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Here Are the Young Men
Here are the Young Men tells the story of four young men: Cocker, Rez, Kearney and Matthew. Facing into the void that is the rest of their post-school lives, they spend their first summer of freedom in an orgy of self-destruction. Each of them in their own way struggles to keep their connection to reality – a reality they despise, but which conceals a chaos they cannot face. That chaos is personified in Kearney, a sociopath who moves seamlessly between the ultraviolence of his Grand Theft Auto inner life and the real world. Drifting aimlessly through the city, always seeking escape from family, indulging in as much drink and drugs as their money can buy, all four are poised on the edge of a decisive moment in their lives. An accidental moment of violence is the catalyst for Kearney’s transformation from fantasist into real-world psychopath.
Murder, suicide, rape and torture suddenly take a very real shape in their lives, leaving them with a single way out that carries profound moral consequences.
Murder, suicide, rape and torture suddenly take a very real shape in their lives, leaving them with a single way out that carries profound moral consequences.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
28 people are currently reading
1039 people want to read
About the author
Rob Doyle
26 books149 followersRob Doyle’s first novel, Here Are the Young Men, is published by Bloomsbury, and was chosen as a book of the year by The Irish Times, Sunday Times, Sunday Business Post, and Independent. It was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Newcomer of the Year. His second book, This Is the Ritual, will be published in January 2016 (Bloomsbury / Lilliput). Rob’s fiction, essays, and criticism have appeared in The Dublin Review, The Stinging Fly, The Irish Times, Sunday Times, Sunday Business Post, Gorse, Dalkey Archive’s Best European Fiction 2016 and elsewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
June 27, 2016
Matthew and his three friends are facing their first post graduation summer. What should be the beginning of fun and freedom instead gives way to restlessness and unease. With exams a bust and job prospects nonexistent each rely on their usual combo of booze, drugs and video games to help counter their apathy toward humanity, oblivious to the fact that it instead fuels their disconnect. With one friend suffering from severe depression and another showing signs of psychosis, Matthew spends his days with a terrible sense of foreboding but how does one fight a tidal wave?
Doyle creates a bleak but honest look at society in the Internet age, where sex and violence are treated as daily doses of entertainment and positive messages and role models are scarce. While I think Doyle needs to work on creating strong, more 3 dimensional female characters overall I found his debut disturbing and very powerful. Looking forward to his next one.
*Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this review copy.
Doyle creates a bleak but honest look at society in the Internet age, where sex and violence are treated as daily doses of entertainment and positive messages and role models are scarce. While I think Doyle needs to work on creating strong, more 3 dimensional female characters overall I found his debut disturbing and very powerful. Looking forward to his next one.
*Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this review copy.
October 14, 2017
DNF. Life is too short to finish books you don't like.
March 28, 2015
I'd bought this debut Irish novel having been intrigued by the subject matter while reading reviews on release, despite some of said reviews having some reservations about the narrative. While I share some of the same reservations, it still is a very promising start to Doyle's publishing career.
Set in the summer of 2003, the narrative follows three primary characters-Matthew, whose chapters are written in the first person, and Rez and Kearney, who we read about in the third person. Along with their friends Cocker and Jen, they spend much of the early summer after finishing the Leaving Cert in a drink and drug fuelled haze-your typical teen angst tale so far. Things take a turn for the worse, however, with depression and psychosis taking a hold of some of the group, and we meet an increasingly abhorrent bunch of characters as the narrative progresses to what I'd call a pretty far fetched ending.
While well put together, I thought that, as Doyle got further into the novel, he was trying too hard to shock the reader-I wouldn't be surprised if he's read a lot of Brett Easton Ellis and Irvine Welsh, because these were the writers that came to mind while I was reading, subject wise anyway. Saying that, I felt that he did a good job in his portrayal of the Dublin of the time, and of finding the voice of his characters-I just didn't feel that, even with their journey further and further off the rails, the descent that they were party to would've happened.
Not anywhere near my favourite Irish read, but I'll definitely be interested in checking out Doyle's next novel whenever it gets a release.
Set in the summer of 2003, the narrative follows three primary characters-Matthew, whose chapters are written in the first person, and Rez and Kearney, who we read about in the third person. Along with their friends Cocker and Jen, they spend much of the early summer after finishing the Leaving Cert in a drink and drug fuelled haze-your typical teen angst tale so far. Things take a turn for the worse, however, with depression and psychosis taking a hold of some of the group, and we meet an increasingly abhorrent bunch of characters as the narrative progresses to what I'd call a pretty far fetched ending.
While well put together, I thought that, as Doyle got further into the novel, he was trying too hard to shock the reader-I wouldn't be surprised if he's read a lot of Brett Easton Ellis and Irvine Welsh, because these were the writers that came to mind while I was reading, subject wise anyway. Saying that, I felt that he did a good job in his portrayal of the Dublin of the time, and of finding the voice of his characters-I just didn't feel that, even with their journey further and further off the rails, the descent that they were party to would've happened.
