A Star Called Henry

That's the only real way to react to this book.The story itself is sad enough: a kid born into poverty, denied education, drawn to revolution, and then betrayed by it. What makes it more sad is to look at Ireland and see just how much today's Ireland reflects the power grabs that went on during the War of Independence and the following Civil War, and have continued ever since.Ireland today is ruled by an elite that comes directly from the 1916-1923 period. Until the mid 1980's your only real political choices were Fine Gael and Fine Fail, two centrist parties whose only difference was over the 1922 peace treaty with England. Both parties favor a strong central government, with all the evils strong central government brings - see Charley Haughey for a recent example.Having grown up in, and run screaming from, Ireland, I can see Henry's growing enlightenment, which becomes my enlightenment and causes me then to reflect on Irish history from 1923 to the present day, and see just how much of it has been driven by power-hungry animals out to do well for themselves at the expense of all others.And don't get me going about Irish anti-semitism.It's enough to break your heart.

One of the great perils for successful authors must be that point when they decide to 'stretch' their creative wings. The horror writers pens an introspective character study (Stephen King - ROADWORK). The English satirist attempts an American crime novel (Martin Amis - NIGHT TRAIN). The crime novelist delves into science fiction (Walter Mosley - BLUE LIGHT). At times like this, the fan base holds its collective breath, hoping for the best, fearing the worst. After all, why mess with a good thing?A STAR CALLED HENRY, thank God, is one of the good ones. Great ones actually.Previously, Irish novelist Roddy Doyle has focused his talents on life in modern-day Ireland. His works have been small character studies, with simple plots that come alive through Doyle's ear for dialogue and eye for intriguing themes. PADDY CLARKE HA HA HA, while considered a departure from his BARRYTOWN TRILOGY novels of blue collar Irish, was nevertheless a similar sort of story. A very small, intimate view of remarkable characters.But A STAR CALLED HENRY takes Doyle into the new realms of historical fiction. In a story that can only be described as 'epic', Doyle traces the formative years of Henry Smart, street urchin turned IRA assassin, living at the beginning of the 20th century, as Ireland began to revolt against its English rulers.Henry's beginnings show that Doyle has not traded his gift of characterization for narrative sweep. Henry's starts his tale before he was conceived, as his well-meaning but young mother falls in love with Henry Senior, a one-legged bouncer and hitman. With terrific economy of style, Doyle manages to convey both the excitement and desperation of Henry's life. After his abandonment by his father (in a heart-wrenching scene of loneliness and betrayal), Henry takes to the streets. But lest the reader believe that Doyle will begin to cultivate Henry as a loveable pickpocket a la OLIVER TWIST, the subject matter ensures that Henry's path will be a dark one.As the years pass, and Henry grows into quite the ladies man (at 14 years old, no less), he becomes embroiled in the quickening Irish rebellion. He becomes a hitman for the cause, and a student of famous IRA leaders, most notably Michael Collins. He also marries Miss O'Shea, his elementary school teacher (for about two days), and together they begin to rewrite Irish history.As I said, Doyle has not lost his knack for characters. Henry is a true original, a vicious killer and confused young boy. His relationship with Miss O'Shea is touching, if slightly bizarre. His continued search for elements of his past through his book-reading Granny is a plot device of startling originality.But Doyle also shows his new-found maturity as a writer in his mixture of fact and fiction. He expertly traces the IRA rebellion, from its admirable roots to its disheartening failures. It is not an exhaustive examination; Henry himself is not one of the top men. But enough information is given to e

This is an extraordinary ballad of Ireland during the first quarter of the 20th Century. As Doyle points out early on in the book, all the "real songs" come from "the people." Written from the point of view of Henry Smart, a Dublin street "guttie" turned IRA rebel (and perhaps the most self-aware infant in literature since "A Tin Drum"), it demonstrates a deep love for the Irish people without the sentimentality of much of the literature of the period. Doyle commingles magical fictional characters with figures from the Irish Rebellion like James Connolly and Michael Collins in a way that illuminates the history. Ultimately, Henry--never one to embrace the goal of making "Dublin a jewel again" in any event--concludes that life in the Republic is no different from life in colonial Ireland, except that the controlling authorities have reverted to Gaelic spellings of their surnames. I think this is Doyle's best work yet, and I look forward to the next volume of the trilogy.

A Star Called Henry is probably far more accurate in its portrayal of Ireland in the last years of British rule than many would realise. The activities of the members of Michael Collins' "Squad" were much like those performed by Henry Smart, who was, in the novel, on the periphery of possibly the most effective counter-intellegence agency in the world. Roddy Doyle's excellent novel captures the period as well as anything I have hitherto read on the subject. He captures the feeling of Dubliners towards the Easter Rising, before and after the executions, and the attitude of those beyond the Pale (English-controlled region around Dublin, where the phrase comes from) to the "jackeens". Henry's delay in leaving Ireland was, I believe, not as surprising as some seem to think. Henry had great loyalty towards Michael Collins, similar to his feelings towards James Connolly, a debt of honour, if you will, that kept him from abandoning him while that was unresolved. After his betrayal and the death of Collins, he was free to leave the country. These attributes are visible in the character of Henry Smart, and are a major influence on his actions. His various loyalties are strong and are probably the driving force of his life.Before A Star Called Henry, I wasn't much a fan of Roddy Doyle the author, preferring the film versions of the Barrytown Trilogy, but I await with anticipation the remaining books in his latest Trilogy.

This is the first Roddy Doyle novel that I have read, and I am hooked. Ultimately, this is not a "revisionist" novel about the leaders of the Easter Uprising and the struggle for Irish independence, or a conventional historical novel, as other readers have suggested. Rather, this is a very personal, and very compelling, story of one young man's early years, set against the backdrop of Irish history. But this is NOT history; it is Henry's story, as he sees it.In addition to creating a very likeable and sympathetic narrator, what Doyle has done here, quite skillfully, is to craft a novel that draws the reader into a reconsideration of the violence that has accompanied the Irish struggle, a very timely exercise given recent developments in the Irish peace process. In the course of the novel, Henry gradually learns that murder is murder, and that the ends do not justify the means. Quite literally, he discovers that his crimes served no greater purpose than did those of his father before him.But putting aside the deeper meanings and possible interpretations, Roddy Doyle has created a great read. I enjoyed the book tremendously, and would recommend it anyone, even readers with little background in Irish history.