The End and Everything Before It

by Finegan Kruckemeyer

A debut novel from one of Australia's most internationally celebrated playwrights, The End and Everything Before It is a kaleidoscopic story about the way love and loss shape a community.

Emma watched her mother's kayak disappear among icebergs in the Arctic Sea. Six years later, her brother, who had not spoken since their mother was lost, warns Emma of the curse of death that she brought to anyone who looked on her face-before tragedy befalls him too.

Emma consigns herself to a solitary life at sea, where she can do no more harm. After years alone, she is mysteriously drawn to land. And she docks at an island, afraid of what her arrival might mean for the welcoming man and his daughter waving from the jetty.

But who knows where our stories begin and end or how they are entwined? Who knows whether now, on the island, she begins a new tale-or takes a role in a story that began generations ago with a feast in the forest, or a chest of gold coins plunged into the sea, or an orphan in a bookshop beguiled by an elusive and troubled woman?

Finegan Kruckemeyer's astonishing debut, The End and Everything Before It, is a sweeping, joyous novel about love, loss and the power of stories-an uplifting journey into our deepest humanity.

Genres: Fiction, Australia, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Speculative Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2024

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then a book comes along that reminds me of the sheer joy of reading, and this debut novel by playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer is such a book. It's very nearly perfect, and is bound to stay with me for a long time. Defying all the conventions of traditional storytelling, readers who enjoy literary fiction will love this, and readers who don't - well they just might be converted.

This story reads like a fairy tale or fable, with larger-than-life characters populating a detailed, imaginary landscape. The structure is almost kaleidoscopic, beginning somewhere in the second half, then moving backwards, forwards, and all over, really. It slowly becomes apparent that there are connections to be made everywhere, and just when you think you have it all straight, the end comes along to let you know that there's more to it than you could ever have imagined! Such an apt title.

While this is a relatively short book, people who follow my reviews will know I'm a slow reader, so it took me a few sittings to read through to the end. I really wish I'd been able to finish in a single day, because then I may not have given into my own curiosity/frustration and drawn a mud-map of how I thought all the characters related to each other. I warn against this because it kind of spoiled the experience for me (even though Kruckemeyer had more surprises in store!). Instead I would urge readers to just trust the author.

With no real anchors to time or place, I must say this book gave me strong vibes of Robbie Arnott's superb novel, The Rain Heron. It's just about the highest praise I can give.

Highly recommended.

[jaz ₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite confusing and hard to maintain a grasp of, not really for me. Poetic writing, lovely to read. Just not the most memorable reading experience.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read. It’s hard to describe this because really it’s not till the end that it’s all explained. It drifts through times and characters who are all connected by a place. There’s a building on a hill overlooking a forest next to the sea. The building goes through stages, first it’s a prison, then a hospital, next a juvenile detention centre. One prisoner is bequeathed the land beneath the hill and he establishes a village to service the surrounding farms and the town grows and many of the generations of characters are introduced. It’s so well done and very difficult to stop reading as I loved the characters as they go through their lives filled with good times and bad.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the sample chapter of The End and Everything Before It by Finegan Kruckemeyer gave me goosebumps and reminded me of the fable at the beginning of The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott. The fact that Australian literary author Robbie Arnott (also the author of Limberlost ) was involved in the launch of this book speaks volumes about the confidence Text Publishing and this wildly successful author have in Kruckemeyer's debut.

I usually need a clear structure and detest a dreamy narrative, but somehow in The End and Everything Before It Kruckemeyer has produced a loosely structured dreamlike group of stories connected by geographical proximity through time and I loved it!

An intergenerational saga that is far from linear, each generation offers a parable within their tale, yet this happens without clear dates to place characters in chronological order. The reader is left to realise in their own time, oh, that must have happened when the building on the hill was a hospital, or I think this character is the granddaughter of that one.

These kinds of literary feats are usually beyond my intellectual ability or exceed my willingness to surrender to the narrative, but here the author surprised me with this highly original - and accessible -offering. Additionally, I never re-read books because I always worry that I could be wasting an opportunity to discover a new favourite, but I found myself wanting to read The End and Everything Before It again before I'd even finished.

Enough gushing, let me share some quotes with you, because the writing was sublime. When describing a feast, the host remarks that it's a great success, not because he's the best host but because of the parts that make the whole.

