Rating: 
Summary: Doyle scores again!
Review: Another great title from Roddy Doyle. Doyle has alway had a knack for capturing the language of his characters, and 'Henry' proves no exception. You'd swear you can hear the characters talking! I think Doyle also did a good job controlling the pace of the book. Some of the events involving fighting, for example, seem to whiz by in a blur of action.I think Steve Boulhosa's review of the book is a little off base. He is probably correct that there are better books on the history of the IRA, etc., but is the average Joe actually going to pick up one of those books and read it? I doubt it, but they might after reading 'Henry,' and that's an achievement!
Rating: 
Summary: brilliant
Review: A star called henry is one of the most exciting books i have read in resent times, it showed a boy who grew up in trouble times as we live in now in Ireland, how he could love.His constant loyalty to his father who had abandon him, the strong love for his mother,and his unselfish devotion to his little brother Victor.The courage to move on in life, Roddy Doyle shows how my future has developed, how men, young men, women and children lived and died for what they believed in. His strenght [henry] his courage his cleverness to stay alive to do what he had to do was quiet unique. I loved this book i could relate to all the places Henry ventured to.Roddy Dolyes discriptions of towns and countys were brilliant as i read this book i could feel myself going through the Towns with Henry on the arseless with him,i could feel the love and respect he had for miss O'shea and the undevoted love she had for him and the love they both shared for the freedom of their country. I thank them and all the other Henry Smarts of the 1916-1922 war without them all i would not be a free woman today, I wondered while i was reading this book was it really fiction? or was it based on someone i once knew?
Rating:
Summary: Positively awesome!
Review: The story of Henry Smart, who comes into this wrld without so much as a name to call his own. The poverty and misery of his young life provide fuel for the rebellion, but he keeps a bit of himself aside, and that bit is always trying to figure it all out; and firgure it out he does. This book will be added to the short ist of classics.
Rating: 
Summary: Fact is Better Than Fiction
Review: Before I picked up 'A Star Called Henry', Roddy Doyle was one of the few authors of whom I could say, 'I would read anything he wrote'. In the future I will be more careful. I found the main character to be self-centered, vain, unrealistic and awfully stupid for someone who considered himself a genius. This would have been fine except for the fact that Mr. Doyle seemed intent on presenting him as a sympathetic figure. The only thing more annoying than the character of Henry Smart, however, were the reviews of your customers. If one more person stated that they learned so much about the IRA or the Easter Rising from this book, I think I would have started planting my own car bombs. Has it escaped each of you that you found this book in the FICTION section! There are plenty of wonderful books out there if you want the real story of early 20th century Irish history . For instance, if you want to learn about the IRA pick up 'The IRA: A History' by Tim Pat Coogan. And if you're interested in a fact packed story of the Easter 1916 Rising, 'Rebels' by Peter DeRosa is incredibly accurate and beautifully written. In the meantime please don't take history lessons from novels. And as for you Roddy Doyle, the everyday characters from your earlier books were far more heroic than the gun toting, big talking Henry Smart, and far more inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: A Risky Book
Review: Roddy Doyle could have played it safe. He could have continued to crank out more of his hilarious, winning Barrytown books, but he decided to grow as a writer, and we're all the beneficiaries. His latest book is audacious in the scope of its ideas -- and contrary to appearances, this story of the birth of the Irish Republic far from "a well-trodden path" for an Irish author. Doyle's unflinching view of the Rebellion and especially the IRA may anger many people in his native land; they opened my eyes. I'll recommend this book as often and as highly as I can.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: If you want to capture Ireland at it's worse and best at the turn of the century this is as good as it get's.
Rating:
Summary: A Star Called Henry
Review: This was the first Roddy Doyle title I've read. It was a compelling book - well written and riveting from the first page. The protagonist, Henry Smart, is finely developed. He provides insight for the reader into the events and emotions surrounding Sinn Fein's fight for the Republic of Ireland in the early 20th century. While written from an Irish perspective, it does not glorify either side of the conflict. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely and thought-provoking read!
Review: In agreement with most of the comments here in that I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Similar in style but different in substance from Doyle's other novels, A Star Called Henry is worth the read. One observation I would like to make that others may take issue with is Doyle's almost Orwellian portrayal of the events that followed the Easter Rising. In Smart's perception and in mine, those who eventually gain control of the Republic differ very little from their predecessors. Doyle made me feel very keenly the loss of Collins' more democratic ideals for the sake of a few individuals' personal gain. I am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Really well written book!
Review: After seeing this book listed as one of the New Yorker's (magazine) top books of the year, I picked it up at the bookstore and thoroughly enjoyed it. Roddy Doyle is an extremely accomplished writer. I do agree with a previous reviewer that Henry was sometimes just a bit too lucky! All in all, I enjoyed learning more about Ireland during that time period.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much fortune in Henry's misfortune
Review: A Star Called Henry is a fine book. However, this book is far from a five star. Henry has too much fortune in all his misfortune. In attempts to create suspense, Doyle outdoes himself having Henry elude disaster time and time again. I am sure one had to be fortunate to survive the Irish Civil War, but Henry just has a little too much Irish luck for my liking. On a positive note, I very much enjoyed Doyle's use of the intricacies of the IRA.
| 
