By the author of "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha", winner of the 1993 Booker Prize, this is the life history of Paula Spencer - her contented childhood, her romance with Charlo, and her sad marriage. It is the story of a working class woman in her 30s who is both vulnerable and strong.

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This one is going into redhouses Perpetual Book Box

I'd heard of this book and wanted to read it so when I saw it in redhouse's perpetual motion bookbox I jumped on it. (Not literally!)

Written in distinctive Roddy Doyle style, it was easy to forget that this book was written by a man but narrated by a woman. He really seems to present the story from a female point of view. The characters were believable and the story flowed well. What annoyed me was the way that Paula's relationship was portrayed. As always in stories involving domestic violence, the idea is perpetuated that the woman must put up and shut up, that there is no way out but for her to kill (or attempt to kill) her husband. Why can authors not seem to write about women who refuse to be threatened and who leave their husbands or report them, and thus demonstrate to women that there are ways out of abusive relationships? (I'll get off my soap-box now!).

I went up to college yesterday and there were four books waiting for me in the pigeon hole, felt popular! Hope to read this soon, as I enjoyed other books by this author.

This was a quick read (good for exam time!) and I quite enjoyed it, as much as I've enjoyed other books by the same author. I liked the way I forgot it was a male author writing as a female voice and the plot was quite well put together, although maybe too descriptive in places? Not sure if the ending was happy or sad. Don't know if Paula knew either.

Offered on a Relay and its going to be off on its way to Germany tomorrow.

Thanks for the book !

Received in postal trade from Forza-St-Pauli in Germany. Thank you so much!

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