"The tables are busy thoroughfares along which the things of life pass back and forth - salad bowls, misplaced forks, conversation, bottles of ale. And laughter. Laughter ringing off glasses, clattering onto plates, making eyes shine, cheeks crease. I sit in the laughter, happy to have set the table that holds it." Page 16

Doesn't that just make you warm and fuzzy inside? It makes me wish I could attend this feast while simultaneously thinking of Christmas.

When Emma the Greek meets Conor the orphan and his daughter, she tells them about her adventures at sea.

"If they'd had a question she'd given detail. If they were silent she'd pushed on. And it felt like a shedding - like standing on a porch when you've run through the rain, and stepping out of boots, and stripping off each layer, and shaking loose your hair, and wiping down your face with a sure, strong hand before you open the door and step into a warm room. It has seemed that she couldn't enter into that warm-room comfort until every tale was told, until every memory - still dripping - was hung upon its hook." Page 62-63

Moments like this made me pause and reflect on the perfect imagery and the character descriptions - while sometimes brief - managed to convey both depth and meaning.

By contrast, one moment had me snorting at the sheer unexpected nature of the character in question. A lady's maid is speaking to her widowed mistress on the one year anniversary of her husband's death.

"'Like how we got in that yellow wallpaper, the day of the... seeing how yellow's your colour, and how it wasn't so much his colour but now that's not so much of an issue. And we thought, if the wallpaper went up all right, then maybe... maybe we could give everything a... a good old spring-clean. And some of his things. His hat there by the door, his overcoat, the pipe there where it lies on that round low table in the library. Well maybe those things could--' I hit Betty so hard in the face her glasses bounced off the nearby wall." Page 72

Poor Betty, she didn't make a sound. Despite her cruelty, the wealthy widow was a favourite character and provided the dark side to some of the more wholesome characters in the novel.

Birds and nests are an important thematic reference in the novel and a lonely stone building on top of the hill is another marker of time as the reader notes the changes in purpose from prison to hospital, to immigration facility and juvenile home.

Booklovers will treasure the history of the town's bookshop and story connections:

"And on the bus back to the home I read the book. And that night I finished the book, and put it on my shelf. Then I slept the sleep of someone who's just finished a story, one where half your dreams are there already." Page 142-143

That's exactly how I felt about this book! Born in Ireland and now living in Adelaide, it's a little easier to believe this is Kruckemeyer's debut novel when you discover he's an award winning playwright. The End and Everything Before It is a literary fable about love, loss, legacy, purpose and community. It's an uplifting allegory rich in meaning that makes you appreciate the importance of love and remember the passage of time; we're here for such a small time and we all need to make it count! And the ending - gasp - was just sublime.

The End and Everything Before It by Finegan Kruckemeyer was unforgettable and a definite contender for my Top 5 Books of 2024 this year. Highly recommended!

* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *

[Theresa Smith]

#dnf

I tried with this one, reading through until part two, but I've failed. It's far too loose and whimsical for my reading tastes. I can't make head nor tail of any of it and there's too many books out there waving at me to persevere with something that I have to read other people's reviews of to understand.

Thanks to @text_publishing for the book review copy. Sorry I couldn't give it a better rap.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

In sympathy with the title of this book, let me begin at the end: this is without question the best book I have read this year, and perhaps for the last few years. It was simply a joy to read.

Finnegan Kruckemeyer was born in Ireland, but migrated to Australia when he was eight and now lives in Adelaide. He is an internationally-award-winning playwright, with more than one hundred plays performed around the world, many of them written for young audiences. The End and Everything Before It is his first novel, published by Text Publishing here in Melbourne.

What is it about? Well, that’s easy enough. It’s about death (“The End”) and life (“Everything Before It”): about grief and loss, cruelty and love. About what it means to live a good life. About redemption. More than anything, you’ll find out at the very end, it’s about the miraculous strength of a mother’s love for a child.

There’s a mythic feel to the novel, particularly at the start: a heightened sense of unreality, a sense that you are being recounted a legend, a story for the ages. In many ways it reminds me in a very positive way of the writing of fellow-Australian Robbie Arnott, particularly the latter’s novels Flames and The Rain Heron.

