# 📔 Small Things Like These (Book) Created On: 04-07-2025 06:17 pm --- # ℹ️ Information **Author**:: [[Claire Keegan]] **Category**:: [[Fiction (Book)]] **Series**:: **Tags**:: #note/literature📖 #source/book **Status**:: Read **Started Date**:: [[04-07-2025]] **Finished Date**:: [[04-07-2025]] **Rating**:: 5 --- # 🏔️ What It's About A man, Bill Furlong… # 🧠 Overall Thoughts ## 👍 What I Liked - For such a short book - 150 pages - it had me thinking **a lot**! - I think this mainly has to do with the subtle nature of the storytelling. - There’s an immense amount of dissonant subtle symbolism in it all. - A well to do women, Mrs. Wilson, graciously retains her maid who has a bastard son - the main character, Bill - and allows him to grow up in the house, representing the antithesis to luxury: empathy and compassion. - Working relationships are transactional, which makes this relationship unique. To speaks of empathy, care, love, affection, etc. - On the other hand, the Protestant (?) church in the town is, effectively a business, washing clothes and linens for the town, for which they use give room and board to young forlorn mothers, while also operating as a church. - The story portrays an exceptionally *quiet* conformity to the church within the town, one that feels cold and mechanical; a pseudo-stark juxtaposition between Mrs. Wilson and the church. - While the book take place the in the 1980s, with clear references to things like radios, 501 jeans, Scrabble, and more, the overtones of the book *reek* of antiquity, especially as portrayed through the cold and mechanical nature of the church. - The relationship with his wife is a relative portrayal of the senseless bond that a man without a father - lacking any demonstration - is likely to have. - Not only does he question the purpose of his life, but interactions with his wife, while lightly combative at the worst, lack meaning and substance. A dull, likely duty-filled relationship… One that’s maybe all too familiar… - ## 👎 What I Didn't Like - I can hear people complain that the “arch” and, ultimately, it’s subtle rising action and absent climax, may leave less attuned readers scratching their heads. - # ☘️ How the Book Changed Me %% How my life / behavior / thoughts / ideas have changed as a result of reading the book. %% # 🤝 Who Should Read It? # ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes > --- # Notes -