I absolutely loved this book.

If you have Irish ancestry, I firmly believe that you will be able to identify with some of the recurring themes within its pages.

Although I am not closely related to many of the characters, there is a faint hint of something that stirs a memory within me.

The author's writing is truly wonderful. It has the power to transport the reader into a different world, filled with vivid descriptions and engaging storylines.

Each character is brought to life with such authenticity that it is easy to become emotionally invested in their journeys.

The book manages to capture the essence of Irish culture and heritage, while also exploring universal themes such as love, loss, and family.

It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a well-written novel that will leave a lasting impression.

A lot of the impact that I think this work packs seems to have been missed on me. There could be several reasons for this. It might be due to my mood at the time of reading, which perhaps affected my ability to fully engage and understand the deeper layers of the story.

Alternatively, it could be because this particular piece is simply way too far out of my general reading spectrum. I'm more accustomed to certain genres and styles, and this one might be a bit too unfamiliar for me to easily catch all the subtleties and nuances.

However, there are definitely some aspects of this that I really liked. The characters, for instance, are extremely nuanced. They are flawed and very human, which makes them relatable and interesting.

Also, the format of the story is quite engaging. The bouncing back and forth in time keeps the book moving at a good pace. If it weren't for this unique structure, I might not have been able to finish the book.

Overall, I would say that it's not a bad work, but it's just not really for me. It has its strengths, but it didn't quite click with my personal reading preferences.

The author described this book as 'redeeming a life through stories', and that's precisely what it was.

The book was beautifully told, with a narrative that effortlessly drew the reader in and kept them engaged from start to finish.

The writing was of a high caliber, with vivid descriptions and well-developed characters that made the story come alive.

It was truly a joy to read, transporting the reader to another world and allowing them to experience the emotions and adventures of the characters.

Whether you're a fan of fiction or simply looking for a good read, this book is definitely worth checking out.

It has the power to touch your heart and leave a lasting impression, redeeming your life through the power of storytelling.

This is my first encounter with McDermott's works, and I am truly and deeply impressed.

Specifically, it is the warm and palpable humanity of even her minor characters that leaves a lasting mark. She shows great dedication and care in depicting each and every person.

Her characters never come across as clichéd tropes or mere symbols. Instead, they are vividly brought to life as flesh and blood individuals, with all their flaws and yet still exuding a unique beauty.

It is this attention to detail and the ability to create such real and relatable characters that makes me look forward to delving into more of her writings.

I am eager to explore the further depths of her literary world and discover the many more wonderful stories and characters she has to offer.

Hacía varios años que tenía este libro pendiente. Lo compré en una librería de segunda mano en Budapest. Siempre encontraba algún motivo para posponer su lectura. Creo que finalmente lo leí "cuando tocaba".

Me resultó imposible empatizar con el famoso "Billy". Sin embargo, la belleza de la historia no radica en él, sino en las consecuencias que su vida y sus vicios tuvieron en quienes lo rodeaban. Que un libro comience en un funeral ya es una "buena pista" de hacia dónde irá la historia. Pero mi sorpresa fue descubrir la destreza de la autora para narrarla. Sobre todo, su habilidad de intercalar 3 o hasta 4 líneas de tiempo en un solo párrafo sin romper el ritmo de los acontecimientos.

Parece que las reflexiones que invariablemente despierta la muerte de un ser querido es un tema recurrente en las obras de la autora. Me llama especialmente la atención el que se titula "At Weddings and Wakes", que ya he agregado a mi lista de "Want to read".

The book "Charming Billy" has been truly captivating.

\\tIt delves deep into the life of an ordinary man, Billy, and his struggle with alcohol addiction that began after the loss of his first and true love. This addiction ultimately led him to his deathbed.

\\tWhen the truth about what really happened to his first love is revealed, it shocks his entire family.

\\tDespite his addiction, Billy remained a caring and lovable individual. His cousins' statements, such as "He had the sweetest nature" and "Everyone loved him," provide textual evidence of this.

