Good novel about a directionless young man who finds a purpose in life when Belfast is bombed.

An excellent coming-of age novel that is set in Belfast in the early years of World War 2. The attitudes among Ulster's citizens to the distant war are as unique as we might expect them to be. Brian Moore is a champion writer with a canny ability at producing intelligent story-telling. ( )

Loved this coming of age story set during WWII in Belfast. I laughed and came as close to shedding a tear as I have with a book. ( )

It is now two months since I read the book and the reason why this review is so delayed is that I’m disappointed that it’s not joining the list of my reads. On the back of the review available on TheMooreTheMerrier I starting reading the latest in my Mooreathon with the highest of expectations, completely and utterly expecting myself to be blown away. It didn’t happen, which is not to say that THe Emperor of Ice Cream isn’t an excellent read. I think I was expecting something to grab me in the same way as “The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne” did. I don’t currently have much empathy with adolescent male leads - and the stupidity of this one made my blood boil in places. (Interesting that this novel is the most autobiographical of Moore’s output - suggesting that while I admire the author, I wouldn’t have got on with the man?) But while I was alienated from the personal drama, I was fascinated by the historical, completely amazed at the mindset that couldn’t wait for the second world war to hit Belfast. And didn’t it just, when the Luftwaffe got its sights in! I realise the foregoing sounds rather ambivalent but let me stress that The Emperor of Ice-Cream is still a read and far superior to much contemporary fiction. I agree with John Self that it is a travesty that it is out of print. Here’s hoping that Faber will find it and republish .. ( )