Name: SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE
Rating: 4.117088607594937 (316 reviews)
ISBN: 9780571373871

CLAIRE. KEEGAN

'absolutely Beautiful' -douglas Stuart, Author of Shuggie Bain

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

Helen 

Why were the things that were closest so often the hardest to see?

Was there any point in being alive without helping one another?

rain/anagha

Francesca 

The worst was yet to come, he knew. Already he could feel a world of trouble waiting for him behind the next door, but the worst that could have happened was also already behind him; the thing not done, which could have been - which he would have had to live with for the rest of his life.

Lotte Tielemans

Coley T

Before long, he caught a hold of himself and concluded that nothing ever did happen again; to each was given days and chances which wouldn't come back around. And wasn't it sweet to be where you were and let it remind you of the past for once, despite the upset, instead of always looking on into the mechanics of the days and the trouble ahead, which might never come.

Amalie Elisabeth

She had finished with the shirts and blouses and was starting on the pillowcases. Always, she tackled the hardest things first.

Not for the first time, Furlong felt that he was poor company for her, that he seldom made a long night shorter. 

How still it was up here but why was it not ever peaceful?

So many things had a way of looking finer, when they were not so close. 

When he let down the tail board and went to open the coal house door, the bolt was stiff with frost, and he had to ask himself if he had not turned into a man consigned to doorways, for did he not spend the best part of his life standing outside of one or another, waiting for them to be opened.

Stephan Happe

What would life be like, he wondered, if they were given time to think and reflect over things? Might their lives be different or much the same-or would they just lose the run of themselves? 

And wasn't it sweet to be where you were and let it remind you of the past for once, despite the upset, instead of always looking on into the mechanics of the days and the trouble ahead, which might never come.

Their spelling has come on rightly - but what about Loretta with her "Deer Santa"?' 

Claire Keegan

Small Things Like These

It's such a beautiful story. One thing that surprised me, is that I went into it blindly and I still enjoyed it. It's been on my tbr for over a year now (since Jan 2025) and I'm glad I finally read it. For a short story, it really did have substance and a story. Sure there were lots of questions more than answers but I don't know. l don't feel robbed. I'm pretty satisfied with the open-ended ending.

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

Destined to be a modern classic from "an original and a canonical presence in Irish fiction" (Colm Tóibín), Small Things Like These is Claire Keegan's landmark new novel, the tale of one man's courage -- and a remarkable portrait of love and family It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man, who is father to five girls, 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. Already a bestseller in France and certain to be read worldwide for generations to come, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting and inspiring story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically celebrated and iconic writers.

Plattypus

Shahir Saleheen

Fantastic short novel discussing the socioeconomic conditions of Ireland through the perspective of a man working as a coal merchant with a wife and 5 daughters, and its connection of the historical context of Ireland with the presence of the Baptist church, a central aspect of the story. The religious conflict with Bill Furlong, in the past life he comes from and the reality he experiences in his present, was so moving to read, and in the 114 page short story, a beautiful story illustrates the power of empathy and humanity.

Sinny

Muy buena lectura para los que le gustan los libros donde no pasan muchas cosas, sencillo, muy buenas descripciones. Increíble el Sr. Furlong. 

Kira

I found this to be very moving and thought provoking while also being written in a very specific style which I seem to really enjoy. I found myself not wanting to finish it bc I liked the writing so much but at the same time needing to finish it bc it inspired so much thinking and feeling in me. While yes, it’s quite obvious form the start where it will go and yes, it is told by a white man and not those girls and women who suffered, I think that’s exactly the point. It’s not meant to tell their stories it’s meant to show us how easily people looked away and ignored it, how influential the church was (still is but that’s besides the point here) and how one person grapples with their own (in)action. It had to be Bill because of his background and I think that’s important to point out. Overall would highly recommend and it’s a book I think I will likely revisit again at a later point as it offers a lot of depth you can only really appreciate on a re-read.

SB Strickland

I am finding I struggle to connect with short stories, but this one packed a punch. <br /><br />A whole star for this quote alone: “As they carried along and met more people Furlong did and did not know, 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?”

Bárbara Borba

keegan’s economy of language is great but after DNF-ing two books in a row, this didn’t really sing to me. she’s great at writing about small towns where everything happens though

Ianna Chia

Rose-Lynn 

This book had amazing reviews, but it fell a bit short for me. I loved the point and the message but for me it was not gripping. Maybe the reviews I saw built it up too much or gave me different expectations.

read this in one sitting, only took a couple hours. beautifully written and thoughtful, i learned something new too

julia

Alanna Rieser

was there any point in being alive without helping one another? 

Sophia Rico

was there any point in being alive without helping one another? 

this small book feels so heavy

Didn't have the cultural context to fully appreciate this book, which I only read up on after finishing it.

halfmoon

"Was there any point in being alive without helping one another? Was is possible to carry on along through all the years, the decades, through an entire life, without being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian and face yourself in the mirror?"

"To get the best out of people, you must always treat them well."

