soodleth's review
3.0
This book was…okay. It was a little more serious than Roddy Doyle’s other kids books by trying to tackle depression and I’m not really sure if it succeeded.
Gloria & Raymond’s uncle moves in with them after becoming depressed and after a while they hear their granny say that the Black Dog has gotten him. So they go off to fight the Black Dog - a shadowy entity covering all of Dublin - and along the way they pick up many other children in the same boat. I liked the book but not as much as I enjoyed the Rover series, which is what I was constantly comparing it to, fairly or not. It definitely had Roddy Doyle’s characteristic absurdity and it was very rooted in Dublin, but it was just lacking something. I’m not sure what.
Gloria & Raymond’s uncle moves in with them after becoming depressed and after a while they hear their granny say that the Black Dog has gotten him. So they go off to fight the Black Dog - a shadowy entity covering all of Dublin - and along the way they pick up many other children in the same boat. I liked the book but not as much as I enjoyed the Rover series, which is what I was constantly comparing it to, fairly or not. It definitely had Roddy Doyle’s characteristic absurdity and it was very rooted in Dublin, but it was just lacking something. I’m not sure what.
sthompson84's review
5.0
Stole my heart in one sitting. Beautiful, precious, clever, sweet, touching, funny, and important.
elettraelettra's review against another edition
3.0
Che dire? Decisamente un libro per bambini.
Il tema è chiaramente insolito per un libro del genere, di solito la depressione non è esattamente un concetto facile da affrontare con un bambino, eppure anche e soprattutto i bambini soffrono degli effetti che essa crea quando tocca un famigliare o un amico, quindi perché no? Troppo spesso i temi difficili vengono discussi fuori dalla portata delle orecchie di quegli stessi bambini che forse, se sapessero quello che sta succedendo ne soffrirebbero meno.
In ogni caso il messaggio del libro è carino, la scrittura è piacevole e amando l'autore per i suoi romanzi 'per adulti' ero curiosa di leggere anche questo.
Decisamente non uno dei miei libri preferiti di Roddy Doyle, ma considerando il target del libro non posso dire che mi abbia deluso.
Il tema è chiaramente insolito per un libro del genere, di solito la depressione non è esattamente un concetto facile da affrontare con un bambino, eppure anche e soprattutto i bambini soffrono degli effetti che essa crea quando tocca un famigliare o un amico, quindi perché no? Troppo spesso i temi difficili vengono discussi fuori dalla portata delle orecchie di quegli stessi bambini che forse, se sapessero quello che sta succedendo ne soffrirebbero meno.
In ogni caso il messaggio del libro è carino, la scrittura è piacevole e amando l'autore per i suoi romanzi 'per adulti' ero curiosa di leggere anche questo.
Decisamente non uno dei miei libri preferiti di Roddy Doyle, ma considerando il target del libro non posso dire che mi abbia deluso.
glamourfaust's review
2.0
I thought the depression allegory too vague and/or too big a topic for young readers. Without that, the book was kinda long and boring.
I'm not sure what's happened. I used to love Roddy Doyle. Is it like a lot of relationships - over time, without work, they fade? You look back and wonder what you ever saw in that person at all? I hope it's not over for Roddy and I; I think we've just grown in different directions.
I'm not sure what's happened. I used to love Roddy Doyle. Is it like a lot of relationships - over time, without work, they fade? You look back and wonder what you ever saw in that person at all? I hope it's not over for Roddy and I; I think we've just grown in different directions.
portanbeag's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I read this so many times as a child, everything is just a nice memory when I read it again, like a warm bath. (I can recite some of it in my head by now.)
The characters were great, the writing was both hilarious and reflective, the metaphor for mental illness and the talk about the recession was really accessible as a kid, but it didn’t talk down to me, which was great. Obviously it’s not the most sophisticated of books, but recognise that it’s not aimed at adults. Yay for Roddy Doyle.
The characters were great, the writing was both hilarious and reflective, the metaphor for mental illness and the talk about the recession was really accessible as a kid, but it didn’t talk down to me, which was great. Obviously it’s not the most sophisticated of books, but recognise that it’s not aimed at adults. Yay for Roddy Doyle.
njculbie's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
deeofbkkb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
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