proofs in Near Fine condition with just a bit of shelfwear. The Author has Signed on the ffep. Also An Autographed Copy sticker is affixed to front. Doyle is the winner of the Booker Prize. "An epic, a love story, and a portrait of Irish history.". All books bubble wrapped and shipped promptly in a box.

Seller Inventory # 0103543

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Star Called Henry-Signed Advance Unc. proof
• Publisher: Viking, NY
• Publication Date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0141800828
• ISBN 13: 9780141800820
• Binding: Wraps
• Edition: First-Advance Uncorrected Proofs.
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: NA
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Modern Fiction
  • Historical Fiction

About this title

Synopsis

Offers a portrait of an adventuresome Irishman named Henry Smart, an IRA assassin and 1916 Easter Rebellion fighter, from his Dublin birth to his adulthood, when he becomes the father of a young rebel.

Reviews

Hardy Irishman Doyle delivers his prose in a mellifluous outpouring, gentle in its use of language but harsh in its cutting observations. The beauty of Doyle's words, heightened in spoken presentation, is especially affecting in the opening section, which describes the tough childhood of his Dublin hero, Henry Smart (strongly evoking Dickens and Joyce). Henry is an orphan, left behind by his motherA"ruined beyond repair" at his birth. His father, a one-legged enforcer at a local brothel, doesn't last long either. Living on the streets at age nine, Henry is the sole protector of his consumptive younger brother. His circumstances never get him down, though, because he knows that he is "the brightest spark in a city full of bright and desperate sparks." As the plot develops (Henry takes part in the 1916 Easter uprising and joins the fledgling Irish Republican Army, evolving into a warrior and a leader), Doyle's story becomes more linear, more like a standard action thriller. Yet he never fails listeners with his strong storytelling skills, which will keep all keenly tuned. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Roddy Doyle's signature style combines brusque realism with the touching humor of everyday life. Set in the grubby poverty of turn-of-the-century Dublin, this tale of a poor Irish boy's rise to fame is a bittersweet homage to family life. With his animated performance, Doyle does an excellent job of bringing his own unique characters to life. An urgency in his voice shines through his light brogue and colors the painfully detailed text in all the right places. Overall, it is the accessibility of Doyle's delivery that keeps listeners enrapt. R.A.P. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine