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If despair is regarded as the only unforgivable sin, then the characters in Alice McDermott’s Charming Billy seem to have willingly condemned themselves to hell. On the positive side, Charming Billy offers wonderful nostalgic descriptions of New York City and its Irish-Catholic community. McDermott weaves a story that centers around Billy and the long-term consequences of the loss of his summer sweetheart, Eva. The novel skillfully jumps from one era to another, revealing the far-reaching effects of Eva’s loss on Billy and others. However, the book becomes increasingly difficult to pick up as its unyielding message is about embracing defeat and celebrating misery. The dénouement itself is the final act in a life resigned to surrender. The characters are in a state of perpetual anguish and an all-encompassing pathos, which is fueled by self-pity, alcoholism, and religious fatalism. They labor at jobs they dislike, marry people they don’t love, and drink themselves to death. While I don’t deny the cruel vicissitudes of real life, most people strive to improve their unfortunate circumstances rather than wallow in them. There is no joy in McDermott’s world. It is a self-indulgent wallowing in defeat where suffering is spuriously noble. Every gathering is a melancholy affair and a reaffirmation of a life of pain. The most poignant moment of the novel is when someone spontaneously sings Danny Boy at a funeral. If this sounds like your life, it’s time to move on. The only character who breaks free from this endless despair is a German shoe store owner. As a descendant of Irish Americans, I felt more empathy with his hard work and his forward-looking attitude. I doubt that Irish sensibilities are as dark as McDermott portrays them. Standing up and persevering is anathema in Charming Billy, and this is hard to bear. I’m no Pollyanna, and I enjoy a tragic tale, but Charming Billy lacks the passion of Romeo and Juliet, the endurance of My Antonia, and the pride of The Scarlett Letter.
