The National Book Award winner serves as a powerful example that aptly illuminates the flaws within a significant portion of the so-called "precious" literary genre.

This genre often places an excessive emphasis on appearing profound and having a certain style, yet it neglects the fundamental aspect of storytelling.

Readers are left with works that may seem intellectually stimulating on the surface but lack the engaging narrative that would truly draw them in and keep them hooked.

It is a concerning trend as it undermines the essence of literature, which should be about captivating audiences and transporting them to different worlds through the art of telling a good story.

The National Book Award winner, by contrast, shows that it is possible to achieve both depth and style while still maintaining a strong and engaging narrative.

Perhaps it is time for the literary world to take note and reevaluate its priorities, focusing more on the art of storytelling and less on mere appearances.

Close friends and family have gathered to mourn and remember Billy. He was a man of Irish descent who, one summer, fell deeply in love with an Irish lass. He promised himself to her and even sent her money so that she could return to him after she had gone back to Ireland. It was a brief romance, but it was one that everyone present at his wake had something to say about. However, no one truly knew the full truth of what had actually happened.

The novel unfolds and weaves like delicate threads in a beautiful tapestry. As the characters share their understanding of Billy, their memories of his charm and inclinations, and what they knew about his short-lived romance with the Irish girl Eva, a vivid picture begins to emerge. It shows not only Billy's life but also the lives of all those around him. How their lives are formed, changed, and steered by certain events. How they are fractured by grief, sustained by the community, vulnerable to and comforted by addiction, driven by faith, and sometimes seduced by deception.

This is a nostalgic tale, filled with sadness, post-war expectations, and the unique charm of a new world Ireland. It gives the reader a sense of stepping back in time, of being on the threshold of a new modern era. Billy, in many ways, represents one of the last links to a bygone era. His story is a reminder of the past and a reflection on the present.

I confess that I have owned this book for a couple of years.

I made two attempts to start it, believing that an award-winning book would surely win me over. However, both times I set it aside.

But after recently reading McDermott's "After This", I picked up "Charming Billy" once again.

I can only think that the books we respond to are inextricably linked to the consciousness, thoughtfulness, or even patience with life that we are currently experiencing.

This is all to say that this time around, I truly loved this book.

The writing is exquisitely crafted, with each sentence interesting as it weaves its way through, down, and across the pages.

The story, which is about a tightly-knit group of New York Irish Catholics mourning the loss of one of their own, is so engaging that you almost emerge from the fog of an hour's reading with a brogue on your lips (even though the characters have long lost theirs).

It's a remarkable book that has the power to draw you in and make you feel a part of the story.

I once read somewhere that when Alice McDermott’s novel Charming Billy was published in 1998, some MFA programs used the first chapter as a model for their students in fiction workshops.

It’s a long chapter as chapters now tend to go, clocking in at 27 pages. Set in a small bar in the Bronx after Billy’s funeral, it’s truly lovely.

Marked by the loss of an early love, Billy Lynch, who was broken by alcoholism, died as a man loved by everyone. “If you knew Billy at all,” says Mickey Quinn to the rest of the funeral party, “then you loved him. He was just that kind of guy.”

The novel is narrated by the daughter of Billy’s close cousin, Dennis. The narrative, with a startling revelation of a life-long deceit at the close of the first chapter, delves deep into exploring Billy’s life and the lives of those close to him.

The prose is beautiful—McDermott’s finest, I think. Charming Billy is a novel that will not let go of you. It has certainly haunted me for the two decades since I read it.

It lingers in the mind, making one reflect on the complex web of relationships and the impact of a single life on those around it. The story is a testament to McDermott’s skill as a writer, able to create a world that is both real and deeply moving.

Even after all these years, the characters and their struggles remain vivid in my memory, a testament to the power of this remarkable novel.

Framed by the narrative of the family funereal gathering for the late Billy Lynch,

the novel takes us on a captivating journey through Billy's life. It vividly recounts his early lost love, a heartbreak that shaped his future. We also witness his struggle with alcohol, a battle that he fought with both determination and vulnerability. Despite his flaws, Billy's charm never waned, and it is this charm that endeared him to those around him.