Not anywhere near my favourite Irish read, but I'll definitely be interested in checking out Doyle's next novel whenever it gets a release.
September 8, 2019
In Ireland circa 2003, a group of young friends have finished school and are thrust into the 'real' world. Matthew is uncertain – smart and sensitive, but prone to trouble, with little idea of what he wants to do with his life. Rez is empty, going through the motions, unsure if he's able to feel anything anymore. Kearney is a powder keg, obsessed with fantasies of violence. Unwilling to face adulthood or work, the boys spend their days drinking/smoking/taking pills, devising pranks, and (increasingly) getting into fights.
I loved Rob Doyle's This is the Ritual, and I'd always intended to go back and read his debut at some point. The news that his next book, Threshold, is due to be published in January gave me the push I needed. Though Here Are the Young Men is less sophisticated than Ritual, I liked it just as much. The books share a from-the-margins approach to literature, and I was pleased to see there are even references to some of the invented writers more thoroughly appraised in Ritual.
Similarly to Ben Brooks' Lolito, the book depicts the intermingling of media-reality and real-reality, showing how the boys slip numbly (but seamlessly) between the banality of their real lives and the extremes of videogames and porn. Rez views his friends and girlfriend as though they are automatons, performing actions copied from films and videos: 'the innocent gesture had been annihilated.' Kearney is obsessed with footage of the 9/11 attacks, an event he sees as the ultimate realisation of his nihilist worldview – an 'orgasm of hate'. When combined with a lack of opportunity and a world that doesn't seem to understand them, this detachment creates a deadly cocktail.
Doyle is excellent at sketching the inexpressible sadness of these young men and the precarity of their situation. Matthew in particular is an effectively lifelike character. Only Kearney is somewhat one-dimensional; it's hard to dredge up any sympathy for someone so hateful, though his few flecks of guilt and doubt are captured effectively. The book dips in the middle – when Matthew is knocking about with a dealer named Scag, it all gets a bit loose and aimless – but that's a forgivable flaw.
There are some really horrible scenes in Here Are the Young Men, so I can see why it's a polarising book. But I didn't feel any of these scenes were gratuitous or unnecessary. Instead I found the story astute and invigorating. I think Doyle's writing is fantastic, and this novel an important reflection of (a subsection of) our society.
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I loved Rob Doyle's This is the Ritual, and I'd always intended to go back and read his debut at some point. The news that his next book, Threshold, is due to be published in January gave me the push I needed. Though Here Are the Young Men is less sophisticated than Ritual, I liked it just as much. The books share a from-the-margins approach to literature, and I was pleased to see there are even references to some of the invented writers more thoroughly appraised in Ritual.
Similarly to Ben Brooks' Lolito, the book depicts the intermingling of media-reality and real-reality, showing how the boys slip numbly (but seamlessly) between the banality of their real lives and the extremes of videogames and porn. Rez views his friends and girlfriend as though they are automatons, performing actions copied from films and videos: 'the innocent gesture had been annihilated.' Kearney is obsessed with footage of the 9/11 attacks, an event he sees as the ultimate realisation of his nihilist worldview – an 'orgasm of hate'. When combined with a lack of opportunity and a world that doesn't seem to understand them, this detachment creates a deadly cocktail.
Doyle is excellent at sketching the inexpressible sadness of these young men and the precarity of their situation. Matthew in particular is an effectively lifelike character. Only Kearney is somewhat one-dimensional; it's hard to dredge up any sympathy for someone so hateful, though his few flecks of guilt and doubt are captured effectively. The book dips in the middle – when Matthew is knocking about with a dealer named Scag, it all gets a bit loose and aimless – but that's a forgivable flaw.
There are some really horrible scenes in Here Are the Young Men, so I can see why it's a polarising book. But I didn't feel any of these scenes were gratuitous or unnecessary. Instead I found the story astute and invigorating. I think Doyle's writing is fantastic, and this novel an important reflection of (a subsection of) our society.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
July 7, 2014
Usually, when I'm writing a review of a book or a film, I try to be a bit lenient and say "well, this person wrote a book and I haven't, so they're clearly doing something better than me!" Except I can't feel this way about this book. I'd be ashamed to put my name to this thing.
The story is about a bunch of one-dimensional stand-ins for various aspects of teenage lives. There's the clever, bookish one. There's the violent misanthrope. There's the boring generic one. And they all go around Dublin, doing drugs and being surly. The few female characters are just as one-dimensional as the male characters - they're there to have sex with and to make the boys feel bad.
The entire book is dreadfully dull and badly written. And then suddenly, it takes a last-act swing into American Psycho territory. Like the author read over his manuscript up until that point and said "fuuuuuuck, nothing actually happens in this book!" and tried to make up for it with a completely unbelievable 'shock' conclusion.
