Description
Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE IRISH BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD
''A rare jewel'' John Banville
''A genuine page-turner'' Donal Ryan
''This is how you tell a story'' Cecelia Ahern
At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He''s alone, as usual - though tonight is anything but.
Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories - of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice - the life of one man will powerfully and poignantly be laid bare.
''A book to savour and pass on. An absolute joy'' Sunday Mirror
''A rich and moving story, a poetic voice and unforgettable character in Maurice'' Elle
Trade Review[An] impressively confident debut ... Maurice Hannigan emerges as an engaging, compassionate creation * Guardian *
[An] impressively confident debut ... Maurice Hannigan emerges as an engaging, compassionate creation * Guardian *
Anne Griffin's debut novel is a must read. Beautifully observed, masterful story telling - stunning!
Anne Griffin's debut novel is a must read. Beautifully observed, masterful story telling - stunning!
There is something special here . . . The next big name to emerge from the Irish writing scene.
There is something special here . . . The next big name to emerge from the Irish writing scene.
Griffin is a magical storyteller whose prose is effortless and clear. She conjures an intimate, poignant and ultimately enthralling portrait of a man who has battled loneliness and other demons throughout his life. Maurice is superbly well-realised: a character who tries to make amends and, in so doing, cracked my heart. * Daily Mail *
Griffin is a magical storyteller whose prose is effortless and clear. She conjures an intimate, poignant and ultimately enthralling portrait of a man who has battled loneliness and other demons throughout his life. Maurice is superbly well-realised: a character who tries to make amends and, in so doing, cracked my heart. * Daily Mail *
A book to savour, and pass on. An absolute joy * Sunday Mirror *
A book to savour, and pass on. An absolute joy * Sunday Mirror *
A hugely enjoyable, engrossing novel, a genuine page-turner.
A hugely enjoyable, engrossing novel, a genuine page-turner.
Maurice Hannigan is a wonderful invention, whose bitter-sweet meditations will stay long in the reader's mind. Anne Griffin has fashioned a rare jewel.
Maurice Hannigan is a wonderful invention, whose bitter-sweet meditations will stay long in the reader's mind. Anne Griffin has fashioned a rare jewel.
This is how you tell a story
This is how you tell a story
[Anne Griffin] builds a remarkably rich sense of place, while also tracing the wider changes affecting Ireland. ...Maurice is a lovingly rendered example of the current vogue for characters who have fallen through the cracks * Sunday Times *
[Anne Griffin] builds a remarkably rich sense of place, while also tracing the wider changes affecting Ireland. ...Maurice is a lovingly rendered example of the current vogue for characters who have fallen through the cracks * Sunday Times *
Beautifully written, unhurried and thoughtful, and a character you love from the off.
Beautifully written, unhurried and thoughtful, and a character you love from the off.
As candid a portrait of human frailty as you're likely to find. Griffin is uncannily accurate in her depiction of that peculiarly Irish emotional paralysis we're all familiar with. * Sunday Independent *
As candid a portrait of human frailty as you're likely to find. Griffin is uncannily accurate in her depiction of that peculiarly Irish emotional paralysis we're all familiar with. * Sunday Independent *
Pitch-perfect prose ... Moving and beautifully written, this is a wonderfully assured debut. * Mail on Sunday *
Pitch-perfect prose ... Moving and beautifully written, this is a wonderfully assured debut. * Mail on Sunday *
A proper tear-jerker, but one that will ultimately leave you feeling hopeful * Grazia *
A proper tear-jerker, but one that will ultimately leave you feeling hopeful * Grazia *
A warm and wise treasure of a book with a character whose voice draws you in from the start * The I *
A warm and wise treasure of a book with a character whose voice draws you in from the start * The I *
A rich and moving story, a poetic voice and unforgettable character in Maurice * Elle *
A rich and moving story, a poetic voice and unforgettable character in Maurice * Elle *
It's all beautifully done; a tale told in the plain but poetic prose of a man who recognises the tragic truths gleaned from a life of love and loss. A gem of a book * Sunday Express *
It's all beautifully done; a tale told in the plain but poetic prose of a man who recognises the tragic truths gleaned from a life of love and loss. A gem of a book * Sunday Express *
This could be one of the big book hits of 2019 * Red Magazine *
This could be one of the big book hits of 2019 * Red Magazine *
An atmospheric debut ... The most impressive aspects of this first novel are its rich, flowing prose, its convincing voice and its imaginative and clever structure ... Griffin is a welcome arrival to the literary scene * Irish Times *
An atmospheric debut ... The most impressive aspects of this first novel are its rich, flowing prose, its convincing voice and its imaginative and clever structure ... Griffin is a welcome arrival to the literary scene * Irish Times *
Griffin's strength is in voice and in the rhythm of her prose ... She is excellent at interrogating the complexity of Maurice's barriers * Irish Independent *
Griffin's strength is in voice and in the rhythm of her prose ... She is excellent at interrogating the complexity of Maurice's barriers * Irish Independent *
A rich, fluid debut novel * The I Newspaper *
A rich, fluid debut novel * The I Newspaper *
A heartfelt and impressive debut novel * Sunday Business Post *
A heartfelt and impressive debut novel * Sunday Business Post *
Poetic and touching without being sentimental, When All Is Said by Anne Griffin is something special. * Good Housekeeping *
Poetic and touching without being sentimental, When All Is Said by Anne Griffin is something special. * Good Housekeeping *
An emotional yet uplifting novel - we defy you not to fall in love with Maurice Hannigan and his heart-warming story. * Woman's Weekly *
An emotional yet uplifting novel - we defy you not to fall in love with Maurice Hannigan and his heart-warming story. * Woman's Weekly *
Will stay with you long after you close the cover * Irish Mail on Sunday *
Will stay with you long after you close the cover * Irish Mail on Sunday *
Beautifully written, this is a feast of Irish storytelling * Choice *
Beautifully written, this is a feast of Irish storytelling * Choice *
A powerful page-turner ... wonderfully poetic, atmospheric and moving. * Best *
A powerful page-turner ... wonderfully poetic, atmospheric and moving. * Best *
When All Is Said captures the texture of a night catching up with an old friend - the pleasures and comforts, the stories and surprises - one that you never want to end, and all the more bittersweet because you know, of course, that it must.
