Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-30
• Binding: Hardcover
• 688 pages

Synopsis
'Everybody remembers where they were the day they heard that Paddy de Courcy was getting married'. Lola has every reason to be interested in who Paddy's marrying - because although she's his girlfriend, she definitely isn't the bride-to-be. Heartbroken, she flees the city for a cottage by the sea. But will Lola's retreat prove as idyllic as she hopes? Not if journalist Grace has anything to do with it. She wants the inside story on the de Courcy engagement and thinks Lola holds the key. Grace knew Paddy a long time ago. But why can't she forget him?Grace's sister, Marnie, might have the answer but she also has issues with the past. Her family is wonderful but they can't take away memories of her first love: a certain Paddy de Courcy. What will it take for Marnie to be able to move on? And what of the future Mrs de Courcy...Alicia is determined to be the perfect politician's wife. But does she know the real Paddy de Courcy? Four very different women. One awfully charming man. And the dark secret that binds them all...

Customer Reviews

Another great book.
I have read all of Marian Keyes books and think that her way of writing serious and at times dark subjects with a sense of humour that can make me laugh out loud (even on the bus!) is astounding. This book does not disapoint. Loved all the characters (except the one were are not meant too of course) esp. Lola and the friends she makes and grew to love Grace as well by halfway through.
I couldn't put it down so I better go and do some housework now that I've finished it! Can't wait for the next novel.

This charming book
I've just finished this book and not sure if it's a work of genius or if it missed the point a bit.
There are three main characters and each of their lives has been affected to a greater or lesser extent by the (anti) hero of the title Paddy De Courcy. Two of the three, Grace and Marnie, are sisters and their stories are linked and are very powerful. They also know Alicia, the much less interesting fourth woman. Lola, she of the irritating diary prose, I think belonged in a different book. She's very funny and charming in her own right but her situation never rings true and I can't help thinking she was put in for some light relief. She really adds nothing to the main plot and her 'heartbreak' is not convincing. I also thought the whole politics storyline was weak.
There is a second theme to the book, and that's addiction and this is described absolutely brilliantly.
I love Marian Keyes' writing, and I looked forward to picking this book up every evening. She has the knack of creating characters you feel you really know, and for that alone it's worth reading this book.

Great, but could be so much better
Why intelligent woman write in silly voice? Real people no speak like this! Grate on nerves very quickly. Not easy rise above, even though quite funny jokes.

Ok enough of lampooning the style. What a shame that the most entertaining of the three narrators of this book was landed with this appalling format - speaking in pidgin English and presented in italics. Excuse my language but - WTF??

Lola had plenty of charm and loads of witty observations to make but really, what an effort was required to get past that style. Worst of all was she had her friends spoken dialogue - inside speech marks - delivered the same way. Very, very bad. Naughty editor need be firmer with writer. (Sorry, lapsed back into it!)

You all know the set-up of this book by now and I agree with many others who have said that what the charming man himself lacks is charm. Surely this story would have packed a much firmer punch had the charmer actually managed to persuade any of the readers that he really is the blue eyed boy at the outset. Instead, we meet him as an arrogant idiot and very quickly realise he's darker than that. So where's the charm - bad boy acts bad. No surprise there.

The story isn't about him anyway - he's a side issue. What is the story about? Who knows. It just goes on and on and on and every time you get into it and really get involved with a character, it's all snatched from under you and you are forced to start again with another character. Such is the downside of the multi narrator story.

In so many ways Keyes wants to have her cake and eat it with this book. She shuns the conventions of chick lit novels then shamelessly wallows in them near the end. She despises conspicuous wealth but knows her readers want glamour and aspiration so ladles it on endlessly. I think one quote from one of her narrators summed it up - it was something like 'I hate the rich and famous but find myself fascinated by their lifestyles'.

Fair enough, she's a mass market writer and the market demands this stuff.

Although the book was very long, in some ways it wasn't long enough. Each of the voices really needed a book of their own. For instance, Grace gets a chapter in which her snooty, sneery in-laws (with endlessly described material goods and lifestyle) let her down by overlooking her partner as a godfather to their child. This is set up and turned into quite a big deal. But it never gets referred to again and in fact we don't hear any more of her in-laws.

Maybe Keyes should write lots of shorter books and give each story breathing space - who knows, maybe that's exactly what she wants to do but her publishers are demanding books like this.

Either way, as the cover suggests, you can still 'Trust Marian' - she makes other chick lit writers look like the joke that they are, and manages to engage the reader from the very first sentence. If the book is a big old mess then it's still in another league from the rest of the genre.

Take it on holiday, it will be your faithful companion. I just wish this book was more... perfect. God knows Keyes has the talent.