The End and Everything Before It is not, however, an easy book to describe in any detail without giving too much away, particularly the very clever underlying concept. So let me just set the scene a little.

We’re introduced in the first chapter to a teenage girl, Emma “the Greek”; though as she tells us, she is not Greek. As the book opens, she is at sea, adrift in a lifeboat with her father and three brothers. They have apparently escaped from their sinking trawler, the temperature is icy, and their survival is in doubt.

In the next chapter, we meet a man called Isaac, who has been in prison for some years after being convicted of murder. He has just been, unexpectedly, set free and told that he has inherited many acres of land, on the other side of a forest from the bare hill on which the prison stands. The inheritance is from a great-uncle who Isaac barely knew. On this land, on this unexpected gift, Isaac builds a town with the assistance of the neighbouring farmers. Almost the entirety of the story is set in this small town, which is on the shore of an ocean. Unsurprisingly, this town is where Emma the Greek eventually arrives after a long and hazardous journey.

Throughout the book we are introduced to a variety of characters as the years and generations pass. At one point we may see these people from an initial third-person point of view, and then have a first-person point of view of the same person. The scenes of the story are not all given to us in a chronological order; we range back and forth in time as their stories are told. All this makes up a fascinating kaleidoscope of a place and community. Their stories are mostly happy ones, filled with love and joy, though as the years pass there is naturally loss and grief. Accepting and understanding grief is indeed an important theme of the book; accepting death as a welcome release after a well-lived life, a redemptive life.

I liked this so much that no sooner had I finished reading it, than I turned around and immediately started again—something I do quite rarely—and the book well-repays that close attention, though of course you don’t need to do that to enjoy it thoroughly on the first read. Personally I am glad that I read the book twice because on the second reading I could understand better the bones of the book: how intricately and cleverly constructed it is; how the pieces work; how all the characters are related; how the little mysteries add up and foreshadow the revelation at the end of the book which ties it all together.

Full of wisdom, poetry, humour, sadness and magic, The End and Everything Before It is a real pleasure to read. Highly recommended. I’ll be very surprised and disappointed if it doesn’t get nominated for the Miles Franklin and other awards.

By crikey, I’d like to see some of his plays, but I also hope Kruckemeyer keeps on writing novels.

(Many thanks to Text Publishing for the review copy).

See here for my regular book-review newsletter.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasure it was to read this deceptively whimsical first novel from the celebrated playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer!

This is a novel unlike any other.  It's like a fairy tale told over the course of two centuries, and like those of Grimm and Perrault, it features some rough justice for evildoers.  There's also a wicked 'stepmother' who unwittingly provides redemption to an orphan, a stash of tainted treasure, the transformation of a 'beast' through the power of love, and wonderful characters who defy their destiny.  And—fittingly for a book about the power of stories and storytelling—there's a bookshop too.  It sounds daft, but remarkably, it works.  It's unputdownable, and in a world of angst-ridden fiction, it's uplifting.

(Although it's completely different, not least because it is utterly original in every way, it cheered me in the way that Rod Usher's Poor Man's Wealth offset the bleakness of a book I'd just read.)

Like a well-constructed play, the novel is episodic, with each vivid scene linking the acts together. Chapter 1 ends with the image of Emma alone on her boat, sailing into undeserved guilt and loneliness.  Chapter 2 introduces the first of the orphans: Isaac, who has fallen on hard times indeed:

When I inherited the land, I had little.

Little to eat, little to live on and little company, little to justify my existence.  I could be here or I could not, and little would it matter.  Then I inherited the land.

It was a large acreage and the great-uncle Henry who'd died was an unknown figure in my life—a man who went to war and remained there, laid out on some stretch of cold ground after the others returned home.  [...]

Over the next years, a slow succession of deaths occurred: the wife of that great uncle, some cousins—and eventually my parents too, in the depths of a season when rains are heavy and wagons are given to taking corners badly and sliding off country roads into rickety barns, which then collapse and flatten all beneath them.

At the same time—as branches of my family were being pruned by time and fate—I experienced a contraction of my own, of livelihood and love and liberty. (p.10-11).

