Born in Dublin in 1958, Roddy Doyle attended St Fintan's Christian Brothers School in Sutton and graduated with a B.A. and a Higher Diploma in Education from University College, Dublin (Candon 1). After fourteen years as a teacher, Roddy Doyle became a full-time writer in 1993 (Candon 1). He has written two plays, Brownbread (1987) and War, as well as five novels, The Commitments (1987), The Snapper (1989), The Van (1991), Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (1993), and most recently The Woman Who Walked Into Doors (1996).
Roddy Doyle has been described by those who know him as modest and unassuming. He takes great efforts to protect his own and family's privacy. He is married and has two children and currently resides in Dublin. He has stated in interviews that he prefers to have a quiet family life. (Candon 1)
Roddy Doyle wrote his first novel, The Commitments in 1987. However, the challenge to publish the book was quite a struggle. Doyle and his friend John Sutton had to resort to getting a loan to publish the novel under their own imprint, King Farouk (Candon 1). The Commitments and The Snapper were Doyle's first two novels, each of which were adapted into films. The movie version of The Commitments directed by Alan Parker brought him recognition in the United States, helping to launch his successful writing career in the States as well as in France, Germany, Japan, and Scandinavia (Candon 1). The Van is the last novel in a collection called The Barrytown Trilogy. Doyle received notable recognition for The Van which was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 1991 (Cryer 1).
It wasn't until several years later that Roddy Doyle was propelled into the International spotlight when he became the first Irish author to win the Booker Prize in 1993 for his novel, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. Doyle's Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha sold more copies than any other winner of the Booker Prize (Candon 1). The Booker Prize is awarded to the best novel published between January 1st and November 30th of the year of the award. The Booker Prize is awarded only for novels written in English by citizens of the British Commonwealth, Ireland, and South Africa (Candon 1).
Roddy Doyle enjoys the challenge of writing a realistic novel, one that will stir the hearts and minds of the readers, but without any first hand knowledge on the subject. Doyle has tackled several serious subjects in his novels, including domestic violence in his novel The Woman Who Walked Into Doors. In an interview on that novel Doyle stated, "I've never witnessed, been involved in, or even seen domestic violence, so it's a foreign country to me completely, and I wanted to see if I could write about it." Furthermore, Doyle adds,"To an extent, that's what happened with all the books. I've never experienced any of the subjects I write about." (Mitchell 2) The appeal of Doyle's works is that the reader feels like they have experienced the abuse, the happiness, the love, the hate, that Doyle speaks of in his novels.
Using Dublin's working class as the basis for his characters, Doyle successfully strikes a chord in international hearts by focusing on familiar themes including love, ambition, struggle, and independence. Doyle is able to tackle tough issues by using a unique comedic style. His energetic and boisterous dialogues are comedic even in their syntax. Throughout his novels Doyle balances a comedic and serious tone, finding a perfect tension between the two. Guy Mannes-Abbott in his review of The Van comments, "People laugh when they ought to cry, and yet it [The Van] avoids cuteness." (Mannes-Abbott 35) The perfect balance of comedy and drama are the main ingredients when creating a successful novel for Doyle.
Doyle's novels have had political and social impacts in his home country of Ireland as well as internationally. The same night that Doyle received the award for the Booker prize, 50 fired workers from Middlebrook Mushrooms in Yorkshire lobbied the Booker subsidiary in protest of the sponsors of the prize. Perhaps looking for prize money from Doyle, like in the case 20 years before when John Berger gave half of his prize money to the Black Panthers (Tonkin 41). The political controversy over the Booker Prize is a separate issue however, more important are the social statements that Doyle has made using his literary voice.
His latest novel, The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, is perhaps his most overt statement about Irish culture to date. The book is entitled after a common Irish euphemism for a battered wife (Cryer 1). Doyle believes this "nasty little phenomenon" is Ireland's "dirty little secret." (Cryer 1) Before the novel was even complete, social movements began. For instance, when Doyle was writing The Woman Who Walked Into Doors he was approached by Woman's Aid for assistance in writing the novel. However, Doyle declined their offers of help and instead asked for feedback when he was finished with the manuscript. To his credit, all six women Doyle met with felt that he had successfully portrayed the realities and daily struggles of a battered wife (Mitchell 2). Doyle made a four part television series, Family, which spoke of this theme also, leading to protests in Ireland. Doyle comments," All of my work has sparked off some kind of reaction in Ireland" (Mitchell 2). He further comments specifically about the strong reaction to The Woman Who Walked Into Doors saying, "It was just that the volume this time was much, much louder" (Mitchell 2).
