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tomaxhull's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Several of these stories were excellent - deft with language, capturing small details of life (especially life in Ireland, and the tense relationships between men and women) incredibly vividly. I was gearing up to give it 4 or 5 stars. Then one felt weirdly racist: dropping the n word, through character voice, but not remotely necessarily -- and seeming to depict a black man being accused of rape in a way you assumed would lead somewhere and was instead left ambiguous.
Huh, I thought, maybe I missed the point. Then another one was also casually derogatory about black people, in character voice. Then the final story in the collection, about a child going missing,mentioned her being enticed away by a black stranger. This detail appears to have no relevance, and what actually happened is not resolved. I... what? What's going on here? Really weird. I wish I could recommend this work but I truly can't.
Huh, I thought, maybe I missed the point. Then another one was also casually derogatory about black people, in character voice. Then the final story in the collection, about a child going missing,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
keltic_j's review
2.0
I’m currently making my way through Claire Keegan’s works. Up until this point I really enjoyed them, however, one short story in her debut Antarctica uses the n-word (racist and unnecessary ESPECIALLY as a white woman from Ireland?!) and portrays a black man as a predator. Why do hardly any reviews mention this? (I know why—that’s rhetorical)
Edited to two stars for this because really?
Edited to two stars for this because really?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
booksjessreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This is yet another stunning piece by Claire Keegan. I am growing to love short-story collections and this one is up there with one of my favourites. I also really enjoyed going back to her first published work to see her beginnings, and they are strong.
There were several short stories that just completely grabbed me, they are compelling and beautifully written. Keegan absolutely has such an impeccable way with words and has the capability to bring these stories alive in your imagination. I really liked how the collection really focused on relationships with others, be those romantic, familial or friendships, and the complexities of them. The stories are very dark, capturing the absolute worst side of the human condition, but they were intriguing and suspenseful and kept you wanting more.
Furthermore, stories were not just set in Ireland, but in the UK and America as well. I felt the American stories were somewhat less compelling, especially the use of racial slurs in the final two stories. Whilst their intention may have been used to help set the scene of the times in that story, their use was unnecessary. I appreciate that this was written in the 90s and that she is an author who has continually written about social injustice, but it is something to be aware of when reading.
I still did really enjoy this read. It isn't my favourite of hers, but certainly an interesting collection that I would recommend.
There were several short stories that just completely grabbed me, they are compelling and beautifully written. Keegan absolutely has such an impeccable way with words and has the capability to bring these stories alive in your imagination. I really liked how the collection really focused on relationships with others, be those romantic, familial or friendships, and the complexities of them. The stories are very dark, capturing the absolute worst side of the human condition, but they were intriguing and suspenseful and kept you wanting more.
Furthermore, stories were not just set in Ireland, but in the UK and America as well. I felt the American stories were somewhat less compelling, especially the use of racial slurs in the final two stories. Whilst their intention may have been used to help set the scene of the times in that story, their use was unnecessary. I appreciate that this was written in the 90s and that she is an author who has continually written about social injustice, but it is something to be aware of when reading.
I still did really enjoy this read. It isn't my favourite of hers, but certainly an interesting collection that I would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief, Rape, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault
psahds's review
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, Violence, Rape, and Racial slurs
stephenrotzschthomas's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A strong collection of almost uniformly dark stories. It's clear that this is some of Keegan's earliest work, though. There is much of the strong writing that sold me so wholly on Foster and Small Things Like These, but her grasp of nuance is still unsettled. Perhaps most difficult to deal with here are the moments where Keegan butts up against racism. Perhaps it is a comment on the narrators in her stories, though I felt the language used only distracted from the stories in question. I've another Keegan collection on my TBR pile, and am hoping these are youthful attempts at edginess that have faded over time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
hollyrebecca's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Lyrically written stories that speak to the darkness in humans, their faults and dreams. Each was so well written, but some of these stories will never leave me: Antarctica, The Ginger Rogers Sermon, and Sisters
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Abortion, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Racism
nialiversuch's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Racism
bvic's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Keegan is a beautiful writer, no doubt about that. Masterclass in short storytelling. It felt like peeking into moments of tragedy.
This collection was racist in places which marred the experience - memorably in the short stories ‘Passport Soup’ and ‘A Scent of Winter’.
This collection was racist in places which marred the experience - memorably in the short stories ‘Passport Soup’ and ‘A Scent of Winter’.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, Rape, Murder, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Grief, Child death, and Animal death
emmavardy2's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I loved Claire keegan books small things like these and foster. This was a mixed bag of short stories. Some show glimmers of her genius to come and have truly wicked twists, and were 5 stars. Some, I really didn't like due use of some racist words, which seemed unnecessary. Which was a shame.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Kidnapping
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