So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination, emotional abuse, and sexual harassment.

The woman arrives on Achill Island at three in the morning. She drives through the village, observing the sights as she goes. She studies the landscape, surprised by the quiet, until she reaches Böll House. The house was formerly owned by the writer Henrich Böll, and she recently got a residency there to work on her writing. She lets herself into the house and tours the space. She boils water, lights a fire, and makes the couch into a bed. She reads some of her Chekhov short stories before turning out the light. She thinks about her work for the next day and falls asleep.

The woman wakes up from a dream, feeling satisfied. She unpacks her things from the car and looks forward to a day of reading and writing. Then the phone rings. She ignores it, but it rings again. When she finally answers, a German man is on the line. He says the residency director told him she’d be there and that he could stop by to see the house. Confused, the woman explains that she’s working and isn’t dressed. He reveals that he’s standing outside and begs for her to let him in. She reiterates that she’s busy and asks him to come back at eight that evening.

Off the phone, the woman feels annoyed. The day won’t be her own now that she knows the man is coming over. She gets ready and then studies her watch, musing on the fact that it’s her birthday. She goes to the study and considers working while thinking about Henrich Böll. 

Instead of sitting down, she goes into town for coffee, cake mix, and some other supplies. On the way back, she notices a hen on the road. She gets out and watches as the hen jumps over a ledge. The woman is surprised and delighted to discover a group of hens clucking and scratching in the dirt down below. She walks on ahead, discovering a cliff that leads down to the water. She walks along the cove, studying the scene. She strips off her clothes, walks on the warm rocks, and takes a swim. She feels content and pleased with herself while she’s in the water. She then lies on the rocks to dry off. When she feels “a presence on the cliff” above her (63), she hurriedly dresses and leaves.

Back at the house, the woman thinks about her work while making the cake. She wishes the German man weren’t coming over but wonders if he’ll have something interesting to say. In the afternoon, she walks down the road and picks some flowers for the mantel. Then she has a snack and finishes Chekhov’s story. It’s about a woman who gets engaged but backs out of the engagement when she sees her fiancé’s house and paintings. She goes on to study and live independently thereafter.

The story reminds the woman of her last relationship. She thinks about her ex while taking a bath. The man often promised to give her anything she wanted but later admitted he’d never give her his land. In the tub, she studies the sky out the window and reminds herself that she’s 39 years old today.

The woman wants to write but doesn’t have enough time to start before the German man arrives. She dresses and pins her hair. Then she picks berries outside the house for the cake. At eight, the man knocks on the door. He brings a bottle of liquor for the house and remarks on her cake. She shows him through the house, but he seems disinterested, repeatedly remarking on how many people apply for this residency. Finally, the woman asks about his work as a literature professor; he reveals that he’s retired and no longer writes because he doesn’t have time. She wonders if he’s dying, but he seems healthy. In the living room, she makes him tea and serves him cake while trying to engage him in conversation. He sits in her usual chair, scarfs down the cake and tea, and makes intermittent negative remarks about the woman. He reiterates how many people apply for the residency and aren’t accepted. Realizing she wants him to go, the woman cleans his dishes and stands by the sink with her arms folded until he gets up.

The woman walks the man outside. In the yard, he starts ranting about how unfair it is that people like her get the residency and waste the opportunity. The woman demands that he leave and goes inside. She watches him through the window, thinking about how awful he is.

Once alone, the woman pours herself some wine and thinks about all of the men she’s dated and broken up with. She’s glad she didn’t marry any of them. She tries going to bed but can’t sleep. She gets up, makes coffee, and starts writing. She remembers everything she experienced that day and starts putting it down on the page. The story is about an awful man who has cancer. She writes and writes until dawn and then keeps writing. She feels tired, hungry, and sore, but she’s just gotten to the part of the story where the man will die a “long and painful death” (86).