Call number
FIC KEE
Collections
Publication
Grove Press (2023), 128 pages
Description
"Celebrated for her powerful short fiction, Claire Keegan now gifts us three exquisite stories together forming a brilliant examination of gender dynamics and an arc from Keegan's earliest to her most recent work. In "So Late in the Day," Cathal faces a long weekend as his mind agitates over a woman with whom he could have spent his life, had he acted differently; in "The Long and Painful Death" a writer's arrival at the seaside home of Heinrich Bl?l for a two-week writing residency is disrupted by an academic who imposes his criticisms and opinions; and in "Antarctica" a married woman travels out of town to see what it's like to sleep with another man and ends up in the grip of a possessive stranger.' Each story probes the dynamics that corrupt what could be between women and men: a lack of generosity, the weight of expectation, the looming threat of violence."--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member davidabrams
These stories are perfect.
They are perfect from a writingcraft perspective, and they are perfect in the stories themselves and their emotional impact on the reader.
The prose is spare, clean, and without a lot of frills. But when Keegan wants to use a longer sentence for effect, it is as powerful as
Keegan takes my breath away with her writing, and it is at its very best in these three short stories about love, regret, and bad decisions. This--like Keegan's other small book, "Small Things Like These"--is an instant classic.
They are perfect from a writingcraft perspective, and they are perfect in the stories themselves and their emotional impact on the reader.
The prose is spare, clean, and without a lot of frills. But when Keegan wants to use a longer sentence for effect, it is as powerful as
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a tidal wave washing over us, overwhelming us, tumbling us through a current of words. The last sentence (really, the last paragraph) of the title story in which those words, "so late in the day," are worked with precise needlework into the fabric of the sentence. Keegan takes my breath away with her writing, and it is at its very best in these three short stories about love, regret, and bad decisions. This--like Keegan's other small book, "Small Things Like These"--is an instant classic.
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LibraryThing member pomo58
So Late in the Day is a collection of three short stories by Claire Keegan about the dynamics of relationships and the role of gender in those dynamics.
While all three have been previously published, it is my understanding that the title story was revised and expanded for this edition. I have only
The characters in these stories are intriguing, not necessarily likable but certainly worth thinking about. Why are some people as they are? How much is fueled by what society teaches us and how much simply by living life and having to make do with what comes your way? When any of us fall into a role, whether grumpy man or adventurous spouse, and there are consequences, is it fate or just the fact that sometimes things don't work out as you want? More abstractly, is there an area between ethical and unethical, or is everything one or the other?
These questions aren't so much built into the stories as the stories can lead the reader to consider ideas in relation to the stories. In other words, those questions were brought to the fore when I read the collection, you will likely have different avenues into the stories and thus have different thoughts. The main thing is that the clear and precise writing gives the reader room to interject their ideas into the stories.
Recommended for readers of short stories that focus not simply on a character but on a character's choices and the outcomes that result. Do they get what they deserve? Who is to say?
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
While all three have been previously published, it is my understanding that the title story was revised and expanded for this edition. I have only
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read this version so can't speak to how those changes impact the story. The characters in these stories are intriguing, not necessarily likable but certainly worth thinking about. Why are some people as they are? How much is fueled by what society teaches us and how much simply by living life and having to make do with what comes your way? When any of us fall into a role, whether grumpy man or adventurous spouse, and there are consequences, is it fate or just the fact that sometimes things don't work out as you want? More abstractly, is there an area between ethical and unethical, or is everything one or the other?
These questions aren't so much built into the stories as the stories can lead the reader to consider ideas in relation to the stories. In other words, those questions were brought to the fore when I read the collection, you will likely have different avenues into the stories and thus have different thoughts. The main thing is that the clear and precise writing gives the reader room to interject their ideas into the stories.
Recommended for readers of short stories that focus not simply on a character but on a character's choices and the outcomes that result. Do they get what they deserve? Who is to say?
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member nancyadair
These three dark stories are exquisitely formed, with understated drama centering around unsavory people and their choices.
The first story, So Late in the Day, is about a parsimonious man whose fiance’ dumps him just before their wedding. In the second story a writer has been granted a retreat in
These character’s choices and personality flaws reap inevitable consequences, and I was not sad for them as much as satisfied by the justice of their fate.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
The first story, So Late in the Day, is about a parsimonious man whose fiance’ dumps him just before their wedding. In the second story a writer has been granted a retreat in
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Heinrich Boll’s cottage where she is confronted by a man who accuses her of misusing and underappreciated the privilege. And in the third story, a woman uses her time away to conduct an affair but finds herself in deep trouble.These character’s choices and personality flaws reap inevitable consequences, and I was not sad for them as much as satisfied by the justice of their fate.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
Another of of this author's tiny books, this one contains three short stories of Ireland - the first one, especially, reflects the adversarial nature of heterosexual relations. The narrator, Cathal, has an accidental encounter with Sabine, a charming Frenchwoman, and he reluctantly starts
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envisioning her as a potential wife. In the second story, a woman is awarded a two week resident fellowship at Heinrich Boll's cottage by the sea, which is blissful until she is accosted by a man who resents her presence but inspires her writing. The last story of a wife and mother who leaves her home to be wild for a weekend demonstrates the harsh wages of Catholic sin. Keegan's words are spare but elegant and forceful. If you've seen the movie The Quiet Girl without reading Foster, Keegan's novel that the movie is based upon, you have missed too much. Show Less
LibraryThing member srms.reads
So Late in the Day: Stories of Men and Women by Claire Keegan is the most recent collection of the author’s short stories comprising three of her previously published works. Even though I had already read two of the three short stories in the collection, I was more than happy to read them again.