Isaac is in prison, in a penitentiary perched on a high hill, denuded of any trees that might hide an escaping prisoner.  He has been there for fourteen years, tending a small garden, reading what few books were imprisoned with us, and fending off the attacks of the more volatile prisoners.  What might such a man do when he inherits a parcel of land?

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2024/06/19/t...

[nina.reads.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful, magical, moving and surprising with a twist at the end that had my eyes leaking a little.

The End and Everything Before It is one of the most original books I've read. It's hard to describe the plot except to say this is a story of people from many generations who live in a coastal town and who are all linked across time in subtle ways.

Go in with an open mind and be ready to be charmed by the fable like quality. The story is intricate and clever. The writing lyrical and lovely. It gives off Robbie Arnott vibes!! What an incredible debut novel by Australian playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer. I'm so impressed.

I don't want to say too much more about the plot and I fear I have already gushed too hard but I LOVED this book and it has the honour of being only the fourth book I've rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this year.

Thank you so much to @text_publishing for my #gifted copy.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gem of literary fiction fed my mind and nourished my heart. It's a story about the power of the stories we tell--and don't tell--ourselves and each other. It's a love story between the infinity of the water and the solidity of the land. It's a story of self and community, of self through community and community through self. It's a story of what's good, bad, and in between. It's universal, it's timeless, it's their story, yet it's my story, your story, our story. And you should absolutely read it.

"And you--we don't know where you come from either. I mean, you told us. But that's just the story telling the story. It's not like we don't believe you. It's just... you can't really say what a story means until it's over. And you're not over."

[Margaret Galbraith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forgot to add this book as of course once again it’s due back at the library so I had to rush through it. I’m not sure if that’s why I did not really enjoy it. I found it very confusing although well written. You can tell the author is a playwright and this is his debut book. It’s very poetic and I think I’d need to read it slower to get anything out of it! I’m not even sure how to describe it but read the blurb and see if you can make any sense of it! I picked this up as he was coming to Adelaide Writer’s Week yesterday but I didn’t make his session. Perhaps that may have helped me to understand his writing.

[Pammi Raghavendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost 5

[Text Publishing]

The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of The End and Everything Before It

‘This magical book honours the miracle of how people make people who become precious just to their chosen kin, just for a little while—before life continues on and sweeps us all along in its wake. It’s filled with a gentle acknowledgement of how we each suffer alone, but is also suffused with hope at how even the worst kinds of grief can be survived through loving connections with others. Bursting with wisdom and poetry, this novel reminds us that storytelling is a moral force—and a salve to every lost soul.’
Ceridwen Dovey

‘Tender, lyrical, funny, devastating, The End and Everything Before It is a map of the miracles great and small that make up our lives.’
Liam Pieper

‘Moving, profound and deeply layered…A triumphant melding of time and place, grief and love, and above all, the strength of the human spirit to counter tragedy with hope and endure.’
Books+Publishing

‘Mysterious, poetic, earthy and profound, The End and Everything Before It is a true delight, unlike anything I’ve ever read.’
Ayelet Waldman

‘This is a novel unlike any other…It’s unputdownable, and in a world of angst-ridden fiction, it’s uplifting…Kruckemeyer’s female characters defy stereotypes…Quietly devastating.’
ANZ LitLovers

‘A startlingly optimistic work, a fable about making families and communities, about the practices that bring people together as the world wrenches them apart.’
Catriona Menzies-Pike, Guardian

‘Beautifully demonstrates how stories can connect and shape lives, transcending generations and geographical boundaries…Masterful storytelling and rich character development create an immersive reading experience that lingers in the mind even after the story concludes. Readers will be captivated by the deep exploration of human experiences and the significant role that memory and narrative play in shaping our perception of ourselves and those around us.’
Readings

‘A profoundly tragicomic philosophy of life...Stories of death, love and grief collide in this book.’
Age

‘A book that is as much a puzzle as it is a novel…[Explores] the deeper question of where do stories start and where do stories end? What is a story and when can we start to look at it as an entity? Puts tiles into a mosaic that creates a picture…A beautiful concept, a beautiful preoccupation.’
ABC Radio Melbourne Evenings, David Astle