This book was all over the Irish/Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago, and having now finished it, I'm feeling a definite case of the emperor's new clothes here. God-awful. Avoid.
The story is about a bunch of one-dimensional stand-ins for various aspects of teenage lives. There's the clever, bookish one. There's the violent misanthrope. There's the boring generic one. And they all go around Dublin, doing drugs and being surly. The few female characters are just as one-dimensional as the male characters - they're there to have sex with and to make the boys feel bad.
The entire book is dreadfully dull and badly written. And then suddenly, it takes a last-act swing into American Psycho territory. Like the author read over his manuscript up until that point and said "fuuuuuuck, nothing actually happens in this book!" and tried to make up for it with a completely unbelievable 'shock' conclusion.
This book was all over the Irish/Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago, and having now finished it, I'm feeling a definite case of the emperor's new clothes here. God-awful. Avoid.
February 19, 2017
Matthew and his three friends are facing their first post graduation summer. What should be the beginning of fun and freedom instead gives way to restlessness and unease. With exams a bust and job prospects nonexistent each rely on their usual combo of booze, drugs and video games to help counter their apathy toward humanity, oblivious to the fact that it instead fuels their disconnect. With one friend suffering from severe depression and another showing signs of psychosis, Matthew spends his days with a terrible sense of foreboding but how does one fight a tidal wave?
Doyle creates a bleak but honest look at society in the Internet age, where sex and violence are treated as daily doses of entertainment and positive messages and role models are scarce. While I think Doyle needs to work on creating strong, more 3 dimensional female characters overall I found his debut disturbing and very powerful. Looking forward to his next one.
*Thank you Lilliput Press & Netgalley for this review copy.
Doyle creates a bleak but honest look at society in the Internet age, where sex and violence are treated as daily doses of entertainment and positive messages and role models are scarce. While I think Doyle needs to work on creating strong, more 3 dimensional female characters overall I found his debut disturbing and very powerful. Looking forward to his next one.
*Thank you Lilliput Press & Netgalley for this review copy.
April 20, 2015
heed this warning: this book is a triumph of complete fuck ups and slackers, and it gets into really dark and gritty territory. There are scenes involving date rape drugs, heavy drug usage, torture porn, and sociopathy. These characters are not your run-of-the-mill mischievous boys; there's some serious issues going on with each of them.
It was a pretty gnarly read, simply put. These Irish teenagers are a very dramatic representation of a current issue with many in my generation (even though it's set in 2001-ish). With no real goals and no real hardships to face, they are adrift. They have no aims, they have no ambitions. The result of this is that they are totally lost and losers. They cause trouble just to cause trouble, and spend all their days and nights getting wasted on drugs and alcohol.
Which is all well and good. Had that been the extent of the story, it would have been incredibly repetitive. (Actually--it did get a bit repetitive in the middle portion, to the point I started to skim every few ages for a chapter or so.) It was just typical debauchery until one of the boys decides that he wants to kill.
And this gets dark QUICK. Like, it was already pretty dark. But then it gets just plain morbid and creepy, so much so that you actively cringe and need a break from being inside these kids' heads. It's a brutal read, and it's a dark read. I think it takes a certain kind of person to enjoy this sort of book, and I am that kind of person.
It was a pretty gnarly read, simply put. These Irish teenagers are a very dramatic representation of a current issue with many in my generation (even though it's set in 2001-ish). With no real goals and no real hardships to face, they are adrift. They have no aims, they have no ambitions. The result of this is that they are totally lost and losers. They cause trouble just to cause trouble, and spend all their days and nights getting wasted on drugs and alcohol.
Which is all well and good. Had that been the extent of the story, it would have been incredibly repetitive. (Actually--it did get a bit repetitive in the middle portion, to the point I started to skim every few ages for a chapter or so.) It was just typical debauchery until one of the boys decides that he wants to kill.
And this gets dark QUICK. Like, it was already pretty dark. But then it gets just plain morbid and creepy, so much so that you actively cringe and need a break from being inside these kids' heads. It's a brutal read, and it's a dark read. I think it takes a certain kind of person to enjoy this sort of book, and I am that kind of person.
March 25, 2021
Bought this out of curiosity after a friend had mentioned it to me in passing recently.It's without doubt one of the worst books I've read in quite some time, to the point where I'm actually angry at myself for wasting my time reading it. Flimsy, one dimensional characters and a predictable "cataclysmic twist" you can see coming pretty quickly.
The depiction of teenagers here borders on the patronising,the idea it's supposedly holding up a mirror to Irish society is laughable, and a lot of the writing seems like it's trying hard to be shocking just for the sake of it - something it fails at being regardless. The writing overall I just found quite poor,and while obviously I understand the dialogue had to be written in a strong Dublin accent, some of it seems like a parody of how Dubliners talk.
I'd stopped caring what happened about half way through and it was a chore to get to the end. Not one believable character in this book ("Rez" is a particularly cringeworthy take on the "depressed introverted teenager" stereotype), and I would have only been slightly older than them during the period it was set. Absolute garbage.
