In Claire Keegan’s triptych of short stories, So Late in the Day, we’re invited to dig into the dynamics that exist in the ever-complex relationships between men and women, romantic and otherwise. In the first story, a man revisits the sequence of events that brought him and his ex together and then drove them apart, as he starts to come to terms with his own faults and flaws.
In the second story, a woman’s solitude is interrupted by an abrasive and intrusive man, whose intentions are not entirely clear. We are witness to her evolution throughout the interaction, as she moves quietly from curious to closed off, caught between what she wants and what she thinks he wants. Finally, a married woman permits herself to experience infidelity, after much consideration. The result of her decision is as surprising and unsettling as her response to that result.
This collection is small but mighty, rich in perspective and complexity. Keegan’s writing is beautiful, and the pace of her storytelling is absolutely lovely — which leaves us heading back to the bookstore to see what else she has for us.
So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men
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| Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon | The Den Chenin Blanc from Painted Wolf |
| When Sabine and Cathal return from the market with a pricey half-kilo of cherries, “she washed then halved and stoned them at the kitchen island and drank a glass of the Beaujolais she’d brought down, and made the tart, a clafoutis, she called it.” The cherries cost Cathal quite a bit more than six euros in cash, he realizes later. We’re raising a glass of this fruit-forward and full-bodied Beaujolais to hindsight, especially to its uselessness in relationships past. | In the final story in the collection, the woman has accomplished her goal of sleeping with a man other than her husband. As she reclines after the fact, the man who’s helped her do so is in the kitchen, cooking. “Dinner smells drifted through the rooms. Coriander, lime juice, onions.” She sips her glass of cold wine, all the while. Dinner is a Greek salad and grilled trout, and so we imagine the wine is Chenin Blanc. Try this bottle, smooth and aromatic, and just sweet enough. |
Cherry Clafoutis
From The Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman
Let’s come back to that cherry clafoutis for a moment, shall we? Prior to reading this collection, we’d not heard of clafoutis. Naturally, we were intrigued. A little custardy, a little bit delicate, this is a dessert that we now can’t get enough of. Sabine’s turned out “to be burned at the edges and half-raw in the center” — and we think you can do better. Check out this version from the Smitten Kitchen blog. Bonus: If you like the style of the recipe, there are a number of cookbooks by Smitten Kitchen creator Deb Perelman. (Our fave is still the original.)
Get the recipe.
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
by Deb Perelman
So Late in the Day has left us relentlessly contemplating the draw of relationship dynamics in fiction. Consider these prompts to inspire fantastic conversation among you and your favorite book-loving friends.
- The relationships between men and women are rarely simple. From your own observations in your own relationships, perhaps, or in the relationships of others real or fictional, what do you think are the most common factors that complicate relationships? Why do you think writers — of books, movies, music, and beyond — are so drawn to the subject of romantic relationships?
- Share a few of your favorite fictional romantic relationships. What intrigues you most about them? Do you view them as inspirational or cautionary? What sorts of relationships do you wish were more represented in fiction? Which do you think are represented too often?
- Consider non-romantic relationships for a moment. What are their most intriguing factors? What are the lines drawn between these different types of relationships, delineating between professional relationships, friendships, circumstantial relationships? What are some of the most interesting non-romantic relationships you’ve come across in fiction?
The prose throughout these three perfect stories in So Late in the Day is quite poetic, carrying us along softly — even when the stories’ moments feel a little uncomfortable. For an extra-special experience, listen to the author read the first story in the book over at the website of The New Yorker.
Have a listen.
We wouldn't be surprised if Claire Keegan's So Late in the Day has left you hungry for even more short fiction. Want to continue down the short story path? We recently rounded up a few of our favorite new-ish short story collections. Check them out here. Happy reading!
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