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The End of the World is a Cul de Sac
In The End of the World is a Cul de Sac the political is intertwined with the personal, as Louise Kennedy reveals how ordinary lives can get caught up in a wider, national drama.
Sarah, abandoned by her partner, sits alone in their brand new house.
Orla, facing the strange revenge of her husband, is forced to judge a contest in the local fête.
Peter raises his daughter in rural seclusion, at what might as well be the end of the world.
Louise Kennedy started writing at the age of forty-seven, and her prose is instilled with a clarity and wisdom born of her own experience. This collection announces a major new voice in literary fiction for the twenty-first century.
Sarah, abandoned by her partner, sits alone in their brand new house.
Orla, facing the strange revenge of her husband, is forced to judge a contest in the local fête.
Peter raises his daughter in rural seclusion, at what might as well be the end of the world.
Louise Kennedy started writing at the age of forty-seven, and her prose is instilled with a clarity and wisdom born of her own experience. This collection announces a major new voice in literary fiction for the twenty-first century.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2021
About the author
Louise Kennedy
5 books509 followersLouise Kennedy grew up near Belfast. Trespasses is her first novel. She is also the author of a collection of short stories, The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac. She has written for The Guardian, The Irish Times, and BBC Radio 4. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a chef for almost thirty years. She lives in Sligo, Ireland
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews
January 13, 2024
I loved her novel Trespasses.. so when I saw that the first book of hers, this one..was out everywhere, I had to get my hands on it!
I am not a huge fan of short stories, they usually don’t wrap up the stories.. kind of open ended.
These stories do the same but they are all about women in rural Ireland in some devastating situations.
Dazzling and heartbreaking!
What a writer!
I am not a huge fan of short stories, they usually don’t wrap up the stories.. kind of open ended.
These stories do the same but they are all about women in rural Ireland in some devastating situations.
Dazzling and heartbreaking!
What a writer!
May 9, 2021
I read this book as a read along. We read one story a day, for 15 days. I usually read them in the mornings before work, and it is something I plan on continuing with some of the other story collections on my shelf.
I’m going to keep it short and sweet here, I’m not going to go into which stories I favoured more than others – as I honestly can’t pick between them. What I will say that all the stories took me through a rollercoaster – but I also felt a bit like my emotions had been through a sparring session with Katie Taylor, I was battered and bruised. While there are moments of joy within these stories, they mostly show a bleak side of life.
As has been mentioned in a few other reviews I have seen, the typical short story collection will include a couple that don’t match up to the quality of the better ones. This time however I was absolutely blown away by each and every story in this collection. A few of them struck a harder chord than I was prepared for and ultimately left me a little broken. While 15 stories is a good number to stop on, I was left wanting even more.
For me, the author doesn’t make a single mis step. This is Irish literature at its best, highly recommended.
I’m going to keep it short and sweet here, I’m not going to go into which stories I favoured more than others – as I honestly can’t pick between them. What I will say that all the stories took me through a rollercoaster – but I also felt a bit like my emotions had been through a sparring session with Katie Taylor, I was battered and bruised. While there are moments of joy within these stories, they mostly show a bleak side of life.
As has been mentioned in a few other reviews I have seen, the typical short story collection will include a couple that don’t match up to the quality of the better ones. This time however I was absolutely blown away by each and every story in this collection. A few of them struck a harder chord than I was prepared for and ultimately left me a little broken. While 15 stories is a good number to stop on, I was left wanting even more.
For me, the author doesn’t make a single mis step. This is Irish literature at its best, highly recommended.
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January 4, 2021These stories are devastating, hauntingly recognisable, deadly funny, wise, brutal, lucent and gloriously refreshing. Kennedy has brought an army of complex, contradictory, haywire women into Irish literature. Prepare to be wrecked.
March 26, 2024
“Kennedy has brought an army of complex, contradictory, haywire women into Irish literature. Prepare to be wrecked.”
~~ Caoilinn on Goodreads
Yes. Prepare to be wrecked.
In these stories first published in the UK in 2021, at once turbulent and simmering, Louise Kennedy lay the groundwork for all the fire that went into her first novel, the haunting and drop-dead gorgeous “Trespasses”.
The women (and a few men) at the heart of these stories made me think of wild horses held in a corral, bucking with all their might, galloping in circles that simply cannot widen. They push and push against their circumstances, teetering between rage and resignation. They keep applying face powder and lipstick because sometimes, that is the only thing that holds the line.
