Whichever bookshop I am in, here or on my visit to New York City recently, I have been assaulted by huge displays of Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. Not to my taste, as faithful readers may know by now. Luckily however there is always another bookshelf to browse, just around the corner. Here I found a delightful little volume : So Late In The Day by Irish writer Claire Keegan. I comment on her nationality because it seems to me that writers from Ireland are particular. It doesn’t mean of course that I enjoy them all. Marian Keyes would not be on my reading list and I don’t need to comment on Miss Rooney again, but Claire Keegan is, in my opinion, a brilliant writer as is my other favourite Colm Toibin. Bernard MacLaverty is also an Irish writer of note despite having lived in Scotland for decades, removing his family from ‘ The Troubles.’
So, back to my neat little hardback. It is actually a collection of 3 short stories and on the cover it says: ‘stories of women and men’ ( one would normally say it the other way round don’t you think?). Thinking about this description before I started reading, I decided that relationships between men and women are probably the hardest thing about living a life. How difficult it can be to get it right. Deciding if compromise is what one wants, how much one is willing to accommodate, is it better to stay or go? The weight of expectation and a lack of generosity can shatter hopes, plans and possibilities. The dynamics of relationships are explored here in 3 potent, insightful tales.
The little hardback fitted perfectly in my hand luggage for flying home over the pond.