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Claire Keegan

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Antarctica: ‘A genuine once-in-a-generation writer.’ THE TIMES Paperback – 2 Nov. 2023

by Claire Keegan (Author)

1,010 ratings

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The stunning debut story collection from the author of Foster and the Booker Prize shortlisted Small Things Like These

'A beautiful, tender work of great clarity.' Sebastian Barry
'Simply put, Claire Keegan is one of the greatest fiction writers in the world.' George Saunders
'Among the finest contemporary stories written recently in English.' Observer

A secret one-night tryst in the city. A sister's revenge. A love-struck doctor. A missing girl. In Antarctica, an astonishing sequence of stories, one of our most gifted writers illuminates human longing and fallibility in all its variety.

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Readers love Antarctica:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is the best short story collection I have ever read. Trust me she is a real find!'

'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A skilled writer who immerses us seamlessly in the lives of her characters.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I have now read every word Claire Keegan has written. That's how much I love her writing.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'With her keen eye and lucid prose, Keegan beguiles, jolts and haunts us beyond the pages.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The writing is both tender, poetic and authentic ... the stories stay with you long after you have finished reading.'

From the Publisher

	Antarctica	Foster	Small Things Like These	So Late in the Day

Customer Reviews	1,010	16,293	22,673	2,682
Price	£9.19	£8.95	£7.99	£8.95
Discover more of Claire Keegan's bestselling stories	'Among the finest contemporary stories written recently in English.' Observer	'A thing of finely honed beauty.' Guardian	Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2022	'Simply put, Claire Keegan is one of the greatest fiction writers in the world.' George Saunders

Product description

Review

Simply put, Claire Keegan is one of the greatest fiction writers in the world. -- George Saunders

Every line seems to be a lesson in the perfect deployment of both style and emotion. -- Hilary Mantel

Amongst the greatest practitioners of the short story form -- Joseph O'Connor

The beautifully crafted stories are like chilling, adult versions of fairy tales - albeit with echoes of Raymond Carver and William Trevor. ― Sunday Telegraph

Keegan has a remarkably poetic vision and she treats hurt and laughter, love and hate, with the same calm, almost ethereal style. ― Sunday Tribute

An exciting first book of deliberate, contemplative short stories. ― Observer

Keegan writes with such grace and accuracy that it is impossible not to be drawn into each world she creates. ― Big Issue

A writer already touched by greatness. -- Declan Kiberd

A genuine one-in-a-generation writer. ― The Times

Book Description

The debut collection of stories from the author of Foster and Small Things Like These.

From the Back Cover

The debut collection of stories from the author of Foster and Small Things Like These.

** From the author of the Booker-shortlisted Small Things Like These **
Antarctica by Claire Keegan is a grand, cold sweep of a short story collection, inhabiting a world where dreams, memory and chance can have crippling consequences for those involved.
'No better feeling than reading a book that makes you excited to discover everything its author has ever written...' - Douglas Stuart (Winner of the Booker Prize 2020)
From the opening story about a married woman who takes a trip to the city with a single purpose in mind - to sleep with another man - Antarctica draws you into a world of obsession, betrayal and fragile relationships. In 'House Calls', Cordelia wakes on the last day ofthe twentieth century and sets off along the coast road to keep a date with her lover that has been nine years in the waiting. In 'The Singing Cashier', a local postman visits two sisters bearingfishy gifts in the hope that his favour will be returned in kind. One of the most moving and disturbing stories in the collection, 'Passport Soup', features Frank Corso, who sits alone eating green tomatoes and bacon, mourning the disappearance of his nine-year-old daughter: 'At one point in that late evening, she was there, and then she wasn't.' Keegan's characters inhabit a world where dreams, memory and chance can have crippling consequences for those involved. Compassionate, witty and unsettling, Antarctica is a collection to be savoured.

About the Author

Claire Keegan's works of fiction are critically acclaimed international bestsellers - and have been translated into thirty languages. Antarctica won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. Walk the Blue Fields won the Edge Hill Prize for the finest collection of stories published in the British Isles. Foster won the Davy Byrnes Award - the world's richest prize for a short story. Small Things Like These, a New York Times Best Book of the 21st Century, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Rathbones Folio Prize and won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award. So Late in the Day was published in the New Yorker and shortlisted for the British Book Awards. Keegan was awarded Woman of the Year for Literature in Ireland in 2022, Author of the Year 2023, the Seamus Heaney Award for Arts and Letters 2024 and most recently the Siegfried Lenz Award.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber & Faber; Main edition (2 Nov. 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0571382215
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571382217
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.8 x 2.2 x 13 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 10,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 620 in Short Stories (Books)
- 2,760 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- 4,194 in Contemporary Fiction (Books)

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1,010 ratings

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1,010 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the writing style as incredible, lucid, and poetic. They find the short story collection engaging and well-crafted. Readers appreciate the clear character development and empathy for the protagonists. However, some find the tone dark and disturbing, with a terrifying undercurrent.