"People could be good. It was a matter of learning how to manage and balance the give-and-take in a way that let you get on with the others as well as your own."

this book is a wholesome life-lesson described. it's about furlong who senses something wrong happened at a catholic convent, a place for women who were deemed shameful. he is caught up with all the worry, because it reminds him of the backstory of his mom when she had him, and also he has four daughters. he has a lot of inner conflict within himself, whether he wants to look into what happened and help the girls there or if he should just ignore it. but he's a good man who has a strong feminist side, so he chooses to do things that seem small to other people, and it's helpful. those three quotes are my favorite quotes in this book, along with any other lessons that i've learned. this also based on the real event, which was the magdalene laundries. magdalene laundries for fallen women date back to 12th century europe. they were catholic-run institutions to reform wayward women, known as magdalens, through strict religious observance and unpaid work. this book is less than 100 pages and you can read it in one sitting, but somehow you can see everything and know everything. since english is not my first language, there are things that i don't understand yet, but watching the movie adaptation actually helps to understand the meaning of the book as well. i really recommend watching the movie after reading this book. you don't need much time, cause this book is simply a page-turner and it's a short-length page book. so, 4/5 for small things like these. ★

leah

"Was there any point in being alive without helping one another? Was is possible to carry on along through all the years, the decades, through an entire life, without being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian and face yourself in the mirror?"

"To get the best out of people, you must always treat them well."

 

"People could be good. It was a matter of learning how to manage and balance the give-and-take in a way that let you get on with the others as well as your own."

 

this book is a wholesome life-lesson described. it's about furlong who senses something wrong happened at a catholic convent, a place for women who were deemed shameful. he is caught up with all the worry, because it reminds him of the backstory of his mom when she had him, and also he has four daughters. he has a lot of inner conflict within himself, whether he wants to look into what happened and help the girls there or if he should just ignore it. but he's a good man who has a strong feminist side, so he chooses to do things that seem small to other people, and it's helpful. those three quotes are my favorite quotes in this book, along with any other lessons that i've learned. this also based on the real event, which was the magdalene laundries. magdalene laundries for fallen women date back to 12th century europe. they were catholic-run institutions to reform wayward women, known as magdalens, through strict religious observance and unpaid work. this book is less than 100 pages and you can read it in one sitting, but somehow you can see everything and know everything. since english is not my first language, there are things that i don't understand yet, but watching the movie adaptation actually helps to understand the meaning of the book as well. i really recommend watching the movie after reading this book. you don't need much time, cause this book is simply a page-turner and it's a short-length page book. so, 4/5 for small things like these. ★

this book was informative in an ambiguous way, a lot of things were left unsaid and i liked the open ending. i do wish there was a little bit more explicitness about the wrong doings of the church, but also it does a good job of showcasing how secretive and quietly corrupt it was back then. i loved the atmospheric writing over november - december time, it reminded me of the little things to look forward to, like the turning on of christmas lights. the grammar of this book was kind of odd tho, i found myself having to reread sentences a lot to understand what was actually being said

At some points, i believe the amount of unnecessary details let the main story be aside a bit.. but in general, and especially the last 2 chapters, pretty intense.

Denis Crepaldi

G recommended this one and I found it interesting but a bit slow. Created an atmosphere but also I was expecting more. Enjoyed it though.

Saskia Hughes 

My third Claire Keegan book. She's slowly growing on me, and probably would be my favorite author of the year. Her writing feels like the cool morning chill accompanied with thick fog and the scent of moss. Small Things Like These, like Foster, felt like a cold hand pressing on the back of your neck.

Bibi

not quite as focused on the issues of the church as i imagined but a lovely little story nonetheless

evie coxon

Bill Furlong is not loud or heroic in the way stories usually tell us heroes should be. but his kindness is real. steady. soft. and that softness is what saves people—not just others, but himself too.

reading this made me believe again in the beauty of small, brave acts. not the ones that get applause—but the ones that happen in cold rooms, behind closed doors, when no one is watching.

we are where the world is heavy, but goodness still glows under the weight. this book reminded me that I have to be thankful for small mercies. for the quiet ways love shows up, even in the coldest places.

everoujane

Bill Furlong is not loud or heroic in the way stories usually tell us heroes should be. but his kindness is real. steady. soft. and that softness is what saves people—not just others, but himself too.

reading this made me believe again in the beauty of small, brave acts. not the ones that get applause—but the ones that happen in cold rooms, behind closed doors, when no one is watching.

we are where the world is heavy, but goodness still glows under the weight. this book reminded me that I have to be thankful for small mercies. for the quiet ways love shows up, even in the coldest places.

This was a good read. It did however leave me with unanswered questions and to know more about the church and girls there. More of a back story and other character development would of gave it 5 stars.

Edna Aviles

“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?”

shen

i really enjoyed this novella, so simple but with so much heart. 

***PRE-ORDER NOW*** THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FOSTER, ANTARCTICA AND WALK THE BLUE FIELDS *'This is a tale of courage and compassion, of good sons and vulnerable young mothers. Absolutely beautiful.'-Douglas Stuart (Winner of the Booker Prize 2020)* *'Marvellous-exact and icy and loving all at once.'-Sarah Moss* *'A haunting, hopeful masterpiece.'-Sinéad Gleeson* It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him - and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church. The long-awaited new work from the author of Foster, Small Things Like These is an unforgettable story of hope, quiet heroism and tenderness. '[Claire Keegan] creates luminous effects with spare material, so every line seems to be a lesson in the perfect deployment of both style and emotion.' Hilary Mantel

What a beautiful little story, demonstrating the important of kindness and compassion against social norms and attitudes. Keegan's prose creates a perfect sense of a sleepiness and quietitude, enhancing the sense of time and place of the setting of the novel. It then sets the horrifying reality of the subject matter against this to sharpen the reader's sense of how normalised Magdalene laundries were in the 20th century and how brutal the lives of the girls imprisoned in them were.

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE 'absolutely Beautiful' -douglas Stuart, Author of Shuggie Bain

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