| “Charming Billy” is an exceptionally well written story of the alcohol-induced death of a charming drunk called, “Billy.” Fortunately for the reader, the story is also about Billy’s one true love and the tragedy that evolves from it. It is a story about family, life and the friendships and loves that develop over time.
I almost did not read this book because it starts with a funeral for Billy and frankly, that is a pretty depressing way to start a story. |
At the funeral party, the reader is introduced to all the people who took part in Billy’s life and who were influenced by his life and death. The author then goes back in time to narrate how these characters were part of his life and how they all form an interesting mosaic. Each chapter represents a piece of the puzzle.
The book is so well written that it garnered the prestigious National Book Award. Here is an example of its beautiful prose: “In the arc of an unremarkable life, a life whose triumphs are small and personal, whose trials are ordinary enough, as tempered in their pain as in their resolution of pain, the claim of exclusivity in love requires both a certain kind of courage, and a good dose of delusion.”
I recommend this book without reservation.
