Sushi for Beginners : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A Witty But Inevitably Predictable Romantic Comedy
Review: Three women on the verge of a nervous breakdown are profiled in SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS, a witty but inevitably predictable romantic comedy. Touching on heavy issues, from homelessness to mental illness, the novel nevertheless remains light enough to be devoured in one sitting.

Lisa is an in-demand London magazine editor with a fabulous lifestyle and extravagant wardrobe. When her expected job promotion sends her from London to the backwater of Dublin to launch a brand-new young women's magazine, she alternates between belittling the hopelessly backward Irish and grimly determining to make her magazine a success. About to undergo messy divorce proceedings, Lisa turns her romantic attentions to her rakish boss, Jack Devine.

Ashling is Lisa's second-in-command. Nicknamed "Little Miss Fixit" by Jack Devine, she is hopelessly practical and always ready to help a co-worker by producing everything from bandages to hairspray as if by magic. When her boyfriend and her best friend simultaneously betray her, she is forced to reexamine her role as willing victim.

Clodagh is a working woman, too --- but not in the glamorous world of magazine publishing. She toils at home, caring for her two children and perpetually redecorating rooms in her home. She is married to a handsome, successful man, and she should be more than satisfied. So why does she find herself recoiling from her perfect life?

The three women's intersecting stories, which culminate when all three face life-shattering revelations, could be nothing more than tired stereotypes. But, as in most of Marian Keyes's novels, history --- especially family history --- intercedes, and each character ultimately gains enough depth to make her truly human. Ashling, for example, can trace both her penchant for solving problems and her superstitious habits to her own mother's depression when Ashling was a child. Lisa's ambition and fear of failure can be traced to her working-class roots: "She was a working-class girl who'd spent her life trying to be something else," she reflects. "And despite years devoted to the grueling treadmill of networking, sucking up, doing down, always paying attention, never relaxing, she'd been brought inexorably back to where she started." Although SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS doesn't focus on issues of alcoholism, drug abuse, and violence that Marian Keyes has touched upon in other novels, its serious examination of family roots and their impact on women's working lives gives this novel a harder edge than many so-called "chick-lit" confections.

That's not to say that SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS is a downer --- far from it. It's ultimately a satisfying, if highly predictable, romantic comedy with not one but two happy endings. The romance is light, the situations --- particularly the lengths to which Lisa goes to make her magazine a success --- are a riot, and the dialogue is clever. There are worse things in the world than a good beach read, and if SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS can make you stop and think every so often, so much the better.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Rating:
Summary: Slight Disappointment
Review: I enjoyed this novel until the end. It has all of Keyes' strong points, and it drew me in from the first page.

My problems came with the crisis between Ashling and Clodagh. Like many before her, Clodagh has found that life as a full time mom, isolated in the suburbs, with no career outside child raising, isn't what it's cracked up to be. Keyes draws a sympathetic portrait of Clodagh's alienation, her undramatic slide towards depression.

Clodagh's solution to her problem isn't the most noble, but it's human, and hardly uncommon. (Anyone believe her handsome, always busy husband was completely faithful to her? Even getting it just once a month?)

From then on, the novel's sympathies are split. Switching gears from her sympathetic portrait, Keyes seems to enjoy heaping disasters on Clodagh. And the depths of Ashling's crisis over it seems a little manufactured. This is a guy she has dated only a few months. She wasn't in love. If it had been her husband or serious lover, maybe I could see it, and the issue of Clodagh's selfishness.

There isn't even a scene where we see it through Clodagh's eyes. To her, Ashling has everything: glamourous job, freedom, semi-famous boyfriend, but doesn't seem to appreciate it.

The one-sidedness of the whole thing made me uncomfortable, and in my opinion, damaged the story.

By the end, I was so concerned about when Keyes (and Ashling) were going to let up on Clodagh that I lost interest in the central romance. Too bad, because I'd been following it with interest up until then. Jack does sound Divine;)

And unlike Ashling, I wouldn't abandon a lifetime friendship over a boyfriend who would have two timed me anyway.

Apart from that, it is very readable Keyes' fare. As usual, she touches well on serious themes. Lisa, the mag hag, makes an entertaining read--even if we'd never, never want her as a boss, friend or even co-worker. The behind the scenes glimpse of the magazine world is interesting. All in all, the book makes acceptable light reading, especially for Keyes fans.

Rating:
Summary: Another Excellent Novel from Marian Keyes
Review: I eagerly awaited Marian Keyes' latest novel and was not disappointed. Sushi for Beginners, like all of Keyes other novels, is humorous, touching, and realistic. I highly recommend Sushi for Beginners!

Rating:
Summary: A Hilarious Tale of Three Cities
Review: Marian Keyes shoots and scores again with another fantastic novel which centers around three modern singletons. Magazine editor Lisa Edwards meets with her bosses about a new job they have lined up for her to launch a new magazine called Colleen. Lisa is already visualizing a new posh lifestyle for herself in New York.

However, New York isn't quite where her new job has been set up. She's pretty much being deported to Dublin to fend for herself, start anew and make this new magazine the next big thing.

Ashling Kennedy is the assistant editor for Colleen. She's a bit frumpy and unhappy with her non-existent waistline and her non-existent social life.

Meanwhile, Ashling's best friend, Clodagh Kelly, is living the high life and seems to have it all. But she's searching for something more.

The transition from one singleton's point of view to the next is smooth and unmistakable. And the ups and downs these women go through are hilarious to follow.

