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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I can't decide whether to give it a 3 or a 4 - the books starts out strong, is a very good read, but in the end it comes out with nothing really special to stay in your mind. If you have some time to kill, might as well pick this one up - it won't strain your brain too much.
I enjoyed the book but Claire's self-doubt was a little annoying. I think it might be that I am not used to being so much in the narrator/main character's mind. Sometimes I had a hard time distinguishing the difference between what was happening or what she predicted would happen. I LOVED Adam's character and would have liked to have his character explored more.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Never thought I'd give a MK's book so low a rating. I really liked it at the start but it became too meandering and tangential. A good 100 - 150 pages could've been shown off. I didn't love Mammy Walsh's views on marriage either - to get back with a cheating husband. I also didn't like how Claire kept genuinely considering getting back with James. I know this book is from 1996 but surely women didn't roll over for men like that back then? And the whole Adam is the live interest thing didn't appeal to me - he didn't feel like a real human.
Still, the book had MK charm.
Still, the book had MK charm.
this series of marian keyes books were really funny- really great, light reads
My 2010 bookcrossing review:
Hmmm... I've read a few Marian Keyes now and enjoyed them, but to be honest this one was a bit of a disappointment. It wasn't as good, maybe because it is her first. I hadn't realised that some of her books are about the same family though! Anyway, this one just seemed a little bit too twee, with not a lot else to it; just bog standard chick lit; with a particularly giggly-schoolgirl bit about sex that went on for pages and pages and was just a bit of a cringe. And had this book been "translated" so to speak for the American market? Because there's a lot of words in there that I can't imagine the Irish would use instead of the British varieties.
So, Claire gives birth and is immediately dumped by her husband (who is introduced as dream man, but turns out to be pathetic waste-of-space man in the end). She goes back to Dublin to get over it, living with her mad family. Having lots of conversations. Meets attractive mature student who has a secret in his past, has lots of forced-sounding conversations with him, a bit of a fling then general confussion with her husband etc...
Anyway, at least we know her books got better after her first one! And my god, she looks so young in the photo in the back of this book!
Hmmm... I've read a few Marian Keyes now and enjoyed them, but to be honest this one was a bit of a disappointment. It wasn't as good, maybe because it is her first. I hadn't realised that some of her books are about the same family though! Anyway, this one just seemed a little bit too twee, with not a lot else to it; just bog standard chick lit; with a particularly giggly-schoolgirl bit about sex that went on for pages and pages and was just a bit of a cringe. And had this book been "translated" so to speak for the American market? Because there's a lot of words in there that I can't imagine the Irish would use instead of the British varieties.
So, Claire gives birth and is immediately dumped by her husband (who is introduced as dream man, but turns out to be pathetic waste-of-space man in the end). She goes back to Dublin to get over it, living with her mad family. Having lots of conversations. Meets attractive mature student who has a secret in his past, has lots of forced-sounding conversations with him, a bit of a fling then general confussion with her husband etc...
Anyway, at least we know her books got better after her first one! And my god, she looks so young in the photo in the back of this book!
What a darling book! I haven't always loved Keyes' books in the past but this one was great! The internal dialogue was far and away the best part. The main character is hilarious!
My only complaint was that the last few chapters were a bit tedious...in that the main character was being a bit of an idiot. But, it was fairly realistic so I understand why the author went there. GREAT beach read!
My only complaint was that the last few chapters were a bit tedious...in that the main character was being a bit of an idiot. But, it was fairly realistic so I understand why the author went there. GREAT beach read!
The first in the series of the "Walsh sisters." This was the first book I read from Marian Keyes and I just wanted more!
First time reading Keyes and I wasn't disappointed. "Watermelon" is packed with humour and insight. I loved the narrative style of been in Claire's head (I know this might be off putting for some but for me it added an extra layer). Somehow Keyes managed to take the break-down of a marriage and write about it with humour, grace and a great-deal of compassion. There is a lot to be said for being able to capture the mundane and making it delightful. Very much enjoyed it and looking forward to reading more.
Cute and funny. Keyes does a great job of capturing emotions.
I think I’m too old for this book. The only people I didn’t want to strangle were Kate, Grandpa, and Grandma (to be honest, sometimes I wanted to strangle her, too)