A great book for the beach -- but watch out for those dark clouds
This month the 'Book Babes' pass judgment on the latest novel from Marian Keyes, This Charming Man
Welcome to the Irish Independent Book Club. Every month we bring you a compelling fiction choice, from crime and mystery novels, to classics and contemporary fiction.
Each month, we visit a book club around the country and get the verdict of the members.
This month's pick is This Charming Man by Marian Keyes, published by Penguin.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
This Charming Man is recounted from the perspective of four female characters who are all connected by the same man: handsome politician Paddy de Courcy.
The first is Lola, Paddy's current girlfriend, who has just found out that he is getting married -- to someone else.
Heartbroken, she flees Dublin for an idyllic cottage by the sea, where she finds new complications, romantic and otherwise.
Meanwhile, journalist Grace wants the inside story on her old friend Paddy's engagement and thinks Lola holds the key to it. Then there's Grace's troubled sister, Marnie, who has a loving husband and two beautiful daughters, but yet she can't seem to escape the memory of her first love: a certain Paddy de Courcy.
Finally, Alicia Thornton is Paddy's wife-to-be. Determined to be the perfect wife, Alicia would do anything for her fiance. But does she know the real Paddy?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marian Keyes was born in Limerick in 1963, and brought up in Cavan, Cork, Galway, and Dublin. She spent her 20s in London, but is now living in Dun Laoghaire with her husband, Tony.
Her first novel, Watermelon, was published in 1995. She followed it up with Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Rachel's Holiday, Last Chance Saloon, Sushi for Beginners, Angels and The Other Side of the Story. Some 10 million copies of her books have been sold to date. This Charming Man, her latest, sold over 100,000 copies in the UK alone in the first 10 days of sale.
ABOUT THE BOOK CLUB:
The 'Book Babes' got together for the first time in September 2004 at the home of Laura O'Mara, in Stillorgan, Co Dublin.
There are eight ladies in the group. The 'Babes' meet approximately once every six weeks in a member's home and discuss books and the ways of the world.
The hostess on the night serves a light supper and recommends the next book for review.
VERDICT:
"None of our group had read any of Marian's books before so it was a new experience for us," says Laura O'Mara. "However, we had heard that this book is quite different to her previous ones, so we were intrigued."
Overall, the group called the book a great beach read for the summer holidays, even if they had a mixed response to it.
"I found the 'diary' style in which Lola's segments were written very irritating to read, as the author left out the definite article and prepositions throughout," Laura explains.
Keyes' writing style didn't impress Frances Meagher either, but she credits the author for creating an "authentic world that validates the life experiences of young women working in the contemporary world of publishing, advertising, public relations and fashion".
Member Hilary McDevitt adds that she wasn't convinced by the characters.
"I found them unbelievable and quite unsympathetic," she says. "Also, some of the scenarios were rather ridiculous, in particular the Friday evening meetings of 'trannies' in a small county Clare village."
The book tackles some very dark themes, including alcoholism, domestic violence and abuse.
As a group, the 'Book Babes' found the portrayal of these topics both graphic and disturbing.
"I was appalled at the inability of the four women to bring this man to justice," says Dot Ferris. "Then again, that's probably the point. It's a sad reflection on the justice system."
Sally MacMahon called the book "engaging", "a page-turner" and "a good holiday read", but added: "At 885 pages, it's far too long, and some of the plot strands could have been condensed."
The issue of length is echoed by Clare Byrne, but she found herself compelled nonetheless.
"The storyline, although light, definitely piqued my curiosity, which helped me to keep going to the last page in order to discover the links between the different characters," Clare says.
"The writing was funny in parts, and the story provides an interesting, if somewhat depressing, insight into how some young women deal with physical and psychological abuse."
TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB:
Invite some friends who are interested in books to join your group. Failing that, ask people from your workplace or local community (try posting an ad on the internet or in your local supermarket).
Make sure people have enough time to read the book and come to the meeting.
Aiming to read one book a month is a good starting point, but if it proves too daunting, adjust the frequency to suit everyone.
Set down ground rules early on, such as who should buy the books. Some groups take turns to buy each month's books for the whole group, but the best way is simply for everyone to buy their own. Some bookshops give a discount if you register your book club with them.
Finally, don't forget to have fun. Most people join book clubs for the social element, so try to strike a balance between a studious approach and an enjoyable atmosphere.
NEXT MONTH'S IRISH INDEPENDENT BOOK CLUB CHOICE:
This one's a tale of a haunted heroine exiled from home: Brooklyn by Colm Toibin.
If your book club would like to take part in our monthly book club feature, or if you are reading next month's choice along with us and would like us to include your thoughts on the book, please contact dcashin@independent.ie or Irish Independent Book Club, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1.
For more tips on forming a book club go to www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/ services/help_bookclubs.htm
- Declan Cashin
