The cover of Roddy Doyle's book "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" shows a young boy about to let himself drop down from a wall, which he's still holding with one hand.
Born in Dublin in 1958, Roddy Doyle has written a number of novels, books for children, plays and screenplays, and lots of short stories.
"Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" was the winner of the Booker Prize in 1993.
The story, told by a ten year old boy, doesn't follow the usual rules of a novel as there are no chapters, just a series of Paddy's thoughts which don't follow in chronological order.
In spite of this, you do sense the passage of time as the book progresses.
Like any ten year old, Paddy's thoughts jump quickly from one subject to another, with the subjects seemingly unrelated.
The book describes a lost world where children roam freely around the area where they live, constantly getting into mischief.
The early part of the book focuses on this fun and mischief before real life begins to intrude.
I won't give any more detail as I don't want to spoil the story for any potential reader.
"Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" by Roddy Doyle is a story told by a ten year old boy living in Barry Town, North Dublin, in 1968.
It's a wonderful read - and I highly recommend it!
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