When All Is Said by Anne Griffin is a simple and well told story. I found myself not wanting to put it down and read it easily in about two days. It was one that came up as a suggestion and after reading what it was about, I decided to read it. I admit that it became clear where the story was heading early on in the book, but that only made me want to read more.
Here is the Goodreads synopsis:
A tale of a single night. The story of a lifetime.
If you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? If you were to raise a glass to each of them, what would you say? And what would you learn about yourself, when all is said and done?
This is the story of Maurice Hannigan, who, over the course of a Saturday night in June, orders five different drinks at the Rainford House Hotel. With each he toasts a person vital to him: his doomed older brother, his troubled sister-in-law, his daughter of fifteen minutes, his son far off in America, and his late, lamented wife. And through these people, the ones who left him behind, he tells the story of his own life, with all its regrets and feuds, loves and triumphs.
Beautifully written, powerfully felt, When All Is Said promises to be the next great Irish novel.
I’m not sure exactly what they mean by “the next great Irish novel,” but I can tell you that it was a very good story. When it was over, I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what else happened. I could see where a second book could pick up the story with a secondary character, but it is find exactly how it is.
In a sense, it is a love story – well, five love stories. But as you can probably tell from the synopsis, there are moments of sadness throughout the story. Each of these five people and how they fit into Maurice’s story and how they helped shape his life will bring laughs and tears.
The initial question asked by Goodreads was enough to hook me. It even had me trying to answer that question. Which five people would sum up my life? Who would I toast? Why only five? I am still struggling with the answers to these questions.
You might enjoy it. If you do read it, I’d love to know your thoughts….
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 
great question to consider
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It sounds like an interesting read. The idea, the sort of “epic,” quality sounds like the plot to the old Burt Lancaster movie, “The Swimmer,” where the main character spends a day swimming across all of his friends’ pools, encountering each of the acquaintances, friends and old lovers in turn. Or, even more, like the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, where a recently dead man’s life is explained to him by five important people in his life, in order. Which was very good.
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I had forgotten about that Lancaster movie. Been a long time since I have seen it. May need to watch it.
I read Albom’s book and I can see the similarities for sure. This is a bit different in that the character is telling his story – while toasting those 5 people.
I liked it.
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