In the first story So Late in the Day (4/5), we meet the protagonist, Cathal, in the course of his routine workday. The date is a significant one (which is revealed later) and throughout the day his thoughts often drift to Sabine, the woman with whom he had been in a relationship. As he reflects on the relationship – the highs and the lows- he is compelled to assess how his attitude toward Sabine and women, in general, contributed to the end of their relationship.
In The Long and Painful Death (4.5/5), we meet a thirty-nine-year-old writer in residence at the seaside home of Heinrich Böll. When she meets a German professor who insists on visiting the property, her interactions with him ( though not entirely pleasant) just might inspire the direction of the story she is currently writing and much more.
The final story, Antarctica (4.5/5), revolves around a married woman who plans a weekend intending to experience what it would be like to sleep with another man. As the story progresses, we follow her as her brief tryst turns into a situation she had not expected.
“As a child, she had been told that hell was different for everyone, your own worst possible scenario.”
Revolving around themes of loneliness, regret, commitment, fidelity and self-perception, these stories will stay with you long after you have finished reading. Complex characters, sparse prose, minimal melodrama, sharp observations on the human condition and plenty of food for thought – what more could we ask for in a short story? I can’t wait to read more from this talented author!
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This collection was published on November 14, 2023.
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That’s the beauty of Claire Keegan’s work. Every reread provides something new to ponder upon.In the first story So Late in the Day (4/5), we meet the protagonist, Cathal, in the course of his routine workday. The date is a significant one (which is revealed later) and throughout the day his thoughts often drift to Sabine, the woman with whom he had been in a relationship. As he reflects on the relationship – the highs and the lows- he is compelled to assess how his attitude toward Sabine and women, in general, contributed to the end of their relationship.
In The Long and Painful Death (4.5/5), we meet a thirty-nine-year-old writer in residence at the seaside home of Heinrich Böll. When she meets a German professor who insists on visiting the property, her interactions with him ( though not entirely pleasant) just might inspire the direction of the story she is currently writing and much more.
The final story, Antarctica (4.5/5), revolves around a married woman who plans a weekend intending to experience what it would be like to sleep with another man. As the story progresses, we follow her as her brief tryst turns into a situation she had not expected.
“As a child, she had been told that hell was different for everyone, your own worst possible scenario.”
Revolving around themes of loneliness, regret, commitment, fidelity and self-perception, these stories will stay with you long after you have finished reading. Complex characters, sparse prose, minimal melodrama, sharp observations on the human condition and plenty of food for thought – what more could we ask for in a short story? I can’t wait to read more from this talented author!
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This collection was published on November 14, 2023.
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LibraryThing member ozzer
This collection of three engaging stories is supposed to be about women and men. I guess that is accurate in the broad sense, but it seems to be more about the flaws women perceive in men. The first story is the only one with a male narrator. This guy’s problem seems to be that he is
Despite being marketed as something it may not be, this collection of stories is a wonderful example of Keegan’s craft. As with her other books, the plots are accessible, the characters are nuanced, and the mood is decidedly dark.
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self-involved and sees a relationship with a woman as more of a convenience than a commitment to another person. The male character in the second story is the least developed but is clearly quite judgmental. The man in the final story is the worst because he presents as caring and giving, but this turns out to be a façade for something much darker.Despite being marketed as something it may not be, this collection of stories is a wonderful example of Keegan’s craft. As with her other books, the plots are accessible, the characters are nuanced, and the mood is decidedly dark.
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LibraryThing member tangledthread
This collection of 3 short stories is subtitled stories of women and men. I would say it is stories of misogyny. The first story is about a man who is abandoned just before his wedding (aka Late in the Day). The narrative begins with him as a sympathetic character, then his contempt for women
The second story is narrated by a female writer who is on retreat. She is imposed upon by a German male professor who insists on his right to see the famous writers home that has been made into a retreat. Despite her misgivings, the writer is a gracious host providing refreshments and a tour. The professor greedily consumes the refreshments then disparages his host. This in turn inspires her next writing about a long and painful death.
