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Available
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Publication
Publisher Unknown (1969)
Description
Alice Raikes takes a train from London to Scotland to visit her family, but when she gets there she witnesses something so shocking that she insists on returning to London immediately. A few hours later, Alice is lying in a coma after an accident that may or may not have been a suicide attempt. Alice's family gathers at her bedside and as they wait, argue, and remember, long-buried tensions emerge. The more they talk, the more they seem to conceal. Alice, meanwhile, slides between varying levels of consciousness, recalling her past and a love affair that recently ended. A riveting story that skips through time and interweaves multiple points of view, After You'd Gone is a novel of stunning psychological depth and marks the debut of a major literary talent.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cariola
Beautifully written heartbreaker of a story. At the beginning of the novel, Alice Raikes gets off a train in Edinburgh to visit her sisters. She makes a stop in the loo, sees something that disturbs her, and hops the next train back to London with no explanation. When she arrives, she steps off the
From this point, the novel meanders through time, from the point of Alice's parents' engagment to the near present, and the focal point continually shifts--sometimes it's Alice, sometimes her mother Ann or her grandmother Elspeth, sometimes one of her sisters, Kirsty or Beth. As the family keeps a vigil by Alice's bedside, secrets, regrets, and lost opportunities are slowly revealed, and we come to understand just what brought Alice to this point.
I enjoyed O'Farrell's The Vanishing of Esme Lennox, but this one tops it by far.
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curb into the path of an approaching vehicle.From this point, the novel meanders through time, from the point of Alice's parents' engagment to the near present, and the focal point continually shifts--sometimes it's Alice, sometimes her mother Ann or her grandmother Elspeth, sometimes one of her sisters, Kirsty or Beth. As the family keeps a vigil by Alice's bedside, secrets, regrets, and lost opportunities are slowly revealed, and we come to understand just what brought Alice to this point.
I enjoyed O'Farrell's The Vanishing of Esme Lennox, but this one tops it by far.
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LibraryThing member relah
I was a fair way into this book before I realised that I'd already read it. Oddly, what tipped me off was the description of John's house - I wish someone would leave me a house so I could knock down interior walls and paint the rooms deep red and blue. Not a bad book but surely interior design
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shouldn't be the most memorable part? Show Less
LibraryThing member wandering_star
very well-written - but too much happens to the main character - cut the story back slightly and it would have been a lot better.
LibraryThing member yourotherleft
After You'd Gone begins at its end. One Saturday morning Alice Raikes decides on the spur of the moment to visit her sisters in Edinburgh. She's barely just arrived when she sees something, something that remains a mystery until the end of the novel, that is so unspeakable that she departs for home
The novel proceeds in various tenses, voices, and points of view, peeling off layer after layer of Alice's story, showing us that things are never quite as simple as they seem. After You'd Gone is many things: a story about true love, about family, about loss, about grief, and about healing. All of these things are beautifully rendered in a style that deceives readers into thinking that maybe they aren't all that involved in the story only to find that they've been so wrapped up in the web of Alice's life, that the core of the story is all the more gripping and heart-wrenching.
At first, I found the story's style of stringing together seemingly unrelated vignettes into larger chapters to be difficult, but as I came closer and closer to the end of the novel, I was stunned at how effective this tactic had been in helping me to know Alice inside and out and to become emotionally engaged with her. What seems so haphazard is, in truth, a surprisingly well-crafted narrative. In After You'd Gone, Maggie O'Farrell has crafted an incredible story that takes us into all the highs and lows of her character's life. All the time, O'Farrell manages to stealthily manipulate emotions without ever being cheesy or melodramatic. She is a master of not just telling but showing us her story - capturing the awkwardness of the beginning of a relationship, the blossoming of love, and the intense pain of grief and heartbreak. Maggie O'Farrell has an astonishing grasp of emotions and the human condition. This novel is beautiful, heart-breaking, and not to be missed.
