The Commitments

This is the original Roddy Doyle novel from which came the 1991 classic film, The Commitments. It's a classic, humorous drama-interlaced story about the formation, rise and fall of a fictional soul band from northside Dublin. The story illustrates how two young men aspiring to respectively play guitar and bass are encouraged by their friend-turned-manager to figure out how to play what he calls Dublin Soul. The manager places an ad in the local paper and starts recruiting members both seasoned and still learning, young and - in the case of trumpet player and spiritual guide Joey the Lips Fagen- old. The Commitments gain an immediate following from the moment they start gigging, but they're bogged down by the antics of singer Declan "Deco" Coffe and Joey's "interactions with the female singers. These particulars contribute, along with other matters, to the groups sudden and unexpected demise. Anybody who has both read this book and viewed the film (I actually watched the film dozens of times and purchased the book only recently) will be quick to pick up both the subtle differences between book & film and the immediate ones. For instance, the pivotal end scene when the Commitments disband is amid a mistake made by Joey The Lips Fagen over the supposed arrival of R&B sensation Wilson Pickett during a gig. In the original story, the group simply breaks up. Also, according to the book, four characters reconvene after the original group folds with talk of incorporating four others at a later time. In the film, all the members go their separate ways, except for the two original members, Derek Scully (bass) and Outspan Foster (guitar), who continue to perform together. When first I read the story, it grabbed me so immediately that I stayed up into the night reading. Even though, Mr Doyle didn't use common quotation symbols to indicate characters' lines, it was still quite an immediate read. (I suppose, that's got partly to do with already knowing the essentials of the story.)

After hearing an interview with Roddy Doyle, I decided to read his work. So I started with The Commitments. I enjoyed the language most of all; I could really hear the members of the band in my head. The book is very short, but takes the reader through the quick history of the band (The Commitments). So if you like music and books with mostly dialogue (and dialect), read it! I intent to read more of Doyle.

The movie is very close to the book so I was able to visualize the actors as I read. Quick read.

The book was okay. Only had to read it for a college class. Would not have got it otherwise. The trip was better.

I love this novel, and as a novelist myself—you can find my books on Amazon too!—I found Doyle's prose so musical, which is key in a book about musicians. This story is one of ambition and heart and I highly recommend it.

Roddy Doyle is one of the best writers alive right now and has, for me, revitalized Irish Literature, and literature in general. His prose is full of beauty, the dialogue is crisp and clear and real. Not to be missed. I started with A Star Called Henry and that trilogy. Can't wait to get the Guts and everything else he's written.

I liked this as much as the movie that they made from this book. Maybe even more. I couldn't put it down and laughed out loud many times. I have most of the songs forming the Soul of the book (and remember when they were released) and verily believe he captured the soul of his characters/friends from No. Dublin. Went out an bought more of his books. Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. Oh My!

If you enjoyed the movie, you will love this. Raw and edgy. Grammar is beyond awful. Someone please use quotes for dialogue. It's written more like a screenplay, with a lot of Irish specific, common mispronunciations. If you can get past all that, it's a lot of fun. Make no mistake, I love this story. the book is VERY fast paced, just a little hard to translate to American. :-)