Small Things Like These
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- Create Date：2022-10-02 04:52:33
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Claire Keegan
- ISBN：0571368700
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Reviews
Gerda
，
The book follows a simple and familiar premise in terms of the main plotline。 It highlights important social themes， including the abuse of women that took place in Irish monasteries。 Ultimately it's a story about the importance of kindnesss and not turning a blind eye。 The book follows a simple and familiar premise in terms of the main plotline。 It highlights important social themes， including the abuse of women that took place in Irish monasteries。 Ultimately it's a story about the importance of kindnesss and not turning a blind eye。 。。。more
Gloria
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Listened to this book after a friend reviewed it with 5 stars。So very very good。 A quiet book with large impact。 Will seek out more by this author。 I admire her craft。
Katy
，
Horribly sad in the most sublte， humane way。 Something very Ethan Frome-y about it。 Not necessarily worthy of a Booker win but v good， nonetheless。
Cassandra
，
3。5*
Martin
，
It is astonishing how much is crammed into this little book！ The characters and setting are so richly told and I really love our main character as he passed his time in the run up to a cold Christmas in "Thatcher-Era" Ireland。 I think the less you know the better before going in， but most readers will easily polish it off in a night as it's hard to put down It is astonishing how much is crammed into this little book！ The characters and setting are so richly told and I really love our main character as he passed his time in the run up to a cold Christmas in "Thatcher-Era" Ireland。 I think the less you know the better before going in， but most readers will easily polish it off in a night as it's hard to put down 。。。more
Gunit Kaur Kalada
，
Shortlisted for the booker prize， this book is a short but provoking story that made me reminisce almost as much as the protagonist。 Sometimes， we refuse to acknowledge something that is right in front of us， because if didn't it would be hard to go on。 We see injustice， but we turn a blind eye to it， because speaking up is not easy。 But then every once a while， our conscience nigs at us to open our eyes and stop disregarding something just because its easy to to do。 This is precisely what I tho Shortlisted for the booker prize， this book is a short but provoking story that made me reminisce almost as much as the protagonist。 Sometimes， we refuse to acknowledge something that is right in front of us， because if didn't it would be hard to go on。 We see injustice， but we turn a blind eye to it， because speaking up is not easy。 But then every once a while， our conscience nigs at us to open our eyes and stop disregarding something just because its easy to to do。 This is precisely what I thought as went through this story。 In a short prose， the story manages to create a strong impact。 A element of mystery is also entwined into the story， which is not something you'd expect from a contemporary Novella。 That's probably another aspect of the prose that kept me glued to it。 This is definitely a book I'd recommend。 。。。more
Ryann
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I didn’t know anything about Magdalene Laundries before reading this novel。 It’s heartbreaking and although this book brings awareness of horrible past atrocities， it’s only very lightly touches on it right at the very end and it’s left me a little confused as to the point of the book。
Jackson Brown
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I ended up admiring the craft of Small Things Like These more than the meat of it。 This book， with its fastidious editing in the sea of modern publishing， seems a pleasing pearl。 Yet "pleasing" is the most I can muster here。 While having some interesting material to mull over—paced in manner that I found instructive， I couldn't shake feeling that it was too sentimental for me to really love it。 Graceful stuff， otherwise。 I ended up admiring the craft of Small Things Like These more than the meat of it。 This book， with its fastidious editing in the sea of modern publishing， seems a pleasing pearl。 Yet "pleasing" is the most I can muster here。 While having some interesting material to mull over—paced in manner that I found instructive， I couldn't shake feeling that it was too sentimental for me to really love it。 Graceful stuff， otherwise。 。。。more
Deeksha Patel
，
4。5 ⭐
Brett Mozzetti
，
I。 Love。 Irish。 Fiction。 How do Irish authors do it？ I swear， every novel that comes out of Ireland has a strong sense of place and an even stronger point of view。 At 124 pages， this was small but mighty。
Annieamw Wilson
，
Beautifully told little book。
