The deportees and other stories by Roddy Doyle

Roddy Doyle's first ever collection of stories.For the past few years Roddy Doyle has been writing stories for Metro Eireann, a newspaper started by, and aimed at, immigrants to Ireland. Each of the stories took a new slant on the immigrant experience, something of increasing relevance and importance in today's Ireland.The stories range from 'Guess Who's Coming to the Dinner', where a father who prides himself on his open-mindedness when his daughters talk about sex, is forced to confront his feelings when one of them brings home a black fella, to a terrifying ghost story, 'The Pram', in which a Polish nanny grows impatient with her charge's older sisters and decides - in a phrase she has learnt - to 'scare them shitless'.Most of the stories are very funny - in '57% Irish' Ray Brady tries to devise a test of Irishness by measuring reactions to Robbie Keane's goal against Germany in the 2002 World Cup, Riverdance and 'Danny Boy' - others deeply moving. And best of all, in the title story itself,Jimmy Rabbitte, the man who formed The Commitments, decides it's time to find a new band, and this time no White Irish need apply. Multicultural to a fault, The Deportees specialise not in soul music this time, but the songs of Woody Guthrie.

Doyle is at his best when writing typical Dublin characters so the first two stories here are the best of the bunch (A da is unsure how to act when his daughter invites a black fella for dinner; Jimmy Rabbitte sets up another band) but the rest of it is subpar, especially in the stories where Doyle writes from an immigrant's perspective in silly stilted dialogue (“We enter the cafe called Bewleys”)

Short stories from Roddy Doyle, written for for Metro Eireann magazine, all on the theme of immigrants to Ireland.

The opening of EU borders and Ireland's ‘Celtic Tiger' during the ten years from mid nineties saw a huge influx in immigration to Ireland. I spent four years there myself, although not as a permanent immigrant, I worked and lived there propped up by a strong construction industry.

Part of the enjoyment of Roddy Doyle's writing is the accuracy of his descriptions of places and people - especially conversations. It is impossible not imagine myself back of Grafton St passing Bewley's Tea Rooms, passing through Temple Bar, or trudging down O'Connell St over the Liffey on the way Southside.

The title story “The Deportees” is the name of Jimmy Rabbitte's new band - his followup to The Commitments. The difference this time is all his band members are immigrants. Now that Doyle has written an actual sequel to The Commitments, I am not sure where this short story fits in - if at all, but it is probably the best of the bunch in this book, earning five stars.

Guess Who is Coming to Dinner - or what happens when your daughter brings home a Nigerian boyfriend; and New Boy the trials of a boys starting in a Dublin primary school are both good at 4 stars.
I Understand about an immigrant who hasn't got a work visa ends up compromised by criminals; and Black Hoodie about a boy who sticks up for his black girlfriend against the Garda are both good at 3.5 stars.
For me, 57% Irish and Home to Harlem were below par, and The Pram was ok but out of place - a haunted pram story - affecting a Polish nanny.

Overall, 4 stars. Worth seeking out if you are a Roddy Doyle fan, but it isn't going to hit the spot for a first time reader of Doyle.