Small Things Like These
Small Things Like These is a historical fiction novel by Claire Keegan, published on 30 November 2021 by Grove Press. In 2022, the book won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction,[1] and was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize[2] and the Booker Prize.[3]
| Author | Claire Keegan |
|---|---|
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Set in | 1980s Ireland |
| Published | November 30, 2021 |
| Publisher | Grove Press |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 128 |
| ISBN | 9780802158741 Hardcover edition |
| OCLC | 1271995923 |
Premise edit
"It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man, faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church."[4]
Reception edit
Small Things Like These was generally well-received by critics[5] and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews[6] and Library Journal.[7]
Multiple reviewers commented on the moral storytelling, which comes across as "a sort of anti-Christmas Carol."[8] Kirkus called the book "[a] stunning feat of storytelling and moral clarity."[6] The Herald said the book "assures us we are all capable of doing the right thing, and that goodness, like misery, can be handed on from man to man."[9]
This depth of the book surprised some reviewers, given that Small Things Like These is a quick read that could be considered a novella given its length. Associated Press noted, "Keegan's economy of prose is a marvel ... The book takes just an hour or so to read, but you still feel like you know Bill Furlong by the end and understand why he does what he does. His tale of quiet heroism doesn't require any more words."[10] A similar sentiment was echoed in the Los Angeles Times, who wrote, "Keegan, whose short stories contain unusual depth and grandeur, is the only contemporary writer who could manage the feat of a completely imagined, structured and sustained world with such brevity."[11]
Reviewers also highlighted Keegan's writing style. Keegan's prose was referred to as "surprisingly powerful," "languid and crystalline"[12] in Booklist, as well as "quiet and precise, jewel-like in its clarity"[7] in Library Journal. Further, the Financial Times noted, "Keegan has a keen ear for dialect without letting it overwhelm conversations,"[13] and Damon Galgut wrote in The Times Literary Supplement: "Keegan knows how to weigh and pace her sentences, and her fine judgement delivers many subtle pleasures ... [she] fully exploits the power of understatement."[14]
Lamorna Ash writing in The Guardian noted that "Small Things Like These [does] not feel quite as devastating, as lasting, as Keegan’s previous work[.] Perhaps, for the first time in her writing, the lightness here has become too light – is kept too far away from the darkness that lurks at the other side of the town."[15]
| Year | Award/Honor | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Orwell Prize | Winner | [1] |
| Rathbones Folio Prize | Shortlist | [2] | |
| Booker Prize | Shortlist | [16] |
Adaptation edit
The Irish Independent reported in February 2023 that shooting locations for the film adaptation of the book were being sought. Actor Cillian Murphy is lined up to star in the film.[17] In January 2024, it was confirmed that Small Things Like These will open the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. [18]
References edit
- ^ a b "Awards: Orwell Book Winners, Mo Siewcharran Longlist". Shelf Awareness. 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ a b "The 2022 Prize". The Rathbones Folio Prize. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ "Irish author Claire Keegan nominated for prestigious Booker Prize". TheJournal.ie. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ^ "Small Things Like These". Grove Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan". Book Marks. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Small Things Like These". Kirkus Reviews. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ a b Matthews, John G. (2021-10-01). "Small Things Like These". Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ "Small Things Like These". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Garavelli, Dani (2021-10-25). "'Takes the scandal of the Magdalene laundries and tells it so quietly you scarcely want to breathe': book review". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Merrill, Rob (2021-11-29). "Review: 'Small Things Like These' is a gem of a slim novel". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Patrick, Bethanne (2021-11-29). "Review: Can one good person redeem a nation's shame? A novel explores Ireland's Laundries". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Kelly, Bill (2021-10-01). "Small Things Like These". Booklist. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ House, Christian (2021-11-12). "Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan — kindness endures". Financial Times. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Galgut, Damon. "The nuns didn't tell | Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan book review". TLS. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Ash, Lamorna (2021-10-22). "Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – between happiness and ruin". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Bari, Shahidha (6 September 2022). "'I've no idea how we'll pick a winner': the challenge of a spectacular Booker shortlist". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ Looby, David (8 February 2023). "Cillian Murphy lined up to star in New Ross based film". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (18 January 2024). "Cillian Murphy-Starrer 'Small Things Like These' To Open Berlinale 2024". Deadline. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
External links edit
- "20 Wintery books (for every type of reader)!". YouTube. CarolynMarieReads. November 10, 2023. (mini-review of Small Things Like These from 13:47 to 15:12 in video)