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Summary: A rich introspective of pain and acceptance
Review: Dialogue-based and retrospectively told, Charming Billy unfolds in a delicate and yet spell-binding manner. A warm, heartfelt novel, the story is oddly not one that one would choose to read for an emotional lift. Rather, it evokes the reader to survey relationships with family and friends, and ponder death with reality.
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Summary: A wonderful book to talk about with reader friends.
Review: My reader friends and I have already begun to have some wonderful discussions about Charming Billy. The story is a wonderful change of pace from contemporary fiction and I savored each page -- each conversation, each character. The mark of a great story is one that causes the reader to think -- really think-- after he has reached the final page. And Charming Billy has definitely accomplished that.Thanks National Book Award Committee. Your selection was a solid one.
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Summary: A powerful story of family, love, and lies.
Review: I enjoyed this tenderly told story of several generations of a close-knit Irish American family. The novel chronicles ways in which their lives are shaped by familiar forces -- war, death, love, and religion -- and just as significantly, by lies. Billy, the flawed but endearing central character, is first introduced by members of his family who are gathered for his funeral. Through them, we learn of Billy's painful past. I loved McDermott's polished prose and the way it is used to describe the thoughts of the characters. The novel examines, through the lives of ordinary people, the complex question of how be become who we are.
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Summary: At Weddings and Wakes was superior
Review: The award for this book, perhaps, works better if I think of it as a way to reward Alice McDermott for her overall achievements. But At Weddings and Wakes was far superior. And I can't recall when the subject of That Night has been done better. I think the awards committee missed the better books.
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Summary: All Technique, No Texture
Review: The unusual point of view: absolutely magnificent. Language (word choice): marvelous. Repetition: mystical. Content, story, plot, characterization: mediocre.
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Summary: Unexpected Disappointment
Review: After reading the first chapter at this web site I purchased the book. I was disappointed with what followed. The character development of Billy was poor, as was the author's explaination of why he was obsessed with a woman he barley knew. Are we to believe that the loss from a short-lived superficial relationship, is supposed to burden us the rest of our lives? How absurd!! As for the narrative style, the author needs to study Somerset Maugham.
Rating: 
Summary: Banal grogg.
Review: Who are these people who give out these awards? National Book award??? What was that all about. Book awards should not be given out to those of us who simply type up our diaries and turn them into publishers.
Rating:
Summary: Banal grogg.
Review: Who are these people who give out these awards? National Book award??? What was that all about. Book awards should not be given out to those of us who simplely type up our diaries and turn them into publishers.
Rating:
Summary: Brillantly written.
Review: Yet another success for the wonderful goddess of litarature, Alice McDermott. This story weaves a facinating tale. A captivating novel good for people of all ages. I strongly reccomend this book to anyone who thinks himself to be an intellectual individual
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Summary: Two time loser...
Review: I read the uncorrected proofs of this book, and thought it was awful. It won its prize, and I thought: "Did I misjudge this book?" I took another look, and my first insticts were right. This is pure, run-of-the-mill, cliche, Irish-American drivel.
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