Okay, here’s the thing. Have you ever read something and felt like you have to finish it for the sake of it. Just for the pleasure to an end to misery of a boring book. Again the cover fooled me, of a boy hang on to a wall bore me a mysterious need to discover the story behinds it. But this 1993 Booker Prize renders me in aghast emotion of disappointment, big time.
The story was about 10 years old boy, Patrick (Paddy) Clarke who live in Ireland and his day to day experience. He was just an ordinary boy with extraordinary gift, making trouble and be proud of it. He steals, he hurts people, get hurt himself, swearing, smoking, get under people nerves and tonnes of trouble you couldn’t imagine a 10 years will get into. He has a loving family, a Ma who listens attentively and Da with patience. He likes to torments his little brother Francis (Sinbad). His relationship with his brother is a love-hate situation. At times he adores him, and at times he like to torture him just for fun of it.
Progressing along the story, we learned what he learned, his passion for football and George Best. How he hates the Corporation and how he likes to sabotage the development around the neighborhood, swearing under his breath toward Henno (Mister Hennessy) his teacher etc.
We also tempted to know what going on between his Ma and Da. There are silent fights that advancing into shout and physical aggression but none of them happens in front of him and his little brother. But he knew of course; though his parent pretending like everything is going normal and nothing bad ever occur under the roof. Paddy can be such a good brother and child at times, he will do everything to keeps his parents happy, an attempt to drown all the concealed dilemma. He pleased to see his parent smile.
Towards the last two pages of the book, we learn that his Da finally left them but being the story narrated in a first person point of view (which is Patrick), we will never knew the reason why. The 10 year-old children not supposed to know the reason why his parent was fighting. We were left with question. A very classical way to kept the readers linger around the book and it’s entire content once we finished it. It wasn’t so bad after all. I take my word back, it's a real Booker Prize worthy. Three and a half stars.
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