Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Claire Keegan

5 reviews

carlyreads77's review against another edition

reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

5.0

A quick, one hour read that swept me up in its realism. The stories are enchantingly real. Antarctica will have you, no pun intended, shivering with dread. Claire Keegan has become one of my favorite authors.

Content Warnings

gillthequill's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

"So Late in the Day" is a mixed offering. Of the three stories, the first two, the titular "So Late in the Day" and "The Long and Painful Death" were wonderful, thought-provoking reads. "So Late in the Day" the short story built a slow sense of dread as the reader tried to figure out what was truly going on that crescendos into an examination on toxic masculinity and a lack of growth. "The Long and Painful Death" was a quiet piece on expectations, societal roles, and the small victories women take to gain power. However, the last story, "Antarctica" just brought down the whole story collection. I thought, at first, it was a story akin to Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings" and was enjoying this small affair. However, with foreshadowing that seems obvious in hindsight, it ends, instead, with a cruel twist that just left a sour taste that soured the entire work. It felt like a cliché ending: woman sins and ends up in a fate worse than death. Frankly, if you do read this short story collection, just read the first two and skip the last one because of how much it brings down the work as a whole.

Content Warnings

bmedvid's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love Claire Keegan’s writing. It is exquisite and this book was no exception. This book is a collection of three short stories. I enjoyed the first and found them thought provoking about male/female relationships. The third one, however, was too dark for me and lacked the subtleties of the first two.

Content Warnings

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

I wish I could unread the last story in this

Content Warnings

aritacb's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m a new fan of Claire Keegan! Her writing is so immersive. I’m a sucker for masterful prose and she delivered!

The second story was my favorite of the three and the last one surprised me with the ending. The first story made me annoyed with the main character as intended - I was rooting for the woman who left him. Keegan wrote unlikable (1st story mc) and morally gray characters (3rd story mc) in a way that didn’t make me feel like I had to dock rating points.
All the stories were different but I enjoyed the way Keegan sets the mood of her stories.

I’m excited to read her other works. Like this story collection, they’re short - but if they’re anything like this one, the length won’t matter because they’ll still be packed with detailed imagery and engaging storytelling.

Content Warnings

More...