Overview

The bestselling book behind the long-running West End stage show. 'The musical we've been waiting for... So good I almost wept' Sunday Times 'Hugely enjoyable... Wonderfully funny' Daily Telegraph Barrytown, Dublin, has something to sing about. The Commitments are spreading the gospel of the soul. Ably managed by Jimmy Rabbitte, brilliantly coached by Joey 'The Lips' Fagan, their twin assault on Motown and Barrytown takes them by leaps and bounds from the parish hall to the steps of the studio door. But can The Commitments live up to their name? The bestselling book behind the long-running West End stage show. 'Unstoppable fun. A big-hearted, big-night out' The Times

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A contender for the funniest debut of the year...young, feisty, funky, rude, unpretentious and great fun Time Out Brilliant...it pushes Irish English to wonderful imaginative extremes -- Tom Paulin An Irish version of The Blues Brothers...authentic and brilliantly funny Literary Review An absurd comedy of the commonplace...a charming, truthful and immensely funny story which leaves you gasping for more Sunday Times

A contender for the funniest debut of the year...young, feisty, funky, rude, unpretentious and great fun * Time Out * Brilliant...it pushes Irish English to wonderful imaginative extremes * . * An Irish version of The Blues Brothers...authentic and brilliantly funny * Literary Review * An absurd comedy of the commonplace...a charming, truthful and immensely funny story which leaves you gasping for more * Sunday Times * One of my favourite trilogies ever, nobody makes hard times as funny as Irish author Roddy Doyle... Beloved classics... The stories will be a balm to your bruised soul. * Image *

First published in Britain in 1987, this bracing, funny, honest, and charming first novel tracks the brief existence of The Commitments, a working-class Dublin band bent on bringing soul to the people. Fortunately for Outspan and Derek, who've decided to form And, And!, And, a syntho-pop cover band (as soon as they get the money to buy instruments, anyway), Jimmy Rabbite consents to be their manager. Jimmy's the sharpest industry observer in northern Dublin ( Jimmy had Relax before anyone had heard of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and he'd started slagging them months before anyone realized that they were no good ), and is able to turn the band to soul. Renamed the Commitments, Jimmy adds to the band - among others - the three Commitmentettes; and a pro, Brother Joey The Lips Fagan, a balding, motherly horn-player old enough to have fathered the rest of the band. Brother Joey, who's played with everyone from James Brown to the Beatles, takes over the band's musical training to great success, and is soon sampling the nonmusical talents of the Commitmentettes, much to the disgust of his frustrated younger colleagues. After a lot of amusing preparation, the band gains recognition in local pubs and the music press. But Deco, the band's talented but oafish singer, lets success go to his head, and despite an offer to record, friction breaks up the band. We leave Jimmy, Outspan, and Derek as they realize that what Dublin really needs is a country-western band. Brash, human, smoothly executed, and seemingly authentic, full of youth, energy, and good humor, this is a quintessential garage-band romance - and a fine and promising debut. (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin in 1958. He is the author of twelve acclaimed novels including The Commitments, The Snapper, The Van and Smile, two collections of short stories, and Rory & Ita, a memoir about his parents. He won the Booker Prize in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.

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