CherylKActon, an active social media user, shared her thoughts on the novel “This Is Happiness” by Irish author Niall Williams in a series of posts dated December 10, 2025. Acton highlighted the book’s poetic and profound qualities and reflected on its themes through direct quotations.
In her first post, Acton recommended the novel and included a passage: “One of the privileges of living in a forgotten place is the preservation of individuality. In Faha…eccentric was the norm.” (December 10, 2025).
She continued to share more excerpts from the book in another post: ‘”I did not appreciate until much later…what subterfuge and sacrifice it took to be independent and undefeated by the pressures of reality.” “[Childhood] was where you lived by the clock of your stomach…only partly aware of the privilege of solitude and the gift of time.”‘ (December 10, 2025).
In her concluding remarks, Acton discussed her views on fiction versus non-fiction: “This book is a confirmation to me that you can learn more from well written fiction than from purely factual non-fiction, which I also enjoy. I think that’s b/c yrs of contemplation lead to understanding, and a great writer can convey wisdom in a handful of words.” (December 10, 2025).
Niall Williams is recognized for his evocative prose and exploration of rural Irish life. “This Is Happiness,” published in 2019, has been praised for its lyrical style and reflection on community, individuality, and memory.
