This collection blew me away. Even though, to my mind, the opening story, City of Boys, was one of the weaker stories, giving a misleading impression of what's to follow.Yes, some stories have similar elements: aimless, distracted, teenagers or women, drug-taking/booze-swilling parents. There is a remove here, a remoteness that means these similarities don't matter in that kind of way because they link together to give an overall impression...of...parents that are far removed from their children, or who have abandoned them to pursue their own passions (be that drugs or other people)...of the bond that you can't escape if you have a sibling, of the way men perceive women and of the way women perceive themselves...and to me, in my mind, I kept seeing the stories set in the 1940's or 1950's even though there was nothing to indicate that, but the cocktail hours and the general air led me to see these times in my mind, and I think they're even stronger because of that.The story At the End of My Life had such a profound effect on me that I have to give the book 5*. Almost all the endings were absolutely perfect. The end to 'Going' brought tears to my eyes.I actually went through this book after I'd finished it with a highlighter pen to capture some of the phrases and passages that I couldn't let go of, they were that beautiful and affecting. And I haven't done that, marked and sought out passages in that way, since I was about fifteen and first read Catcher in the Rye.Everyone should at least read the story At the End of My Life...if you have children or are a sibling, there will be passages that will break your heart. It's got the best of the best writing. You can recognise aspects of yourself whilst it all still seems foreign. The writing is skilled, but still has enough heart and true emotion that you aren't dragged out of the story to admire the writing itself."...He stares at me, his eyes like scars against the scared lonely white of his face..."I could go on, but I won't.Please discover this collection for yourselves and then spread the word. And let me know what you think!
It took me about eight months to finish this collection, mostly because I read the first six or so stories in one sitting—LOVED them—and knew that I'd never get the chance to read the rest for the first time again. So I delayed. And I'm glad I did, because it's been great to sit with this collection all this time. Nugent is a powerhouse. Her stories are often vicious and bleak and nihilistic, but they also manage to be occasionally hopeful and grace-seeking. It's true that some of the narrators blend together, but I think that's value-neutral. My favorites: "City of Boys," "Cocktail Hour," "At The End of My Life," "Riding Into Day." But every story is strong here, except, for me, the last story, "Going," which felt thin and incomplete. Who cares. The rest is so, so good.
