--We'll ask Jimmy, said Outspan. --Jimmy'll know.
Opening sentence The Commitments by Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle is one of a handful of authors who consistently make me laugh out loud. I don't think I'm a particularly gloomy person, I just don't often find the experience of reading funny. Roddy Doyle's Barrytown novels are an exception. Like The Van and The Snapper, The Commitments is a very funny book.
The Commitments is the story of a group of friends who put together a band though they have no business doing so--several of them have no real idea how to play their instruments. But why let that stop you. Through the sheer will of their manager, Jimmy Rabbitte who knows music, The Commitments form, rehearse and become something of a small scale hit. A band with a purpose, The Commitments are dedicated to bringing soul music to Dublin. Ireland, they believe, is a land of soul-- it just doesn't know it yet.
To his credit and the novel's betterment, Mr. Doyle keeps his story focused on the band. His ensemble of players are fully fledged characters who do have lives outside of the band, but it's the band we care about and it's the band Mr. Doyle gives us. No need for pesky subplots in The Commitments. The rehearsal scenes, the gigs, time spent hanging with the band members, are full of overlapping dialogue, jokes, put-downs, gossip, insight, musical references-- all the stuff a bunch of people who love what they're doing even though they don't really know what they're doing would talk. It's easy to see why a movie based on The Commitments would be a hit.
Maybe I should watch it.
8 comments:
Oh, yes. All three books are delightful and all three movies are different but great in their own way.
This is not exactly a knock on the movie, but the novel is much smarter about music. The movie, for example, completely excises "Night Train." Actually, that is a knock on the movie.
I've loved everything I've read by Doyle so far. I need to get my hands on this trilogy.
Teacherninja, A Barrytown film festival sounds like a good way to spend a weekend. Maybe I'll put all three in my queue. I've only seen The Snapper.
Am. Reader, I wonder if they movie makers had problems getting the rights to use Night Train. Sometimes that can be what dictates which songs are included in a movie.
Nymeth, These Barrytown books are as good as anything Doyle's done since in my opinion. And they are by far his funniest stuff. (Now that I think about it, A Star Called Henry is probably my favorite.)
I've not read anything by Doyle, and I'm feeling a little inept. But the idea of a fun story about an unlikely musical group is all I really need to know in order to make me want to read it!
I loved the movie (and the soundtrack equally), I have to admit that I have never read Doyle, I think I might have to have a go at Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha!
Nominated you for a blog award today, sir. Yeah. Check out my page for the details.
Sandy, It's a very entertaining, quick read. I think you'd like it.
Savidgereads, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha! is a good place to start. It's a much fuller realized 'novel' than the commitments, deals with much more serious subject matter but still has some brilliant bits of humor in it. The opening chapters when Paddy and his little brother pretend to be lepers is hilarious.
Andi, Thank you very much. What a nice way to start the day. I'll have to come up with ten random things.....
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