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Cover of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy DoylePaddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
Modern · Fiction, Classics, Young Adult

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

by Roddy Doyle
1993 · 304 pages · Fiction
60.7Must-Read
Score Modern
Critics' pick
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Paddy Clarke is ten and lives in a working-class suburb of Dublin in 1968. He runs wild with his friends, playing games, starting fires, tormenting his little brother and inventing elaborate adventures. But at home, he can hear his parents fighting at night, and slowly he begins to understand that their marriage is falling apart.

Why it's worth reading

It won the Booker Prize. It's funny and heartbreaking, told completely in the voice of a ten-year-old.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's episodic, without chapters, and full of Irish slang.

By the numbers

60.7Must-Read Score
  • Readers5 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller10 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Won
Booker Prize winner (1993)

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

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Quick answers

Is Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha worth reading?

Yes. It won the Booker Prize. It ranks #2,313 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 60.7 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha about?

Paddy Clarke is ten and lives in a working-class suburb of Dublin in 1968. He runs wild with his friends, playing games, starting fires, tormenting his little brother and inventing elaborate adventures. But at home, he can hear his parents fighting at night, and slowly he begins to understand that their marriage is falling apart.

How long does it take to read Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha?

About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What awards has Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha won?

Booker Prize winner (1993).

What should I read after Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha?

If you liked it, try Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, Black Swan Green by David Mitchell or The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.