Keegan is an incredible writer; she packs so much into a very short space. Like Foster, these three stories (longer than a short story, not quite novellas) explore some disturbing dynamics between men and women. Each story is very different, though each made me incredibly uneasy; there seemed to be darkness lurking behind every interaction.
The first story, “So Late in the Day”, is about a man remembering how he fell in love with a woman, and what happened in their relationship. As he goes through his work day and goes home to his empty house, he thinks about her and wonders if he could have been a better man. The second story, “The Long and Painful Death”, is about a woman who has won a scholarship to live and write in Heinrich Boll’s house for two weeks. On her first day there, her 39th birthday, she’s approached by a man who insists on seeing the house. The third, “Antarctica” is about a woman who spends a weekend in the city, away from her husband and children, and decides she wants to have an affair.
In each story, a couple are strangers at first but they connect with each other in ways that are tender but also with an undercurrents of fear and anger, possessiveness and jealousy. In particular, these stories explore how men see women and what they want from them, and what women want in return.
Also like Foster, the plots of these stories are deceptively simple (in Foster, a child goes to live with an older couple for a summer). I also don’t want to tell you more, as it’s important to let these stories unfold for themselves.
She looked around and, seeing no one, took her clothes off and awkwardly stepped onto the rough, wet stones at the water’s edge. The water was much warmer than she imagined. She waded out until it deepened suddenly and she felt the slimy thrill of the seaweed against her thighs. When the water reached her ribs, she took a breath, rolled onto her back and swam far out. This, she told herself, was what she should be doing, at this moment, with her life. She looked at the horizon and found herself offering up thanks to something she did not truly believe in.
Claire Keegan, So Late in the Day
I think Keegan is amazing. Her prose is vivid and descriptive but also direct. Even when the characters are simply in a house or apartment, those settings are richly described and important to the story. And the way she builds tension is incredible. In my mind I was screaming at the characters as I read the stories – I literally found myself wanting to yell at them in frustration. Each of these stories kept me questioning everyone’s motivations and I wanted to immediately re-read them to understand more. The second story is the one I most wanted to re-read. It felt the most subtle and was full of symbolism, and it ended in a way I didn’t expect.
Note, I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher Grove Press. This book, made up of three previously published stories, was published November 14, 2023.
