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Summary: A great book that deals with real feelings...
Review: What an absolutely fantastic story.I have to say Keyes is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite authors. She is not afraid to deal with real issues and feelings. She knows how to make those little pep talks everyone has with themselves seem normal. Clair has just given birth to her first child when in walks her husband to tell her he is leaving her for the "downstairs cow"... You follow Clair as she goes through the Nazi phase, the sorry for herself phase and getting herself back to normal (but better phase). All the while dealing with living back at home, a newborn (wonderful Baby) etc.. basic life things. This book gripped me from the beginning and didn't let me go.
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Summary: I Loved Claire's Voice
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. This book is written in Claire's voice. I loved reading her thoughts as she thought them. It was as if I would be thinking the same thing. I can't remember another book that displayed a character's thoughts in the same manner. In addition to listening to Claire's thoughts, I loved the story and her internal struggle of deciding what she really wanted, and what she really believed. It was hard to put this one down, even after I was done reading it.
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Summary: Nice introduction to this Irish writer and the Walsh sisters
Review: After reading a short story by Marian Keyes, I decided to try reading one of her novels. Watermelon is the story of Claire Walsh, an Irish woman in her early 30s who has just given birth to her first child. When she wakes up after the delivery, the first thing she sees is her husband, James, who informs her that he is leaving her for their downstairs neighbor. In a state of shock, Claire packs some things and leaves London with her yet unnamed baby girl to travel back home to her parents in Ireland. What follows is the familiar tale of a woman struggling to get back on her feet; Claire predictably goes through the process of depression to redemption. Despite the common nature of the storyline, Keyes has created engaging characters in Claire, her neurotic parents, and her two youngest sisters--Helen with her biting sarcasm, and Anna, the lovable airhead. Even when the plot becomes somewhat contrived and unrealistic, Keyes injects humor and life into Claire's story; the reader can't help but to be interested in how things turn out. Keyes has written two more novels about the five Walsh sisters: Rachel's Holiday, which tells the story of middle child Rachel, and her more recent work, Angels, which focuses on second oldest Margaret. Although these books weren't quite up to the quality of Watermelon, once you begin reading about the Walsh sisters, you may become as hooked as I did.
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Summary: A waste of time and money
Review: The main reason that I purchased "Watermelon" is that I really liked "Lucy Sullivan is getting Married" by Marian Keyes. But "Watermelon" is such a bad book. I found the main character Claire Webster to one of the unlikeable characters ever! And don't even start me on her crazy family. I couldn't even keep their names straight. I just don't understand how this book could be such a bestseller.
Unless you are a fan of Marian Keyes, you may want to skip this book at all costs!
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Summary: Pathetic waste of time!
Review: Don't bother with this book - it is truly an insult to one's intelligence - I can't beleive this trash was published as a "bestseller"! I had to force myself through it in the hope that one of the numerous (badly timed & totally irrelevant) asides would actually have one iota of humour. You can't sympathize with the main character (or indeed give 2 hoots about ANY of the characters) because they are so transparently paper thin & predictable. Don't waste your time. I know I have. This was a very disappointing offering from a usually quite talented author.
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Summary: A wonderful book for any 20-something to 200-something!
Review: When I first picked up Watermelon, my main goal was to find out why the booked was named such. I found that out within the first twenty minutes, but I kept reading.
Claire has what seems to be a perfect life with her husband and friends in London, until she gives birth to her beautiful baby girl (whos name is 'baby' for the beginning of the book). Then her husband breaks the news on the day of their child's birth: He's having an affair and he's leaving her and their child for this other woman.
Heartbroken and lost, Claire returns home to Dublin, Ireland where her psychotic family deals with her moodswings and temper. Finally Claire picks her life up and begins to move on, JUST in time for her 'ex' to come back to her.
While Claire is very self involved (i.e. a LOT of narration where she ponders, and thinks, and mulls things over), but other than that, she is a very witty character and I LOVED the book!
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Summary: Hardly worth the effort
Review: Like many failed attempts, "Watermelon" starts out as a quite promising witty comedy--Claire Webster's husband announces he's leaving her for their neighbor's wife two hours after Claire gives birth. With her tail between her legs, Claire returns home to Dublin to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. But endless opportunities to make this comedy truly hit home are derailed by less-than-mediocre writing and a truly insufferable cast of characters. The problem is that we just don't care about the characters or the plot. And I use the word "plot" very loosely--most of the action centers around Claire obsessing over her appearance and the men in her life. Her family, a gaggle of dysfunctional, spoilt women and a put-upon father, are just as obnoxious and made me want to reach through the pages and slap each one of them soundly. What was endearing in "Bridget Jones's Diary" is downright annoying here, as Keyes is nowhere near the comedic writer that Helen Fielding is. Keyes' writing style--or rather, lack thereof--is neither interesting nor engaging. Rather, it's more like a first draft in need of some serious editing. Claire's rambling, fanciful asides and observations reveal that she is, at heart, self-obsessed, superficial, and wholly uninteresting. Keyes gives us no real reason to pity or identify with her, save perhaps for being abandoned with a new baby, which her family cares for most of the time anyway. One wonders how a woman like Claire managed to find a man to marry her in the first place. When she's not bemoaning the fact she's gained weight, she spends more time expressing her guilt over not caring for her daughter than she does actually spending time with the child. I'm hardpressed to say who we should pity more--Claire's innocent child or the reader who would drudge through this throwaway book.
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Summary: a good juicy beach read for all fans of chick fic
Review: Well well well. What can I say? This book changed me life, as one of the many irish characters in this books would say. Actually, it is not life-changing, but it is entertaining. Good fun. Marian Keyes is hilarious.
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Summary: Can't put it down!
Review: I am currently in the middle of this book and wanted the opportunity to share this book with others before I was even finished with it! It is wildly funny. The best compliment that I can pay it is that I would love to be friends with both the central character AND the author! Thank you Marian Keyes for a fantastic piece of literature!
Rating:
Summary: Highly enjoyable
Review: If you're looking for an author on the same wavelength as Helen Fielding, Marian Keyes is perfect. Great stories, even better characters. You won't want to put it down. (More like 4 1/2 stars).
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