The final story is about a woman who pursues a fantasy of a tryst outside her marriage which begins very sensuously and ends very badly.
The writing is spare and dark, and yet every nuance is there. Claire Keegan is a master of her craft.
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slowly emerges as we are privy to his thoughts.The second story is narrated by a female writer who is on retreat. She is imposed upon by a German male professor who insists on his right to see the famous writers home that has been made into a retreat. Despite her misgivings, the writer is a gracious host providing refreshments and a tour. The professor greedily consumes the refreshments then disparages his host. This in turn inspires her next writing about a long and painful death.
The final story is about a woman who pursues a fantasy of a tryst outside her marriage which begins very sensuously and ends very badly.
The writing is spare and dark, and yet every nuance is there. Claire Keegan is a master of her craft.
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LibraryThing member suesbooks
The writing in this book seems almost perfect. The three stories all kept my attention and frightened me greatly. Some of the endings surprised me, and at least one felt appropriate. Throughout the detailed descriptions of the settings and landscape are many interesting observations about the
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frquent differences between men and women. If I were aware of Irish vocabulary and settings, I would have gotten even more out of this book.Is it just a coincidence that I finished this book on the 52nd anniversary of the dayt I met my husband? Show Less
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Claire Keegan's stories are in such demand that she can publish a tiny collection of just three stories, two of them from previous collections, and have people (namely, me) eagerly buy the slim hardcover. So Late in the Day begins with the new story, in which a man goes through his day thinking
Each story involves the relationships between men and women, and whether the relationships are glancing or intimate, involve men acting as though their own desires were the only ones that mattered. These stories are far less hopeful than her previous two longer short stories published in this format, but they are every bit as assured and resonant.
I like the physical form this book takes, treating just three short stories as though they were as important as a novel, and the way they are formatted on the page, with generous margins and a title page for each story.
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back on a relationship that ended tragically, given the reactions of his co-workers as he goes about his day. What happened and why is slowly revealed in ways that show just how masterful a writer Keegan is. The next story, The Long and Painful Death, follows a woman on a writing retreat, staying in a cottage Henrich Böll had used. Just as she begins to settle in, her peace is imposed upon by a man who wants to tour the cottage and her attempts to keep to her plans for her days there are impinged upon by the man's presence. The final story, Antarctica, follows a married woman who has decided to have a brief fling in the city. Each story involves the relationships between men and women, and whether the relationships are glancing or intimate, involve men acting as though their own desires were the only ones that mattered. These stories are far less hopeful than her previous two longer short stories published in this format, but they are every bit as assured and resonant.
I like the physical form this book takes, treating just three short stories as though they were as important as a novel, and the way they are formatted on the page, with generous margins and a title page for each story.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
I will officially read anything this author writes. Unlike her other two novellas I’ve read (Foster and Small Things Like These), this collection of three short stories is a bit darker. She touches on a broken engagement, a writer staying in a remote house, and a woman set on having her first
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affair while Christmas shopping for her family. Each story pulls you in quickly with its descriptions and atmosphere. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next. Show Less
LibraryThing member scottjpearson
Irish short story writer Claire Keegan here shares three succinct short stories to delight readers’ imaginations. Each of them bears her eloquent style with plot twists all the way until the last sentence. This collection has three stories about the tenuous relationship between women and
“So Late in the Day” describes a romance as it evolves from courtship into engagement. In so doing, it comments on how the social mores in Ireland about marriage are lacking and could use substantial improvement.
“The Long and Painful Death” describes how a German professor courts a female aspiring writer, only to have his advances emerge ironically in her work of fiction.
“Antarctica,” a previously published story, tells of a short romantic fling between two new acquaintances… only one party is a married woman and the other part has something up his sleeve.
If you’re looking for quick reads packed with content and skillful writing, Keegan’s stories are for you. These stories do not convey romance at its best, but it tells an all-too-common tale about the difficulties between the genders.
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men.“So Late in the Day” describes a romance as it evolves from courtship into engagement. In so doing, it comments on how the social mores in Ireland about marriage are lacking and could use substantial improvement.
“The Long and Painful Death” describes how a German professor courts a female aspiring writer, only to have his advances emerge ironically in her work of fiction.
“Antarctica,” a previously published story, tells of a short romantic fling between two new acquaintances… only one party is a married woman and the other part has something up his sleeve.
If you’re looking for quick reads packed with content and skillful writing, Keegan’s stories are for you. These stories do not convey romance at its best, but it tells an all-too-common tale about the difficulties between the genders.
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LibraryThing member alans
I find the last story in this collection so misogynistic that it really colours my feelings of the book. Actually all of the women in the three novellas are pretty nasty. But the final study reads like Looking for Mr.Goodbar.-a married woman wants some sex outside her marriage and she is punished
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for it. What a regressive story-very very unsettling. Show Less
Pages
128
ISBN
0802160859 / 9780802160850