Hilary
，
As with the last Claire Keegan story I read， I thought this was set along time ago， maybe even up to a hundred years ago， I wonder if this was Keegan's intention？ It's actually set in Ireland in the mid 1980s， a music reference suddenly jolts you forward into living memory。 The main character Furlong is well ahead of other contemporary males， he runs a coal business and is sensitive to those without money， without hope and the way that women are treated by men。 Although being a man he has been o As with the last Claire Keegan story I read， I thought this was set along time ago， maybe even up to a hundred years ago， I wonder if this was Keegan's intention？ It's actually set in Ireland in the mid 1980s， a music reference suddenly jolts you forward into living memory。 The main character Furlong is well ahead of other contemporary males， he runs a coal business and is sensitive to those without money， without hope and the way that women are treated by men。 Although being a man he has been on the receiving end of this treatment， first when his mother fell pregnant and his father not wanting to know， and then by worrying about his own five daughters and the young women at the local convent who have become unmarried mothers。 Perhaps it is the intention of the author that we should think this is set in another decade due to the archaic treatment of women and girls， the blame placed on them whilst the men can leave blameless。Despite this seemingly depressing theme， this book offered hope and renewed your faith that there are kind people that do want help others in this world。 Recommended to me by Canadian Reader。 I would recommend this as a Christmas read。 。。。more
Sherry Monger
，
When you are feeling that the world is a mess with no redemption in sight， read this little story of one man who is prepared to do the right thing regardless of the personal cost。 In an Ireland that incarcerates young pregnant girls to do laundry work for convents， babies are stolen and given away without regard for their mothers。 A tale of hope for a troubled world。
Esther
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I am really impressed， have to wait a while to write review。。。
Dina Moran
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Easy quick read。 I wanted more answers and over all more story but what was written was very enjoyable。
Barbara
，
What a sweet， sad， infuriating and satisfying read。 As an American descendent of Irish immigrants and someone who attended Catholic schools for twelve years， this story was both familiar and unfathomable。 So much of the ritual and expressions rang true for me， but the control of the church and the brutality of the nuns was not a part of my upbringing。 However， it's no wonder that the Catholic Church has diminished in Irish society。 This serves as a warning to democratic nations as to what might What a sweet， sad， infuriating and satisfying read。 As an American descendent of Irish immigrants and someone who attended Catholic schools for twelve years， this story was both familiar and unfathomable。 So much of the ritual and expressions rang true for me， but the control of the church and the brutality of the nuns was not a part of my upbringing。 However， it's no wonder that the Catholic Church has diminished in Irish society。 This serves as a warning to democratic nations as to what might happen to personal choice， especially among women， in a government sanctioned theocracy。 And by the way， the audiobook version is just perfect。 。。。more
Sharon Sample
，
If possible， I'd give this amazing novella 10 stars。 I found it via the Booker Prize 2022 longlist and am pleased that is now on the shortlist。 This Christmas story set in a small town in Ireland in 1965 tells the story of a man at age forty facing existential angst about the status of his life。 The setting is magically vivid， the story is perfect， and the writing is magnificent。 The best thing I've read this year。 If possible， I'd give this amazing novella 10 stars。 I found it via the Booker Prize 2022 longlist and am pleased that is now on the shortlist。 This Christmas story set in a small town in Ireland in 1965 tells the story of a man at age forty facing existential angst about the status of his life。 The setting is magically vivid， the story is perfect， and the writing is magnificent。 The best thing I've read this year。 。。。more
Kathi
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I had been told this was a sweet Christmas story。 It was not sweet but it was sadly touching。 With the Magdalene Laundries as the center of the story it is actually a reminder of what is truly a Christian act。
Clare Tissiman connolly
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I really liked this little story about average persons faith and the question and answers it gives
Krista
，