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again immediately. Later that night, Alice steps out into traffic and falls into a coma. Was it an accident? Or something worse?The novel proceeds in various tenses, voices, and points of view, peeling off layer after layer of Alice's story, showing us that things are never quite as simple as they seem. After You'd Gone is many things: a story about true love, about family, about loss, about grief, and about healing. All of these things are beautifully rendered in a style that deceives readers into thinking that maybe they aren't all that involved in the story only to find that they've been so wrapped up in the web of Alice's life, that the core of the story is all the more gripping and heart-wrenching.
At first, I found the story's style of stringing together seemingly unrelated vignettes into larger chapters to be difficult, but as I came closer and closer to the end of the novel, I was stunned at how effective this tactic had been in helping me to know Alice inside and out and to become emotionally engaged with her. What seems so haphazard is, in truth, a surprisingly well-crafted narrative. In After You'd Gone, Maggie O'Farrell has crafted an incredible story that takes us into all the highs and lows of her character's life. All the time, O'Farrell manages to stealthily manipulate emotions without ever being cheesy or melodramatic. She is a master of not just telling but showing us her story - capturing the awkwardness of the beginning of a relationship, the blossoming of love, and the intense pain of grief and heartbreak. Maggie O'Farrell has an astonishing grasp of emotions and the human condition. This novel is beautiful, heart-breaking, and not to be missed.
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LibraryThing member pdebolt
Initially, I found this book somewhat difficult to follow. The time lines shift, as do the characters' ages and interactions. I am so very glad that I stayed with it to the point where I couldn't put it down. Maggie O'Farrell did an excellent job of developing the relationships to the point where
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they all converged. I found myself deeply moved by the portrayal of raw, real pain, which everyone who has lost someone irreplacable in their lives and hearts will recognize. The ending was, in my opinion, perfect. We are left knowing that hearts will mend with help and sharing memories with someone else who cared as much will provide mutual solace. Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
When I finishing The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, I felt compelled to read After You'd Gone. Maggie O'Farrell is an incredible writer who is able to capture human emotion in a magnificent and poignant manner. What I really liked about this book is the way in which O'Farrell dealt with complex
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issues without over dramatizing them. The book packs a soft punch of wisdom regarding love, betrayal, grief and forgiveness. Show Less
LibraryThing member deadgirl
A very good book, I enjoyed it very much -- I was completely caught in the story for the few days I spent reading it. It gave me another glimpse into human behaviour and character, into the different types of relationships we have and how things are not always what they seem. An unexpected ending.
LibraryThing member skh1973
I truely loved this book. Ms. O'Farrell's writing is like no other! At times she made me laugh, and other times made me weep! I have not been so thoroughly touched by a book since reading "Lovely Bones" . This book really moved me!
LibraryThing member akeela
This is an accomplished, heartrending debut novel. It is the story of a profound and true love tragically aborted. O’Farrell’s fine prose explores powerful themes of family, loss, grief and healing. This is one to savor.
LibraryThing member whirled
An intriguing premise - after witnessing an unsettling sight while on a visit home, young journalist Alice Raikes returns to London, steps into the path of oncoming traffic and ends up in a coma. In unraveling the events leading up to Alice's current predicament, O'Farrell switches (sometimes with
Overall, After You'd Gone is a light and entertaining read, but the major plot twist isn't properly concealed and the dialogue has a B-grade, soap opera feel to it.
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jarring frequency) between different aspects of the Raikes family's history. Overall, After You'd Gone is a light and entertaining read, but the major plot twist isn't properly concealed and the dialogue has a B-grade, soap opera feel to it.
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LibraryThing member seekingflight
Alice mysteriously and abruptly returns home to London from Edinburgh, only an hour or so after she arrives. After returning to London, she is hit by a car, and left in a coma. Is it possible that she deliberately stepped out in front of the car? What was it that shocked her so much in Edinburgh?
I
With hindsight, the gradual unfolding of the story is in some ways rather nice. There is a sense of suspense that builds up to some (perhaps predictable) revelations, and Alice is a quirky character who occasionally shares an insight or a perspective on people or life that I did enjoy.
