In terms of writing, characterization, and the exploration of memory - this is among the best books I have read, period.

I am not a grieving middle-aged woman with a large family who has lost her brother to suicide. But the strong and accurate portrayal of alienation, loss, and grief - and the way people deal with these things in ways that are erratic, self-destructive, confusing, and unpredictable and illogical even to themselves - had me finding myself identifying with the narrator much more frequently than I would have ever expected. I picked up this book expecting a good story and good writing. I didn't anticipate finding myself written into it in so many specific, concrete ways.

This book has been written about as being about a large family and intergenerational relationships; as about domestic relationships between women. For me, it was about isolation, alienation, an inability to connect with the world, a certain kind of numbness. It is about a woman severed from her life and lost in her memories, and unsure of what can be trusted - even and especially herself. As someone who has dealt with a different kind of loss and alienation, this book resonated with me deeply, and spoke to my experience more eloquently than I myself could. Enright's use of language is not only beautiful, it is also accurate. It hit me like a brick, in every sentence.

Another review has written that there is a lack of balance because of this intense style. I don't mind a book (especially a relatively short one like this) that demands my attention in every sentence. I savored my reading of this book, and I look forward to doing it again - slowly, and personally.

I found the ending lacking compared with the rest of the book, but I plan to reread it as soon as I get the chance. The journey of going through this book is so amazing that it makes the ending inconsequential in a way.