When All is Said
Author: Anne Griffin
Published by: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 266
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★★★
I’m here to remember – all that I have been and all that I will never be again.
At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual – though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.
Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories – of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice – the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.
Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said.
My thoughts
When All is Said is a beautifully written, powerful novel that really makes you think about life. Specifically, if you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? If you were to raise a glass to each of them, what would you say? And what would you learn about yourself, when all is said and done?
The story begins as we first meet Maurice Hannigan, and over the course of a Saturday evening in June, he orders five different drinks at the Rainford House Hotel. With each drink he toasts a person vital to him. Through these people and the relationships he has shared with them, he tells the story of his own life, and we slowly get to know him for who he really is. Like all lives, Maurice’s has moments of pure happiness, times of darkness and misery, mistakes made and things left unsaid.
I initially thought the book felt very much like reading a memoir, touching on events and people in Maurice’s life. His life and personality becomes more and more exposed as he tells stories from his life, and the various emotions these moments have resulted in. The heartache and grief and happiness that life brought to him and the painful loneliness he feels when we meet him at the bar aged 84.
It definitely took a little while for me to warm up to him, but Maurice is truly such a fascinating and detailed character. As the plot progressed, and more and more moments from his life were explored through memory, I began to really understand his grief, his regrets and feel the love he had for these various people in his life. From his beloved brother Tony, his first child Molly, his sister-in-law Maureen, his son Kevin, and the love of his life, Sadie.
The book was a slow burner for me, and admittedly it took me a little while to get completely drawn in, but once I did there was no stopping me. This debut is a genuine page-turner, and I loved getting to know Maurice. It is such a calm and emotional read, with many touching moments: at times both happy and extremely sad. I think perhaps the quiet strength of this book - and maybe the saddest thing about it - comes from knowing deep down that there’s really only one way the story will end.
Overall, I’d describe When All is Said as a beautiful, sad, heart-warming book, focusing on character development. Many of the characters, especially Maurice, are difficult, selfish, or grumpy, but in time you still learn to love them. It’s a heart-breaking tale, and I so enjoyed hearing his story. Be prepared to cry.
Overall reaction:
Published by: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 266
Format: Paperback
My Rating ★★★★
I’m here to remember – all that I have been and all that I will never be again.
At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual – though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.
Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories – of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice – the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.
Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said.
My thoughts
When All is Said is a beautifully written, powerful novel that really makes you think about life. Specifically, if you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? If you were to raise a glass to each of them, what would you say? And what would you learn about yourself, when all is said and done?
The story begins as we first meet Maurice Hannigan, and over the course of a Saturday evening in June, he orders five different drinks at the Rainford House Hotel. With each drink he toasts a person vital to him. Through these people and the relationships he has shared with them, he tells the story of his own life, and we slowly get to know him for who he really is. Like all lives, Maurice’s has moments of pure happiness, times of darkness and misery, mistakes made and things left unsaid.
I initially thought the book felt very much like reading a memoir, touching on events and people in Maurice’s life. His life and personality becomes more and more exposed as he tells stories from his life, and the various emotions these moments have resulted in. The heartache and grief and happiness that life brought to him and the painful loneliness he feels when we meet him at the bar aged 84.
It definitely took a little while for me to warm up to him, but Maurice is truly such a fascinating and detailed character. As the plot progressed, and more and more moments from his life were explored through memory, I began to really understand his grief, his regrets and feel the love he had for these various people in his life. From his beloved brother Tony, his first child Molly, his sister-in-law Maureen, his son Kevin, and the love of his life, Sadie.
The book was a slow burner for me, and admittedly it took me a little while to get completely drawn in, but once I did there was no stopping me. This debut is a genuine page-turner, and I loved getting to know Maurice. It is such a calm and emotional read, with many touching moments: at times both happy and extremely sad. I think perhaps the quiet strength of this book - and maybe the saddest thing about it - comes from knowing deep down that there’s really only one way the story will end.
Overall, I’d describe When All is Said as a beautiful, sad, heart-warming book, focusing on character development. Many of the characters, especially Maurice, are difficult, selfish, or grumpy, but in time you still learn to love them. It’s a heart-breaking tale, and I so enjoyed hearing his story. Be prepared to cry.
Overall reaction: