Read about the other books on the list.The Commitments
Roddy Doyle
For many years I assumed seriously good writing had to be serious. Then I read The Commitments, about a group of working-class kids in Dublin trying to put a soul band together, and I realised my mistake. There are no long descriptive passages, no amazing epiphanies or huge satisfying conclusions. Nothing gets tied up neatly or comes right in the end. But the sheer exuberance and subtlety of the writing, the tight, edgy dialogue along with those funny, sharply drawn characters showed me that hilarious writing could also be seriously good.
The Commitments is among Dorian Lynskey's ten best fictional musicians and Tiffany Murray's top ten rock'n'roll novels.
--Marshal Zeringue
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