CHARMING BILLY by Alice McDermott

Another novel about a drunken Irishman?  Really?  Fiction writers continue to perpetuate this stereotype, and I keep reading their books.  Shame on me.  Anyway, this novel is a eulogy to Billy Lynch, an alcoholic whose life’s poignant story is actually a lie.  No one actually says that Billy’s loss is what drives him to drink, but everyone brings it up as a possible justification.  The irony is that Billy, when sober, is a delightful, warm, charismatic human being.  He has a job and a long-suffering wife, who frequently has to call Billy’s cousin Dennis in the middle of the night to help her get her sloshed husband to bed.  The real lesson here is that lying to protect someone from humiliation is probably a mistake, especially if the lie gives the victim an excuse to wallow in a mournful mindset like a lost soul in a Shakespearean tragedy.  This ode to Billy is certainly well-written, but Billy’s charm did not shine through for me.  As for his loyal friends, Dennis is a coward for allowing his lie to color Billy’s life for so long.  Friends don’t let friends drive drunk, and friends should not try to shield friends from the truth.