Roddy Doyle continues to use his phenomenal ability to balance comedy and tragedy in what some have called his best novel to date. Michael McGuiness comments on this balance in his review of Doyle's latest novel reporting,
"The Woman Who Walked Into Doors is funny and serious, and sometimes a combination of both. One of the funniest sections is the numerous ways in which a teenage girl's innocent behavior could result in her becoming known as a slut. The serious sections are those which describe in great detail the beatings Paula endures, and the mind set that develops when Paula begins to think that if she acts a certain way, and doesn't annoy Charo, he won't beat her, and how she thinks it is her fault when he invariably does." (McGuiness 1)
The approach Doyle takes on writing this novel proved successful, allowing him to attack the problem of spousal abuse in a powerful way. He uses the many doors in the novel as a symbol for escape and ambition. The tragedy lies in the fact that all of the doors are sealed shut. The first use of the door is when the police come and knock on the door, and ends when Paula slams the door on her husband, Charo. In between, Paula walks into the doors instead of through them. Andy Croft in his book review for New Statesman and Society comments,
"School was a door closing on her education; pregnancy was a door shutting in her marriage. First children, then bruises, now gin keep her indoors. Charo slams her into doors. When Paula tells the doctor her injuries are caused by walking into doors, she is, in a sense, telling the truth." (Croft 41)
Unfortunately, this novel is a voice of an entire class of people in Ireland, and perhaps the world. The true achievement of Doyle in this novel is that he managed to get inside the head of a battered, misfortunate woman, and show his readers that even in her most desperate situations, when Paula is at her lowest point physically and mentally, that love can still exist, and that a sense of humor can help keep her spirit alive. (Croft 41)
Paula's victory comes when she throws Charo out. Even though she is still drinking heavily, she finally understands that Charo was not everything and that she is something special, she isn't a worthless. Although she doesn't have a very high self esteem, she no longer believes that she is stupid. She survives, she endures, this is her victory and the hope for battered women everywhere. (Croft 41) The hope that Doyle provides is his powerful statement to Ireland and the world. The novel is a call for political change and social reform, and the call has been heard.
Roddy Doyle in each and every one of his novels is able to convey in a comedic and
serious tone, the true nature of the situation. Without first-hand experience Doyle still manages
to bring life to the topic, whether the subject be as serious as spousal abuse (The Woman Who
Walked Into Doors) or growing up in the midst of a collapsed marriage (Paddy Clarke Ha Ha
Ha), or as jovial as a group of young Dubliners clawing their way into the music scene by forming
a band (The Commitments). The magical way that Doyle has brought such issues to light have
brought him much deserved success. Readers all over the world can expect more great things
from Doyle in the future. Roddy Doyle is truly one of Ireland's premiere novelists.
Candon, Gerardine. "Roddy Doyle." Dublin City Library. Online. Internet. 13 April 1997. Available http://www.iol.ie/dublincitylibrary/mumlib/doyle/doylebio.htm
Croft, Andy. "At That Fall." New Statesman and Society. 3 April 1997.
Cryer, Dan. "The Woman Who Wakled Into Doors." Newsday Direct. Online. Internet. 14 April 1997.
Mannes-Abbott, Guy. "Dubliners." New Statesman and Society. 13 August 1993.
Mitchell, Elizabeth. "The Man Who Walked Into Success." Eye Magazine. Online. Internet. 14 April 1997. Available http://www.eye.net/Arts/Books/1996/bo051a.htm
McGuinnes, Michael. "The Woman Who Walked Into Doors." IrishNet Magazine. Online. Internet. 13 April 1997. Available http://www.irishnet.com./wdoors.htm
Tonkin, Boyd. "Prize Fight." New Statesman and Society. 29 October 1993.