A star called Henry is a novel written by Roddy Doyle, published in 1999. The novel tells the story of Henry Smart, a man who has lived through some of the most tumultuous events in Irish history, including the Irish War of Independence, the Civil War, and the Easter Rising.
Throughout the novel, Henry reflects on his life and the choices he has made, as well as the larger political and historical events that have shaped his country. He is a complex and multifaceted character, and his story is one of love, loss, and the search for identity.
One of the most striking aspects of A Star Called Henry is the way it portrays the impact of historical events on the lives of ordinary people. Henry's experiences during the Irish War of Independence and the Civil War are particularly poignant, as he witnesses firsthand the violence and trauma of these conflicts.
Despite the chaos and violence that surrounds him, Henry remains a resilient and determined character. He is deeply committed to the cause of Irish independence, and he is willing to sacrifice everything for it.
The novel is also a love story, as Henry's relationship with his wife, Miss O'Shea, is a central part of the narrative. Their love is tested by the challenges they face, but it ultimately proves to be a source of strength and resilience for both of them.
Overall, A Star Called Henry is a powerful and moving novel that explores the complexities of history, love, and identity. It is a thought-provoking and emotionally engaging read that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.
A Star Called Henry Themes
The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. However, with an increasingly complex storyline and the introduction of a number of memorable characters, ncluding some real life figures Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera for two the book provides a fascinating insight into a world of intrigue where everything is definitely not as it seems. It is a tale about the human spirit striving to free itself from the fetters of poverty and oppression despite the worst possible odds. Shattered by her vision of the carnage, she quit school and flew back home. There's a touch of O'Caseys Three Dublin Plays particularly The Plough and the Stars or Connolly's Strumpet City to this book, between the colourful characters so typical of Dublin Granny Nash is quite something and the touch of irreverence towards the Rising. This is the story of Henry Smart, a Dublin slum boy, born in profound poverty in 1901, who survives on the streets by his wits and physical strength. During my hamburger, a bomb blew up a crowded bandstand and killed six musicians in Regent's Park.
A Star Called Henry Characters
I think Roddy Doyle wished to present Henry Smart as some sort of likeable rogue, but I found him very unattractive. And in the person of his Henry Smart, he has created one of the great characters of modern fiction. If only today's real-life participants in the "Irish question" would demonstrate as much understanding as Doyle, this trilogy could end in peace. Henry has to break into middle class houses to steal books to feed her habit. This is a powerful blend of adventure novel, historical fiction and coming of age saga, encompassing the Easter Rising and the subsequent revolutionary developments in a very graphic and, in parts, grim and depressing read. Love it,love the follow up book and the one after. I don't like that.
A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle: 9780143034612
He says farewell to his infant daughter and to his wife in jail for terrorism and strikes out for Liverpool at the age of twenty. It is a defining moment in Irish History, the event which would change the course of Ireland's destiny. Doyle however takes a slightly different tact. Climanis make him start to change his attitude towards Jack Dalton and the Irish rebellion? He think hunger striking is a middle class tactic! There is a lightness to the earlier sections missing from sections, though it also includes the scene which made me cry, the death of Henry's younger brother Victor in a dank alley from TB. It is an indication that the end of this book is not the end of the character. My favorite Roddy Doyle book, "A Star Called Henry" is the fictional story of a young man, Henry Smart, growing up in the Ireland of the early 20th century. I definitely recommend this book, especially to fellow Hibernophiles like myself.
A Star Called Henry Study Guide: Analysis
For several years preceeding the Uprising, he has lived in and around Liberty Hall and become a friend of James Connolly. Violence has been such a theme through the books that this pulls the reader up to consider the aftermath on the young. After a brilliant opening, I'm afraid this book lost me. With "A Star Called Henry," Roddy Doyle has imagined the unfathomable. His father, mother and his siblings. What was even better was the sheer amount of life in Doyle's writing; Henry jumped off the page from the very beginning and didn't let up. Five years later, at the ripe age of 14, Henry finally stumbles into history and again into the arms of Miss O'Shea.
A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle
Henry is shocked when Jack Dalton defends the killing of Climanis, claiming he was a spy. Throughout their activities, however, Henry acts on his own agenda as well. Simultaneously we face the rising of patriotic nationalism of Irish people, creation and first steps of IRA and its action. However for the most part his books are based in contemporary Dublin, a Dublin Doyle and indeed I know. He is paid to pour tar on cows owned by absentee landlords and sells week-old newspapers to Dubliners hungry for news of uprisings. I hope its not a spoiler to say he ends up almost murdering Ford before the section ends! His father who has lost a leg, leaves behind his wooden limb which becomes Harry's talisman. We are with an infant Henry Smart as he is born and trace a tragi-comic upbringing in the dirty streets of 1902 Dublin.
A Star Called Henry (The Last Roundup, #1) by Roddy Doyle
No regrets - on reading it! You can help us out by revising, improving and updating thissection. However, Henry Smart grows up and becomes a sort of superhuman and this makes him unbelievable. This is the Ireland of Michael Collins and the Black and Tan, a stratified society full of class, ethnic and religious prejudice, staggering poverty and limited economic and educational opportunity. For one week, a handful of Irish men and women would hold out against the might of the British Empire. Ultimately, nonviolence is more effective whenever it's an option, but for the Irish, violence made them extreme and volatile, at the expense of their strategy, and perhaps at the expense of their movement. .
