So Late in the Day is a collection of short works by a master of the genre. In each of the three thought-provoking stories, Keegan manages to pack fully fleshed characters into 30-50 pages of melancholy. If you are looking for upbeat love stories, you will not find them here. These stories are about middle-age incomplete, flawed men and women who are searching for an elusive fulfillment in their lives. The characters in her stories do not generally find what they are seeking. The reader is swept up by the author’s hypnotic prose and reads with a voyeur-like fascination, the characters’ most intimate thoughts

I sense ambivalence in Keegan’s writing. She seems to both eschew and embrace a strict religious (moral) standard. On the one hand, strict religious doctrine comes up wanting when placed under a microscope, while on the other, her characters are “punished” for their lapse in moral character.

All three stories are bleak, comprised of middle-aged men and women. The men don’t like women, but rather see them as objects or conveniences to do their bidding, inside and outside of the bedroom.

The first story, So Late in the Day, is about a miserly, miserable man who counts out his emotions as he counts out his expenditures – sparingly. It is a wonder that any woman ever found him congenial enough to spend time with, let alone become engaged to. It is no wonder how the story ends. I missed the point/connection between the title and the story. Was it finding middle-aged romance (and loss)?

The Long and Painful Death describes a middle-aged writer who has rented a writer’s retreat cottage in a remote area near the sea. Why do women open the door to strange men? Even as she contemplates the wisdom of doing so, she eventually invites the intruder in – only to be humiliated by his unsolicited moral opinions of her. Neither she nor I understood what the purpose of his visit was, nor did I see the connection between the story and its title. Is the long and painful death the eternal struggle of filling a life with purpose?

Antarctica is by far one of the best stories I have ever read. It is the first story in a different collection by the author, by the same name. MC takes two days away from her husband and children, on the pretense of shopping for Christmas, when she is ultimately planning to fulfill her fantasy of having sex with a stranger. I found this story terrifying, on so many levels. The title of this story is (barely) more easily connected to the story – MC watches a documentary on Antarctica while on her two-day exploration of freedom, and the weather inside and outside of the flat is freezing. Also, Keegan connects the dots between hell and eternity.

Each of the three MCs of these stories made a mistake placing their trust in a man – although all three of the woman were secure in their stations in life, and had no need to do so. The only motivation I could see for their behavior was, human nature.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an ARC of this book. I love Claire Keegan’s writing and this book is an example of some of her best!

I find Claire Keenan’s writing to be hard hitting, possibly even brutal at times. Her stories stay with me for a long time after I have finished them. These three short stories are no exception. Whilst I loved one more than the others, they are all worthy reads.

Bright and clear and sharp. These are three stories of awful, awful men, or more accurately, the way three women deal with their encounters with awful men, so you’ve got to be up for that, but the prose will make you feel better about everything, I promise.

Claire Keegan has become one of my favorites in a field of many superb authors, Irish writers. There is an economy and purpose to her writing, in which resolution comes like a blast from offshore, bringing heat and melancholy. But she also suffuses her work with a realism that is unexpected, and does so that the reader is left slackjawed wondering, "what did I just read?" These three stories are fine examples, each building in menace (one in particular) and a bewildering set of choices. So short, the entire book could be read in one sitting, but really should be savored as a satisfying novel.

Claire Keegan knocks it out of the park with these three stories. She quickly ranks up there with Alice Munro as my favourite short story writer. All three stories are about life between men and women. At points, all the stories are raw and hard-hitting but not in a showy way. It's just told in that Keegan way she has - calmly telling you something devastating. I loved each of them.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the title story "So Late in the Day" in this collection. In this one, our narrator Cathal had an opportunity to get married, but his behavior toward his betrothed alienated her before the wedding. Memo to self: try to be the opposite of Cathal.

The second story "The Long and Painful Death" had a great setting. I wasn't a fan of the story, particularly toward the second half.

"Antarctica," the final story, I could see be polarizing with readers. A wife sets out to cheat with a random person, and then she gets more than she bargained for. I actually enjoyed it, but not to the degree that I liked the first story.

There was an "incel" vibe to this entire collection, which I wasn't expecting at ALL. I haven't read much by Keegan, but I think I had stereotyped her as a quaint Irish writer. This is definitely a departure from that stereotype. I didn't mind that vibe, but it could rub some readers the wrong way.

I was bowled over by Irish writer Claire Keegan's 2022 long 'short' story Foster. Yes that's what it is. So is Small Things Like These. Keegan published Antarctica, a collection of 16 short 'short' stories and Walk the Blue Fields, 7 stories, both in 2016. Her voice is distinctive as if the stories are being told aloud. I have been attempting to ration them out so as not to be without another story to look forward to. By all means buy this book and share with friends.

