Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (1993)
Who wrote it?
Roddy Doyle (1958-; active 1987-), born Dublin, Ireland. Most famously author of five novels (including this one) set in the fictional Dublin suburb of Barrytown. Of those, the initial trilogy focusing on the Rabbitte family were all made into successful films, starting with Alan Parker’s The Commitments in 1991, and followed by The Snapper and The Van. He’s also written for stage and screen, and written numerous short stories and children’s novels. He was a full time teacher (of English and Geography) until the success of The Commitments in the early 90s.
What's it about?
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha is a short novel told entirely in the voice of a 10-year old child in late 1960s Barrytown. Patrick is, to all intents and purposes, an ordinary child, and through his words (all dialogue and stream of consciousness interior monologue) we’re introduced to his friends, teachers, parents and close sibling, Sinbad / Francis. There’s relatively little structure to the novel, instead it’s a series of vignettes - almost short stories in themselves, typically showing a small insight into Patrick’s life as he learns more about himself and the world around him. The main thread that emerges through the second half of the novel is the decline of his parents’ relationship - ultimately leading to Patrick having to grow up a lot quicker than he might have imagined as he becomes the “man of the house.”
What I liked
Doyle captures the interior world of a 10 year old boy to an alarmingly accurate extent. I can’t imagine there are many readers that wouldn’t find something to relate to here - I grew up two decades after Patrick, but many of the thought processes and insights felt universal.
The level of detail around some of these childhood games, sweets, football games, and general larks, is really impressive.
The gradual unfolding of what’s going on in the background of Patrick’s life, and his attempts to first repress and then deal with them, is incredibly well-handled. It turns what could be seen as a somewhat throwaway novel into something deeper and more powerful.
In the tradition of a least some of the quirkier and more unusual Booker winners, this is an understated novel. Sure, there’s a bit of linguistic prowess on display, but but overall it doesn’t try to shock or innovate - it simply presents an “everyman” (or “everychild”) story that is going to be relatable to a huge number of readers.
What I didn't like
In honesty, it took its time to win me over, and I’m not quite sure I’d have stuck with it were it not for my commitment to this process.
The immersion in Patrick’s voice is impressive, but can also verge on feeling claustrophobic in its lack of variety and irritating in its childishness. A bit of chat with a 10 year old might be illuminating and entertaining, but near on 300 pages of it is probably more than most adults can take without getting at least moderately infuriated.
I felt overall that this was a bit of a one-trick pony. The insight rarely goes deeper than “oh yeah, I thought like that when I was 10 too!” and after a while that gets a bit tiresome. As Patrick’s family relationship develops towards the end, there’s a little more substance, but not quite enough for me to leave feeling especially inspired.
Food & drink pairings
A box of cereal, stolen from the local corner shop for a laugh.
A gobstopper in class, potentially shared with a friend (“you just need to rinse it under the tap”)
Fun facts
A relatively quiet year on the controversy front. The judges were apparently fairly good-natured, with the omission of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting from the shortlist the closest they came to outright disagreement.
Doyle’s winner was chosen for a combination of “technical achievement” (which I get) and “emotional force” (which I’m less persuaded by) - according to judge Gillian Beer.
I keep reading that there was some criticism of this book as being “easy” or “populist” as a choice, though if I’m honest I’m struggling to find the evidence. I guess a lot of that would have been media going “oh they’ve given the Booker to the guy who wrote that film The Commitments” without actually reading Paddy Clarke, but that’s just a stab in the dark…
No reason at all not to link to Roddy Doyle’s Star Trek here, is there now?
Just leaving this here, too:
Vanquished Foes
Tibor Fischer (Under the Frog)
Michael Ignatieff (Scar Tissue)
David Malouf (Remembering Babylon)
Caryl Phillips (Crossing the River)
Carol Shields (The Stone Diaries)
Another year in which I’m drawing a blank. Any must-reads in here?
Wikipedia claims Fischer’s Under the Frog as the first debut novel to be shortlisted, which somehow doesn’t feel right to me? I’m immediately thinking of Keri Hulme, but I feel like there might have been others too?
Context
In 1993:
Bill Clinton sworn in as US president
Unrest in India, with riots and bombings in Mumbai in the first months of the year
Continuing fighting in former Yugoslavia, including destruction of Stari Most bridge in Bosnia
Maastricht Treaty takes effect, marking formal start of European Union
Former dissident Vaclav Havel elected president of Czech Republic
World Trade Center bombing in NYC, US
Waco Siege in Texas, US
US Army conducts "Black Hawk Down" attacks on Somali forces in Mogadishu
Unrest in India, with riots and bombings in Mumbai in the first months of the year
Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa assassinated by a Tamil Tigers suicide bomber
Canada elects its first female Prime Minister in Kim Campbell
Eritrea votes for independence from Ethiopia
Privatisation of British Rail set out
Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar gunned down by police
Actor Brandon Lee killed during filming of The Crow
Grand National horse race in the UK declared void after 2 false starts
Prince announces name change to a symbol / "The Artist Formerly Known As..."
Death of River Phoenix of an overdose
World Tennis #1 Monica Seles stabbed during a match in Hamburg
Abuse accusations leveled against Michael Jackson by Evan Chandler on behalf of his son Jordan
Release of Windows 3.1
Doom (video game)
E. Annie Proulx, The Shipping News
Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy
Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting
Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides
Sebastian Faulks, Birdsong
Tom Stoppard, Arcadia
Jurassic Park
Schindler's List
Philadelphia
Wu Tang Clan, Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
Nirvana, In Utero
Suede, Suede
Bjork, Debut
Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle
Life Lessons
Being 10 is fun, but also confusing, but mainly fun
…until it stops being fun
Score
6
A solid book that I ultimately enjoyed, as well as admiring… but just not all that much?
Ranking to date:
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro (1989) - 9.5
Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie (1981) - 9.5
Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively (1987) - 9
Sacred Hunger - Barry Unsworth (1992) - 9
Oscar & Lucinda - Peter Carey (1988) - 9
The Sea, The Sea - Iris Murdoch (1978) - 9
Life & Times of Michael K. - J. M. Coetzee (1983) - 9
Schindler’s Ark - Thomas Keneally (1982) - 9
The Bone People - Keri Hulme (1985) - 8.5
Troubles - J.G. Farrell (1970, "Lost Booker") - 8.5
Possession - A. S. Byatt (1990) - 8
Saville - David Storey (1976) - 8
The Siege of Krishnapur - J.G. Farrell (1973) - 8
The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje (1992) - 7.5
Rites of Passage - William Golding (1980) - 7.5
Offshore - Penelope Fitzgerald (1979) - 7.5
The Elected Member - Bernice Rubens (1970) - 7
The Conservationist - Nadine Gordimer (1974) - 7
Holiday - Stanley Middleton (1974) - 7 .
Heat & Dust - Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1975) - 6.5
In a Free State* - V.S. Naipaul (1971) - 6.5
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - Roddy Doyle (1993) - 6
G. - John Berger (1972) - 6
The Famished Road - Ben Okri (1991) - 6
Something to Answer For - P. H. Newby (1969) - 5.5
Staying On - Paul Scott (1977) - 5
Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner (1984) - 4.5
The Old Devils - Kingsley Amis (1986) - 4
*Read in later condensed edition.
Next up
A famously divisive winner in the shape of James Kelman’s How Late it Was, How Late
