Here are the young men | Rob Doyle

This is the debut novel of Rob Doyle, which I eagerly obtained from the Writer’s Festival Bookstall in 2017.

Showcasing the story of protagonists – Mathew, Rez, and Kearny- who have recently graduated from school, this novel follows the Irish blend of these young adults and the substances they consume, such as tobacco, liquor, drugs, and video games, making it a heavy read.

I have dropped the novel multiple times, but I have always picked it up again at some point. Recently, however, there was an incident at one of the nearby schools, where a 16-year-old student attacked a 13-year-old student out of the blue. They were not familiar with each other and the assailant’s motive seemed to be to harm the first person he saw enter the rest room.

I completely comprehend the character of Kearny from the novel after this event. The novel portrays the friends of well-off families and their age-related necessities – No plans about future studies or jobs; Just roaming around the city; going behind some excitements – scares the reader. Kearny ascended the ladder of addiction, eventually leading to a disastrous conclusion.

Matthew’s failed ordeal with Jen was interesting. Out of cowardish behaviour, the way he conceiled behind his fears, yet he tried to pass the blame to Jen is totally understandable. Still he was a child who to be consoled and to be moved on. The reader could see Jen did it and failed. The maturity which is missing in Matthew, helps Jen to move on!

Matthew’s unsuccessful experience with Jen was intriguing. Out of fearfulness, his attempt to hide behind his apprehensions and shift the blame onto Jen is completely understandable. Despite this, he was still a child who needed consolation and support in order to move forward. The reader can see that Jen tried to do this but ultimately failed. The lack of maturity in Matthew prevented Jen from being able to help him move on!

We’re just not real people any more, we’re all just types, it’s like our personalities are these costumes we wear, and we choose them and mix and match from a fuckin pre-designed range of possibilities.’

The result of my reading of the novel was that Rez, although he had been a dull and uninteresting person, came to understand the worth of life after his unsuccessful suicide attempt. The author used Rez as a way to communicate the importance of life. No one, not even Matthew or Jen, can do this despite their disapproval of Kearny’s actions. I respect the author’s decision to bring Rez in to decide the verdict of dharma!

At first, I feared it would be one of the worst novels I had ever read, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable.

About the Author:

Rob Doyle, an Irish author, has released several novels and anthologies. His first novel was released in 2014 and was well-received as an Irish classic. It was adapted into a movie in 2020. It was selected as one of the Hot Press magazine’s ’20 greatest Irish novels 1916-2016′.