Goodreads Ireland discussion

I've been reading and loving The Van for a fair part of the morning, and am over half way through already. Just as enjoyable as the other two, and it's interesting to see, just as Jimmy Jr took a back seat in The Snapper, so Sharon is a bit part for a lot of this one.

I have to say that I love Jimmy Sr as a character, despite some of his dubious 'inner thoughts' about the 'young ones'-Doyle creates real sympathy for him and his emasculated feelings having lost his job, though he does have a fair bit of craic at the same time.

And now that we're well into the story of the van itself, the laughs keep on coming! Italia 90 holds great memories for me as well, as I was 15 then and totally immersed in the tournament for months before, as well as during it.

I can't see it taking me too long to finish this one.

I've mentioned this book in my science fiction as well. One reviewer tells another to read it, adding that it's slow until page 136.
"Why is it slow?"
"The Van was nominated for the Booker Prize, and you don't get nominated for the Booker unless you talk about the essential loneliness of the human condition."
"Oh, I thought you meant the van needed a push to start."

As a query to the Doyle fans , does anyone remember the other Barrytown incarnation ,Family , a TV series from around 94 or 95 shown on BBC and RTE . I remember a huge bizz about it when I was in school. We all loved the language ☺

Charlo was great . Each episode focused on a different member of the family i think

Charlo was a lot darker than Jimmy, and the series was also a lot more serious if I remember.

As a young teen all i remember is the language and dirty jokes