.jpg) First edition | |
| Author | Alice McDermott |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Publication date | September 10, 2013 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 240 |
| ISBN | 978-0-374-28109-0 |
Someone: A Novel is the seventh book of fiction by American author Alice McDermott. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2013, it was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Critical reception
- Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, summarizing that there's "no high drama here, but Marie and Gabe are compelling in their basic goodness."[1]
- Writing in The New York Times, Janet Maslin praised the novel, stating Someone is a "wonderfully modest title for such a fine-tuned, beautiful book filled with so much universal experience, such haunting imagery, such urgent matters of life and death."[2] Maslin later named Someone to her best of 2013 books list.[3]
- Publishers Weekly gave Someone a starred review, calling it a "deceptively simple tour de force."[4]
- The Los Angeles Times claimed, "Just as McDermott manages to write lyrically in plain language, she is able to find the drama in uninflected experience."[5]
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | National Book Award | Fiction | Longlisted | [6] |
| National Book Critics Circle Award | Fiction | Shortlisted | [7] | |
| 2014 | Dayton Literary Peace Prize | Fiction | Shortlisted | [8] |
| Maine Readers' Choice Award | — | Longlisted | ||
| Paterson Fiction Prize | Fiction | Shortlisted | ||
| 2015 | International Dublin Literary Award | — | Shortlisted | [9] |
References
- "Someone". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- Maslin, Janet (October 7, 2013). "Survivor Among a Lifetime of Ghosts". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- Maslin, Janet (December 19, 2013). "Janet Maslin's 10 Favorite Books of 2013". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- "Someone". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- McNulty, Charles (September 13, 2013). "Alice McDermott's snapshots of a woman in 'Someone'". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- "National Book Awards 2013". National Book Foundation. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- Florez, Paul. "NBCC Fiction Finalist Alice McDermott in Conversation with Paul Florez". www.bookcritics.org. National Book Critics Circle. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- "2014 – Dayton Literary Peace Prize". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- "2015 International Dublin Literary Award". Dublin Literary Award. Retrieved April 11, 2025.