The novel doesn't stop at Billy's story. It also delves into the lives of other family members, revealing their close, everyday relationships. We see how Billy's life - and death - have had a profound impact on them, changing the course of their lives in ways they never expected.

The real charmer here is the story itself, told in a lovely and engaging way. Through the sweetness of its quotidian details, the mundane is made holy, adding a touch of magic to the narrative. The writing is excellent, with every word carefully chosen to create a vivid and emotional portrait of the characters and their lives. Definitely recommended for anyone who loves a good story.

This book truly should have been a concise short story. Instead, it transformed into a novel that seemed to go on interminably.

The narrator, who is the second cousin of Charming Billy, ends up telling the story of Charming Billy to her husband, as we eventually discover. The narrative is disjointed, painful, and scattered, leaving me with such a scarring experience that I will never pick up another book by this author. Ugh.

The story was extremely repetitive, and I would have given up on it long ago if it weren't for the fact that we were reading it for the book club.

I wonder if the author was attempting to tell this story in the manner that many Irish people tell stories - by repeatedly emphasizing the main points, randomly tying in characters here and there, and introducing other characters without any explanation. For instance, we learn an excessive amount about Dennis' mother, while Dan Lynch has very little background information provided. In fact, it took me several chapters to realize that Dan and Billy were brothers.

The author completely disregards the classic advice of English teachers across the country and simply tells - rather than shows - us how charming Billy was. Billy lost his great love, Eva, to typhoid fever, and as a result, his natural inclination to drink (which, according to the author, is a trait shared by all Irish people) developed into alcoholism, albeit a semi-functioning form. He ultimately marries the spinster Maeve, and it is only when his drinking becomes extremely severe that he travels to Ireland with his priest to "take the pledge" and quit drinking. While in Ireland, he discovers that Eva is alive and has been all along, and she used the money he had sent for their wedding to open a gas station with her husband. From what I could gather from the book, his alcoholism does not worsen after that revelation, although one might expect it to.

The fact that the narrator is telling her husband all these things that he should already know and refers to her own father-in-law as Mr. West (which is just so ridiculous!) only adds to the tedium of this book. And the surprise ending that doesn't make any sense? Sheesh.

The only somewhat enjoyable aspect of the story is that her widowed father, Dennis, ends up marrying Maeve. One can't help but think that Maeve has spent most of her life in the shadow of dead women - first Eva and then Dennis' deceased wife. Complicated, practical, and accidental marriages - what a miserable world they inhabit. I was truly relieved when I finally finished this book.

The book "Charming Billy" begins with a luncheon following the funeral of Billy Lynch, a charming man who passed away too soon due to alcoholism. His large Irish-American family gathers to remember this wonderful storyteller who was a delight when sober. But was it just alcohol that claimed his life? Or was it the grief from losing Eve, the Irish nanny he met in the Hamptons in 1945 after returning from the war? His cousin and best friend, Dennis, is the only one who knows the full story of the girl Billy loved.

Dennis' daughter narrates the tale, not only about Billy but also about her father, her grandfather who always had Irish immigrants sleeping on his couch along with their wives. The book delves into the important family connections, their dreams and disappointments, and their unwavering Faith.

Alice McDermott's writing in this quiet, character-based novel is truly beautiful. It reminds one of William Trevor, another author renowned for his literary fiction about the Irish. "Charming Billy" may not have a fast-paced plot, but it is a deeply moving story about a flawed, yet gregarious man and the significant people in his life. It explores the complex emotions and relationships within a family, painting a vivid picture of their joys and sorrows.

I discovered this book within a donation pile and the positive review it had received came to my mind.

Even more than twenty years after its publication, it still maintains its quality and relevance.

It serves as a perspicacious window that allows us to peer into the intricate web of relationships within an Irish American community.

The characters and their interactions are vividly描绘, bringing to life the unique dynamics and cultural nuances of that particular community.

Reading this book is like embarking on a journey through time and space, experiencing the joys, sorrows, and challenges faced by the people who inhabit this fictional yet believable world.

It is a testament to the author's skill and洞察力 that the book has endured and continues to resonate with readers today.

