Oh, Play That Thing!
Encyclopedia
Oh, Play That Thing is a novel by Irish
writer Roddy Doyle
. It is Vol. 2 of The Last Roundup
series, and follows on from Vol. 1, A Star Called Henry
.
(IRA), Henry escapes to America
. In New York
, he becomes involved in advertising
, pornography
and bootlegging
. After stepping on the toes of the Mob, Henry heads for Chicago
, where he becomes the manager and partner-in-crime of Louis Armstrong
. He becomes reunited with his wife and daughter, and, much to his dismay, the IRA.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
writer Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. Several of his books have been made into successful films, beginning with The Commitments in 1991. He won the Booker Prize in 1993....
. It is Vol. 2 of The Last Roundup
The Last Roundup
The Last Roundup is a series of three novels by Irish writer Roddy Doyle. They follow the life of Henry Smart from Ireland to America spanning most of the 20th century. The series is narrated by Henry as well, providing us the "Omniscient Narrator."...
series, and follows on from Vol. 1, A Star Called Henry
A Star Called Henry
A Star Called Henry is a novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle. It is Vol. 1 of The Last Roundup series. The second installment of the series, Oh, Play That Thing, was published in 2004.-Plot summary:...
.
Plot summary
Having fallen foul of his erstwhile comrades in the Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA), Henry escapes to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he becomes involved in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
and bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
. After stepping on the toes of the Mob, Henry heads for Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he becomes the manager and partner-in-crime of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
. He becomes reunited with his wife and daughter, and, much to his dismay, the IRA.