In her signature writing style, one of propulsive and urgent energy, of electric currents pulsing on the page, Kennedy paints the portrait of women on the verge, wounded and acutely aware of their surroundings, their sense of otherness and out-of-placeness (if that is even a word) backlit at every turn. The strokes are deliberate and thick, giving a gritty, impasto feel to the heartbreak of their lives.
Corralled and forever wild at heart, these women will indeed wreck you. And you will ask for more.
Louise Kennedy, I hope that your next novel is being plucked out of the ether as we speak and ushered into the world, free and unbridled.
~~ Caoilinn on Goodreads
Yes. Prepare to be wrecked.
In these stories first published in the UK in 2021, at once turbulent and simmering, Louise Kennedy lay the groundwork for all the fire that went into her first novel, the haunting and drop-dead gorgeous “Trespasses”.
The women (and a few men) at the heart of these stories made me think of wild horses held in a corral, bucking with all their might, galloping in circles that simply cannot widen. They push and push against their circumstances, teetering between rage and resignation. They keep applying face powder and lipstick because sometimes, that is the only thing that holds the line.
In her signature writing style, one of propulsive and urgent energy, of electric currents pulsing on the page, Kennedy paints the portrait of women on the verge, wounded and acutely aware of their surroundings, their sense of otherness and out-of-placeness (if that is even a word) backlit at every turn. The strokes are deliberate and thick, giving a gritty, impasto feel to the heartbreak of their lives.
Corralled and forever wild at heart, these women will indeed wreck you. And you will ask for more.
Louise Kennedy, I hope that your next novel is being plucked out of the ether as we speak and ushered into the world, free and unbridled.
December 23, 2023
I loved Kennedy's first novel, Trespasses, for many reasons. The writing was sublime and the core story was so intimate, almost embarrassingly so, but it told a much larger story than the tale of two or three people. Humphrey Bogart taught me "the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world" but Kennedy knows those problems tell us a lot about what does matter in this crazy world. It always astonishes me that people see Casablanca as a romance and I felt the same way about Trespasses. The "love" relationships in those stories create an armature for a story about something much more interesting -- patriotism, tribalism, sacrifice, and the desperate desire to find a sliver of joy in a life filled with darkness.
It turns out that everything I felt about Trespasses I felt about this collection of short stories though the greater truths revealed by the relationships depicted here here are about the ways women are socialized and the ways that limits them. I believe this collection was the first thing Kennedy published (at the age of nearly 50) and I am therefore rather awed by her surefootedness. She has had the time to learn about people and see their lives and used that time well. The complexity of these characters is astonishing. We learn so much about them in the small space of each story and I empathized with every one.
Overall I would say this is a 4.5 for me with the deduction coming from Kennedy's treatment of the male characters. Many women write rich male and nonbinary characters, this is not an own-voices issue, but there is a sameness to Kennedy's men and the things that drive them. I found them hard to distinguish at certain times. I occasionally found myself in the middle of a story and realized I was conflating the male lead in that story with one from the previous story. These men are all crammed full of feelings they have no way to process or express, feelings they work out through sublimation or by straight-up deception followed by repentance and/or self-flagellation. For the most part, Kennedy is telling women's stories so this is not a huge issue, but in a couple of stories she gives the reader a male POV and those stories were weaker than the others in the collection. Overall though, this is just an unrelenting pleasure to read (which is not to say it is filled with happiness, quite the opposite.)
It turns out that everything I felt about Trespasses I felt about this collection of short stories though the greater truths revealed by the relationships depicted here here are about the ways women are socialized and the ways that limits them. I believe this collection was the first thing Kennedy published (at the age of nearly 50) and I am therefore rather awed by her surefootedness. She has had the time to learn about people and see their lives and used that time well. The complexity of these characters is astonishing. We learn so much about them in the small space of each story and I empathized with every one.
Overall I would say this is a 4.5 for me with the deduction coming from Kennedy's treatment of the male characters. Many women write rich male and nonbinary characters, this is not an own-voices issue, but there is a sameness to Kennedy's men and the things that drive them. I found them hard to distinguish at certain times. I occasionally found myself in the middle of a story and realized I was conflating the male lead in that story with one from the previous story. These men are all crammed full of feelings they have no way to process or express, feelings they work out through sublimation or by straight-up deception followed by repentance and/or self-flagellation. For the most part, Kennedy is telling women's stories so this is not a huge issue, but in a couple of stories she gives the reader a male POV and those stories were weaker than the others in the collection. Overall though, this is just an unrelenting pleasure to read (which is not to say it is filled with happiness, quite the opposite.)