The depiction of teenagers here borders on the patronising,the idea it's supposedly holding up a mirror to Irish society is laughable, and a lot of the writing seems like it's trying hard to be shocking just for the sake of it - something it fails at being regardless. The writing overall I just found quite poor,and while obviously I understand the dialogue had to be written in a strong Dublin accent, some of it seems like a parody of how Dubliners talk.
I'd stopped caring what happened about half way through and it was a chore to get to the end. Not one believable character in this book ("Rez" is a particularly cringeworthy take on the "depressed introverted teenager" stereotype), and I would have only been slightly older than them during the period it was set. Absolute garbage.
January 14, 2022
Great insight in to the young male psyche and the forces that pull it in dark and desperate directions... How does it feel to come of age in an era totally devoid of meaning, purpose or any sort of grand narrative? The archetypal youthful desire to rebel, juxtaposed with the lack of anything tangible to rebel against, or authentic cultural movement to identify with, leads the characters in to a nebolous pit of desolation. We watch them spiral hopelessly in to debauchery, despair and despicableness as the lack of structure of post-secondary school life allows their worst tendencies to come to the fore and determine their behaviour and decisions. At times it is disturbing, but always in a relevant way; the depths of depravity this book traverses are necessary excursions, offering glimpses of the relatively novel frontier of simulated violence and unadultered access to content via the internet that young men in post-modernity find themselves situated. Baudrillard and Nietzche shimmer off the page, their ideas both torment and ultimately liberate the characters.
Overall, an excellent read; Harrowing, enthralling, familiar.
Overall, an excellent read; Harrowing, enthralling, familiar.
April 6, 2020
What, from the bottom of my heart, the hell
September 5, 2021
AMAZING!!!
March 11, 2018
With no plot, bad language in every sentence which begins to bore the reader, extensive drug and sex references and no character development, I give a book my first one star. I thought this book would be insightful but no... I regret buying this.
However it is important to note that people do love this book and the author has achieved publishing and making money from this book but this just wasn't for me.
However it is important to note that people do love this book and the author has achieved publishing and making money from this book but this just wasn't for me.
October 18, 2025
Fucked up, thanks James!!
December 1, 2021
3.5 stars
September 20, 2019
Signing up for courses is making me truly understand Hermione and her time-turner.
Anyway, if you ever come across someone who tells you this is their favorite book, you should probably be concerned.
So this book tells us about 4 Irish boys who essentially all go through an existential crisis, each one differently. Some parts were done well, the bit about kissing felt very relatable, I remember thinking that way as a teen as well. The scene where Rez talks about how we all want to know someone who commited suicide, how we are all saying the words for what we believe we are was great, if somewhat inspired by Sarte.
None of these boys care about anything. That's part of the appeal of the book. They mock everything, get drunk all the time, use lots of drugs, and mull about how nothing matters. I find that it's healthy to realize the meaningless of life every once in a while (who cares if I'm going to have to study math again, we're all going to die without leaving any kind of mark, we're all doomed!). I felt it provided some nice quotes and that during darker times, it would probably be a comfort.
However, my problem with this book is the sheer amount of sexism, ableism and anti-homeless behavior. There's also some homophobia sprinkled through, because, of course there is. Treating people who are already in a disadvantaged position terribly isn't edgy. If your wild behavior includes hurting parts of society that the government already hurts more effectively, what's the point? It's pathetic.
And that's the difference between this and American Psycho. In AP, the main character is attacking the power structures. Patrick Bateman is so entirely disconnected, such a pitiable character and he represents the rich businessmen. His crude violence scenes serve to show how numb everything is. This book however has 4 privileged teens who seem to have never dealt with any real issues, who are so wholly selfish that they literally can't understand that others have any emotions or thoughts. They take it out on disabled and homeless people for no reason other than a fuck ton of nastiness.
And before you all start to go on about the world of literature and how it doesn't have to be accurate or pc, this is an author's work. An actual author who lives in our world and thinks that there is something edgy about women, homeless people and disabled people experiencing violence and prejudice. As if that doesn't happen literally all of the time. As if there's a woman out here who hasn't had a guy make her uncomfortable in a party, throw a temper tantrum because he felt his masculinity was hurt, been used for power plays between other men. It's boring and I'm so over this being seen as exciting.
I want to see a Kearney like character who stands up for women because nothing matters, so why hold on to gender roles? A character that is so full of emptiness for life that they become a Robin Hood style person but still keep all of the drinking, drug abuse and cursing. And you know, it would be fantastic if it didnt have a happy ending, if ultimately, these characters would do these good deeds and still, life is hella meaningless and they are just in a void.
When these characters act this way, they enforce this idea that part of being an edgy nihilist is being sexist, and ableist, that truly embodying these ideals means beating up homeless people. And I just can't accept that.
