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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a brilliant short story more than anything else, a tale that brilliantly unravels itself and in just 47 pages, of pretty big font, seems to tell a whole life, something profound about Irish masculinity, and reveal its sickening conclusion masterfully. Should this have been in a short story collection - clearly - is it one of the best things you'll read - also clearly.
mysterious
sad
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It would be prudent to wait a while before I review this, because nothing prepares you for that ending and I haven't shaken it off yet.
Alas.
I've adored the works I've read by Keegan before - I knew nothing about this book except that it was hers, and I recommend women do not go in blindly like I did - and these three short stories reinforce that her ability to write is what I'm always striving toward, in the authors I read and in writings of my own. I'll always herald her talent.
But, the stories.
1. A misogynist grapples clumsily with who he is and what he's lost because of it
2. A woman enjoying herself is confronted by a rude man who points out what she's squandering
3. A woman sets out to have an affair and gets much more than she wanted
All three were uncomfortable to read, which is to say Keegan is exquisite at writing misogyny and also that I didn't enjoy this. She's fantastic at communicating a cohesive theme, in cakes and microaggressions and frost on a windowpane. But she did that in her other novellas too, and I'll return to the safety of those instead.
Alas.
I've adored the works I've read by Keegan before - I knew nothing about this book except that it was hers, and I recommend women do not go in blindly like I did - and these three short stories reinforce that her ability to write is what I'm always striving toward, in the authors I read and in writings of my own. I'll always herald her talent.
But, the stories.
1. A misogynist grapples clumsily with who he is and what he's lost because of it
2. A woman enjoying herself is confronted by a rude man who points out what she's squandering
3. A woman sets out to have an affair and gets much more than she wanted
All three were uncomfortable to read, which is to say Keegan is exquisite at writing misogyny and also that I didn't enjoy this. She's fantastic at communicating a cohesive theme, in cakes and microaggressions and frost on a windowpane. But she did that in her other novellas too, and I'll return to the safety of those instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual harassment
This writing just speaks to me. I may have given 5 stars, but I'd read one of the 3 short stories before and one was so dang creepy that I had to go to 4
challenging
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had wanted to read more stories by Keegan, so I picked up this one, which has "Antarctica," which might be one of her most famous stories. The collection and story were both okay. She's got a deceptively simple, plain-spoken style, where some intrigue is added because her characters, or at least her presentation of them, kind of exceeds the simplicity of her style. So, in the first words of "Antarctica," we get a sentence like "Every time the happily married woman went away, she wondered how it would feel to sleep with another man." From there, in the same tone, we get surprisingly rich digressions into hell and values and landscape, all presented with a slightly detached style. It's good stuff, but I also think, at this point in my reading, a little of that goes a long way. I might return to her in a year or two and see what I think.