April 23, 2021
I've noticed over the years that it's easy to get caught up in the hype of the various Irish books of the moment, and sometimes it can be hard to step back and figure out if a book lives up to the hype or not - but this is the real deal. I don't think I've ever read such a solid collection of short stories. Even in the best of them, there are generally a few stories that just don't work for me. But this is all killer, no filler. Fifteen really solid stories, with really vivid characters with stories that you can really relate to, and so well told; there are always a few things going on at the same time, intertwined beautifully.
A lot of modern short story writers can be quite vague in their writing, which can be frustrating sometimes. But there is no vagueness in Louise Kennedy's writing. Everything is crystal clear. You always know what's going on. Not that she spells everything out for you, rather all the subtleties and intrigue are left unsaid, between the lines.
Utterly compelling, sometimes sad, sometimes darkly comic. Totally engaging. This rocks.
A lot of modern short story writers can be quite vague in their writing, which can be frustrating sometimes. But there is no vagueness in Louise Kennedy's writing. Everything is crystal clear. You always know what's going on. Not that she spells everything out for you, rather all the subtleties and intrigue are left unsaid, between the lines.
Utterly compelling, sometimes sad, sometimes darkly comic. Totally engaging. This rocks.
June 27, 2021
This debut collection of short stories by Irish author Louise Kennedy will be published in April. I read it over the course of a couple of weeks, and the further I got into it, the more I grew to love it.
The stories are set in rural Ireland, mostly in the border counties, and are mainly centred on dysfunctional relationships, with themes of alcoholism, depression and grief (among others) featuring. Though it sounds bleak, it’s full of dry and dark humour, quiet observations and subtlety that blew me away.
With all good short storytelling, it’s what’s left unsaid and how that’s done that leaves the greatest impact. I found the characters stayed with me afterwards. I particularly loved Beyond Carthage and Garland Sunday, though honestly I loved almost all of the stories.
Even if you don’t typically read short stories, I’d recommend this collection. Dip in and out of it, keep it by your bedside, read a story a day. Immensely enjoyable. 4-4.5/5 ⭐️
*This book will be published on 8 April 2021 and can be preordered from all good bookshops. I read an advance digital copy courtesy of the publisher @BloomsburyPublishing via @NetGalley. I am going to preorder myself a copy though as I loved it. As always this is an honest review.*
#TheEndOfTheWorldIsACulDeSac #LouiseKennedy #BloomsburyPublishing
The stories are set in rural Ireland, mostly in the border counties, and are mainly centred on dysfunctional relationships, with themes of alcoholism, depression and grief (among others) featuring. Though it sounds bleak, it’s full of dry and dark humour, quiet observations and subtlety that blew me away.
With all good short storytelling, it’s what’s left unsaid and how that’s done that leaves the greatest impact. I found the characters stayed with me afterwards. I particularly loved Beyond Carthage and Garland Sunday, though honestly I loved almost all of the stories.
Even if you don’t typically read short stories, I’d recommend this collection. Dip in and out of it, keep it by your bedside, read a story a day. Immensely enjoyable. 4-4.5/5 ⭐️
*This book will be published on 8 April 2021 and can be preordered from all good bookshops. I read an advance digital copy courtesy of the publisher @BloomsburyPublishing via @NetGalley. I am going to preorder myself a copy though as I loved it. As always this is an honest review.*
#TheEndOfTheWorldIsACulDeSac #LouiseKennedy #BloomsburyPublishing
August 13, 2022
I think I'll give Irish fiction a break for a while ... Kennedy is a good writer (3 stars for that), but these stories are so bleak. It took me a very long time to finish it, because I put it aside for weeks at a time. When the world is so grim, I need some lighter reading!
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January 19, 2024Not too sure how to rate this one. The writing style was really pleasant so I kept reading even if most of the stories felt unfinished which leads me to think that maybe I don't get it. No rating for now.