I read most of this during my flight to London. It was a nice book to read there. Honestly, Fight Club or American Psycho are better.
What I'm Taking With Me
- The best way to sum up this book is that there's a scene where we meet two Norwegian girls and I was like 80% they would get raped because that's where it's all been going.
- The ending is so pathetic, such a stupid way of wrapping it up that I'm going to ignore it and not even begin to analyze it.
- Being in the uk again is so nice though. I miss seeing Cyrillic and like, I suddenly have the chance to see how similar it is to the states.
- Them calling other people junkies is highly hypocritical.
Anyway, if you ever come across someone who tells you this is their favorite book, you should probably be concerned.
So this book tells us about 4 Irish boys who essentially all go through an existential crisis, each one differently. Some parts were done well, the bit about kissing felt very relatable, I remember thinking that way as a teen as well. The scene where Rez talks about how we all want to know someone who commited suicide, how we are all saying the words for what we believe we are was great, if somewhat inspired by Sarte.
None of these boys care about anything. That's part of the appeal of the book. They mock everything, get drunk all the time, use lots of drugs, and mull about how nothing matters. I find that it's healthy to realize the meaningless of life every once in a while (who cares if I'm going to have to study math again, we're all going to die without leaving any kind of mark, we're all doomed!). I felt it provided some nice quotes and that during darker times, it would probably be a comfort.
However, my problem with this book is the sheer amount of sexism, ableism and anti-homeless behavior. There's also some homophobia sprinkled through, because, of course there is. Treating people who are already in a disadvantaged position terribly isn't edgy. If your wild behavior includes hurting parts of society that the government already hurts more effectively, what's the point? It's pathetic.
And that's the difference between this and American Psycho. In AP, the main character is attacking the power structures. Patrick Bateman is so entirely disconnected, such a pitiable character and he represents the rich businessmen. His crude violence scenes serve to show how numb everything is. This book however has 4 privileged teens who seem to have never dealt with any real issues, who are so wholly selfish that they literally can't understand that others have any emotions or thoughts. They take it out on disabled and homeless people for no reason other than a fuck ton of nastiness.
And before you all start to go on about the world of literature and how it doesn't have to be accurate or pc, this is an author's work. An actual author who lives in our world and thinks that there is something edgy about women, homeless people and disabled people experiencing violence and prejudice. As if that doesn't happen literally all of the time. As if there's a woman out here who hasn't had a guy make her uncomfortable in a party, throw a temper tantrum because he felt his masculinity was hurt, been used for power plays between other men. It's boring and I'm so over this being seen as exciting.
I want to see a Kearney like character who stands up for women because nothing matters, so why hold on to gender roles? A character that is so full of emptiness for life that they become a Robin Hood style person but still keep all of the drinking, drug abuse and cursing. And you know, it would be fantastic if it didnt have a happy ending, if ultimately, these characters would do these good deeds and still, life is hella meaningless and they are just in a void.
When these characters act this way, they enforce this idea that part of being an edgy nihilist is being sexist, and ableist, that truly embodying these ideals means beating up homeless people. And I just can't accept that.
I read most of this during my flight to London. It was a nice book to read there. Honestly, Fight Club or American Psycho are better.
What I'm Taking With Me
- The best way to sum up this book is that there's a scene where we meet two Norwegian girls and I was like 80% they would get raped because that's where it's all been going.
- The ending is so pathetic, such a stupid way of wrapping it up that I'm going to ignore it and not even begin to analyze it.
- Being in the uk again is so nice though. I miss seeing Cyrillic and like, I suddenly have the chance to see how similar it is to the states.
- Them calling other people junkies is highly hypocritical.
April 29, 2021
Before the last three chapters I was almost in awe, hoping it was just going to be a mad decline of a group of youths. It ended kind of well... it had a normal sort of arcing end, I would've commended this book much more if it didn't end satisfyingly. :( The way that the final plot point was at such a pinnacle of drama felt inauthentic. Monsters should remain present every now and then.
It had a similar feel to ‘Threshold’ but the moments that made me go WOW were shock value stuff in ‘Here Are the Young Men’ I don’t think I wanted to read some of this stuff, mainly the porno description. :/ The sex scenes are a better version of different but not shocking. The scene with Scag and the European Girl was like: “fuckin hell.”
Somebody on here said the characters were all stereotypical. I feel like Matthew has depth, the other two MCs were totally built around one big character trait, does that warrant being called stereotypes? Kearney was particularly depthful, just the side characters were thin.
The females were not paid much respect in the authoring of them, why couldn't Rez be one of the boy's but as a girl, or something?
Definitely a big level higher than that novel about youths ‘Manstealing for Fat Girls.’
It had a similar feel to ‘Threshold’ but the moments that made me go WOW were shock value stuff in ‘Here Are the Young Men’ I don’t think I wanted to read some of this stuff, mainly the porno description. :/ The sex scenes are a better version of different but not shocking. The scene with Scag and the European Girl was like: “fuckin hell.”