\\tAs the story unfolds, we learn that Billy's cousin Dennis had lied to him about Eva's death. In reality, Eva had started a new life with someone else in Ireland.

\\tBilly was so in love with Eva that he sent her $500 and never heard from her again. Working at the store helped him temporarily forget about her, but he was still depressed.

\\tThis book is not only about Billy's life but also about how he is remembered after his death. It shows the impact he had on those around him and the conflicts within the family.

\\tSome believe that if it wasn't for Eva, Billy would still be alive. Others think that he would have lived a different life.

\\tInterestingly, Billy discovers years later that Eva is alive. He goes to Ireland to see her grave but instead finds out that she is happily married.

\\tI agree with Dan Lynch that if Billy had never fallen in love with Eva, his life would have taken a different turn.

\\tOverall, "Charming Billy" is a thought-provoking and engaging read that explores themes of love, loss, addiction, and family.

Charming Billy is more of a sculpture than a traditional novel. The characters seem to exist rather than develop, much like creatures trapped in amber, unyielding to the chaos of time, love, and grief.

Unlike typical stories that focus on how characters respond to stimuli and study personal evolution, this book shows the impossibility of change, whether for better or worse. The passage of time only serves to strengthen the essential nature of each character's personality and temperament.

The novel begins with a debate at Billy's funeral. Did he drink himself to death due to alcoholism, or did he mourn the loss of his first love for four decades and ultimately die of a broken heart? The answer, of course, is more complex. Billy was consumed by grief, not for the woman he lost but for the romance that was denied to him. His loyalty to an impossible ideal led to a life of disappointment and a license to drink.

The timeline is complex, perhaps overly so, jumping back and forth over four generations. It tracks the behavior and motivations of a diverse cast of characters, each of whom is刻画 with lapidary precision. The winding and rewinding narrative reveals the circumstances that give rise to each character's unchangeable temperament - the greedy grandmother's deprived childhood, the cynical cousin's beloved but absent father - and follows those characters through marriage, family, and death. At its heart, it is a book about the dangers of sentimentality - yet every character is shaped by an adolescent love or sorrow, and there is a certain sentimentality in that.

A book that is truly depressing yet simultaneously filled with an abundance of quotable philosophy of life that manages to keep me engaged and reading. The character development within this book is truly remarkable. Each character is crafted with such detail and depth that they come alive on the pages. In particular, the alcoholic Billy stands out as a charming and complex individual. Despite his flaws and addictions, there is something about him that draws the reader in. His story is one of struggle and redemption, and it is impossible not to feel a sense of empathy for him. Overall, this book is a thought-provoking and emotional read that will leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Billy’s tale is as universal as it is personal.

His charm lies in the fact that, like all of us, he is simultaneously flawed and perfect. This unique mix makes him both vulnerable and magnetic.

If you are someone who requires a fast-paced and action-packed plot, Billy’s story may not immediately charm you. It doesn’t follow the typical formula of a thrilling adventure with non-stop excitement.

However, if you have an appreciation for a book that delves into the minutiae of life, exploring the small details that often go unnoticed but ultimately culminate in everything that truly matters, then Billy’s tale will nourish your soul.

It is a story that invites you to slow down, observe the world around you, and find beauty and meaning in the simplest of things.

So, give Billy’s tale a chance, and you may just discover a story that speaks to your heart and leaves a lasting impression.

In the course of an unexceptional life, a life filled with modest and personal achievements, and ordinary trials that are as enduring in their pain as in the way pain is resolved, the assertion of exclusivity in love demands both a particular kind of courage and a healthy dose of delusion.

\\n  Those of us who claim exclusivity in love do so with a liar's courage: there are countless opportunities, thousands over the years, for a sense of falsehood to creep in, for all that we envision as inevitable to become arbitrary, for our shared history to reveal itself as merely a matter of chance and coincidence, nothing unrepeatable or irreplaceable, just the circumstantial union of one among the many millions with one more.\\n

Charming Billy narrates the tale of a New York Mic who, in his youth, was deeply in love with an Irish girl. She returned to her homeland, and he anticipated her return when he summoned her. However, she unexpectedly married someone else. His cousin Dennis knew the truth and deceived Billy, telling him she had passed away. Later in life, Billy travels to Ireland, intending to visit her grave, only to discover that she is alive and feels guilty. Oops.

