the perfect story to read in one sitting

So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

It’s nearing the end of 2023 and I don’t know about you, but my reading goals are all but vanishing as we near the new year. Meanwhile, I’m already making new reading lists in anticipation of a fresh start in 2024.

Needless to say, reading goals shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but if you’re anything like me and would still like to finish the year with a few more read books on your read pile - just for the sake of it - then try your hand at this beautiful piece of prose that can be read in one sitting.

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So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan is a short 47 page story about Cathal, an office worker who, on his way home, reminisces about a woman he could have loved. Bittersweet and brutally honest, this novella offers a snapshot of a man who contemplates his life’s decisions. And that, in an of itself, is pretty relatable.

This was an easy 5 stars for me. Keegan deftly weaves a subtle story that’s not trying too hard to be something it’s not. It’s simple yet so full of imagery, and it’s intelligent as it really reveals how ingrained misogyny can be.

The book is quite pricy for its small size so I do recommend either borrowing it from your (online) library – which is what I did – or getting the story bundle which includes three of Keegan’s other short stories.

some of my favourite quotes:

“He sat breathing in her scent until it occurred to him that there must be thousands if not hundreds of thousands of women who smelled the same.”

“That was the problem with women falling out of love; the veil of romance fell away from their eyes, and they looked in and could read you.”