A review by oisin175
Love by Roddy Doyle

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My library had this shelved as "romance," which is a horrible genre categorization. Roddy Doyle is excellent at dialogue and it really shows here. The story is really just two old men talking about their lives. Ostensibly it's about Joe explaining why he left his wife and the aftermath, but the narration occurs inside Davy's head and is frequently interrupted with memories and his own thoughts. An interesting story about the impacts that the past, both real and imagined, have on us. A great example of a novel that can leave an emotional mark, keep the reader engaged, and have next to no activity.