I'm kind of surprised I like this book as much as I did.

The story was slow moving and not terribly exciting, which I initially thought would be a drawback.

However, the writing was so beautiful that it managed to draw me in completely.

It was like being at a family gathering where you know some of the people and have heard some of the stories.

You go to the wake for an old, drunken relative, and then at the repast lunch, all these hidden family secrets and scandals start to come out.

Despite not always understanding the exact relationships or the chronology of events, you can't help but be intrigued.

That's exactly how reading this book felt to me.

I found myself getting more and more involved in the story, even though it didn't have the typical fast-paced action and excitement that I usually look for in a book.

The author's ability to create such a vivid and engaging world through their writing is truly remarkable.

It just goes to show that sometimes, a slower-paced story with beautiful writing can be just as captivating as a more action-packed one.

Emotional, raw and moving - these words perfectly describe the power of certain experiences or expressions.

When we encounter something that is truly emotional, it has the ability to touch our hearts and stir up deep feelings within us. It can make us laugh, cry, or feel a range of other emotions all at once.

The rawness of an experience adds to its authenticity and impact. It shows us the unfiltered truth, without any sugarcoating or pretense. This rawness allows us to connect with it on a more profound level, as we can see and feel the realness of it.

Moving experiences have the power to change us, to inspire us, and to make us look at the world in a different way. They can leave a lasting impression on our minds and hearts, and stay with us for a lifetime.

Whether it's a beautiful piece of art, a touching story, or a powerful speech, something that is emotional, raw and moving has the ability to move us in ways that we never thought possible. It reminds us of the beauty and complexity of the human experience, and makes us appreciate the power of emotions.

I had a few false starts with the book back in the 1990s.

At that time, for some unknown reasons, I just couldn't seem to get fully immersed in it.

However, this week, I found myself drawn back to it.

The main reason was that I simply needed an Alice McDermott hit.

This book is a little close to home if you've ever loved (and lost) a lovable drunk.

The story is so, so good.

McDermott has an amazing talent for capturing the voice of New York Irish.

It's as if she can bring their unique culture and way of life to life on the pages.

What's more, the new audible editing includes an interview with the author at the end.

This interview is well worth a listen.

It provides valuable insights into McDermott's创作 process and the inspiration behind the book.

Overall, it's a great addition to an already wonderful book.

I firmly believe that this is precisely what is signified by the term "literary fiction." It is a book that I would be inclined to re-read, entertaining the thought that the sentence structure and the overall narrative would unfold in a distinct manner during the second, third, or even subsequent readings.

Despite the absence of a strong, traditional "plot" or a continuous stream of action, the book holds a certain allure. It draws the reader in with its rich language, nuanced characters, and the ability to make one reflect deeply on the human condition.

Each page seems to offer a new perspective, a hidden gem of wisdom or emotion that might have been overlooked on the first reading. It is a literary work that demands attention and rewards careful consideration, making it a truly captivating and worthwhile read.

When Maeve accidentally spilled the steamed spinach, to be honest, I was secretly rooting for the dog.

The story that followed was truly tedious and slow-paced. It was like a never-ending journey that seemed to have no destination. With each passing page, my patience wore thinner and thinner.

It got to a point where it nearly drove me to drink just to numb the boredom.

Finally, on page 205, I simply gave up the ghost. I couldn't take it anymore. It was a DNF (Did Not Finish) situation for me.

I just hope the next book I pick up will be more engaging and exciting, so that I don't have to endure such a torturous reading experience again.

I haven't read a book I liked less.

This, however, may not be a reflection on the author. Maybe I just didn't "get it."

For a story with some legs - an old drunk guy who had a great-looking fiance who suddenly died, but was not dead and instead bought a gas station - I felt like it was crippled by a smattering of things.

It was very bland, like undressed cooked Velveeta's and Cheese. Except for I'd rather eat a boxes of that until I explode and form one big, floppy, wet shell, than ever read another book like this.

That's my opinion, and it does not reflect the author's talent for writing, just my perception of her talent for writing.

*This reviewer has never, in fact, read anything else by Alice McDermott, so she is - in fact - not at all qualified to evaluate it.

I found this book to be a real disappointment. The plot, which seemed to have potential with its twists and turns, failed to engage me. The characters felt flat and uninteresting, and the writing style was lackluster. I struggled to get through each page, and by the end, I was left with a sense of dissatisfaction.

Perhaps I'm not the intended audience for this book, or maybe I just didn't understand the author's vision. However, based on my experience with this one book, I'm not eager to pick up another by Alice McDermott.

It's important to note that my opinion is just that - an opinion. Others may have had a completely different experience with this book and may have loved it. That's the beauty of literature - it can mean different things to different people.

Despite my negative review, I do believe that Alice McDermott is a talented writer. I just didn't connect with this particular work. Maybe I'll give her another chance in the future and see if my perception changes.

I truly feel that I deserve to give myself a full 5 stars for the arduous effort I put into finishing this particular book.

The narrative is predominantly composed of backstory that unfolds at a pace as sluggish as molasses creeping along. The so-called climax is nothing more than a fizzle, lacking any real excitement or impact.

And then, to make matters worse, it concludes with excruciatingly slow and detailed descriptions of real estate. This excessive focus on real estate has led me to suspect that it might be the author's childhood home. However, such details would only hold any interest for her own family members.