January 2, 2024
Dark with disappointment and simmering anger, Louise Kennedy's short story collection, The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac presents an Ireland that exists outside of soft-focus postcards and quirky films. Fifteen sharp-edge stories of women grinding through the consequences of choices, some their own, others forced upon them. The title story reveals the desperate reality of Ireland's boom and bust cycle — a woman remains in a derelict housing development after her developer husband disappears, leaving his debts behind, and a contractor comes calling for retribution. InHunter-Gatherers a woman is entranced by the appearance of a hare in the backyard of their country cottage while secretly mocking her boyfriend's pretense at self-sufficiency. Marriage and motherhood are frequent themes, to heartbreaking effect. Brittle Things is a haunting exploration of guilt and futility as a woman negotiates motherhood of a profoundly autistic child. Garland Sunday reveals the strains a mature marriage suffers when the couple decide to terminate a surprise pregnancy. A young, pregnant housewife and mother initially supports her farmer-husband's scheme to grow marijuana to supplement their income, but regrets her decision when her husband brings home a farming intern who wear tight clothes and tosses her long, auburn locks. The one story set outside Ireland, Beyond Carthage, show two friends on an ill-conceived holiday in Tunisia that traps the reader inside a dreary hotel room and in a sketchy hammam, one friend drinking heavily to pass the time, the other negotiating with her mastectomy-ravaged body.
Kennedy pulls no punches. There is occasional humor, but it is wry and bitter. There are many moments of tenderness, particularly between a man and the girl he's accepted as his daughter even though he knows she's the result of his wife's infidelities (Gibraltar) or the mother who would give anything if her autistic son would say her name, that make the ache all the more acute. These feel like real lives, interrupted. These are incisive portraits and in nearly every case, the story ends in a moment of decision or crisis, leaving the reader to imagine what happens next.
Not an easy read but an awesome one. Louise Kennedy is one of the greatest writers I've come across in recent years. Highly recommended.
Kennedy pulls no punches. There is occasional humor, but it is wry and bitter. There are many moments of tenderness, particularly between a man and the girl he's accepted as his daughter even though he knows she's the result of his wife's infidelities (Gibraltar) or the mother who would give anything if her autistic son would say her name, that make the ache all the more acute. These feel like real lives, interrupted. These are incisive portraits and in nearly every case, the story ends in a moment of decision or crisis, leaving the reader to imagine what happens next.
Not an easy read but an awesome one. Louise Kennedy is one of the greatest writers I've come across in recent years. Highly recommended.
May 19, 2021
Bleeeeeak and well-written (truly, I am the Michiko Kakutani of GR reviews).
November 25, 2020
I enjoy a good short story collection, and there's no doubt that these are really beautifully written short stories. But they are so very bleak, that I found it a struggle to get to the end. So, for me, it was a difficult read because this pandemic life is hard enough without the added strain of dark and dismal reading matter. If you're made of stronger stuff, and you enjoy short stories, then go for it because they're very well done. But if you're looking to books as an escape right now, this might be one to shelve until later.
December 20, 2021
Stark realism, uneven collection. Some stories are memorable with a grasping sense of Irish melancholy, but there were a few that left me cold. Still, worthwhile introduction to a new talent.
December 11, 2023
3.5ish / the vibes were so good but I was confused a lot
December 15, 2023
I liked the vibe of these stories, and I love the way Louise Kennedy writes women. Her descriptions of nature and the settings in general were beautiful. However I do feel like I would have benefitted from a course in Irish history before reading, as I felt a lot of the overarching themes or political climates went a bit over my head and since the stories are so short, there wasn’t space to learn or make connections like you’d be able to with a novel. If you are well versed in Irish history and love literary female protagonists, I think you’ll love these stories!
My favorites were Wolf Point and Powder
My favorites were Wolf Point and Powder
December 28, 2023
Absolutely fantastic.
I love Louise Kennedy’s writing style so much. I love her characters. I love how messed up and wonderful and awful and just fucking real they all are. This is the first thing of hers I’ve ever read I’m reading everything else she ever writes. Just gorgeous gorgeous stuff.
I love Louise Kennedy’s writing style so much. I love her characters. I love how messed up and wonderful and awful and just fucking real they all are. This is the first thing of hers I’ve ever read I’m reading everything else she ever writes. Just gorgeous gorgeous stuff.
January 13, 2024
After loving Kennedy’s stunning debut novel
Trespasses
, I had to go back and read this collection of fifteen short stories—the first thing she published, almost aged 50, having first picked up a pen after almost thirty years spent as a chef. I’m utterly in awe of how confidently she writes as an emerging new voice, ready to share her life’s wise observations and experience with harsh realism. I came to love it more and more the further I got into it; the stories’ effect seemed to be cumulative, and the whole collection is more than the sum of its parts.