Alice McDermott - image from Johns Hopkins University

The story is organized around a wake held for Billy after he essentially drinks himself to death, consisting of the recollections of those present and snippets of their individual stories. The narrator is the daughter of his cousin and best friend Dennis. The book depicts the culture of its New York Irish Catholic characters (my people) through their relationships with one another.

I was initially surprised to find myself largely unmoved, but then, towards the end, when people realize the waste they have made of their lives, it struck a chord, or perhaps was busy tuning up the entire bloody orchestra, and I was tearful as I turned the pages, frequently pausing with uncomfortable recognition. I found myself longing or wondering about a choice made a lifetime ago and how things might have turned out had I decided differently. Of course, they might not have ended up any better. I'll simply never know.

The book effectively captures that sense of ennui, and I recognize it in myself, having grown up in the culture she describes. Hopefully, it is a curable trait, although at my age, I seriously doubt that any such cure, even if discovered, would apply. I also recognize the pain of having dedicated so much of one's life to something that turned out to be different from what I had expected and hoped for.

The ability of Charming Billy to tug at those heartstrings and prompt one to step back and examine one's life is one of the novel's major strengths. That McDermott portrays a living culture with chilling accuracy and insight is another. There are reasons this book won the National Book Award.

Published - December 31, 1997

Review first posted - March 10, 2017

PS - I read this book in 1999 and wrote most of this review then, but did not post it until March 2017, after a bit of editing.

=============================EXTRA STUFF

The author's personal and FB pages

Maybe I'm becoming impatient as I age. Just like so many recent novels, this one struck me as being about 100 pages too long.

I was already done with the story by the time of the family gathering after the post-funeral reception. After that, the writing started to feel repetitive.

The story had a rather good beginning, though. The descriptions of the post-war days were truly beautiful. Growing up in an Irish Catholic family, with numerous great aunts, great uncles, and assorted relatives showing up whenever we visited my grandparents, the dialogue and settings were extremely familiar and comfortable. I almost laughed at the comment about the ever-present depictions of the Sacred Heart. One such depiction graced my grandmother's upstairs hall for decades and decades.

However, this was not a deep or meaningful exploration of love and loss. Instead, it was an expose of Billy's foibles, his charms, and his weaknesses. It's not at all evident that the narrator gained much from her family history.

I picked this book out of my list of award-winners primarily because it seemed like a short and easy read. And indeed, the first dozen pages were a breeze to get through. It presented a light-hearted and affectionate portrayal of the friends and family who had gathered for the funeral of a much-loved yet deeply troubled man.

However, as I delved deeper into the book, my attention began to wander. This wasn't because the writing wasn't beautiful or that I didn't have an interest in the characters. Maybe it was just the summer heat, I thought. Or perhaps spending less time on the subway simply meant that I was reading less.

As I persevered, I came to realize that it was the difference in the storytelling. A significant portion of the book takes the reader back in time, into the minds of the various characters. It is often told in a more lyrical fashion, rather than in the immediate moment. Billy would do this. Dennis would feel that. When reading a detective novel or Stephen King, almost everything is presented moment by moment, making it harder to put down. This was not the case in McDermott's meanderings down memory lane.

Eventually, the reason for these choices becomes clear. "Charming Billy" is a story about community storytelling. Friends and family interweave anecdotes into a kind of mythology, comparing what each of them has heard and what it all means. Everyone who returns to these stories must fill in the gaps with their own interpretations.

The gradual emergence of the narrator from the background to a tertiary character, and by the end to one of the main characters - we even come to realize that she is telling this story to her husband - not only hints at how much the storyteller intrudes in every story they attempt to tell, but also mirrors how the elderly and the deceased are fated to relinquish the spotlight to the children and grandchildren who will take their place.