A review by schausjk
The End of the World is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy

dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I often enjoy a good collection of short stories, but this was a hard one for me to get through because it was so unrelentingly bleak. There were a few stories there that were noteworthy to me, but a lot of the others just kind of blended together into this haze of unhappy cisgender heterosexual domestic life. So much of it just seemed to revolve around disappointment with your husband, cheating or being cheated on, and the pressures of motherhood in a way that was really boring to me. Most of the male characters seemed to lack any redeeming or even fascinating qualities in a way that made me wonder why the women would care about them at all. That being said, I really enjoyed the sense of place that this series of short stories imparted, and there are a few stories I'll likely remember moving forward.
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