My first Roddy Doyle. The writing style was interesting, although the lack of speech marks was a little disconcerting and and the absence of breaks in the prose (chapters) made it feel somewhat relentless. Although not a recovering middle-aged female alcoholic myself, the characterisation felt authentic. Overall, strangely compelling. ( )

Ah, to learn how Paula Spencer's life turned out after reading The Woman Who Walked Into Doors. It's a worthy bookend.

As a novel, it's not as strong as the earlier haunting work (thankfully), but the same pacing and interior dialogue strengths are here. Where the first book took us deep into the mind of an abused, alcoholic wife, this book takes us deep into the mind of a recovering alcoholic who is struggling to reclaim life and family.

I'm not sure how well it would stand on its own, but if you've read the earlier novel, you'll appreciate this one. Well done to Roddy Doyle. ( )

Roddy Doyle is a gifted writer and this book is another demonstration of that. I'm not sure how he got inside the head of a 48 year old woman alcoholic but the voice sounds accurate to me. This is actually the second time he has done it. He wrote The Woman Who Walks into Doors about Paula when she was horribly physically abused by her husband and how she managed to get him out of her life.

Ten years later she has recently stopped drinking and she is trying so, so hard to reconnect with her kids and her sisters while fighting the urge to drink. Little by little she puts her life on a better footing; it's a big deal when there is still some food left in the fridge on payday. Her four kids can't quite believe she has stopped drinking. The youngest, Jack, doesn't talk much (typical teenager) but he always seems to be checking on her. The other child who is still at home, Leanne, is on her way to becoming an alcoholic herself and Paula feels guilty about that. Her other son, John Paul, was a heroin addict but has stopped using and is slowly, carefully trying to reestablish communication with his mom and siblings. Nicola seems to have everything under control: a good job, two great kids, a house. Paula wonders if she is really okay or just good at hiding things.

The book is written in the third person but it almost seems like it is a first person narrative because the writing is almost stream of consciousness. Not that the sentences are run on; far from it. Much of the dialogue is just a few words such as you exchange every day with people you meet. An example toward the end of the book of a phone call between Paula and her daughter Nicola.
-Hello?
-It's me.
Nicola
-What, love?
-Did you hear? says Nicola.
-Hear what?
-About Kylie Minogue, says Nicola.
-Ah, lovely, says Paula. -I'd love to go. With the girls, is it?
-What? says Nicola.
-The Kylie concert, says Paula.
-What concert? It's not a concert.
-I've to go for the Dart, love.
-She has breast cancer, says Nicola -Did you not hear?
-Kylie?
-Yeah.
-That's terrible.
Nicola is calling Paula to tell her this because Paula's sister Carmel has breast cancer and Nicola is concerned Carmel might be upset. There's a little more to the conversation but it probably didn't last more than a minute. But these little snippets keep building and building and we see Paula changing, getting bolder and learning to care for those important to her.

That little conversation shows something about Doyle's way of introducing music into the lives of his characters. I think every book I've read of his has some music popping up in it. Even when I don't know the music he is referring to (Paula works as a cleaner at a White Stripes concert and later buys one of their CDs to listen to) it's a technique that expands the fictional character in the mind of the reader. ( )

La suite doucement tragico optimiste de la femme qui se cognait dans les portes. Moins trash, moins cash, plus mature. Indéniablement un grand écrivain! ( )

Doyle's empathy and eye for detail are still there, but the book is disjointed and doesn't work up much energy. ( )