Whether you have an interest in Irish American culture or simply enjoy a well-written story, this book is definitely worth a read.

This was a truly beautiful novel, filled with some top-notch prose that left me in awe.

Not a single word in this novel was without purpose. It was superbly written, making it an absolute delight to read.

Moreover, it's a relatively short read. Although it's longer than Gatsby, not by a significant margin.

The story commences at the end, following the funeral, and then moves backward in time, gradually revealing Billy's life and those he left behind.

This novel contains the best description I've ever come across regarding why someone drinks and why someone remains with a person who drinks.

While it was highly specific to the characters, there was a universal aspect to it, where it was enough for both of them, a silent agreement where they asked only so much of each other.

In essence, it was what they both needed because perhaps the truth is that having someone fully there would have been overwhelming.

The novel delineates the arc of a seemingly unremarkable life - one where the victories are modest and the trials are alleviated by the delusion of the exclusivity of love, a life that demands, as the author pens, a liar's courage.

The truth is that there are countless opportunities, thousands over the years, for love to appear inevitable. We assign meaning where only the circumstantial combination of coincidence and change exists.

The book presents life and death as a reflection of the way things occur or don't in any individual life, who we choose to love or not, and the countless little paths we decide to embark on and how they are layered over the countless other paths our ancestors have traversed before.

It showcases the impact of more than just Billy's death. It depicts a funeral filled with people realizing their own lives are drawing to a close, and despite all the couplings, children, family, friends, hopes, dreams, and accomplishments, they all seem a little lost.

I have a profound love for Alice McDermott's writing. To me, a particular line from her book encapsulates it beautifully, "The pain of it, no less than the beauty."

Her works are not primarily driven by the plot, but rather by the essence of humanity. This particular book poses a thought-provoking question, "How might my life be different if…?"

It makes us wonder about the stories that the characters, and indeed we ourselves, tell both to ourselves and to others, which ultimately shape our lives.

Here is a professional review that offers further insights into her work: https://www.npr.org/2013/03/31/175359...

McDermott's writing has the power to draw us in, make us reflect on our own lives, and appreciate the complex tapestry of human emotions and experiences that she weaves so skillfully.

This is by no means a situation where one can simply breeze through it as a quick beach read.

Rather, it is a truly beautiful story that delves deep into the complex themes of grief, the profoundness of familial love, the glimmer of hope in the darkest of times, the struggle with addiction, and the often overlooked business of death.

The narrative takes the reader on an emotional journey, exploring the various facets of human experience with such authenticity and depth that it leaves a lasting impression.

It forces us to confront the harsh realities of life while also showing us the potential for redemption and the power of love to heal even the most broken of hearts.

It is a story that will make you think, feel, and perhaps even change the way you view the world around you.

So the first chapter was truly incredible, and it was further enhanced by the final chapter. I could add in quotes and such, but in all honesty, that entire final chapter was just amazing, with the exception of a few lines that were even better than that.

The second paragraph of the final chapter included this passage which I must note: "The gravel driveway was scattered with puddles. The road out back was still black from all the rain that had guaranteed Billy's swift ascent into heaven, but it was drying out now, a no-longer-solid brushstroke that by noon would have feathered back into dust along its edges. A road that on the hottest days gave off the same sharp odor it had had the moment it was spread. And swimming heat waves, of course, earth agitating air."

And the final line: "As if, in that wide-ranging anthology of stories that was the lives of the saints...what was actual, as opposed to what was imagined, as opposed to what was believed, made, when you got right down to it, any difference at all."

I just adore the character sketches, the relationships, the rawness and pain of some of the relationships, but most importantly, the honesty. Relationships are not perfect, and to pretend that they are is a disservice to all involved. I couldn't always follow the voice and was a bit lost at times as to who was telling the story and to whom the narrator was telling it. With that said, I did feel it got a little preachy, though perhaps that isn't the most accurate word. But the sentiment was always spot-on, and the dynamics between people, who knew what, and who told what to whom, were just brilliant.

This is definitely one of those stories where you feel so ordinary at the end and as if everyone else in the world is too. That there is no perfection out there, just the drive to be happy and content, because that's really all you need.