So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

After recently reading Claire Keegan’s novella Small Things Like These, I was keen to read anything else at all by her, so chose another novella, So Late in the Day.

The first page set the scene, a sunny summer day and the main character, Cathal, at his desk next to an open window gazing down at flowers, children and birds in a park. Cathal’s afternoon was dragging and he wished he had gone out for a walk at lunchtime.

As the story continued through Cathal’s Friday afternoon in the office, followed by his commute home by bus, then his evening alone in his apartment, it became clear that he should have regretted many decisions he had made over the past year, particularly when it came to Sabine, a woman he had previously been involved with. Whether he actually had regrets or not, I cannot say.

As he went about his routine that afternoon and evening, Cathal reflected on his and Sabine’s relationship and their differences. As he revealed more about himself it became clear that Cathal was a taker and Sabine had been a giver. Ultimately, I felt sorry for Cathal even though I didn’t particularly like him. I think that Sabine had a lucky escape.

So Late in the Day was equally as devastating as Small Things Like These.

I will finish this review with the same thing that I said after reading Small Things Like These, I cannot wait to read something else by Claire Keegan.