‘after you’d gone’ made me cry.
Twice.
This is a rare feat for an author. It might well be a first and, it’s definitely a sign of Maggie O’Farrell’s word wizardry: she hasn’t just created characters, she’s managed to create emotions as well.
A few years ago I was warned not to read ‘after you’d gone’ if I was feeling the least bit depressed. Being a little unhinged at the time, the warning sounded sensible and I stored the book away for a time when I was slightly more hinged. A couple of weeks ago, it re-surfaced; and, after a quick emotional self assessment, I decided that my mental state was suitably robust to tackle a little hard core literary trauma.
As I reached the tragic revelation at about quarter to twelve one night and was overwhelmed by a gut wrenching sense of loss and a palpable sense of dread (‘please god, don’t let this happen’), I could understand the concern…but I wouldn’t have missed the experience for the world; and I will be recommending the novel, regardless of the reader’s state of mind –
Because it captures what you risk when you love.
And it shows you why the risk is worth taking.
‘after you’d gone’ is the story of Alice Raikes, a quirky yet immensely likeable protagonist whose comatose state provides an unusual backdrop for the subsequent piecing together of her story.
Yo-yo-ing between past, present, and narrative voice, the novel is as much detective story as it is personal drama; and, it is perhaps this combination that makes it so powerful.
With no time – or space – for lazy readers, it is hard not to become entangled in the narrative and the characters; and, it is almost unavoidable to maintain any emotional distance –
Which might be why ‘after you’d gone’ made me cry (twice) –
And, is definitely why I will be reading Maggie O’Farrell again.