Perhaps most importantly, life often is a string of disjointed events, and it’s up to each of us to come up with our own connecting narratives.
So maybe my criticism is overly harsh, but I still felt as if this book just didn’t really do much for me at all.
I
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really didn’t think much of this as I was reading it. The narrative jumps from one character to another, from one perspective to another, from first person to third person and back again, as we flash back to various events in the lives of Alice, her mother, and grandmother. Many of the events seemed like random incidents with little connection to each other, significance, or originality in terms of plot or theme. With hindsight, the gradual unfolding of the story is in some ways rather nice. There is a sense of suspense that builds up to some (perhaps predictable) revelations, and Alice is a quirky character who occasionally shares an insight or a perspective on people or life that I did enjoy.
Perhaps most importantly, life often is a string of disjointed events, and it’s up to each of us to come up with our own connecting narratives.
So maybe my criticism is overly harsh, but I still felt as if this book just didn’t really do much for me at all.
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LibraryThing member PriscillaM
This book had me hooked from the first page. It is about Alice, growing up in a small Scottish town, within a family consisting of Grandmother Elsbeth, with whom Alice has the greatest connection, mother Ann ( who hides a secret that will eventually impact tragically on Alice), father, Ben and two
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sisters Kirsty & Beth. After university, Alice meets John and inspite of a significant obstacle fall deeply in love. Maggie O'Farrell is brilliant in weaving a tale so skillfully that you feel all the heart wrenching emotions along with the characters. And the ending,......well....... you have to decide. Show Less
LibraryThing member snail49
Heart tugging story of love and loss. Well written, compulsive reading.
LibraryThing member deargreenplace
This is the second book I've read by this author, and I've found myself recommending them.
'After You'd Gone' is the story of Alice, who steps in front of a car near the beginning of the book. She falls into a coma, and the book alternates between periods in her life - her childhood, university, and
Like in "The Distance Between Us', there is an underlying mystery to be solved. Was Alice trying to commit suicide? What did she see that may have made her want to do so? Where does the 'he' of the title go to?
There's a huge emotional impact to this book - it's heartbreaking. This, I think, is partly because of the men O'Farrell writes: they are the type of men any female would dream of meeting, and I found myself thinking jealous and bitter thoughts about the luck of her heroines, and feeling devastated by their loss.
After only two books though, I see a stereotype emerging with O'Farrell's male and female characters. Where do men such as these exist, outside the world of fiction? And does a heroine always need to be a feisty yet beautiful outsider (she was also an Edinburgh to London transplant in both books) with the remarkable good fortune of having decent men fall in love with her instantly?
Aside from my strange emotional reaction to O'Farrell's books, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. They are well-written, thoughtful and suspenseful.
'After You'd Gone' is the story of Alice, who steps in front of a car near the beginning of the book. She falls into a coma, and the book alternates between periods in her life - her childhood, university, and
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her relationships with men. Chapters are also dedicated to her mother Ann and grandmother Elspeth.Like in "The Distance Between Us', there is an underlying mystery to be solved. Was Alice trying to commit suicide? What did she see that may have made her want to do so? Where does the 'he' of the title go to?
There's a huge emotional impact to this book - it's heartbreaking. This, I think, is partly because of the men O'Farrell writes: they are the type of men any female would dream of meeting, and I found myself thinking jealous and bitter thoughts about the luck of her heroines, and feeling devastated by their loss.
After only two books though, I see a stereotype emerging with O'Farrell's male and female characters. Where do men such as these exist, outside the world of fiction? And does a heroine always need to be a feisty yet beautiful outsider (she was also an Edinburgh to London transplant in both books) with the remarkable good fortune of having decent men fall in love with her instantly?
Aside from my strange emotional reaction to O'Farrell's books, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. They are well-written, thoughtful and suspenseful.
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LibraryThing member PeterT
Unsettling - uplifting, depressing, insightful. If you are living a comfortable, complacent life without deep emotion or purpose then this book may make you wonder whether you should be doing something more ... or maybe stable mediocrity is less risky?