Overall, it has been a rather underwhelming reading experience.

"Charming Billy" is a captivating novel deeply embedded in a specific time and place. It uses beautiful and uplifting language to describe the particular and even the ordinary, rather than aiming to depict broad or complex things. When reading this novel for a local book discussion group, I recalled that Walter Kerr, the late New York Times theater critic, once described a particular American musical as a "very well-played minor league night of theater."

Although this review might seem dismissive, I interpreted it to mean that while the creators of the musical didn't aim very high and it might not have had an enduring quality, those who saw it, including myself, were very satisfied with what they saw and heard. They essentially got their money's worth for a night on Broadway, even if it didn't represent a life-changing experience.

Alice McDermott's novel captures the WWII and post-war era of New York neighborhoods. During this time, one's identity was largely defined by the nearest church or synagogue, corner bakery or saloon, and families were close-knit and less likely to be ethnically or geographically diverse than today. People commuted by streetcar or subway and, if gainfully employed, often stayed in the same job until laid off or retired.

The author vividly portrays the specific sights, sounds, and ways of connecting within an insular, mostly Irish community. For example, Maeve's life is changed when she enters Mr. Holtzman's shoe store looking for size fours and places her stockinged foot in the palm of Holtzman's hand. Something so seemingly ordinary is described in a very evocative way by McDermott's prose.

There are some minor imperfections in the novel, such as a lack of clarity in some of the relationships between characters and some stereotyping behavior, as with the main character, Billy. However, these do not overshadow the overall beauty of the story. "Charming Billy" is confronted with and has to endure betrayal by someone he loves dearly, and the story unfolds by gradually revealing the circumstances of that betrayal through a lie initially meant to protect him.

The story itself may not be as remarkable as the language used to tell it. Here is an example of McDermott's beautiful prose: "In the arc of an unremarkable life, whose triumphs are small and personal, whose trials are ordinary enough, as tempered in their pain as in their resolution to pain, the claim of exclusivity in love requires both a certain kind of courage and a good deal of delusion."

This novel lacks heroes, heroines, or dynamic characters, but instead focuses on ordinary people dealing with the many misunderstandings and failures to connect that occur in their lives, enduring disappointments and the impermanence of existence, while also trying to make the best of what fate has given them.

*"Charming Billy" won the 1998 American Book Award for fiction.

Yep. Oh wow.

When the last 10 pages of a story keep you guessing and hoping and wondering, it's truly an amazing experience.

You find yourself completely engrossed, unable to put the book down, as you try to figure out how everything will unfold.

And then, when the resolution finally comes, it can be a mix of emotions.

You might burst into tears for the perfection of it all, the agony that led up to it, and the sweet relief of knowing that everything has worked out in the end.

Thank God for that resolution, because it makes all the chaos and mess of the many lives intertwined worth it.

It's like a light at the end of a long tunnel, and it leaves you feeling satisfied and fulfilled.

This is the power of a great story, and it's something that we all love and cherish.

Whether it's a novel, a movie, or a TV show, when it has the ability to make us feel all these things, it truly becomes a part of us.

A quiet, melancholy, and sad novel that is shot through with feeling, yet never depressing. McDermott writes with a calm assurance about love, loss, ties, obligations, and bearing a burden for a lifetime. The story unfolds in a gentle and unhurried manner, drawing the reader in and making them care deeply about the characters and their fates. We see the characters struggle with their emotions, face difficult decisions, and learn to live with the consequences of their actions. Despite the sadness and melancholy that pervade the novel, there is also a glimmer of hope and a sense of resilience that shines through. McDermott's writing is beautiful and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the characters and their world. This is a novel that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it, making you think about the nature of love, loss, and the human condition.

This prize-winning book is highly literary.

It features beautiful writing that draws the reader in and deep characterization that makes the characters come alive. However, the plot mainly focuses on ordinary lives and is largely laid out in the very beginning.

The story revolves around the funeral of Billy Lynch, a man who was well-loved in his community and family but drank himself to death. There is a great deal of reminiscing and speculation about why he couldn't control his drinking, especially considering they all knew about a lost love from his early youth.

It offers an interesting perspective on the effects of alcoholism on those around the alcoholic, particularly those closest to him, such as his cousin and his wife. One of the most captivating aspects of the novel is the relationship between Billy and his cousin, Dennis, and how a small lie can spiral out of control and bind them in unexpected ways.

There are numerous characters in the book, and even the first-person narrator's identity remains unclear for much of the novel. As a result, each time I picked up the book to read a little more, I often had to figure out who that character was again.

Billy, however, is the most vivid character, with his tragic and romantic view of life and his inability to fully cope with it all. Overall, the book provides a fascinating window into the Irish Catholic world in post-WWII New York and Long Island during the 1980s.

I found this remarkable book for just a quarter at a thrift shop, and to my great surprise, I discovered that it is pure gold.

You don't have to be Catholic or Irish to find grace and stunning beauty within the recounting of Billy's flawed life. He was deeply loved, beloved really, by his entire family and community. His loss, which is so artfully drawn in Chapter One, weaves itself forward and backward through the entire book.

As you read, pay close attention to the voice because it may change in an instant when your attention slips. This book is a literary masterpiece from start to finish, and it truly deserves every bit of the National Book Award that it received that year.

It is a captivating and moving story that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.