Alice McDermott - Charming Billy

Pros: plenty of provocative emotional history

Cons: none

Review: The plot is simple. Even though he lived and died a soft-spoken, Keats-quoting drunk, everyone loved Billy Lynch.

"Charming Billy, " the surprise winner of the 1998 National Book Award that was released in paperback early this year,...

Pros: Unforgettable Irish style

Cons: 47 characters to keep straight

Review: This is a melancholy account of a wasted life, a soul turned loose to the romantic excesses of alcohol and unrequited love. (Nothing ever soothed my broken-hearted better than tying on a good whiskey drunk. It somehow made it all seem better. Until I...

Pros: Very well written, interesting take on life

Cons: A bit sentimental

Review: One the most passionate characters of "Charming Billy" is Dan Lynch, a man who is characterized by the eloquent letters to the editors he writes protesting Irish-American stereotypes. No doubt he would have something to say to the nay-sayers...

Pros: Very detailed.

Cons: To many time shifts, not a real page turner.

The Bottom Line: The book was ok, but took me a long time to read due to lack of excitement, and to many time shifts.

Review: Have you ever read a book where you know what the ending will be from the very beginning? I just finished reading one. The book entitled Charming Billy was one of Oprah's book club picks a couple of years ago. I came across my copy at a library sale ...

Pros: Good beginning, flowery writing

Cons: Confusing point of view, time-shifting

Review: The summary I read about Charming Billy really interested me. I was convinced I would love this book. At the beginning, I was enthralled when all Billy's friends and family had gathered to "celebrate" his life. I looked forward to...

Pros: Reveals the basis of sentimentality in a non-sentimental manner and with respect

Cons: If you can't stand Irish sentimentality and you don't like making excuses for drunkenness, don't bother

Review: Alice McDermott has caught one of the aspects of Irish-American life that I have always known about but could never put my finger on. The drunken uncles of my Irish friends' families just seemed to go with the territory on the Southwest side of Chicago...

Pros: it would make a good short film

Cons: it would make a good short film

Review: I'm Irish and I love to drink often. How I wanted to , really wanted to love this book .........but no. As much as I hate to give up on a book mid-way, I did just that. Unlike the other reviewers who concentrated, so it seemed, on the 'drunken Bastard...

Pros: beautifully written

Cons: depressing

Review: The only thing that kept me reading this book was the marvelous writing style. To me, Billy Lynch was just an embarrassing drunk (his alcoholism was supposedly spurred by the loss of his love when he was young, but we all have problems). His family may...

Pros: beautiful writing

Cons: unsympathetic character

Review: I can't say that I loved this book, but I also can't say that I hated it. I found the language beautiful, McDermott clearly captured the spirit of an Irish tale in her flowing diction. Her descriptions were so vivid that I could picture every building...

Pros: very descriptive

Cons: boring, no plot, no conflict or climax

The Bottom Line: This book is boring without a clear plot. No suspense, no surprises, just a VERY detailed story about an alcoholic.

Review: I found this book at a book sale and originally picked it up because it had a big gold medal on it that said "National Book Award Winner." I thought that it had to be good if it won such a prestigious title, so I bought it. The book starts off in ...