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abbie_ 's review for:
The Woman Who Walked Into Doors
by Roddy Doyle
I’d never have expected what I got in this book just from the cover and title, but once you actually take a second to think about it, think about what the old excuse of ‘Oh I walked into the door’ to cover up a bruise or black eye actually means, then you’ll begin to have an inkling of what this book entails.
.
As I mentioned when I started reading it, I was hesitant to find a male author writing a female protagonist, as we’ve all encountered those male-authored women who think of nothing else but the way their nipples feel under their shirts all day long. I’m happy to tell you however, that Roddy Doyle is fully capable of having Paula go through the day without thinking unnecessary sexual thoughts about her OWN SELF. I know that’s a low bar, but thankfully he also goes above and beyond that, and I really enjoyed her sarcastic, humorous, and tragically beaten down narrative voice.
.
It’s set in Dublin and focuses on a working class family, as many of Doyle’s books do apparently, and truly Paula’s story just broke my heart. From her childhood where she was forced to grow up quickly because of the people in her life - from her friends, her vile desk mate, and mediocre to downright perverted teachers, I think Doyle paints an accurate if grim picture of working-class families in Dublin in the 60s and 70s.
.
And it sadly doesn’t get any better for Paula. She becomes trapped in a violent marriage, and Doyle does an amazing job of detailing her thought processes both during the marriage and 17 years later when she’s reflecting back. His style works really well for this, with a sprinkle of humour and Paula’s rough mouth adding some lightness to the dark. For some reason though, my edition was littered with random bits of punctuation that I’m sure should not have been there. Like a • in the middle of a word or I,m instead of I’m, and it was really quite off-putting. Thankfully they stopped about two thirds of the way through.
.
It is a very triggering book so proceed with caution if you’re sensitive to all types of assault and abuse. I also recommend going to read @aseriesofunreadbooks review because Lauren is far more eloquent than me!
.
As I mentioned when I started reading it, I was hesitant to find a male author writing a female protagonist, as we’ve all encountered those male-authored women who think of nothing else but the way their nipples feel under their shirts all day long. I’m happy to tell you however, that Roddy Doyle is fully capable of having Paula go through the day without thinking unnecessary sexual thoughts about her OWN SELF. I know that’s a low bar, but thankfully he also goes above and beyond that, and I really enjoyed her sarcastic, humorous, and tragically beaten down narrative voice.
.
It’s set in Dublin and focuses on a working class family, as many of Doyle’s books do apparently, and truly Paula’s story just broke my heart. From her childhood where she was forced to grow up quickly because of the people in her life - from her friends, her vile desk mate, and mediocre to downright perverted teachers, I think Doyle paints an accurate if grim picture of working-class families in Dublin in the 60s and 70s.
.
And it sadly doesn’t get any better for Paula. She becomes trapped in a violent marriage, and Doyle does an amazing job of detailing her thought processes both during the marriage and 17 years later when she’s reflecting back. His style works really well for this, with a sprinkle of humour and Paula’s rough mouth adding some lightness to the dark. For some reason though, my edition was littered with random bits of punctuation that I’m sure should not have been there. Like a • in the middle of a word or I,m instead of I’m, and it was really quite off-putting. Thankfully they stopped about two thirds of the way through.
.
It is a very triggering book so proceed with caution if you’re sensitive to all types of assault and abuse. I also recommend going to read @aseriesofunreadbooks review because Lauren is far more eloquent than me!