After You've Gone

by Alice Adams

A selection of short stories explores the impact and adjustment of individuals dealing with separation and the loss of lovers, spouses, parents, and friends

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Alice Adams was an American novelist, short story writer, academic and university professor.

She was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia and attended Radcliffe College, graduating in 1946. She married, and had a child, but her marriage broke up, and she spent several years as a single mother, working as a secretary. Her psychiatrist told her to give up writing and get remarried; instead she published her first novel, Careless Love (1966), and a few years later she published her first short story in The New Yorker. She wrote many novels but she's best known for her short stories, in collections such as After You've Gone (1989) and The Last Lovely City (1999).

She won numerous awards including the O. Henry Award, and Best American Short Stories Award.

Reviews

[Featherbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been rereading Alice Adams short stories from her 1989 collection called After You've Goneand remembering what a fantastic, succinct writer she was. The New Yorker agreed publishing over twenty of her tales and I read her superb novels back in the day, but most of these stories are well done (except perhaps the title tale) especially "Fog" and "Ocracoke Island". They are about thoughtful women in their forties or fifties who have competent careers, comfortable homes, often pets, but their men! There's more than disregard in their attentions, a cruel streak can be seen in some of these guys. The women are gently reaching toward feminism and some toward autonomy, but each of them is someone I can imagine having conversations with and bemoaning our unfortunate lovers. Compelling and identifiable, a satisfying reread.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked these stories - though I did not read them in succession as they did have a similar tone. I would read one - then another book for awhile. I found them hugely atmospheric, for their time period and so many scenes and observations resonated with me. At some point I would like to read more by this author.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adams carefully reflects on the psychology of her characters, as they deal with separation, illness, death and other sorts of pain. It's an interesting set of short stories, but I liked her novel better than the stories.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of short stories. The characters and situations are varied and interesting.

[Donna Clay · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories centered on a variety of women at different stages in their life. Just not a lot of fire or passion ... Rather uninspired.. Pass

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of short stories. The characters and situations are varied and interesting.

[Colleen Grablick · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed. funny

[Sarah Kavaljian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melancholy and full of all those feelings we don't know how to describe. A unique set of snapshots of loss and the ending of relationships and moving on from a woman's perspective.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is a series of views into the lives of women, mostly. These are not extraordinary women or even very important instances in their lives. In fact, all of them seemed exceedingly ordinary. Also, none of them really end. I mean, you come to the last page of the story, and that's all it is. The last page. No summing up, no climactic moment, just....the end. After the first few it was hard to invest in any of them, knowing the conflict wouldn't be resolved and you wouldn't have any idea whether they went on the way things were or made some sort of dynamic change. It all left me feeling a little...disconcerted. I like for stories, all of them, not just short stories, to have an ending. A denouement, a punchy line at the end that changes everything, something that makes you feel the story is over and you can go on to the next.
All the stories were exceedingly well-written, though. The characters were well developed, as well as the settings, so hard to do in the protracted space of a short story. My only issue is the lack of endings, but that's enough to ruin the whole thing for me. Another reader without my particular hang-up on this issue might like this collection just fine.

[Melly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately I am only halfway through this excellent book and need to take it back to the library. Very evocative descriptions of such varied places as Elmira, NY at the turn of century (family life), Amsterdam before WWII, and Nova Scotia in the 19th century. Beautifully written. Will definitely have to finish this later.

[Ronald Wise · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of fourteen short stories which, overall, were a pleasant read. A couple of them I found somewhat stimulating, but most were descriptions of the everyday thoughts of people of only moderate interest. This book was mentioned in a Writer's Almanac tribute to Adams' birthday and was listed in Nancy Pearl's Book Lust under the category "A… My Name is Alice".

[Andrea Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

alice adams writes like an indie euro film director. every story is so specific in its scope, yet has a profound impact on the reader personally as well as its place in the collection of her short stories. well worth reading

[Becky Straub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I normally don't enjoy short stories, this author is an exception. Generally I dislike that short stories can't offer much character development, but these were great. I was able to easily relate to each character and understand their plight.

[Deborah Lyons · Rating 2 out of 5]

These stories read more as character studies than stories. Not much actually happened in them. Also, the characters and their situations were all similar, in that they were often in academia and somewhat neurotic or self-absorbed. I couldn't relate well to them.