Some nights， Furlong lay there with Eileen， going over small things like these。 Other times， after a day of heavy lifting or being delayed by a puncture and getting soaked out on the road， he’d come home and eat his fill and fall into bed early， then wake in the night sensing Eileen， heavy in sleep， at his side — and there he’d lie with his mind going round in circles， agitating， before finally he’d have to go down and put the kettle on， for tea。 I really wanted to love Small Things Like The Some nights， Furlong lay there with Eileen， going over small things like these。 Other times， after a day of heavy lifting or being delayed by a puncture and getting soaked out on the road， he’d come home and eat his fill and fall into bed early， then wake in the night sensing Eileen， heavy in sleep， at his side — and there he’d lie with his mind going round in circles， agitating， before finally he’d have to go down and put the kettle on， for tea。 I really wanted to love Small Things Like These — I favour Irish storytellers and this opened with delightful prose and turns of phrase; eventually turning to deal with darker matter — and as ever， I feel a bit heartless when a book about important events， which other readers found affecting， leaves me cold。 This is quite a short read， quiet and atmospheric， but I think it was a bit too quiet for me。 Even so， Claire Keegan is enjoying critical success with this story — and any effort to shine a light in the dark corners of history is a worthwhile endeavour — and while I liked everything that’s in here， I simply wanted more。 What was it all for？ Furlong wondered。 The work and the constant worry。 Getting up in the dark and going to the yard， making the deliveries， one after another， the whole day long， then coming home in the dark and trying to wash the black off himself and sitting into a dinner at the table and falling asleep before waking in the dark to meet a version of the same thing， yet again。 Might things never change or develop into something else， or new？ Lately， he had begun to wonder what mattered， apart from Eileen and the girls。 He was touching forty but didn’t feel himself to be getting anywhere or making any kind of headway and could not but sometimes wonder what the days were for。 Touching forty， Bill Furlong has five well-behaved daughters and a capable， pragmatic wife。 And while every day he witnesses people suffering the effects of an economic downturn （the setting is New Ross， Ireland in 1985）， as a fuel supplier， he is able to provide his own family with just enough of everything: the girls go to the only decent school in the area; he finds the cash to pay off the butcher （even if he lets too many of his customers put their bills “on the slate”）; his wife， Eileen， might even be able to get new windows to replace the draughty ones in the upcoming year。 Even so， Furlong feels a midlife malaise， and his constant wondering if this is all there is to life sets a tense and sombre tone for the novel。 We learn Furlong’s back story — as the son of an unwed mother who raised him in a Protestant widow’s big home， his childhood was both privileged and challenging， with the other Catholic kids calling him names and beating him up — and the reader grows to understand that Furlong still mentally walks the line between insider and outsider in the community。 So when he discovers some disturbing facts about the girls’ “training school” that operates out of the local convent， he’s presented with a dilemma: Should he intervene and risk his family’s fragile social standing or can he live with himself if — like every other person in the city， county， and country — he turns a blind eye to the stranglehold of the Church and their treatment of young women？ He found himself asking was there any point in being alive without helping one another？ Was it possible to carry on along through all the years， the decades， through an entire life， without once being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian， and face yourself in the mirror？ Perhaps my problem is that there’s not a lot of facts and details in this book: Furlong is dealing with his mid-life crisis and what he discovers at the convent is meant to shake him out of his malaise and decide what kind of person he really is; we are stuck solely in his troubled mind。 In an afterword， Keegan explains Ireland’s Magdalen laundries （how many tens of thousands of young women were involved; that the last one was closed in 1996）， and while I do appreciate a light being shone on that dark history， neither we the readers or Furlong himself actually see what’s going on in the convent （yet he’s been the fuel supplier there for his entire adult life and never stumbled upon the true nature of the “training school” before？） I think I would have rather seen more goings on in the convent or for there to have been more acknowledgement that the community knew exactly what the nuns were up to and willfully ignored it。 Instead we get this existential crisis and a provocation to action — and Keegan gives just barely enough information for us to understand what the stakes are for Furlong and his family if he does act — and the whole seems intended to ask a question instead of taking a stance。 And that wasn’t enough for me; rounding down to three stars despite admiring the writing。 。。。more