‘A lyrical story about the inevitability of events, of chance moments, of threads slowly woven together…The reward is a love story and a bit of magic…Kruckemeyer will crush your cynicism with a velvet glove. The novel’s climax might break your heart but you will be thankful for the reminder of the importance of life’s everyday miracles…A celebration of the natural world, a wonderful argument against capitalism and a welcome antidote to dark times.’
Saturday Paper

‘[A] beguiling debut…A parable of survival that attests to the value of resilient social bonds. We need writers who can anatomise the forces that are tearing our world apart—and we have them in abundance. Kruckemeyer has taken on a different task: envisioning what is required of us to build a world in which we can thrive.’
Catriona Menzies-Pike, Guardian

‘4.5 stars. Whimsical, lyrical, at the same time complex in its structure. Air of sophisticated fairytale, constructed by a master storyteller…At no time do you feel that these parables are trite or manufactured…It’s impossible to believe that this is [Kruckemeyer’s] debut novel…All you want from a novel.’
RNZ Nine to Noon

‘Childhood, the stories that families tell each other, the sea…We’re in the business of the stories that villages tell themselves…[The End and Everything Before It] erupts into an epic story of a colonised land, a story of landscape and multiple generations…A rewarding read.’
ABC RN The Bookshelf

‘Full of magic and wisdom, beautifully told, and spread through time like connective tissue.’
Herald Sun

‘This is without question the best book I have read this year…It was simply a joy to read…Full of wisdom, poetry, humour, sadness and magic, The End and Everything Before It is a real pleasure…I’ll be very surprised and disappointed if it doesn’t get nominated for the Miles Franklin and other awards. By crikey, I’d like to see some of his plays, but I also hope Kruckemeyer keeps on writing novels.’
Through the Biblioscope

‘Wit, wisdom and whimsy…Utterly original yet rich with an atmosphere of fairytale and fable…The language and rhythm is gorgeous in its unadorned lyricism….This book is a balm.’
InReview

‘5 stars. Sublime...I found myself wanting to read it again before I’d even finished…An uplifting allegory rich in meaning…Unforgettable.’
Carpe Librum

‘A debut novel from one of Australia’s most accomplished playwrights, The End and Everything Before It is a kaleidoscopic story about the way love and loss shape a community.’
Avenue Bookstore

‘A swirling, interconnected tale about a place and [its] community...Lyrical, heartfelt, beguiling and more than a little bit magical.’
Pile By the Bed

‘An absolute joy of a novel…The kind of story woven around a campfire…[A] dreamy blend of magic realism, the story of generations and whimsical gentle humour.’
New Voices Down Under

‘An extraordinary debut…Kruckemeyer’s prose is nothing short of sublime…Uplifting and life-affirming…A book that invites and even demands re-reading, with each pass revealing new connections and depths…A truly unforgettable literary journey.’
NZ Booklovers

‘An unforgettable debut.’
Australian Arts Review

‘Part fable, part parable, part parabolic…Magical.’
3CR Published or Not

‘Kruckemeyer’s writing is poetic, filled with lines that shimmer with wit and wry observation. He explores the quiet strength of human connections, the complicated nature of grief, the legacies we leave behind, and the power of community to shape us across generations…Feels like a gentle reminder of what truly matters: our connections, our communities, and the legacies we create—not just for ourselves, but for those who come after us. This is a book that left me feeling unexpectedly hopeful about the world we live in.’
Novel Feelings

‘I immersed myself in it over one weekend and upon finishing, knew it was a rare reading experience that would live with me for years to come.’
The Best Little Bookshop in Town

‘5 stars. What a debut! I am completely in love with this book and want to push it into the hands of everyone I know…Quirky, original (so original!), and full of heart and love and wisdom...I cried and smiled, reread passages, and remembered why I love books so much. What a joy.’
Good Reading

‘5 stars.’
Australian Book Lovers

‘Written like a fable these ethereal stories interweave certain themes that hold the novel together and give it a powerful spine—grief and trauma sit beside and within communities and connection.’
MUD Literary Prize

[Tom Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful novel; one I am so glad to have read. The writing is calming and thoughtful, and the story itself will no doubt make readers think more about their own stories, their ancestry and their connections to place.

It’s not necessarily an easy book to read; the structure and small details can be tough to follow at times. But it’s thoroughly recommended.

