The bestselling author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha presents a one-volume edition of his celebrated trio of novels. Doyle's comic novels, The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van, depict the daily life and times of the Rabbitte family in working-class Dublin.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Doyle: "It's not a trilogy. It's just three books.":
Though Doyle never intended to write a trilogy, his first three novels are so true-to-life and so representative of north Dublin that it is easy to see why they are now grouped as a "trilogy." All are set in the same blighted neighborhood, an area of overcrowded tenements, unemployment, and hardscrabble living, but also an area full of life, dreams for the future, rowdy friendships centered around the pub, and close families. Focusing on various members of the Rabbitte family, the novels show life as it is... more info
A telling trilogy:
Doyle gives us three stories of a family filled with a purity of heart, a pragmatic outlook on life, and hilarious tragedy. "The Commitments" introduces you to this close-knit family in the Barrytown suburb/slum of Northern Ireland. Many saw the movie, but as always it is nothing when compared to the book. Each story has its own appeal, but they really shine when read in conjunction with the others in the series.
excellent excellent excellent:
Three books in one, these are hilarious and often touching stories of the Rabbitte family. The Committments gives some family background, makes us think about what it takes and means to be a manager, and details the rise and fall of a working-class soul band. The Snapper gets a lot more serious, and is in turns very sad, infuriating and finally uplifting, with one of the Rabbitte daughters becoming a mother. The focus of the Van shifts squarely to the dad of the Rabbitte family, who goes into business with... more info
extemely enjoyable:
Buy this, read this, sit back and enjoy. Its all here. Life in a nutshell. The only thing that bothers me, and it has nothing to do with the books, is that they couldn't use the real names of the characters in the movie version of "The Snapper". But like I said that has nothing to do with the books.
I read these all seperately, but I feel this trilogy will make a great gift idea come the holiday season.
Also check out Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha", which also takes place in Barrytown.