These stark and intimate stories are (mostly) set in the border counties of rural Ireland, and (mostly) concern women who grind through the consequences of their choices—their own, or forced upon them. Marriage and motherhood are the most frequent and devastating themes, yet each sharp-edged, visceral slice-of-life story feels unique and fresh, with Kennedy pulling no punches. There were stand-outs, but every story, subtle yet tense with words unspoken, is worthwhile, painting a portrait of complex, wounded women trapped and limited by their circumstances, yet wild at heart. Some stories have a male protagonist; I found these to be weaker on the whole, albeit no less engaging.
One of those was an early stand-out: Wolf Point explores the relationship between a forester and his five-year-old daughter as he comes to terms with the fact that his young wife, who’s slipping further into mental illness, is an unfit mother. In Imbolc, a pregnant mother comes to regret her decision of suggesting her farmer-husband grow illegal cannabis in the lambing shed for some much-needed extra income, while the only story set outside of Ireland, Beyond Carthage, follows two friends who end up going to a sketchy hammam after being trapped in a Tunisian hotel by incessant rain. Gibraltar shows snapshots of a lifetime of tenderness between a man and the girl he’s accepted as his daughter, even though he knows that she’s the result of his wife’s adultery, and in Powder, a young woman takes his late boyfriend’s American mother on a tour of Ireland to scatter his ashes. These were some of my personal highlights, but for my money, Kennedy saved the best for last: In Garland Sunday, a mature marriage suffers after the joint decision to terminate an unplanned pregnancy.
In virtually all cases, Kennedy merely sets the scene to then end it at a pivotal moment of decision or crisis, leaving the reader to imagine what happens next. Her evocative, dazzling prose provides flashes of beauty, hope, and gallows humor amid cynicism and bleakness; a remarkable new talent to keep an eye on.
These stark and intimate stories are (mostly) set in the border counties of rural Ireland, and (mostly) concern women who grind through the consequences of their choices—their own, or forced upon them. Marriage and motherhood are the most frequent and devastating themes, yet each sharp-edged, visceral slice-of-life story feels unique and fresh, with Kennedy pulling no punches. There were stand-outs, but every story, subtle yet tense with words unspoken, is worthwhile, painting a portrait of complex, wounded women trapped and limited by their circumstances, yet wild at heart. Some stories have a male protagonist; I found these to be weaker on the whole, albeit no less engaging.
One of those was an early stand-out: Wolf Point explores the relationship between a forester and his five-year-old daughter as he comes to terms with the fact that his young wife, who’s slipping further into mental illness, is an unfit mother. In Imbolc, a pregnant mother comes to regret her decision of suggesting her farmer-husband grow illegal cannabis in the lambing shed for some much-needed extra income, while the only story set outside of Ireland, Beyond Carthage, follows two friends who end up going to a sketchy hammam after being trapped in a Tunisian hotel by incessant rain. Gibraltar shows snapshots of a lifetime of tenderness between a man and the girl he’s accepted as his daughter, even though he knows that she’s the result of his wife’s adultery, and in Powder, a young woman takes his late boyfriend’s American mother on a tour of Ireland to scatter his ashes. These were some of my personal highlights, but for my money, Kennedy saved the best for last: In Garland Sunday, a mature marriage suffers after the joint decision to terminate an unplanned pregnancy.
In virtually all cases, Kennedy merely sets the scene to then end it at a pivotal moment of decision or crisis, leaving the reader to imagine what happens next. Her evocative, dazzling prose provides flashes of beauty, hope, and gallows humor amid cynicism and bleakness; a remarkable new talent to keep an eye on.
September 21, 2021
I should preface this review by saying I am generally not a fan of the short story. However, this collection is simply incredible. Each story is overflowing with character and charm and I could have spent hours with each individual story. Firmly rooted in the Irish tradition it still provides a fresh and relevant consideration of life in modern Ireland. A book that made me fall in love with reading again.
October 13, 2023
A relentlessly grim collection of stories about long-suffering Irish women with Irish names dealing with awful men and/or circumstances.
Taken individually, the stories might have been enjoyable but the cumulative effect of the collection was bleak.
Taken individually, the stories might have been enjoyable but the cumulative effect of the collection was bleak.
April 27, 2024
I love most of these stories featuring women who's lives would be so much better without their men. The writing is brutally frank, grim and subversively humorous. Glimpses of the brilliance that would become Trespasses. Not for the faint hearted.