I knew by page 80 that I would finish it - and
I knew by page 80 that I would finish it - and
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the further in I got the more engaged I became. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gracelovsbks
The story hit me where I live, and although saddening and maddening in many respects captured the uncertainty of the meaning of life quite well. The multiple prisms and perspectives in the narration added a sense of mystery or wonder. O'Farrell was recommended to me by my Mom. I will continue to
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make my way through her oeuvre. I recommend her writing. Show Less
LibraryThing member sumariotter
I found this unexpectedly gripping. It's told in a nonlinear way from many points of view, a story about love and grief.
LibraryThing member astrologerjenny
This novel grips you from the first line, and keeps you constantly engaged. The protagonist, Alice, has always been a little different from her sisters, and the central moment of the book is when she finds out why. She’s strong, tempestuous, and fiercely loving, and when she chooses to die, she
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has good reasons. The story moves around freely, from her childhood all the way back to her grandmother’s childhood, and all the time Alice is on a hospital bed, in a coma. The freedom of the narrative works beautifully and gradually you find yourself living in Alice’s skin, and understanding why she is where she is. Show Less
LibraryThing member ccayne
O'Farrell has an amazing ability to bring you inside Alice's grief.
LibraryThing member dawnlovesbooks
Alice steps,off the curb into traffic and ends up in a coma? Was she trying to kill herself? The story unfolds through members of her family! Made me cry!!!
LibraryThing member KimHooperWrites
This was a slow starter for me. For the first 50 or so pages, I wasn't quite sure what was going on. There are several characters introduced, lots of jumping back and forth in time. It all clicked perfectly after 100 pages. And from that point forward, I couldn't put this down. Maggie O'Farrell's
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writing is always beautiful. Her other books explore family secrets and this one is no different. Really great. If you're tempted to abandon it soon after you start it, don't. Show Less
LibraryThing member BooksOn23rd
I made a huge mistake in choosing to read AFTER YOU'D GONE, by Maggie O'Farrell. I'm not a fan of family dramas and here we have not one, not two, but three generations of familial bickering. I was initially intrigued by the book description where Alice, the youngest of the generations, "witnesses
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something so shocking that she insists on returning to London immediately." I wanted to know what she saw. Unfortunately, we don't know what she saw even when she sees it. I read 165 pages before I gave up. Skipping ahead to the end I finally got my answer. SO not worth it. Show Less
LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
You know that rule some people have about reading 50 pages of a book and deciding whether to put it down or continue with it? Well I’m not sure if this would have made it if I were a stickler to that rule. Actually, writing that, I’m not sure exactly which page it was that made me realize I
But there was something about Alice. When she meets her John and they muddle their way into a relationship. There’s something about his doggedness, her seeming initial reluctance to be a part of it, then it grows into that sweetness of love, bolstered by their determination to be together despite disapproval. Their immense, heady, head-in-the-clouds love. That was what made me want to carry on. That was what took my own heart a little bit. This relationship, this character of Alice, these things creep under your skin and
The story begins with Alice, heading out on the train to Edinburgh to see her sisters. But something happens and she decides to head back to London. She steps out into the street and is hit by a car. As she lies in a coma in hospital, the narrative, as I had mentioned earlier*, flits from the present to the past, unravelling the circumstances that have led up to this day. This involves her mother, her grandmother, her sisters, and her John.
This story has stayed with me, and everytime I think of it, I feel strangely overwhelmed. There is so much emotion and sentiment in this story. Perhaps it’s a little melodramatic, but it is very moving, and beautifully and sharply written.
I look up O’Farrell’s bibliography and realised that this was her first novel. I can’t wait to read the rest of her books!