Somebody on here said the characters were all stereotypical. I feel like Matthew has depth, the other two MCs were totally built around one big character trait, does that warrant being called stereotypes? Kearney was particularly depthful, just the side characters were thin.
The females were not paid much respect in the authoring of them, why couldn't Rez be one of the boy's but as a girl, or something?
Definitely a big level higher than that novel about youths ‘Manstealing for Fat Girls.’
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2015
While an entertaining read, with a brilliant ending, this post-modern Clockwork Orange was often too tastelessly repulsive to maintain interest. It contained some solid philosophical insight as conveyed through the lives of its three protagonists, Irish school-leavers, and its striking and distinctive portrayals of its (male) cast of wayward youth almost made it a good book. Unfortunately, the book goes too far too often, bogging down the pace midway so the author can overwrite on the horrible state of the world, and the female characters are uniformly identical. The book's woman problem isn't limited only to the fact that I couldn't discern the difference between any of the boy's love interests and female friends, down to their voices being pretty much identical, but also tasteless depictions of rape and murder, both depicted one-dimensionally and clearly for the use of cheap shock value. I did like that it swerved upwards in terms of idealism and cynicism towards the end, however, rising above the hipsterish stodginess of most of the other 'male lit' that deals with nihilism in the modern age.
June 6, 2015
Original review at www.125pages.wordpress.com
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 Stars
Matthew, Kearney, Rez and Cocker have just finished high school and are looking forward to a summer of drugs, apathy and sex. Content to do nothing other than get high they cannot handle when reality starts to intrude. Rez can’t turn off his mind and Kearney seems to be losing his. As they descend deeper and deeper they discover there may be no way out.
I was very intrigued by the description of this book. As a fan of Bret Easton Ellis I was hoping for a smart, sexy disturbing novel. Unfortunately this tried way too hard to be cool. Like a teenage boy encased in a cloud of body spray, less would have been better. I found the desperate want to be edgy distracting. The pacing was spot on, but the story told from so many perspectives (some first and some third) made the storytelling disjointed. This book could have been amazing, but instead kept trying to tell you how cool and special it was, which made it neither.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 Stars
Matthew, Kearney, Rez and Cocker have just finished high school and are looking forward to a summer of drugs, apathy and sex. Content to do nothing other than get high they cannot handle when reality starts to intrude. Rez can’t turn off his mind and Kearney seems to be losing his. As they descend deeper and deeper they discover there may be no way out.
I was very intrigued by the description of this book. As a fan of Bret Easton Ellis I was hoping for a smart, sexy disturbing novel. Unfortunately this tried way too hard to be cool. Like a teenage boy encased in a cloud of body spray, less would have been better. I found the desperate want to be edgy distracting. The pacing was spot on, but the story told from so many perspectives (some first and some third) made the storytelling disjointed. This book could have been amazing, but instead kept trying to tell you how cool and special it was, which made it neither.
August 27, 2019
Found this in a charity shop- a quick read and was actually much better than expected- starts of typically teenage stuff and got really dark and twisted in the end.
September 7, 2020
Here Are The Young Men
by Rob Doyle
I started this book intrigued by both the good reviews and the bad reviews. I figured I must read the book myself to form my own opinion on it, but I did have a clear overview of what occurred in the novel.
The book revolves around four young men who live in Ireland. Due to this case, Rob Doyle writes very aggressive and heavy Irish accents which can disorient you as you continue reading. I did enjoy how it made the characters more realistic as the story continued.
The main character is a young man named Matthew, who struggles with the people he has surrounded himself with. His best friends are out of control and do not keep his or their own best interests in mind. They soon become addicted to drugs and alcohol, making bad decisions as the book continues.
I praise Rob Doyle for his ability to write these characters. They each- except for Matthews trouble maker of a friend, Kearney- have a tremendous character ark and begin to grow up and regain purpose and individual strength.
I personally related to one of the characters, Rez, who becomes a very relatable character when you continue reading. He is a very good example of what happens in society when it comes to masculinity and men. His friends are uncomfortable discussing mental health so Rez makes a decision that scares his friends and reminds them to be wary and kind to one another.
Each boy gets a happy ending- except for Kearney, but you will be jumping with glee when you reach the end of the wonderfully written story.
I highly recommend this book for a read as i found myself pulled into the great mystery of drugs and fragile masculinity which stumps men of every generation.
Rob Doyle did an excellent job at writing this book and I praise him for his good work.
by Rob Doyle
I started this book intrigued by both the good reviews and the bad reviews. I figured I must read the book myself to form my own opinion on it, but I did have a clear overview of what occurred in the novel.
The book revolves around four young men who live in Ireland. Due to this case, Rob Doyle writes very aggressive and heavy Irish accents which can disorient you as you continue reading. I did enjoy how it made the characters more realistic as the story continued.