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Writing style Short story collection Value for money Character development Reader engagement Dark tone Suspenseful

13 customers mention ‘Writing style’13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find it lucid, flowing, and poetic. The writing is tender and authentic, evoking an evocative Ireland.

"Every short story is unique in its own way. They are so beautifully written and engage the reader straight away...." Read more

"...While these topics are hardly earth-shattering, with her keen eye and lucid prose, Keegan beguiles, jolts and haunts us beyond the pages...." Read more

"Feeling slightly guilty for giving this only 3.5 stars as it's beautifully written and very evocative of a not too distant (mostly) Ireland,..." Read more

"Faber is special; good quality paper, well printed, even smell of good quality. Might seem expensive, but worth it." Read more

10 customers mention ‘Short story collection’10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the short story collection. They find it well-crafted with engaging stories that keep them hooked. While some of the stories are dark, they appreciate the settings, characters, plots, dialogue, and overall writing style. Overall, readers describe the book as an excellent read with no excessive words.

"Every short story is unique in its own way. They are so beautifully written and engage the reader straight away...." Read more

"This is the best short story collection I have ever read. Trust me she is a real find!" Read more

"...in Ireland, two are in America and one or two in Britain The Irish stories are best. The protagonists are generally women or girls...." Read more

"...This collection of short stories is astonishing but, unlike a novel which I return to eagerly, I read short stories spasmodically so as to allow the..." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Value for money’9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They find it a fantastic product with excellent quality. While some say it may seem expensive at first, they consider it worth reading.

"...Her books may be short, but they are immense in their quality!" Read more

"...Trust me she is a real find!" Read more

"Faber is special; good quality paper, well printed, even smell of good quality. Might seem expensive, but worth it." Read more

"...which allows many details emerge in an indirect way. Well worth reading though perhaps not all at once. Recommend." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Character development’4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters that draw them into the stories. They feel sympathy for the protagonists.

"...The protagonists are generally women or girls. Children -girls-are a focus in many of the stories.,..." Read more

"...That's how much I love her writing. Settings, characters, plot, dialogue, everything...." Read more

"...where the Ireland of her childhood leaps from every page, clearly drawn characters and draws us into these stories where we feel a strong sympathy..." Read more

"...Quite dark are some of the stories, but you can really picture the characters. She’s a unique style of writing." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Reader engagement’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and evocative. They appreciate the writing style.

"...They are so beautifully written and engage the reader straight away...." Read more

"Love the writing style, so engaging and evocative. Love Claire Keegan !" Read more

"A nice story that kept me reading. Short read with an ending that was intiguing." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Dark tone’0 positive4 negative

Customers dislike the dark tone of the short stories. They mention they are surprisingly dark and even sinister.

"...surprised to find that her debut collection of short stories was surprisingly dark and even sinister...." Read more

"...It's not really for me - too dark." Read more

"This book is not for me , the stories are deep, dark and concerning. Perhaps others will enjoy this , so be it, personal choice...." Read more

"Dark and disturbing stories..." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Suspenseful’0 positive4 negative

Customers find the stories disturbing, with a terrifying undercurrent that gives them nightmares. The stories are deep, dark, and concerned, with emotional content that is not suitable for the faint-hearted.

"...The stories were haunting, often scary, sad and emotional...." Read more

"Well crafted set of short stories, but not for the faint hearted. Every one has a terrifying undercurrent which certainly gave me nightmares!" Read more

"This book is well written but the subject matter is disquieting. It's not really for me - too dark." Read more

"This book is not for me , the stories are deep, dark and concerning. Perhaps others will enjoy this , so be it, personal choice...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

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yvonne gorman
This author is now my favourite!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2025
Verified Purchase

Every short story is unique in its own way. They are so beautifully written and engage the reader straight away. I’ve only just discovered this author, but I now want to devour every single word of her work. Her books may be short, but they are immense in their quality!

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J. Ang
The Perils of Living
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 February 2024
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Having read Claire Keegan’s heartwarming Booker-nominated “Small Things Like These”, I was surprised to find that her debut collection of short stories was surprisingly dark and even sinister.