April 9, 2024
Louise Kennedy’s collection of 9-10 short stories is full of beautiful prose along with sad, bleak, dysfunctional families all set in Ireland 🇮🇪 but 1️⃣. I listened to this on audio which was well narrated.
My favorite story was the surprise of an adoptive father’s love and tenderness for his non biological daughter. Some are not as happy but nonetheless caused me to feel strong or painful emotions, especially the mother who is patient and waiting for something from her son who has autism.
I was happy to get an early release through the Libby app and I look forward to more by Kennedy.
My favorite story was the surprise of an adoptive father’s love and tenderness for his non biological daughter. Some are not as happy but nonetheless caused me to feel strong or painful emotions, especially the mother who is patient and waiting for something from her son who has autism.
I was happy to get an early release through the Libby app and I look forward to more by Kennedy.
January 9, 2024
This collection of Irish short stories is poignant and emotionally compelling. Not all of the stories resonated with me, but the ones that did were so good that there was no way I could give this less than four stars!
June 22, 2022
I think I’ve been spoiled by the number of gorgeous short story collections (Such as Intimacies) I’ve read this year because this one just fell flat with me. You’re dropped into the middle of a completely contextless story, left adrift for about 10 pages, then it’s onto the next one. Obviously I understand you’re never going to get the level of detail you get in a novel in a short story but still, I like to at least understand the plot. I’ve seen lots of really positive reviews though, and the language used was beautifully descriptive, so definitely a case of me just not being the right reader for this collection.
April 8, 2021
This collection of short stories is the debut of Louise Kennedy. Each story follows an Irish woman in varying circumstances, giving us a glimpse into their lives, their relationships and the difficulties they face.
Its not an uplifting book; some of the stories are quite haunting, but it is very well written and the characters are written very well. As I progressed through each story, I became more impressed by what the author had achieved in the collection and I will definitely be looking out for more work from her in future.
Its not an uplifting book; some of the stories are quite haunting, but it is very well written and the characters are written very well. As I progressed through each story, I became more impressed by what the author had achieved in the collection and I will definitely be looking out for more work from her in future.
January 12, 2024
From what I could understand, this was very depressing. All of the stories centered on women living tragic lives or dealing with tragedies and it was quite a bummer to read about. There were certainly stories that went right over my head but others did pack a huge punch. Belladonna, Powder and Hands stood out the most for me.
December 24, 2023
not the type of book i would usually go out of my way to read, but i'm glad i encountered it. health warning that there is not a single happy ending to be found between these pages. more depression-inducing than an entire semester of thermodynamics.
December 29, 2023
Stopped reading. Life’s too short.
March 7, 2024
A collection of fifteen short stories on the lives of many women, steeped in Irish culture. My average ended up below 3.0 but I’m feeling generous today so I’ll round up.
I did not connect with this. Some stories I found myself really enjoying but even then, they felt incomplete by the time I got to the end. I tried to justify it by saying that a short story will never feel as complete as a novel but that’s simply not true. Many of these stories felt like they were plucked out of the middle of an already developed novel and didn’t provide enough detail or backstory for me to feel immersed in my reading. I personally believe that this collection could have benefitted from being only 7-8 stories with each piece being twice as long to allow for a more well-rounded story.
I, unfortunately, don’t think any of these stories will stick with me for long. I did, however, enjoy Kennedy’s descriptive settings which helped create environments that you can feel.
I did not connect with this. Some stories I found myself really enjoying but even then, they felt incomplete by the time I got to the end. I tried to justify it by saying that a short story will never feel as complete as a novel but that’s simply not true. Many of these stories felt like they were plucked out of the middle of an already developed novel and didn’t provide enough detail or backstory for me to feel immersed in my reading. I personally believe that this collection could have benefitted from being only 7-8 stories with each piece being twice as long to allow for a more well-rounded story.
I, unfortunately, don’t think any of these stories will stick with me for long. I did, however, enjoy Kennedy’s descriptive settings which helped create environments that you can feel.
March 15, 2024
I almost always really love books by Irish authors. I should really look into why that is. Is there some common theme or style? Anyway, this collection of short stories had a lot of dark themes, so it took me a while to get through them.
I particularly liked Garland Sunday and was very impressed that I immediately caught the Lucy Barton reference!
Anyway, these were great.
I particularly liked Garland Sunday and was very impressed that I immediately caught the Lucy Barton reference!
Anyway, these were great.
January 29, 2024
devastating, yet very funny!! i enjoyed this quite a bit.
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