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leaphornlover's review against another edition
When will something happen? When will I care about any of these people? Time to quit and move on.
emilyisreading2024's review against another edition
4.0
As always, McDermott's writing is luminous. However, the story and characters felt a little tired and I wasn't as invested in this book as I have been with her others.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I spent a year with Charming Billy, by McDermott. It was one of our books for Richmond Reads, a community reading program for the greater Richmond area. It was a good book and it stood up to discussion and re-reading.
To be honest, though, I had not given McDermott much thought since that year. I liked Charming Billy and I had enjoyed That Night which is now a bit dated. A description of After This had crossed my desk and I wondered what her latest book was like. (This is McDermott's latest even though it is six years old.)
Maybe it was because the book is set in the era of my teens, maybe because McDermott drew me into this family's story or maybe because the Keane's tale is one of many families, but I did fall into this book and stay there for several days. I thought about the book while I was at work and I wondered how it would turn out.
This is a quiet book, not much action. It is character-driven so if the Keane family does not appeal to you, you won't find much to keep you reading. But these characters are worth knowing. John and Mary Keane, their four children and their friend Pauline all see the world with their own slant. This world, the 60's and 70's is a period of change as we all know. It is good to see this period through these people.
Another reviewer on here has pointed out that the "main" events always take place off stage. I had not really paid attention to this because those events seemed real enough while I was reading. However, this is an interesting writing technique and not one I have encountered often.
I recommend this book to readers of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Stout and maybe even Thrity Umbigar. If you want a book to savor for the story, the characters and the language and you don't need to get far from where you started try After This.
To be honest, though, I had not given McDermott much thought since that year. I liked Charming Billy and I had enjoyed That Night which is now a bit dated. A description of After This had crossed my desk and I wondered what her latest book was like. (This is McDermott's latest even though it is six years old.)
Maybe it was because the book is set in the era of my teens, maybe because McDermott drew me into this family's story or maybe because the Keane's tale is one of many families, but I did fall into this book and stay there for several days. I thought about the book while I was at work and I wondered how it would turn out.
This is a quiet book, not much action. It is character-driven so if the Keane family does not appeal to you, you won't find much to keep you reading. But these characters are worth knowing. John and Mary Keane, their four children and their friend Pauline all see the world with their own slant. This world, the 60's and 70's is a period of change as we all know. It is good to see this period through these people.
Another reviewer on here has pointed out that the "main" events always take place off stage. I had not really paid attention to this because those events seemed real enough while I was reading. However, this is an interesting writing technique and not one I have encountered often.
I recommend this book to readers of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Stout and maybe even Thrity Umbigar. If you want a book to savor for the story, the characters and the language and you don't need to get far from where you started try After This.
allsmile's review against another edition
4.0
It took a while for me to get into this book. Someone saw me reading it 50 pages in and asked what it was about. I didn't know what to say. This isn't a plot driven book, there is no real beginning and no real ending. It is about a series of moments. Once I accepted that I began to cherish each scene. It isn't what I expected, and I may not have picked it up had I read some of the reviews, but I truly enjoyed this book.
poetkatiev's review against another edition
3.0
To read my review from Time Out New York, please click on this link:
[http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles2/571/books/after_this.xml]
[http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles2/571/books/after_this.xml]
amb3rlina's review against another edition
4.0
She has such an incredible way of allowing the reader to inhabit the moments of a person's life. Miraculous. The book was more about atmosphere for me than story and excellently done.