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Book Review
Feb. 18th, 2009 10:56 pmThe Van
by Roddy Doyle
This short, great novel takes place in working-class Ireland in 1990. The story is simple and understated. Jimmy Rabitte is in his forties and recently unemployed. When his best friend Bimbo Reeves is also laid off, they go into business running a fish and chips van, selling cheap food outside of bars, soccer matches, and at the beach. Doyle has an affectionate sense of humor about his characters and achieves a very warm realism. I especially liked the fact that Doyle is not afraid to give Jimmy a genuinely happy family life - I often find that a lot of contemporary realism seems to rely heavily on troubles marriages and dysfunctional family relationships. Jimmy's marriage, while perhaps a bit more utilitarian than passionate, is solid and loving. Despite some amount of friction and occasional annoyance, he truly likes his kids and enjoys being with his family.
Doyle is also amazingly perceptive about male friendship in all its peculiarity, fragility, and steadfastness. The relationship between Jimmy and Bimbo is the center of the book. Actually, Jimmy, Bimbo, and their other friends remind me a lot of my father and his friends. Their ages and social class are similar, and their patterns of interaction are very close. The style of banter, the mechanics of their friendships, etc.
by Roddy Doyle
This short, great novel takes place in working-class Ireland in 1990. The story is simple and understated. Jimmy Rabitte is in his forties and recently unemployed. When his best friend Bimbo Reeves is also laid off, they go into business running a fish and chips van, selling cheap food outside of bars, soccer matches, and at the beach. Doyle has an affectionate sense of humor about his characters and achieves a very warm realism. I especially liked the fact that Doyle is not afraid to give Jimmy a genuinely happy family life - I often find that a lot of contemporary realism seems to rely heavily on troubles marriages and dysfunctional family relationships. Jimmy's marriage, while perhaps a bit more utilitarian than passionate, is solid and loving. Despite some amount of friction and occasional annoyance, he truly likes his kids and enjoys being with his family.
Doyle is also amazingly perceptive about male friendship in all its peculiarity, fragility, and steadfastness. The relationship between Jimmy and Bimbo is the center of the book. Actually, Jimmy, Bimbo, and their other friends remind me a lot of my father and his friends. Their ages and social class are similar, and their patterns of interaction are very close. The style of banter, the mechanics of their friendships, etc.
