Description
"This unflinching novel chronicles a woman's relationship with a violent man in a way that brings fresh insight to the subject . . . engaging and uplifting." -O, The Oprah Magazine
From the Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, the heartrending story of a brave and tenacious housewife
Paula Spencer is a thirty-nine-year-old working-class woman struggling to reclaim her dignity after marriage to an abusive husband and a worsening drinking problem. Paula recalls her contented childhood, the audacity she learned as a teenager, the exhilaration of her romance with Charlo, and the marriage to him that left her feeling powerless. Capturing both her vulnerability and her strength, Roddy Doyle gives Paula a voice that is real and unforgettable.
About the Author
Roddy Doyle is an internationally bestselling writer. His first three novels-The Commitments, The Snapper, and the 1991 Booker Prize finalist The Van-are known as The Barrytown Trilogy. He is also the author of the novels Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (1993 Booker Prize winner), The Woman Who Walked into Doors, and A Star Called Henry, and a non-fiction book about his parents, Rory & Ita. Doyle has also written for the stage and the screen: the plays Brownbread, War, Guess Who's Coming for the Dinner, and The Woman Who Walked Into Doors; the film adaptations of The Commitments )as co-writer), The Snapper, and The Van; When Brendan Met Trudy (an original screenplay); the four-part television series Family for the BBC; and the television play Hell for Leather. Roddy Doyle has also written the children's books The Giggler Treatment, Rover Saves Christmas, and The Meanwhile Adventures and contributed to a variety of publications including The New Yorker magazine and several anthologies. He lives in Dublin.
Reviews
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Boston Globe, Newsday, Publishers Weekly
"This unflinching novel chronicles a woman's relationship with a violent man in a way that brings fresh insight to the subject . . . engaging and uplifting." -O, The Oprah Magazine
"It is the triumph of this novel that Doyle - entirely without condescension - shows the inner life of this battered housewife to be the same stuff as that of the heroes of the great novels of Europe."- Mary Gordon, New York Times Book Review
"In feeling the pulse of a raw Dublin suburb, Doyle is recording a beat that can be recognised all over the world." The Times (London)
"This new novel is Roddy Doyle's best to date. I cannot recall any writer who has better captured the vulnerability and courage of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage." Cork Examiner (Ireland)
"Even more mesmerizing than his prize-winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha." Daily Mail (London)
"Impassioned, dignified and richly humane." Independent (London)
"Compulsively readable" Financial Times
"Roddy Doyle's unsparing examination of a brutal marriage transcends the boundaries of class and nationhood." -- The Times (London)
Book Information
ISBN 9780140255126
Author Roddy Doyle
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 193g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 129mm * 13mm
From the Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, the heartrending story of a brave and tenacious housewife
Paula Spencer is a thirty-nine-year-old working-class woman struggling to reclaim her dignity after marriage to an abusive husband and a worsening drinking problem. Paula recalls her contented childhood, the audacity she learned as a teenager, the exhilaration of her romance with Charlo, and the marriage to him that left her feeling powerless. Capturing both her vulnerability and her strength, Roddy Doyle gives Paula a voice that is real and unforgettable.
About the Author
Roddy Doyle is an internationally bestselling writer. His first three novels-The Commitments, The Snapper, and the 1991 Booker Prize finalist The Van-are known as The Barrytown Trilogy. He is also the author of the novels Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (1993 Booker Prize winner), The Woman Who Walked into Doors, and A Star Called Henry, and a non-fiction book about his parents, Rory & Ita. Doyle has also written for the stage and the screen: the plays Brownbread, War, Guess Who's Coming for the Dinner, and The Woman Who Walked Into Doors; the film adaptations of The Commitments )as co-writer), The Snapper, and The Van; When Brendan Met Trudy (an original screenplay); the four-part television series Family for the BBC; and the television play Hell for Leather. Roddy Doyle has also written the children's books The Giggler Treatment, Rover Saves Christmas, and The Meanwhile Adventures and contributed to a variety of publications including The New Yorker magazine and several anthologies. He lives in Dublin.
Reviews
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Boston Globe, Newsday, Publishers Weekly
"This unflinching novel chronicles a woman's relationship with a violent man in a way that brings fresh insight to the subject . . . engaging and uplifting." -O, The Oprah Magazine
"It is the triumph of this novel that Doyle - entirely without condescension - shows the inner life of this battered housewife to be the same stuff as that of the heroes of the great novels of Europe."- Mary Gordon, New York Times Book Review
"In feeling the pulse of a raw Dublin suburb, Doyle is recording a beat that can be recognised all over the world." The Times (London)
"This new novel is Roddy Doyle's best to date. I cannot recall any writer who has better captured the vulnerability and courage of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage." Cork Examiner (Ireland)
"Even more mesmerizing than his prize-winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha." Daily Mail (London)
"Impassioned, dignified and richly humane." Independent (London)
"Compulsively readable" Financial Times
"Roddy Doyle's unsparing examination of a brutal marriage transcends the boundaries of class and nationhood." -- The Times (London)
Book Information
ISBN 9780140255126
Author Roddy Doyle
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 193g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 129mm * 13mm
