Beautiful, self-contained short stories with a through-line of complex women and their relationships. (And their, uh, subpar men…) Set in contemporary Ireland, mostly in border counties, these stories are dark and moving. From the author of Trespasses, this is a perfect book for dipping in and out of slowly.

Louise Kennedy's writing is beautifully refined, and her short stories benefit from the reader's lack of knowledge on each character's circumstances. The entire collection has a looming sadness that makes you stare at the wall in thought after closing the book.

Vivid, uncompromising pictures of contemporary Ireland. Full review posted at BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr303552

In a series of stories, Louise Kennedy transports you through the emotional rollercoaster of being human. Through the forming and breaking of relationships, humanity is both bleak and hopeful.

These stories feel repetitive in a way I can't quite put my finger on, aside from the pinpointable way they all start by jumping in with a matter-of-fact sentence that's just not... interesting. Not bad, just fell flat. Admittedly did not finish all of the stories, but I did start them all. This book is fine, maybe just not for me! Judged it by its cover and title. The title story was probably my favorite.

I love collections like this. Some stories were haunting, some downright jarring. But not all connected with me. I will recommend to all my fellow lovers of dark Irish lit!

Although beautiful and raw, this short story collection is haunting. It truly approaches the condition of humanity and what it means to be a woman, but the focus is on the sadness, lack of hope, sorrow, and fear that comes with it. The writing is flawless and evocative. I took my time when reading this because it was so impactful emotionally.

This is a brilliant short story collection by the author of Trespasses. Set in Ireland, this stunning second publishing by Louise Kennedy will have you rivetted.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Riverhead Books for this e-arc.*

Thank you to NetGalley for granting access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Louise Kennedy’s debut short story collection allows readers intimate, oftentimes dreary glimpses into the lives of characters as they try to battle against loneliness, isolation, and despondency. This title took me quite some time to work through since a great deal of the stories left me shrouded in the despair the characters are frequently facing and are often unable to escape. The text, therefore, held an extremely heavy weight and was at times mentally taxing, requiring many breaks in between stories to come up for air.

Although Kennedy’s writing is strong and there is something to be said for the empathy and emotion she pulls from readers through her characters and storytelling, I ended up feeling that I hadn’t gained much context or connection with the book as a whole. The dull, dreary tone of the stories lingered with me, but I never felt a strong enough connection to the text, negative or otherwise, to be deeply moved or impassioned by it. Perhaps this is an indication that I as a reader fail to connect with short story collections and require more time and commitment in order to feel earnest appreciation for a single narrative or set of characters.

Again, I would love to read something else of Kennedy’s that perhaps is more lighthearted or brings some other elements into play to draw me in as opposed to feeling a heaviness throughout the entire reading experience. I feel if there was a bit more room for character growth or shared backstories so that readers could find more connection within each story, I may have struggled less with this collection.

Oh my god can Louise Kennedy write?! The first story in this collection took my breath away, and then she just kept doing it. These stories are provocative without feeling intended to shock...they are real and visceral and disconcerting, and I loved every single one.

I loved Trespasses SO much, but this collection was tough to get through. There are a lot of stories, but most of them are very similar, with essentially the same themes. Men are misogynistic abusers and women are pregnant or sick. Again and again. Almost every human relationship depicted is miserable. The ideas are certainly worth exploring, but seeing the same main concept again and again got tiring. This would not be a collection I would recommend to customers, even though the writing is good, especially in nature descriptions.

If you're on the hunt for a bleak collection of short stories, look no further -- "The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac" is for you. Readers who enjoy Ottessa Moshfegh's works are bound to enjoy this short story collection. Hauntingly human and weird, Kennedy's stories revolve around women and the experiences of being a woman are melancholy and raw. (Also, I quite enjoyed all the Irish traditions throughout)

Here are the stronger stories: "Belladonna", "Imbolc", and "What the Birds Heard"

This is the most perfect collection of stories I've ever read. Truly. So remarkable and honest and dire and full of life and full of sorrow - not to be missed! Move over, Claire Keegan, I have a new favorite Irish short story writer.

Louise Kennedy is an author who can say more in a few words than some authors say in a 500 word novel.
These short stories fit that bill.

A variety of women deal with subjects of loneliness, heartache, humor, with a sharp intellectual thread,

You may be haunted by the women in these stories but you will certainly have met extraordinary women who come to life at the hand of Louise Kennedy

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

These was a really great book of short stories written by Louise Kennedy. Each centered on a woman in Ireland facing some struggle, hardship or new situation. It was so subtly beautiful, many brought me to tears.