The Dead Republic
Encyclopedia
The Dead Republic: A Novel is a 2010
novel by Irish author Roddy Doyle
which concluded The Last Roundup
trilogy. The first book in the trilogy was A Star Called Henry
(1999), and the second was Oh, Play That Thing!
(2004).
plans a movie based on Henry's life, but Henry eventually realizes the film that Ford has planned will reduce his story to sentiment. Henry plans to kill Ford, but his callousness has faded, and he drifts into the Dublin suburbs, where he meets a respectable widow who may possibly be his long-disappeared wife. Henry ages in obscurity until the 1970s, when he is caught up in the 1974 Dublin car bombings
and the Provisional IRA uses a distorted version of Henry's story as a public relations ploy.
said "Doyle’s eye for the light and shade of style and register in Irish speech and his dissection of the island’s shibboleths are masterly, but the Hollywood episodes with Ford read like schematics rather than windows into character. Doyle is doubtlessly speaking from the heart about the difficulties of seeing a script go through the movie mill but it’s too much and not enough at the same time."
2010 in literature
The year 2010 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February - The Wheeler Centre, Australia's "literary hub", officially opened.*April 3 - First release of the Apple iPad, electronic book reading device....
novel by Irish author 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....
which concluded 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."...
trilogy. The first book in the trilogy was 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:...
(1999), and the second was Oh, Play That Thing!
Oh, Play That Thing!
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.-Plot summary:...
(2004).
Plot
An aging Henry Smart is attempting to cement his reputation. John FordJohn Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
plans a movie based on Henry's life, but Henry eventually realizes the film that Ford has planned will reduce his story to sentiment. Henry plans to kill Ford, but his callousness has faded, and he drifts into the Dublin suburbs, where he meets a respectable widow who may possibly be his long-disappeared wife. Henry ages in obscurity until the 1970s, when he is caught up in the 1974 Dublin car bombings
Dublin and Monaghan Bombings
The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 were a series of car bombings in Dublin and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The attacks killed 33 civilians and wounded almost 300 – the highest number of casualties in any single day during the conflict known as The Troubles.A loyalist...
and the Provisional IRA uses a distorted version of Henry's story as a public relations ploy.
Reception
The Dead Republic received largely positive reviews. The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
said "Doyle’s eye for the light and shade of style and register in Irish speech and his dissection of the island’s shibboleths are masterly, but the Hollywood episodes with Ford read like schematics rather than windows into character. Doyle is doubtlessly speaking from the heart about the difficulties of seeing a script go through the movie mill but it’s too much and not enough at the same time."