[Robbie Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

There has never been a moment when I've felt compelled to read a book more than once. However... The End and Everything Before It, a breathtaking and poetic fable like story, shall always be the book that changed my mind. "You just have to exist in it fully, from beginning to end"...Finegan, thank you. I hope you write more.

[Milla · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘I like the sea. I like its smell and I like its sound. I like the way it keeps time. I like how it communicates with the sky - how much the heavens exist in its depths. It reflects the stars, and heeds the moon, and makes the rain, and drowns the setting sun. The sea is a wonderful neighbour’

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, magical, lyrical book. It's hard to know what's going on in full, but you can just ease into it and enjoy the stories. 4.5*

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Overall loved the flow, plot and story of this wonderful fable, even if it took some time to pull together the relationships of the various characters. Some inconsistencies in whether those coming to the island are alive or dead in wrapping up the book took the overall edge off it for me. Some editing required??

[Desney King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, lyrical, magical - a fairytale quality yet profoundly grounded in the simplicity and complexity of life.

Because I have mild cognitive impairment (have had several strokes) I really couldn't follow the back and forth of the narrative; the switches from first to third person; the cast of characters.
Yet I couldn't stop reading. I simply immersed myself in the beauty and whimsy of the storytelling and absorbed what I could.

Wondrous.

[Will Bidstrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story told through multiple perspectives, satisfyingly complex and mysterious, and yet heartwarming and familiar. The writing is lyrical and each chapter is a satisfying piece of a puzzle that is revealed in the last pages.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow, this was beautiful. I was slow to start because of the different narratives, but it quickly became something I looked forward to reading. to bear witness to how all the threads connected and relationships unfolded.

[Robert Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fable, cleverly imagined, and gently told. Mystical and deeply contemplative. So many beautiful images created that we are gladly reminded of in the epilogue-like last chapter. A delight.

[Christine Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finegan's first novel, is breathtaking. A huge, fanciful sweep across generations and multiple stories, it takes the reader on a trip, and doesn't let go until - yes, the end.

I couldn't put it down, and normally, novels aren't my thing. That said, I love the work of the South American writers who defy all the rules and take you on a journey that spins on an axis only they can create.

Finegan's work is reminiscent of that genius, but is still unique to him. Like all good books, the characters grab you by the throat and the scenes erupt into a life that's so real, I could touch it. And yet, so fantastical, it slips into the ether.

Thank you, Finegan, I can't wait for your next book, whatever it may be.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nakedness gives permission for anything to happen—clothing means there’s an order to things, means you’re dressed for a certain type of day (a working one or a lazy one or an important one). But when you’re naked you might decide to light up a cigarette inside and you do. You might ash it into a cup, just any random one you find. You might hand someone toast and then start having sex again. You might both fall asleep on the floor, no clocks, no plans, the sunlight through the curtains, the dust floating white in the sunlight, her snoring, crumbs on your chest"

"Sometimes a bad thing isn’t really a bad thing—we endure a moment now to meet its reason later on."

"They’d travelled a great deal and much of the shop was a nod to the grand wide world and its people and oceans and flimsy changing borders. Sometimes they’d take fiction and shelve it geographically, The Sun Also Rises in the Spanish section, Invisible Cities in Italy, invented stories slid between real ones. It was nice how they did that because it made everything feel equivalent. Not in the trite notion, that history is made up. But in the nicer one, that fiction is at its heart true."

"I like that sort of thing: not making too many choices at the beginning, but rather at the end. When we see what we are left with, and decide what to do from there."

"At the same time—as branches of my family tree were being pruned by time and fate—I experienced a contraction of my own, of livelihood and love and liberty."

"Sit on your bench. Smoke the cigarette. Savour your home. Wait for your family to come home. Wait to hear their stories. Wait to laugh with them, to run a bath, eat a meal, tuck in your boys, kiss your husband, blow out a candle, breathe out the day, greet the next. And to know. Simply to know"

Ólöf Arnalds, The Band, Big Thief, Ry Cooder, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam

[Novel Feelings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finegan Kruckemeyer’s debut novel resists easy classification. The back of the book presents minimal description: Emma, a woman convinced she brings death to those around her, chooses a life of solitude at sea. Yet, Emma is only one character amongst multiple generations—Isaac and Betty; Nella and Alistair; and eventually, Emma’s story interweaves with Conor, Liz, and their daughter, Anja.