When All Is Said captures the texture of a night catching up with an old friend - the pleasures and comforts, the stories and surprises - one that you never want to end, and all the more bittersweet because you know, of course, that it must.
Maurice Hannigan is one of those rare and unforgettable characters whose lives we enter, inhabit for a time all too brief, and emerge from deeply changed. Anne Griffin is a writer with a bright, bright future.
Maurice Hannigan is one of those rare and unforgettable characters whose lives we enter, inhabit for a time all too brief, and emerge from deeply changed. Anne Griffin is a writer with a bright, bright future.
A warm and nourishing story from a writer of much promise. * RTE Guide *
A warm and nourishing story from a writer of much promise. * RTE Guide *
Griffin's debut is a beautiful and poignant page-turner. * Image Magazine *
Griffin's debut is a beautiful and poignant page-turner. * Image Magazine *
A fine literary debut from a writer I'm sure we'll hear more from * Mature Times *
A fine literary debut from a writer I'm sure we'll hear more from * Mature Times *
Superb ... incredibly moving without ever straying into sentiment * People *
Superb ... incredibly moving without ever straying into sentiment * People *
[Maurice's] story will make you laugh and cry -
When All Is Said is a wonderful debut novel from Anne Griffin. She says she "wanted to write a damn good story". She has succeeded beyond her dreams. * My Weekly *
[Maurice's] story will make you laugh and cry -
When All Is Said is a wonderful debut novel from Anne Griffin. She says she "wanted to write a damn good story". She has succeeded beyond her dreams. * My Weekly *
When All Is Said tells the tale of an imperfect man who you will not be able to forget. * Irish Country Magazine *
When All Is Said tells the tale of an imperfect man who you will not be able to forget. * Irish Country Magazine *
A beautifully written, perfectly paced, heartfelt novel * Saga *
A beautifully written, perfectly paced, heartfelt novel * Saga *
Tissues at the ready for what is a confident yet carefully written debut . . . I adored it. Utterly recommended. * Woman's Way *
Tissues at the ready for what is a confident yet carefully written debut . . . I adored it. Utterly recommended. * Woman's Way *
Achingly poignant and wryly funny, Irish author Anne Griffin's luminous debut is a celebration of stolen joy and lost opportunities * Waterstones Weekly *
Achingly poignant and wryly funny, Irish author Anne Griffin's luminous debut is a celebration of stolen joy and lost opportunities * Waterstones Weekly *
A heart-warming, heart-breaking and poignant debut of rare power. * NetGalley Books of 2019 *
A heart-warming, heart-breaking and poignant debut of rare power. * NetGalley Books of 2019 *
Griffin's stunning debut, brimming with irresistible Irish-isms, is an elegy to love, loss and the complexity of life. * People Magazine *
Griffin's stunning debut, brimming with irresistible Irish-isms, is an elegy to love, loss and the complexity of life. * People Magazine *
An accomplished debut. A sensitive layered description of grief and regret . . . excellent * Minneapolis Star Tribune *
An accomplished debut. A sensitive layered description of grief and regret . . . excellent * Minneapolis Star Tribune *
Beautifully realized * LitHub *
Beautifully realized * LitHub *
A portrait of a life in which revenge, love, loss, and misunderstanding all play their part . . . This is a wonderful piece of story-telling that is intimate, compassionate and extraordinarily assured. * Daily Mail *
A portrait of a life in which revenge, love, loss, and misunderstanding all play their part . . . This is a wonderful piece of story-telling that is intimate, compassionate and extraordinarily assured. * Daily Mail *
Anne Griffin's first novel has taken Ireland by storm . . . Immediate, often funny, sometimes dark and, on occasion, devastatingly sad. * The Times *
Anne Griffin's first novel has taken Ireland by storm . . . Immediate, often funny, sometimes dark and, on occasion, devastatingly sad. * The Times *
Nearly 40 years of publishing has made me a cynical reviewer of books, but, oh my god, it's impossible to be churlish about discovering such a fabulous and unforgettable character. A one-hit wonder this is not * NB Magazine *
Nearly 40 years of publishing has made me a cynical reviewer of books, but, oh my god, it's impossible to be churlish about discovering such a fabulous and unforgettable character. A one-hit wonder this is not * NB Magazine *
A gentle tale of an irascible Irish farmer, who spends the last day of his life toasting the five people who have meant the most to him- sure to move even the stoniest of hearts * Independent *
A gentle tale of an irascible Irish farmer, who spends the last day of his life toasting the five people who have meant the most to him- sure to move even the stoniest of hearts * Independent *
