Powerful subject to write about

Not what I expected, the bad language was too much for me.
Alot of sexual references.
Shows you the truth about DV!

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How does he do it?

Roddy Doyle puts himself into the personae of a working class Irish woman and somehow manages to pull it off.
I listened to this book on Audible and the combination of Doyle portrayal, imagery, and depth of character, along with Caroline Lennon's brassy but simultaneously pathos-abundant delivery brings this sadly abused woman to life.
Not an easy listen, and definitely not for readers or listeners looking for a happy ending.
But an amazing and perceptive insight into the truama of a battered wife.
Would this story have been better told if it had come from the pen / keyboard of an actual woman?
Probably? Maybe? Who knows? But so convincing is Doyle's depiction of the woman's feelings that somehow, as a man, I'm left with the feeling that very little more would have been added.

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An insight into domestic violence

Roddy Doyle succeeds in creating a book which gives us a real insight into how some families suffer with domestic violence. In some ways, the book is hard to read, but if society is going to change we all need to understand the behaviour of controlling and violent individuals and how it impacts on their partner and, particularly, the children.

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Brilliant book, great performance

I have always loved this book and years ago had an audio book on cassette read by Ger Ryan (cassette - how old am I?). I loved the Ger Ryan performance and was worried how this one would measure up. Nothing to worry about. Caroline Lennon does an amazing job, I loved her performance which made a great story even better. This isn't just a straightforward story about domestic violence, it shows how complex people's relationships are. When you ask yourself why victims of domestic violence don't just leave think about this book.

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1 person found this helpful

A very good listen

Roddy Doyle is one of my favourite authors, and this book is one of the reasons why. I have never known a male author get into the head of a female character so convincingly.

Paula is a flawed character (who isn't?), but very human, and the narrator brings her to life very well.

This is not an easy listen because of the subject matter, but it is very well done.

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quite horrific actually

the narrator was great, very believeable as Paula.
the story was horrific and the idea that this is some womens life right now made me want to donate to my local womens refuge

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Such insight!

This isn't a shock-horror sort of book, using gratuitous violence to stun the reader. Rather, it shows how domestic violence is almost a daily experience for some women. The most shocking aspect is the realisation that this is just an ordinary family. There's almost certainly a 'Paula' living in your street!

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4 people found this helpful

Fantastic read - I did not want it to end!

Where does The Woman Who Walked into Doors rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

TOP! I loved it

Who was your favorite character and why?

Paula is my favourite character.

What about Caroline Lennon’s performance did you like?

I loved her voice and her Irish accent was perfect for this book

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have loved to enjoy it all in one go but time restraints meant I couldn't.

Any additional comments?

I really think this is a great observation of life and I enjoyed the ways of each different character. I was waiting for 'the point of change' and when it came, I was very impressed.
I did not want to leave Paula when the book ended and was delighted to discover a sequel! YAY!!

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1 person found this helpful

brilliant

read this book years and ago but the audio book so much more powerful excellent narration

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