The novel reads like a series of fables, layering the lives of its characters in mysterious ways. At first, the narrative’s nonlinear timeline and lack of specific location can be disorienting. I found myself confused in the book’s early chapters— for example, I pictured one story in some sort of ancient European setting, only to have a character casually reference wearing a hoodie. Yet, once I was able to orient myself, I could reflect on its deeper themes.

Kruckemeyer’s writing is poetic, filled with lines that shimmer with wit and wry observation. He explores the quiet strength of human connections, the complicated nature of grief, the legacies we leave behind, and the power of community to shape us across generations. Characters choose quiet contentment over material gain, and plant seeds—sometimes literally—for future generations:

Great wealth lies here if you want it. Great wealth is not great wealth if you don’t want it.

However, the book’s format, favoring breadth over depth, may not be to everyone’s taste. Initially, I found myself struggling with the episodic nature of the narrative, which shifts between different characters and generations. I prefer books that allow more time to sit with fewer characters; as a result, I read this slowly until the final few chapters. Yet, if you enjoy a short story format, this book offers a rewarding reading experience.

In a world dominated by capitalism and individualistic priorities, The End and Everything Before It feels like a gentle reminder of what truly matters: our connections, our communities, and the legacies we create—not just for ourselves, but for those who come after us. This is a book that left me feeling unexpectedly hopeful about the world we live in.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Text Publishing for the review copy.

Review by Elise from Novel Feelings blog and podcast - where two psychologists take a deep dive into your favourite books

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seemingly I love multigenerational books lol

But very different from Pachinko and equally as good

The writing style of this book is incredible, that much alone gives it 4 stars

4.5 because it’s confusing as hell tho, and I still don’t really understand the ending but I know I’ll be thinking about it for a little while and I think that means it’s left a stark impression on me

Probably would have been better if I read it a bit quicker as well. The jumps between the storyline’s make it hard to follow, harder if you haven’t picked it up in a week

Would recommend to everyone unless you dislike confusing books (but to that I would say just push through because the writing makes it worth it in my opinion) :D

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a bit of a concrete sequential with books, I don't mind changing timelines as long as it is clear. So I approached this with a bit of trepidation as I had read the reviews and it sounded like a bit of a shapeshifter. I needn't have worried, this book hooked me in and I drifted off into a beautiful poetic story of time and the strong bonds of humans. The story itself, the way it is told and the bonds between the places and the people just made my heart soar. For a debut novel it is phenomenal and I can't wait to read more of Finnegan's work. One of my favourite books of 2024

[Erin Maxson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book so beautifully written that I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The quotes on the front of this book ring undeniably true. The level of romance, poetry, and story woven into these pages is truly magical.

The lessons learned through each character along with all of the quotes highlighted and stored for a later date make this book one of my favorites of 2025.

My heart is bigger than it was before I picked up these pages — a new level of empathy, love, and togetherness unlocked.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summed Up: A Unique Journey That Rewards Patience

- - -
I picked up this debut novel after the kind people at Text Publishing sent it to me, started reading it, but realised it was going to need my full attention and I just couldn’t feel the vibe so I turned to another book. The end.

Just kidding! This story has a happy ending!

I picked the book back up a week later, in a different mindset and absolutely soaked it all in.

I have a feeling that this sums up the book. It’s the type of book that takes every reader on a different journey and will give you a new view or aspect every time you read it.

I got a little confused with characters and the mixed timelines but that’s more on me than the writing as often I need books I can easily pick up days later.

This book was written by a playwright, so the style was quite new for me. It was richly poetic, almost like watching a stage play unfold in your mind. The nonlinear narrative might be challenging for some but it also adds a depth that rewards those who stick with it.

A unique and thought-provoking read that I’m glad I gave a second chance!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story! I learned about the book because I know the author and, when you know the author, you buy the book. And hope for the best. I was not disappointed! Beautiful writing, of course, and a thoughtful structure with intriguing characters. A beautiful tapestry of a story woven through time and place.

[Tess Carrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy reading this. I thought the writing was quite beautiful and although the interweaving time frames were confusing and I found it hard to keep track of characters, I just went along for the ride. wonderful, warm characters.