Customer Reviews: Read 60 more reviews...
 Keyes takes on tough subject matter but makes it work as only she can in this novel of suffering, laughter, love and redemption June 19, 2008
28 out of 32 found this review helpful
From when I first cracked open WatermelonI've loved Marian Keyes, but at first it was a fickle sort of love, the kind reserved for light, fluffy books that were guaranteed to better my mood. This all changed with the publication of Anybody Out There?the astonishing last novel of Keyes that blew my mind (and my perception of her as an author) out of the water. Since then I've seen her as an extraordinary novelist in her own right, capable of drawing people in and invoking emotions you never expected to feel for fictional characters.
So needless to say when I saw she had a new novel coming out, I pre-ordered. I was hoping (desperately hoping) that it would be the next novel in the Walsh sister's saga, but apparently Keyes feels the need to string that out a bit more. Oh well. It's not like I haven't enjoyed her other novels. I decided to take a positive attitude about my disappointment.
In the end though there was nothing to be disappointed about. "This Charming Man" is an amazing book told by four distinct voices. Lola, a stylist, Grace, a reporter, Marnie, a working housewife and mother and Alice all have something in common that has changed and altered the course of their lives. His name is Paddy de Courcy and is hailed to be the political savior of Ireland. But though Paddy seems charming, suave, handsome and perfect on the outside our narrators know the secrets behind his smile-and the nearly deadly effect of his true charm.
"This Charming Man" is really extraordinary and unlike anything Keyes has written before. She's tackled tough subjects in the past, it's true, but the heinous nature of the depraved acts of violence and degradation described in this book take it to a new level that rises completely out of the genera of chick lit.
I raced through this book in one sitting because I was literally unable to put it down. The storyline is exciting and fast paced and despite the shared narration and seemingly random inserted scenes of domestic violence between parts the novel (which make sense eventually) it has a wonderfully cohesive plot that all comes together through our four very real heroines. This book made me laugh out loud, cry and more importantly think on the desperate situation that so many women are forced to live in because of domestic violence.
I'm not saying this book is a downer though. While it discusses very serious subjects there is a great deal of humor, mainly provided by Lola's diary (which in spite of the semi-annoying shorthand was my favorite part of the book) romance comes from Grace, and eventually, strength from Marnie. And triumph for all.
This is a truly amazing novel that any author would have been proud to write. I congratulate you Ms. Keyes on another remarkable book that made me loose sleep and I highly recommend that everyone reads this book.
Five stars.
(And I know it'll be another two years at least but I can't wait `till her next novel!)
More than just your average chick lit June 30, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Marian Keyes is one of those novelists who is never content to simply replicate her success. Back when she was at the forefront of the "chick-lit" movement, Keyes mastered that genre's formula of "single girl in the city" while still injecting sometimes subtle, sometimes startling glimpses of social commentary and grim reality. With each subsequent novel, she has probed further into some pretty dark territory, never losing her gift for whimsical dialogue and eccentric supporting characters that attracted so many readers in the first place.
With THIS CHARMING MAN, her ninth novel, Keyes introduces her audience to three unforgettable ladies --- and to their shared past, a dark secret that has affected each differently but, for each one, has deeply shaped the woman she has become.
The novel opens with an innocent enough event --- the announcement in a tabloid newspaper of the engagement of Paddy de Courcy. Handsome, charismatic, powerful de Courcy is a politician on the rise, the public face of a newly ascendant political party and the heir apparent to its highest position. But this announcement is anything but innocent to Lola, Grace and Marnie, each of whom has her own history with de Courcy.
Lola, a hip stylist, thought that perhaps she was destined to become the future Mrs. de Courcy --- after all, she had been dating the man for a year and a half! When de Courcy chooses a more politically advantageous mate, however, Lola is thrown into a crisis, fleeing Dublin for a tiny village on Ireland's western coast. There, as she relates in breathless, Bridget Jones-style journal entries, she gets drawn into the lives and secrets of the village's inhabitants --- from the surfer dudes and video store clerks to a small collection of cross-dressers who meet at Lola's house each Friday night. Her career is in jeopardy and her heart is broken. But will her time in Knockavoy be enough to get de Courcy out of her mind forever?
Grace Gildee, a features journalist, wants desperately to track down Lola for the "jilted girlfriend" interview of the year. But what Lola doesn't know is that Grace herself has a history with de Courcy, one that she can't share with her twin sister or even with her significant other. And Grace has problems of her own --- her boyfriend is rekindling a friendship with his ex-wife, a rival at work is scooping up all the best interviews, her beloved car has been stolen and torched, and her twin sister Marnie is slowly slipping away from her.
As for Marnie, she has always been a fragile woman; it's hard to believe this depressed, emotionally paralyzed mother of two could possibly be related to vibrant, brash Grace Gildee. Marnie finds it impossible to be satisfied with her comfortable London life, her loving husband, her job, even her two charming daughters. Instead, mired by decades of secrets, self-doubt and self-hatred, she turns to the only thing that might make her feel better --- but that threatens to tear her family apart.
With THIS CHARMING MAN, Keyes has not forgotten her chick-lit roots. Surprisingly enough, given the novel's subject matter, she still manages to insert plenty of humorous situations and lighthearted commentary, not to mention a most unconventional romance. But long-time Keyes fans will recognize that their favorite author is headed in new, darker but exciting directions. With its overlapping stories (each of which is told in its protagonist's highly individualistic voice), "ripped from the headlines" approach, and focus on political intrigue and public dishonor, Keyes's latest sprawling blockbuster reminds me a great deal of those by another popular author --- Penny Vincenzi.
Ambitious, multi-layered, with surprises around every corner and scandals at every turn, THIS CHARMING MAN signals a new direction for this already accomplished author --- one that her many fans will be eager to follow.
--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl
Riveting! September 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
'This Charming Man' is Marions' best so far. it is more than chick-lit, in fact it isn't 'chick-lit' at all. It's a sad, funny, fascinating page turner of a book with warm believable characters. I couldn't put it down.Fresh Powder
Different But Wonderful June 18, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I won't bother to recount the plot; lots of reviews on here have done that. But I do want to say a few things...
Though this is very different from Keye's other work, I have to commend her for tackling very difficult subject matter and still giving me something to laugh about.
Many reviewers are giving this book bad reviews because it's not the fluffy chick lit that we have come to expect from Marian Keyes. I think this is one of the books strengths.
Keyes is moving away from the chick lit genre and is moving into new territory. It's always a daring thing to do when you have a fan base that expects something from you and has expectations from your work.
Either way you tell it, This Charming Man is grim indeed but Keyes gives us something to laugh (and cheer) about in the end.
So take a chance. You won't be sorry.
love marian keyes July 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love her writting. I had to stop myself from reading it in one sitting so I could relish it.
|