Who is Claire Keegan and where did she come from? So Late In The Day is a small collection of 3 short stories, each about some aspect of the interactions and dynamics between a man and a woman. She doesn't pander to her audience, the mind pieces together the unsaid in a way that feels natural and real. The stories are stark reminders that we are all playing a role, hiding our real selves from others. My only complaint is that there weren't more stories in the book. I have already added 2 of her books to my tbr.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Claire Keegan is deservedly having a moment right now, and while I’ve enjoyed joining others in reading her recent novellas, I found this collection of three of Keegan’s short stories to be even more powerful. Each of the stories in So Late in the Day concerns the relationships between men and women; and while the men presented here are all kind of awful, the women find ways to empower themselves (even if they must then live with the consequences.) From the sentences to the story arcs to the satisfying endings, I loved everything about these stories.

Three brilliant stories by Claire Keegan. Subtle and confronting exploration of gender politics that mean that these stories will never leave you. Whether it is to do with penny pinching meanness of a man too long alone or of the rights to intrusion in an artist’s residency or simply a woman’s search for liberation just for a night. There is a deep meaning behind the simple actions in these stories, which is, of course, the genius of Claire Keegan. She explores the seemingly ordinary lives of these people to brilliantly demanding conclusions. Thanks to @netgalley for the chance to review this prior to publication and to Grove Atlantic press for publishing Claire Keegan.

I’m… I almost don’t know what to say? This book was thought provoking but the writing itself was so idyllic and simple so that you’re not even processing it, you’re just soaking the storytelling in, and then BOOM the book is over and you’re just left with these thoughts.

Keegan’s prose is so captivating in its simplicity. She is prompt and elegant. “So Late in the Day” and “Antarctica” were great, I didn’t love the second one “The Long and Painful Death” but I liked the linking of all three for thematic reasons and can see how they fall under the same umbrella.

I feel like this short story collection addressed the societal problem of misogyny head on without any excuse or delay. There’s some tension built up at the beginning of each story (there are three within this book) that slowly ebbs up on you - there’s a gracefulness in Keegan’s directness.

Thank you much to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest option.

Powerful new stories from Claire Keegan. These were a little devastating, which is high praise. I'll read anything she writes.

More great short stories from Clair Keegan. These 3 stories examine women and their relationships with the men around them.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy of this ARC..
This short book consists in a collection of three short stories that were already published, it is not the first book i read by Keegan but I always find myself in being fascinated by her writing even when the stories revolve around very (almost painfully) ordinary people like the ones in this book. The characters might be ordinary but the topics are not, or better they're treated like that even if they shouldn't be and these three short stories shine a light upon them.

Beautiful, lyrical writing. However, I didn't enjoy the content as much as I have in her other works.

So Late in the Day is Claire Keegan at her best, delivering incisive, brutally honest stories in fewer words than one can imagine possible. All three unconnected short stories tell tales of marriage, betrayal and misogyny. You'll be on the edge of your seat throughout; the true female experience. 4.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

It's a collection of three short stories, based on the relationship between a man and a woman. The first one is the title story, about a couple who decides to get married, and then expectations might compel them to rethink.

The second one is about a writer who visits a retreat for two weeks to find inspiration and write peacefully.

And the third one is about a married woman and a mother, too, who decides to have some fun, to find out how it feels to sleep with another man. She travels to some place without telling anything about her whereabouts to her husband.

The stories are well written, however the first two stories do not have any structure. They seem like descriptive monologues, which were not very captivating, in my opinion. The third story was very intriguing and interesting, with a striking ending.

Overall, a nice and quick read. You can finish in a single sitting.

"So Late in the Day" is a compilation of3 short stories by the Brooker Prize Finalist author Claire Keegan. Each of these stories shed light on a different aspect of gender dynamics and male-female relationships; from misogyny, betrayal to lust. I'm usually not a fan of short stories since I find that there is not enough character development to keep me engaged, however these stories were a breath of fresh air. Through each story the reader is able to get a glimpse into the mind of the narrator and Claire Keegan adeptly provides insight their her beautiful yet deliberate prose. The last story "Antarctica" was definitely my favourite however all deserve a read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author for providing me with a digital arc in return for an honest review. "So Late in the Day" comes out November 14th!

Keegan’s words strike bone in her intimate portraits of men and women from So Late in the Day. We think we can anticipate each ebb and flow of her quiet stories until her characters crack, fraught with frustrations that have slowly drowned them. Keegan can paint a scene that wrenches nostalgia from our hearts while a fly buzzes incessantly in our ears.

We want so much to believe men are better and that women have any power other than their threat to leave. Her language paralyzes us unsuspecting readers, like the frog who unknowingly stays in the boiling water. So we, too, stay with her stories and seek to make amends with our discontent.

Absolutely loved this collection of short stories, connected by themes. Beautifully descriptive. My only criticism is that it was too short. Will be keeping an eye out for this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC