Search - Charming Billy

A graceful tale, an extended wake and reflection on the life of a man. Poignant, well-written characters, can't exactly say it was a pleasure to read but the author is very skilled in helping us see a man's life -- the joys, the despairs, the rejection.

Book in excellent condition. This story will touch your heart. A secret between friends changes their lives forever. Billy's tragic sorrow juxtaposed against his ability to be generous and charming to everyone he meets makes him a true hero.

Good ol' Irish immigrant story set in NY. The story is beautiful and sad. Floats between the past and the present with each character.

Beautiful even though it is a sad story of a man that has
passed. Friends and family have gathered to eulogize Billy.It is not maudlin but the tale of trading stories paying homage to the life of Billy. Many secrets come out and much sorrow has been in Billy's life. He was funny, a charmer, and a romantic. I liked this read. It was wonderfully written, and left me thinking about what my own friends and family will say when i am gone. Alice McDermott writes stories that leave you thinking and have depth.

Charming Billy is a small, lyrical book that primarily focuses on relationships. It unwinds slowly, with an emphasis on detail that makes the Irish and Irish-American characters and their lives in NY very vivid - you can practically hear their voices in your head. The story, as many have said, centers on the life of Billy, a recently deceased man who was an alcoholic. There is basically only one plot element, involving the death of Billy's first fiancee, which is why I say it is a small book, and the book wraps its way around this story, filling it out richly and ultimately building to a gentle climax. The narrator moves back & forth in time, and only gradually reveals who she is, which I suppose is why some readers have said they found it confusing or couldn't get into it. So if you're looking for a plot-driven or fast moving book, this is not for you. But if you'd appreciate a richly woven tale from an author who understands human character, and the complicated ways that people love each other, Charming Billy is a good bet.