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Paula Spencer

By
TOM DEIGNAN,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 4:16 PM
Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:51 PM

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After novels about grungy Irish blues bands and coming-of-age boys, Roddy Doyle surprised readers with his 1996 bestseller "The Woman Who Walked into Doors," about a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. In his latest novel, Doyle resurrects the main character from "Doors." In fact, the book is named "Paula Spencer" and catches up with this character now that she is sober and a grandmother. Paula is trying to reconcile with her son, who is living with his own substance-abuse problems. Her oldest daughter seems a model of the Celtic Tiger generation "a successful businesswoman," but under intense pressure. The newfound prosperity of Ireland, meanwhile, affects Paula's own day-to-day life. Though she still works hard, she is also managing to make a little money for herself - a new experience, to say the least. "Paula Spencer" is a quieter novel than "The Woman Who Walked into Doors," with simple things such as parent-teacher conferences providing the drama. Still, Doyle is to be credited for never taking the easy way out: Paula, for example, is still able to admit she craves booze, despite the trouble it caused her. Doyle also does not give Paula a clichéd miserable childhood to explain away her problems. "Paula Spencer" may not be made into a movie as "The Commitments" and "The Snapper" were. But Doyle can still dazzle readers. ($24.95 / 288 pages / Viking)

See more: Irish, Irish central, books, culture, fiction

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