Watermelon

Rating:
Summary: As usual, a winner
Review: Although this is Ms. Keyes' first book, I have read four of her others before reading this one. Now I wish I would have read this one first so my expectations weren't so high.

The central characer of the book is Claire, whose husband whom she deeply loves annouces that he has been having an affair and is leaving her while she is still in the hospital after giving birth to their first child. Claire flees her marital home in London to return to her family home in Ireland where she has a total breakdown, manages to loose her"baby weight" and meet a new love interest just about the time her philandering husband decides to kiss and make up.

Had I not read those other four Keye's novels I would have probably given this one five stars instead of four, but after reading about Claire's sister Rachel in Keyes' Rachel's Holiday and other stronger characters in subsequent books I found Claire to be rather lackluster. She's missing the "oomph" of Lucy Sullivan, the pizazz of Tara in Last Chance Saloon and the spark of Lisa in Sushi for Beginners, all also by Keyes. Claire's family members, however, are dazzling jewels from her clueless father to her nasty sister Helen (who I just LOVE!) and they alone are enough to make this a good read. I can't WAIT to read more about this amusing family in Keyes' upcomming new novel.

My advice is if you are new to Keyes this is a great jumping off place - it only gets better from here.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't break the conventions of its genre, but fun
Review: "Watermelon" tells a familiar story--woman is dumped by lousy husband (the day their baby is born, even!), and slowly makes her way back to love. That said, it doesn't mean that the book is not enjoyable, for it is.

OUr protagonist is dumped by her husband at the hospital and flees London to go home to Dublin. Part of the great fun of this novel is her wacky family--mother with no cooking skills, hippie sister, bitchy sister, oblivious but well-meaning father.

There never is any doubt that she will meet someone better and more suitable (and she does, the student Adam), that her husband will want her back, and that she will ultimately make the right decision (which she does). But Keyes tells the story with skill and great good humor, and the book is a pleasurable page-turner from beginning to end.

Don't look for great literary innovation here. But if you are a fan of romantic comedies, particularly British ones, this is likely to be right up your alley. NOTE: Like one of Keyes' other novels, "Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married," the foregone conclusion doesn't spoil the book.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I totally enjoyed reading this book. It is a very funny and uplifting book. Clarie is quite the character and so are her sisters. Marion Keyes is a great author. I've read all of her books and enjoyed all of them.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't break the conventions of its genre, but fun
Review: "Watermelon" tells a familiar story--woman is dumped by lousy husband (the day their baby is born, even!), and slowly makes her way back to love. That said, it doesn't mean that the book is not enjoyable, for it is.

OUr protagonist is dumped by her husband at the hospital and flees London to go home to Dublin. Part of the great fun of this novel is her wacky family--mother with no cooking skills, hippie sister, bitchy sister, oblivious but well-meaning father.

There never is any doubt that she will meet someone better and more suitable (and she does, the student Adam), that her husband will want her back, and that she will ultimately make the right decision (which she does). But Keyes tells the story with skill and great good humor, and the book is a pleasurable page-turner from beginning to end.

Don't look for great literary innovation here. But if you are a fan of romantic comedies, particularly British ones, this is likely to be right up your alley. NOTE: Like one of Keyes' other novels, "Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married," the foregone conclusion doesn't spoil the book.

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: This book really cheered me up. I bought a copy for each one of my friends... needless to say that they enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Rating:
Summary: Watered down
Review: Unlike most books where it takes several chapters to get acquainted with the scenario and characters and really become engrossed in the story, Watermelon had me from the get-go. It was mid-way through when this excitement lost me. There was too much sadness and depression with this seemingly heartwarming tale. It deals with a disasterous situation and a main character who is just full of juxtapositions. She's supposed to be strong-willed, yet her actions show insecurity and dependency. Her past alludes to being the life of the party yet her present is full of shying away from life's glory.

At the end, you wanted her to be happy for the mere reason that you feel as if she's about to literally crumble in front of your eyes. I, myself, am not the toughest gal in the least, but I had the sense to know that what she did was just downright stupid and an insult to any woman who has lost a man. It happens, life goes on, things can ALWAYS be worse.

I don't usually like those chick lit novels where the main character is a bubbly bodacious blonde, but it sure as hell beats this grandma trapped in a 29 year old's body. After this read you will need to follow up with some Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes pronto! It's the most superficial read I have ever gone through, but it is the refreshing glimpse of envious life that you will need after Watermelon.

Rating:
Summary: Total Fun
Review: Like Marian Keyes' other books, "Watermelon," her first, is warm, witty in the extreme, funny, and somehow wise, all at the same time.

The book begins on a horrifying happenstance: Claire has just given birth to a beautiful, healthy daughter, and as she lies basking in the afterglow, her slime of a husband, James, enters her hospital room to tell her that: 1) he is in love with another woman; and that 2) he is therefore leaving Claire. Just like that. No muss, no fuss. With a beginning like that, it's hard to imagine where to go from here, but Keyes manages to pick Claire up by the scruff of her neck, shake her off, and move her and her newborn back to Dublin from London, where she had been living with James.

Once in Dublin, Claire runs the gamut of emotions, from not showering for a week to crying nonstop for 24 hours to yelling and screaming to becoming the "antichrist" to her large, extended and very strange family. Yet we love her more on every page. And we want so much for Claire to "sort herself out," as the Brits say.

Will Claire sort herself out? Will James come back and grovel? If he does, will Claire take him back? Will her parents ever break free of their strange and abominable daughters? It's all answered in the book, in prose that is so completely fresh and witty, so very funny, that the reader almost forgets that there is actually a real story here, and a good one at that.

It's nice to know that Keyes only got better with time, because this, her first novel, is just about perfect, and I'm glad to know that it wasn't a flash in the pan!

Rating:
Summary: A good time!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Claire's internal monologue. The character has a conversation with her reader as she tells the story! I love it! The writing in this story was outstanding. I kept thinking of when I could get back to Kate and her story! :)

Rating:
Summary: not bad at all
Review: It's not genius writing, but it's a good read. There's plenty of wit abound and the plot moves at a good rate. It's an excellent read for the train or on a lunch break.

Rating:
Summary: A cute story that is written in a funny and clever way
Review: I didn't really love this book, nor did I dislike it. I feel pretty neutral about it. It is the sort of story that I will not think of again after I finished it, yet I am glad that I read it.

The story begins with Claire, a sweet Irish woman, who is dumped by her husband in the hospital delivery room after she gives birth to their only child. It is told from Claire's perspective, and it is the story of her healing and moving on after the traumatic incident of her husband's abandonment. The book is quite funny and you will like most of the characters. You will find yourself cheering for Claire to get over her selfish and disrespectful husband. The ending is excellent and it leaves you with a happy feeling and a smile.

Claire and her family can be found again in other Marian Keyes books. So far, I like "Rachel's Holiday" better than "Watermelon". I do have all of Marian Keyes other books, and I am planning on reading them in the near future.