In the titular opener, a woman seeking a thrilling fling with a stranger gets more than she bargains for. Adultery again features in the next story, “Love in the Tall Grass”, about an affair between a young woman and her married doctor, and what happens when the wife finds out about them.

Something menacing lurks under the surface of most of these stories, and sometimes the threat is more explicit, such as in “You Can’t Be Too Careful”, where a man finds himself with a confession that may just do him in. “A Scent of Winter” details the aftermath of a violent crime and how sometimes one seeks justice outside of the law.

Elsewhere, Keegan casts her keen eye on the politics of familial relationships, whether they be between siblings, such as in “Sister”, within the family in “Men and Women”, or between husband and wife in “Passport Soup”.

While these topics are hardly earth-shattering, with her keen eye and lucid prose, Keegan beguiles, jolts and haunts us beyond the pages. Four-and-a-half stars.

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5 people found this helpful

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Mrs
A fantastic writer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2024
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This is the best short story collection I have ever read. Trust me she is a real find!

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2 people found this helpful

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Robosquid
Hit and miss (mostly hit)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 December 2023
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Feeling slightly guilty for giving this only 3.5 stars as it's beautifully written and very evocative of a not too distant (mostly) Ireland, although some were set in the USA. The stories were haunting, often scary, sad and emotional.

My favourites were "Sisters" and "Antarctica", but there were a few others I didn't particularly enjoy - or maybe I missed the subtleties. It's not my usual type of thing but was a book group read.

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One person found this helpful

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Amalia Melia
Excellent writer.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2025
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Faber is special; good quality paper, well printed, even smell of good quality. Might seem expensive, but worth it.

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Oneclearway
Distinctive collection of short stories
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 January 2025
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This is a distinctive collection of short stories by a. Feted Irish writer.
Not all are set in Ireland, two are in America and one or two in Britain The Irish stories are best. The protagonists are generally women or girls. Children -girls-are a focus in many of the stories., which allows many details emerge in an indirect way.
Well worth reading though perhaps not all at once. Recommend.

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Pauline Butcher Bird
My top writer though I would like a finished ending occasionally
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2024
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Claire Keegan's books now sit on my shelves along with every one of Anne Tyler's novels. This collection of short stories is astonishing but, unlike a novel which I return to eagerly, I read short stories spasmodically so as to allow the previous one to digest as it were. It is a little annoying, however, that Keegan refuses to finish her stories with closure, although with Antarctica, I accept its brutal unfinished ending does work and is very disturbing.

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3 people found this helpful

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Bookfan76
Strong collection
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2023
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This author writes very well and this is my first glimpse of her short stories. This collection is full of her vivid, flowing prose. As with most short story compilations, some are stronger than others, but out of the 15 here there was only one I didn't really care for. The outstanding 'Sisters' and 'Ride if you Dare' are particular standouts.

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R H Fenner
Perfect short stories
Reviewed in Germany on 2 April 2024
Verified Purchase

These stories are laconically effective in causing a depression. If you don't know what existential nihilism is, Antarctica will teach you.

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Florence Clark Kadagian
A happy find.
Reviewed in the United States on 15 October 2011
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I was so happy to discover Claire Keegan just recently. I'm only sorry she has not written more. Like William Trevor, she can capture a life in a very few words. Wonderful and magical.

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Charlotte
Violence
Reviewed in Australia on 16 November 2024
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It was well written short stories but the topic of sex, violence and discrimination against women is confronting

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IANELLI-BERTHIER
Tragédie
Reviewed in France on 7 January 2025
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Ne comptez pas rêver en lisant ce livre,car les personnages de Claire Keegan traversent des épreuves cauchemardesques .Au cœur de plusieurs récits on trouve un problème familial . En voici quelques exemples : une mère perd la raison et finit internée, une maison est maudite car une mère y a maltraité ses enfants ,une famille est détruite suite à l’enlèvement de son enfant , deux sœurs se retrouvent dans la maison familiale et l’une d’elle doit partir .
Si l’on parle d’amour dans ce roman ,il est impossible (love in the Tall Grass) ,il conduit également à une séquestration (
Antarctica ).
Livre poignant ,se lit facilement .

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christine morrison
Chilling
Reviewed in Spain on 2 January 2025
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The first story "Antarctica" is a fine piece of terror.

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Antarctica: ‘A genuine once-in-a-generation writer.’ THE TIMES Paperback – 2 Nov. 2023

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5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect short stories

5.0 out of 5 stars A happy find.

2.0 out of 5 stars Violence

5.0 out of 5 stars Tragédie

4.0 out of 5 stars Chilling

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Perfect short stories

A happy find.

Violence

Tragédie

Chilling