The main character is a young man named Matthew, who struggles with the people he has surrounded himself with. His best friends are out of control and do not keep his or their own best interests in mind. They soon become addicted to drugs and alcohol, making bad decisions as the book continues.
I praise Rob Doyle for his ability to write these characters. They each- except for Matthews trouble maker of a friend, Kearney- have a tremendous character ark and begin to grow up and regain purpose and individual strength.
I personally related to one of the characters, Rez, who becomes a very relatable character when you continue reading. He is a very good example of what happens in society when it comes to masculinity and men. His friends are uncomfortable discussing mental health so Rez makes a decision that scares his friends and reminds them to be wary and kind to one another.
Each boy gets a happy ending- except for Kearney, but you will be jumping with glee when you reach the end of the wonderfully written story.
I highly recommend this book for a read as i found myself pulled into the great mystery of drugs and fragile masculinity which stumps men of every generation.
Rob Doyle did an excellent job at writing this book and I praise him for his good work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2018
This book is a master piece. I have no other words.
Doyle draws you into the story of these boys and shows how lost we can feel after leaving school, the dark and twisted roads of not knowing what comes next, the pressure, the pain and the temptation.
Apart from the gripping storyline Doyle describes Dublin in an amazing way. If you've ever been to Dublin and read this book after you can see yourself wandering through the streets just as he describes them. He shows the good, the bad and the ugly. This book is a raw, dark and honest representation of this generation's youth and a love letter to Dublin. This book truly changed my life. I can only recommend it
Doyle draws you into the story of these boys and shows how lost we can feel after leaving school, the dark and twisted roads of not knowing what comes next, the pressure, the pain and the temptation.
Apart from the gripping storyline Doyle describes Dublin in an amazing way. If you've ever been to Dublin and read this book after you can see yourself wandering through the streets just as he describes them. He shows the good, the bad and the ugly. This book is a raw, dark and honest representation of this generation's youth and a love letter to Dublin. This book truly changed my life. I can only recommend it
September 7, 2021
This is the kind of book that makes you feel groggy at work the next day after staying up to read it
April 14, 2016
First off, this is not usually my type of book at all. It is dark, graphic and unrelenting but for all that I found myself turning page after page. The story follows the exploits of Rez, Kearney and Matthew as they navigate through the limbo between finishing their Leaving Cert. and getting their results. They inhabit a netherworld between childhood and adulthood and with little or no parental input or guidance, they decide the best course of action is to get drunk and stoned at every possible opportunity. Before you roll your eyes, let me point out these characters are not stupid or one dimensional. They are bored and seeing the world through the distorted lense of the internet, video games and porn. They have never experienced much for themselves and therefore can't decipher what is real and what is fiction.
This is particularly true of Rez and Kearney. The latter has almost entirely retreated into the world of video games. He talks to a fictional character in his head and indulges in fantasies of unspeakable violence and depravity. Rez on the other hand is scared that everything he sees and feels are merely illusions and figments from films or music. Both ultimately suffer from their detachment from reality. Matthew, speaks to us in the first person and it is this character that we most sympathise with. He tries hard to follow some sort of moral compass but doesn't always succeed. He is the middle ground between two extremes. The book is peppered with other well drawn characters, most notably Jen and Scag the philosophising dealer/poet who solemnly tells Matthew to never get out of bed for less than you got into it for.
The structure of this book is one of its strong points. It regularly switches PoV which keeps things fresh. You never have to dwell too long inside Kearney's head. Doyle constantly plays with the themes of reality and fiction through reference to video games, drug fuelled hallucinations, fantasies and Rez's break with reality. At points in the novel even the reader is in doubt as to what is real. You find yourself asking "did this happen, or is it another of Kearney's fantasies?".The other triumph is Doyle's effortless use of Dublin vernacular. It sets an authentic note for the narrative. Rob Doyle is clearly a talented writer but it's hard to say I enjoyed this book, although I certainly appreciate it's message.
This is particularly true of Rez and Kearney. The latter has almost entirely retreated into the world of video games. He talks to a fictional character in his head and indulges in fantasies of unspeakable violence and depravity. Rez on the other hand is scared that everything he sees and feels are merely illusions and figments from films or music. Both ultimately suffer from their detachment from reality. Matthew, speaks to us in the first person and it is this character that we most sympathise with. He tries hard to follow some sort of moral compass but doesn't always succeed. He is the middle ground between two extremes. The book is peppered with other well drawn characters, most notably Jen and Scag the philosophising dealer/poet who solemnly tells Matthew to never get out of bed for less than you got into it for.
The structure of this book is one of its strong points. It regularly switches PoV which keeps things fresh. You never have to dwell too long inside Kearney's head. Doyle constantly plays with the themes of reality and fiction through reference to video games, drug fuelled hallucinations, fantasies and Rez's break with reality. At points in the novel even the reader is in doubt as to what is real. You find yourself asking "did this happen, or is it another of Kearney's fantasies?".The other triumph is Doyle's effortless use of Dublin vernacular. It sets an authentic note for the narrative. Rob Doyle is clearly a talented writer but it's hard to say I enjoyed this book, although I certainly appreciate it's message.
