When All Is Said (Griffin) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
[Anne Griffin] builds a remarkably rich sense of place, while also tracing the wider changes affecting Ireland.… Maurice is a lovingly rendered example of the current vogue for characters who have fallen through the cracks.
SundayTimes (UK)


An impressively confident debut novel.
Guardian (UK)


Griffin is a magical storyteller whose prose is effortless and clear. She conjures an intimate, poignant and ultimately enthralling portrait of a man who has battled loneliness and other demons throughout his life. Maurice is superbly well-realised: a character who tries to make amends and, in so doing, cracked my heart.
Fanny Blake - Daily Mail (UK)


An atmospheric debut.… The most impressive aspects of this first novel are its rich, flowing prose, it’s convincing voice and it’s imaginative and clever structure.… Griffin is a welcome arrival to the literary scene.
Irish Times


While the plot hinges heavily on coincidence, and the device of addressing an absent son feels extraneous, Maurice is a likable and complex character…. [His] humor, his keen observations …create the feeling of a life connected to many others by strands of affection and hatred
Publishers Weekly


Griffin's storytelling, while economical, is rich and evocative…. Most impressive …is her creation of Maurice. His voice is credible, his story absorbing, and his humanity painfully familiar.… this unforgettable first novel introduces Griffin as a writer to watch. —John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Library Journal


Griffin's deeply moving debut novel highlights the power of nostalgia, the pang of regret, and the impact that very special individuals can have on our lives.
Booklist


What becomes of the brokenhearted? That question, asked—and answered equivocally—in the Motown classic, receives a more thorough treatment in Griffin's debut novel.… Griffin's [novel] provides a stage for the exploration of guilt, regret, and loss, all in the course of one memorable night.
Kirkus Reviews