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Roddy Doyle Book Discussion Saturday, December 3, 2016 Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha Irish Cultural Center McClelland Library (1993 –Booker Prize Winner) Norton Room First Irish writer to win the Booker Prize 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM Discussion Guide ►In Doyle’s novel, we see family and community through the eyes of a boy of ten, the eldest of four children. How successful is Roddy Doyle in portraying the point of view of a child? How does this point of view affect the organization? Our insights into family and community? [For comparison and contrast, you might want to reread the first three stories of Joyce’s Dubliners and dip into his Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. Other young narrators can be found in Edna O’Brien’s The Country Girls and Frank O’Connor’s An Only Child.] ►In the novel, we are made aware of this new suburban life and the scarred landscape of new construction. What seem to be the gains and losses to this new community north of Dublin proper? Are serious social issues addressed? ►Language acquisition is an important aspect of a youngster’s development. How is this interest in language conveyed in the novel? Do the Irish phrases and slang enhance or detract from the narrative? ►How is Irish history dealt with in the novel? Critique the educational experiences that Paddy is having. ►If you had been on the Booker Prize committee, would you have awarded the prize to this novel? BONUS: This month, we want to share three poems by two respected poets from Northern Ireland: (1) “Falls Funeral” and “Nursery Story” by John Montague (both included in Collected Poems, 1995); (2) “The Railway Children” by Seamus Heaney (from Opened Ground, 1998). Of course we will have copies for you at the discussion. Other works by Roddy Doyle: The Commitments (1987), The Snapper (1990), and The Van (1991), known as The Barrytown Trilogy; The Woman Who Walked into Doors (1996); A Star Called Henry (1999) Looking Ahead: John McGahern, Amongst Women (1990) on January 28, 2017 .

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Reading List: Modern and Contemporary Irish Literature Students preparing for a doctoral examination in this field are asked to compose a reading list, in conjunction with their exam committee, drawn from the core of writers and scholars whose work appears below. We expect students to add to, subtract from, and modify this list as suits their purposes and interests. Students are not responsible for reading everything on this section list; instead, they should create a personalized list of approximately 40-50 texts, using this list as a guide. However, at least 50% of a student’s examination reading should come from this list. Poetry: W. B. Yeats Patrick Kavanagh Louis MacNeice Thomas Kinsella John Montague Seamus Heaney Rita Ann Higgins Michael Longley Derek Mahon Ciaran Carson Medbh McGuckian Paul Muldoon Eavan Boland Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin Paula Meehan Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill Dennis O’Driscoll Cathal Ó Searcaigh Chris Agee (ed.)—The New North: Contemporary Poetry from Northern Ireland Short Fiction: Sean O’Faolain—The Short Story Ben Forkner (ed.)—Modern Irish Short Stories W. B. Yeats—Irish Fairy and Folk Tales George Moore—The Untilled Field James Joyce—Dubliners Elizabeth Bowen—Collected Stories Frank O’Connor—Collected Stories Mary Lavin—In a Café: Selected Stories Edna O’Brien—A Fanatic Heart: Selected Stories (especially the stories from Returning) William Trevor—Collected Stories Bernard MacLaverty—Collected Stories Éilís Ní Dhuibhne—Midwife to the Fairies: New and Selected Stories Emma Donoghue—The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits
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