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liked this book. But I do know that I mostly muddled my way through the first lot of pages. The narration confused me a little. Multiple points of view, different periods of time. It was as if the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were in front of me, but I didn’t have the faintest idea what the picture was. It didn’t help that I read part of it after the 430/5 am feedings, using the night mode on the Bluefire ereader app.But there was something about Alice. When she meets her John and they muddle their way into a relationship. There’s something about his doggedness, her seeming initial reluctance to be a part of it, then it grows into that sweetness of love, bolstered by their determination to be together despite disapproval. Their immense, heady, head-in-the-clouds love. That was what made me want to carry on. That was what took my own heart a little bit. This relationship, this character of Alice, these things creep under your skin and
The story begins with Alice, heading out on the train to Edinburgh to see her sisters. But something happens and she decides to head back to London. She steps out into the street and is hit by a car. As she lies in a coma in hospital, the narrative, as I had mentioned earlier*, flits from the present to the past, unravelling the circumstances that have led up to this day. This involves her mother, her grandmother, her sisters, and her John.
This story has stayed with me, and everytime I think of it, I feel strangely overwhelmed. There is so much emotion and sentiment in this story. Perhaps it’s a little melodramatic, but it is very moving, and beautifully and sharply written.
I look up O’Farrell’s bibliography and realised that this was her first novel. I can’t wait to read the rest of her books!
Show Less
LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
You know that rule some people have about reading 50 pages of a book and deciding whether to put it down or continue with it? Well I’m not sure if this would have made it if I were a stickler to that rule. Actually, writing that, I’m not sure exactly which page it was that made me realize I
But there was something about Alice. When she meets her John and they muddle their way into a relationship. There’s something about his doggedness, her seeming initial reluctance to be a part of it, then it grows into that sweetness of love, bolstered by their determination to be together despite disapproval. Their immense, heady, head-in-the-clouds love. That was what made me want to carry on. That was what took my own heart a little bit. This relationship, this character of Alice, these things creep under your skin and
The story begins with Alice, heading out on the train to Edinburgh to see her sisters. But something happens and she decides to head back to London. She steps out into the street and is hit by a car. As she lies in a coma in hospital, the narrative, as I had mentioned earlier*, flits from the present to the past, unravelling the circumstances that have led up to this day. This involves her mother, her grandmother, her sisters, and her John.
This story has stayed with me, and everytime I think of it, I feel strangely overwhelmed. There is so much emotion and sentiment in this story. Perhaps it’s a little melodramatic, but it is very moving, and beautifully and sharply written.
I look up O’Farrell’s bibliography and realised that this was her first novel. I can’t wait to read the rest of her books!
Show More
liked this book. But I do know that I mostly muddled my way through the first lot of pages. The narration confused me a little. Multiple points of view, different periods of time. It was as if the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were in front of me, but I didn’t have the faintest idea what the picture was. It didn’t help that I read part of it after the 430/5 am feedings, using the night mode on the Bluefire ereader app.But there was something about Alice. When she meets her John and they muddle their way into a relationship. There’s something about his doggedness, her seeming initial reluctance to be a part of it, then it grows into that sweetness of love, bolstered by their determination to be together despite disapproval. Their immense, heady, head-in-the-clouds love. That was what made me want to carry on. That was what took my own heart a little bit. This relationship, this character of Alice, these things creep under your skin and
The story begins with Alice, heading out on the train to Edinburgh to see her sisters. But something happens and she decides to head back to London. She steps out into the street and is hit by a car. As she lies in a coma in hospital, the narrative, as I had mentioned earlier*, flits from the present to the past, unravelling the circumstances that have led up to this day. This involves her mother, her grandmother, her sisters, and her John.
This story has stayed with me, and everytime I think of it, I feel strangely overwhelmed. There is so much emotion and sentiment in this story. Perhaps it’s a little melodramatic, but it is very moving, and beautifully and sharply written.
I look up O’Farrell’s bibliography and realised that this was her first novel. I can’t wait to read the rest of her books!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Mercef
Maggie O’Farrell’s first novel explores issues of family, their secrets, love and grief. Another of her books that is not written as a linear narrative but instead slips back and forwards in time. Not my preferred style but she does it well, perhaps to show how memories appear but it also adds
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to building the mystery of the story. Recommended. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Betty Trask Prize and Awards (Award Winner — Shortlist — 2001)
Original publication date
2000-04-06
Other editions
After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell (Paperback)