February 11, 2021
As others have said.... life is too short for this novel. Giving up on it.
May 22, 2015
A fast read, for which one can be grateful. Also kudos to the author for shining a bright light on what results from
disinterested parenting,
an outmoded education model,
and a moral vacuum left where the strong [ dire?] influence of the Church formerly guided behavior and personal choices.
It's so uncool to say anything in support of the Church these days, am sure this review will generate some hate mail. The irony is that I don't regularly practice any religion so your aim when insulting me will have to be broad.
The young men depicted are simply lost, and for a few hours the reader is lost with them. The feral, useless young bastards in this story can barely read and write. They can be found all over Ireland in city, town, and village. They are too lazy to have a job or play rugby or GAA sports, but they line the streets at night around the pubs to hiss at passersby and put one in fear of some pending random evil. Turning out young men like this is a waste of a national resource, and further, cannot be blamed on the Sassenach...
The reader is able to return to reality, whatever the hell that is, but the young men are forever stuck in that story.
disinterested parenting,
an outmoded education model,
and a moral vacuum left where the strong [ dire?] influence of the Church formerly guided behavior and personal choices.
It's so uncool to say anything in support of the Church these days, am sure this review will generate some hate mail. The irony is that I don't regularly practice any religion so your aim when insulting me will have to be broad.
The young men depicted are simply lost, and for a few hours the reader is lost with them. The feral, useless young bastards in this story can barely read and write. They can be found all over Ireland in city, town, and village. They are too lazy to have a job or play rugby or GAA sports, but they line the streets at night around the pubs to hiss at passersby and put one in fear of some pending random evil. Turning out young men like this is a waste of a national resource, and further, cannot be blamed on the Sassenach...
The reader is able to return to reality, whatever the hell that is, but the young men are forever stuck in that story.
December 16, 2015
This book read somewhere between Irvine Welsh and Brett Eastin Ellis only utterly disappointing. A slow start, though some parts of the novel were very gripping, and about 100 pages in I found myself wanting to know what happened. This wasn't due much to the plot, and the racial and racist (and homophobic and misogynistic and violent) chapters from Kearney's point of view were off-putting... And not in a good way. It wasn't a thoroughly detestable read, and the author's descriptions of drug use were on point. There are some beautiful segments of prose about it, and depression, and dissociation. But on the whole, the book felt like it valued shock value more than character development, and everything the novel did has been done a thousand times before.
Still, I'm hoping the author puts out more work. The text itself was well-written, and I fully believe he could write something with more well-developed characters. There are real hints at his talents, which only made the conclusion of the story all the more disappointing.
Still, I'm hoping the author puts out more work. The text itself was well-written, and I fully believe he could write something with more well-developed characters. There are real hints at his talents, which only made the conclusion of the story all the more disappointing.
July 9, 2017
Here Are The Young Men by Rob Doyle is a vile novel. A work of such vivid bleakness that I struggle to even form words through my seething hatred. We follow a group of detestable young men around Dublin as they take more drugs than Hunter S. Thompson at a Grammys after-party. I’m not sure whether the author actually wanted us to sympathise with these delinquents but when he decided to have one character actually smile when 9/11 happens I officially went into auto-pilot with this novel. The faults of this novel are purely in the characters and the non-existent plot. The writing is actually quite good, you can tell that Doyle is an accomplished writer but his narratives need work. This novel is an unfortunate blot on the Irish literary scene, it tries to be Trainspotting but ends up being Naval Gazing.
August 23, 2015
I think this book is going to be like marmite - you'll either love it or you'll hate it. I loved it. Yes, it's dark and violent and crude, but it's so well written I could barely put it down, even in its most intense moments.
To sum it up in a few words, it's American Psycho meets Trainspotting, but with teenagers in Dublin.
It's a fantastic debut. I can't wait to see what Doyle does next, and I hope this book reaches the audience it deserves.
To sum it up in a few words, it's American Psycho meets Trainspotting, but with teenagers in Dublin.
It's a fantastic debut. I can't wait to see what Doyle does next, and I hope this book reaches the audience it deserves.
February 17, 2021
The book had a lot of promise at the beginning, but 2/3s of the way in things just got weird. Rob Doyle can tell a story--he's a good writer; I'm not saying he's not. But the content of the last third of this book. It's disturbing, it's far-fetched, it's sadistic. All I'm left wanting to know is why? What was the point to any of it when it ends like that? WHYYYYYYYYY????????
April 8, 2023
I see what Rob was trying to do. But for me this story and characters were DOA from chapter one. Like others I feel like there was no character growth not even the glimmer of want for it from any of the characters. I think this is the quickest book I’ve read, I just wanted to get it over. I wanted to scream 95% of the time anytime I had to read a Kearney chapter.
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