Book Review– WE ALL DIE IN THE END: SCENES FROM A SMALL TOWN

Simply put, this book is a collection of inter-related stories about people living in a coastal town in Ireland, but it’s so much more than that.

I first need to admit that I don’t read many short story collections, even though as a lover of literature I understand the value of a good short story. Oftentimes times it’s easier to recognize an author’s craft and ability reading short stories because great short stories say so much in such a small amount of time. Perhaps that’s why I’ve never been good at writing short fiction—I have a tendency to say too much but never enough. I envy a good short story authors, and that might be why I don’t read them much—because of my own envy.

That said, Elizabeth Merry is not a good short story writer, she is one of the best. If James Joyce and Flannery O’Conner had a literary baby, it would be WE ALL DIE IN THE END. These stories are packed with wit and dark humor reminiscent of O’Conner ( my favorites in this collection are “May” and “Rosemary” because I actually laughed out loud) while still displaying a Joyce-like love of human understanding. The characters (though all unique and a little eccentric) are so realistic that I had to keep reminding myself that this was fiction. 

I actually read this on my kindle, but after completing it I went back and bought the paperback edition on Amazon so I can keep a copy on my shelf. If I ever go back to teaching literature and writing, this one is going on the reading list.

Overall, if you enjoy good literature I strongly suggest picking up a copy of this one! Get it from Amazon today!

For more writing by Elizabeth Merry, follow her blog at https://embookstuff.wordpress.com.