This is a romantic comedy that hits just the right tone with the writing style and comedic dialogue. It's like getting three novels in one. With Sushi for Beginners, Marian Keyes does a great job in capturing perfect settings and following these women on their search for happiness.

Rating:
Summary: my favorite
Review: I have read all of Keyes' books, and this is my favorite. Maybe just because it is closer to my own experience, but I really enjoyed the characters being women whose work was a part of their life, and whose lives didn't seem to begin every day after work with hours in a pub. (Personally, I don't know anyone who drinks as much as the women in all the Brit Chicks books -- it seems like their primary activity). anyway, I loved this book; you can read the synopsis in the canned review.

Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful Marian Keyes book.
Review: This is my second Marian Keyes book and I now at the point where I need to read the rest of her books.

Lisa - What a pain the behind, from the start I wasn't to sure what I would think of her, but for most of the book I felt that she was just a bitter woman with a lot to deal with. She at times never seem to care about anyone or anything but her self. But towards the end my feelins for her changed, but she still was the same old way. I felt that she was never truly happy working at Colleen, but that she dealt with it as best she could.

Ashling - I felt a that the story revolved around her and her life. She is Little Miss Fix It, always carrying around her bag with bandages, tape and so forth. At times I felt that was a goody good. But her life never was too predictable, she was just happy to be back working for magazine doing what she liked. Her love life was one you read about all the time and sometimes seemed a little preditable, but somteimes it took a turn and changed. Her friendships with Joy and Ted were wonderful and her friendship with Clodagh was good, but it had it bad parts.

Clodagh - In my opinion she was a whiney woman, who was just out for herself. She lived what would be the good life to a lot people. She was married and had two kids. But in her world it wasn't good enough so she had to take things to the extreme and screw up a lot with her life and other peoples lives.

Overall this book was wonderful, I loved how the three charactors and all the supporting charactors acted and how there storys seem to come together at the end.

I can't wait to read more from Marian Keyes

Rating:
Summary: Not my fave Keyes novel
Review: I had a high level of expectation for this novel. After reading Last Chance Saloon and Watermelon, I could barely wait for Sushi for Beginners to come out. Unfortunately it did not live up to the standards of Mrs. Keyes' other novels. The book is written about the same topic as most 'chick lits' of late. There is the 'good' heroine & the 'bad' heroine, who consequently both work together at a fashion magazine. Big Shocker There! Although the author's writing is excellent, I found myself bored and laboring to get through the novel. If you're a die-hard Keyes fan you will undoubtedly like Sushi for Beginners, but if you're not, I STRONGLY urge you to read the witty Last Chance Saloon instead. It's brilliant.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Marian Keyes
Review: Although I wouldn't say all of her books are equal, I have to give each one 5 stars, because 4 is inadequate. This is a wonderful story of three young women, whose lives intervene through work and friendship. Deals with eating disorders, depression, infidelity and other contemporary issues in a lighthearted yet understanding manner. Fun fun book, where you root for all the characters and even have sympathy for the ones you would probably never have given the time of day to in real life.

Rating:
Summary: Another Amazing Winner - She Just Gets Better And Better!
Review: Marian Keyes does it again with "Sushi For Beginners". This talented Irish author tackles the world of fashion magazines with her new tale, and does it with her usual charm and humor.

The backdrop of "Colleen" magazine is the perfect place to set up the main characters. First you have Londonite and fashionably dressed Lisa Edwards, who thinks that her life is over when she is shipped off to the great north to be the editor of this new magazine with a the smallest staff known to man, no perks, and well ---- it's in Ireland (which she thinks is a fate worse than death.)

The bright spot is the really sweet (sometimes overly sweet) Ashling Kennedy. Ashling is everything that Lisa is not. She's not fashionable, she's not worldly, she's not --- well, posh. But, she's the foundation of this book and really the driving force behind this great tale of work, love and friendships.

I don't think there is a better author out there than Marian Keyes and she didn't let me down with this one. I love "Sushi for Beginners" and would suggest it to any lover of this genre or great fiction in general.

Cheers!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Finally available in the States!
Review: To the new Marian Keyes reader, Madame Keyes may come off as a Helen Fielding wanna-be. Don't be fooled. Marian Keyes is much better than Helen Fielding and has the sales to prove it.

"Sushi For Beginners" is the latest Keyes title to cross the pond. Like "Last Chance Saloon", "Sushi" is a multiple point of view novel. And like "Last Chance Saloon", there's nary a Walsh sibling to be found.

"Sushi" follows three women in Dublin. The first is Lisa, a glamorous, shiny, sleek fashionista who is more married to her job then her stud muffin photographer hubby. Ashling is "Little Miss Fix-it"/weekly womens magazine writer who is prepared for any emergency. Clodagh is Ashling's best friend and married the hunky Dylan.

Instead of the job on "Manhattan" that she craves, Lisa is sent to Dublin to start "Colleen", a light, sexy mag for the hip, young Irish female (think Jane/Marie Claire/Glamour/Cosmo, etc). This is the last thing Lisa wants, even if the head of the Irish branch of her mega-media company is the jumpable and aptly named Jack Devine.

Ashling comes on board as the 2nd in command on "Colleen" and becomes the target of Lisa's annoyance and rage. Meanwhile Clodagh with the perfect life can't stop fantazing about every man but the delightful Dylan.

Keyes manages to include some hard looks at heavy topics (depression and homelessness) without going overboard. These touches add a true sense of realism to a book that could be see as sheer fluff.

If you are a fan of British Chick Lit or Marian Keyes, end your wait and pick this up!