Barbara
，
Short， understated， elegant。
Shirley
，
In this gentle， observant novella Claire Keegan transports us back to small town life in Ireland in 1985。 Furlong has been raised just by his housekeeper mother in ‘the big house’ and we meet him as the happily married hardworking father of five young girls。 Soon， however， this quiet， thoughtful man is faced with a moral dilemma which relates both to his past and the future of his much loved daughters。I loved Claire Keenan’s touching and sensitively written prose and was very moved by the subjec In this gentle， observant novella Claire Keegan transports us back to small town life in Ireland in 1985。 Furlong has been raised just by his housekeeper mother in ‘the big house’ and we meet him as the happily married hardworking father of five young girls。 Soon， however， this quiet， thoughtful man is faced with a moral dilemma which relates both to his past and the future of his much loved daughters。I loved Claire Keenan’s touching and sensitively written prose and was very moved by the subject matter。 A beautiful， swift read。 。。。more
Sam
，
Sleek， effective and whole hearted without ever turning maudlin。 A small book which packs a big punch。 I really liked it。
Natalie
，
3。5
Nicole
，
3。5
Laura
，
A perfect Christmas book， to reread every year。
Megan Welbourne
，
Beautifully written words and story。 However， too short for me！ I needed more details on the horrors of the Catholic Church （cannot fathom this happening not so long ago）， more details on what comes next for this family， more details on Bill’s family history… I needed more of everything！ I like big books， so maybe that was the problem here。
Emily
，
A finely wrought little mood piece that eventually reveals itself to be about the Magdalene laundries that functioned as torturous workhouses for unwed mothers in Ireland until much too recently。 Although， more than that， it's a story about deciding to stand up against enormous systemic wrongs even though it might - probably will - destroy your own comfortable life。 It's slight， but the prose is lovely， and there are a few really impactful scenes。 A finely wrought little mood piece that eventually reveals itself to be about the Magdalene laundries that functioned as torturous workhouses for unwed mothers in Ireland until much too recently。 Although， more than that， it's a story about deciding to stand up against enormous systemic wrongs even though it might - probably will - destroy your own comfortable life。 It's slight， but the prose is lovely， and there are a few really impactful scenes。 。。。more
Helen Baldwin
，
So good， the type of writing that made me reread sentences so beautifully written， especially because so much is conveyed in so few words。 Moving story， able to create a picture of the setting and to know the characters。
Hugo Gerbich Pais
，
Reading this book feels almost meditative。 As we follow Furlong in the weeks leading up to Christmas， we bear witness to the monotony of his small-town life。 The simple pleasures he experiences， the traces of sentimentality and nostalgia which ground him and his sense of routine all combine to make him a protagonist readers will find relaxing to read。 Despite this relaxing atmosphere in Furlong's head， as Christmas approaches， he is challenged and troubled by the realization that not everyone ge Reading this book feels almost meditative。 As we follow Furlong in the weeks leading up to Christmas， we bear witness to the monotony of his small-town life。 The simple pleasures he experiences， the traces of sentimentality and nostalgia which ground him and his sense of routine all combine to make him a protagonist readers will find relaxing to read。 Despite this relaxing atmosphere in Furlong's head， as Christmas approaches， he is challenged and troubled by the realization that not everyone gets to enjoy life in this matter。 Tension begins to appear throughout the second half of the novel - as we realize that something is troubling Furlong this novel delivers a poignant punch and inspires its readers to act when they see injustice， and to fight complicity。 It is beautiful and sweet， yet incredibly powerful。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Small Things Like These
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Small Things Like These&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft