The further misadventures of the Rabbitte family in working-class Dublin--from the author of The Commitments and The Snapper. This story follows Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr., and his best friend through Dublin, selling cheap grub to the drunk and hungry--keeping one step ahead of the health officials.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Today's Chips Today:
Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin in 1958 and saw his first novel, "The Commitments", published in 1987. It was later adapted for the big screen, a version that saw Star Trek's Colm Meaney and a very young Andrea Corr among the cast. "The Van" was first published in 1991 and is the final book in his "Barrytown Trilogy". It was also nominated for that year's Booker Prize. The book opens in late 1989, and there have been a few changes in the Rabbite house since "The Snapper". Jimmy Jr has now moved out, and... more info
"Do heavy metalers eat chips?":
When Jimmy Rabbitte's best friend Bimbo is made "redundant" at the Dublin company where he has worked for many years, he is devastated. Jimmy, who is also unemployed, offers a shoulder for Bimbo to cry on, and both agree that they will not work at McDonald's, no matter what. When Bimbo finds a dilapidated "chipper van," which they can fix up and then use to sell burgers, fish, and chips at major football games, rock concerts, beaches, and other gatherings (though not horse shows because "those blokes only... more info
Loved it!:
I loved this book. As an first generation Irish American I could relate to the characters who seemed like my relatives in Ireland. The humor is great and the imagery very real.
The trilogy's best.:
Third volume in Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy. It's as well to note how the emphasis of the trilogy shifts over the course of the three novels. The Commitments was about Jimmy Rabbitte, the eldest son, and his mission to bring soul to Dublin. The next was ostensibly about his sister Sharon, and her pregnancy, though we began to see Jimmy Snr take a far larger part, eclipsing his ambitious son. In the Van Jimmr Snr. gets the entire novel to himself. Jimmy is unemployed and worried that, now time has passed, he's... more info
