Name: Antarctica
ISBN: 9780802139016

Claire Keegan

A debut collection of short stories by an award-winning Irish writer explores the fragility, obsession, and betrayal of human relationships in such works as "Passport Soup," about a man mourning the bizarre disappearance of his young daughter and trying to console his shattered wife. Reprint.

Antarctica

I love Claire Keegan’s writing - it is really clear and compelling. Some of the short stories in this have really stuck with me, in particular the one where the under appreciated sister chops off the her younger siblings precious hair. I held back on 5 stars because the amount of stories made the reading experience a little dis-jointed. That probably isn’t fair of me - I came to this book thinking it was a novel so I wasn’t in the right mindset for short stories.  

Karen Barrett

From the opening story about a married woman who takes a trip to the city with a single purpose in mind - to sleep with another man - Antarctica draws you into a world of obsession, betrayal and fragile relationships. In 'House Calls', Cordelia wakes on the last day ofthe twentieth century and sets off along the coast road to keep a date with her lover that has been nine years in the waiting. In 'The Singing Cashier', a local postman visits two sisters bearingfishy gifts in the hope that his favour will be returned in kind. One of the most moving and disturbing stories in the collection, 'Passport Soup', features Frank Corso, who sits alone eating green tomatoes and bacon, mourning the disappearance of his nine-year-old daughter: 'At one point in that late evening, she was there, and then she wasn't.' Keegan's characters inhabit a world where dreams, memory and chance can have crippling consequences for those involved. Compassionate, witty and unsettling, Antarctica is a collection to be savoured.

Like with any short story collection, there was some I enjoyed reading more than others.

I feel like it's a true testament to Claire Keegan's writing that she can write so distinctly over so many starkly different POVs! There is such a mixed barrel of characters and emotions explored within these short stories, but she powerfully captures them all and in a way that highlights the overall message of humanity, longing, and fallibility with each characters own distinct voice.

Victoria Justice

Like with any short story collection, there was some I enjoyed reading more than others.

I feel like it's a true testament to Claire Keegan's writing that she can write so distinctly over so many starkly different POVs! There is such a mixed barrel of characters and emotions explored within these short stories, but she powerfully captures them all and in a way that highlights the overall message of humanity, longing, and fallibility with each characters own distinct voice.

Jade Flynn

What an odd collection. Stories were either four/five stars or one/two stars. Honourable mentions - Love in the Tall Grass, Burns, Quare Name for a Boy, Ride if You Dare, Sisters.