Author:William Maxwell
In settings that range from small town Illinois to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, these stories are distinguished by Maxwell's inimitable wisdom and kindness, his sense of the small details that make up a life, the nuances of joy and sadness that change its direction. Whether describing the reunion of two brothers who will never agree, the furniture of the apartment that becomes everything to a childless couple, the search for the perfect French meal or the life of a ne'er-do-well uncle, Maxwell's stories capture responses that are recognisable in us all.
William Maxwell's tales, long and short, have the elusive ability to reveal us to ourselves
—— Erica Wagner , The TimesHowever different their settings the sensibility remains constant. It is decorous, highly civilised and deeply thoughtful
—— Anthony Quinn , ObserverAll of them share the effect of a brilliant view - as though a window were opened on a contained and vivid scene...There is a rare clarity and economy here - along with that wise measured humanity
—— Penelope Lively , SpectatorThe stories are formidable...we know we are in the presence of a master craftsman
—— Sydney Morning HeraldMaxwell's triumph is to bring brightness and a seething, submerged emotion to an America long dead... he offers us scrupulously executed, moving landscapes of American's twentieth century, and they do not fade
—— Claire Messud , Times Literary SupplementO’Connor handles poignancy and melancholy with such assurance
—— Alastair Mabbott , HeraldSuperb – very moving and also very sharp… O’Connor has a lovely touch for the nuances of important moments
—— William Leith , Evening StandardSome mischievous, caustically funny stories alongside those with a more melancholy spirit
—— Daily TelegraphSubtle and beautiful, poignant and perceptive... A fabulous assortment, that will move its readers both to tears and to laughter
—— Good Book GuideThe seven short stories and one titular novella in this collection are studies of pained love, bereavement, mental disturbance, suicide, economic hardship and thwarted ambition. But this is not a bleak book, and the final novella, despite its grim themes of loss and mental illness, ends in wistful harmony. There is a gentleness and a fellow feeling extended to these bruised lives of quiet despair
—— Ronan McDonald , Times Literary SupplementO’Connor’s pin-sharp descriptions are beautifully contrasted with the stark simplicity of the stories, but he teaches a masterclass in what’s better left unspoken, whether the death of a child too raw to detail or the story of a mother “too painful to tell here”. Individually these stories are quietly unassuming gems; together, a powerful ode to modern Ireland
—— Lucy Scholes , IndependentA master at work
—— Irish ExaminerIreland's greatest storyteller
—— Sunday IndependentA masterclass in versatility... Atmospheric vignettes bring O’Connor’s prose close to poetry... His terrific ear for idiomatic speech makes dialogue sizzle off the page... This outstanding collection exhibits the continuing vitality of the great Irish tradition of richly concise, crisply written stories that Joyce’s work began
—— Sunday TimesAn exhilarating array of sharp dialogue and biting one-liners worthy of Hugh Leonard, his fiction charts the fragility of relationships, the cruelty of chance and circumstance throwing people together only to shatter their lives, the nightmare of distrust and guilt stirred by memory, and the stark fear of separation and being left alone in the stillness of the night
—— Irish IndependentJoseph O’Connor’s first collection of short stories in 20 years sees […] the author once again showcase the kind of effortlessly comic demotic cadences that first endured him to readers
—— Daragh Reddin , MetroWritten with assurance and tenderness […] Joseph O’Connor is in the tradition of masterly Irish writers of short fiction
—— Allan Massie , ScotsmanA multi-layered, thought-provoking collection that might bring with it a bout of sweet nostalgia
—— Maia Nikitina , BookMunchA masterclass display of versatility... mood and style in these richly concise, crisply written pieces are confidently varied, too... adding vitality to the virtuosity is a terrific ear for idiomatic speech
—— Peter Kemp , Sunday TimesA writer who reveals the power of the short story to speak for our time
—— Irish TimesO’Connor is a gifted storyteller… [He] has a wonderful ear for dialogue and is a master of the telling phrase
—— Brian Maye , Irish TimesThis collection is beautiful; full of pure, simple truths that linger long in the mind
—— Philip Womack , New Humanist