Customer Reviews
Where was the editor? - By: Penelope Simpson, 03 Jul 2008 
This is so disappointing. The bar is always high for Marian Keyes & this isn't a bad book, but...... It could have been so much better. Good central plot & some interesting characters but sloppily edited. Is the problem that Marian is so famous & such a good seller that her publishers don't dare tell her the truth?
The book needs cutting & some careful editing. It also needs to lose the diary style which is inconsistent, irritating & unneccessary. If you want to know how to do diary, then read Alison Pearson.
Please don't do this again Marian. You are one of the best around & this was rambling & undisciplined.
Very Good - By: scarlett o hara, 30 Jun 2008 
My favourites of Marian's are Lucy Sullivan... Rachel's holiday...Is anybody out there? & The other side of the story. This is written like The other side..., with four characters (3 main, one minor). Each one is writtenin a different style with Lola's being sort of diary-like &in almost an abbreviated style, rather unusual. I still loved it, it made me laugh & cry, & I like the ending. I got it from the library but will have to buy itin paperback as would read it again! 4 stars as it wouldn't be my absolute favourite.
anybody out there? - By: Blonde Bookworm, 30 Jun 2008 
I know, that's the name of Ms. Keyes last (and brillant) novel. But really, this season has been something of a dud for this genre, hasn't it? Two of my favorite authors are Keyes & Jennifer Weiner. Both have always been successful with their unique, intelligent perspectives on women's stories. They have proven their talent for writing with depth & a balance of humor & serious subject matter. This time around, though, fans of Weiner's "Good In Bed" were offered "Certain Girls," which turned likeable, independent, heroine Cannie Shapiro into a fretting frau that grown women hope to never grow into- less of a mother than a "smother." I was really holding out for Keyes latest, & excited at losing myselfin its nearly 700 pages- but it is really a mess. As other reviewers mentioned, the acknowledgementin the beginning spoils the secret of this "charming man" the novel revolves around, making the layers of plot & narration that cover the "big reveal" a waste of time, especially given how tedious the initial narrator, Lola, is. Reading over one hundred pages of a diary, "written"in memo-like broken sentences, when it seems unlikely that the character keeps a diary & we've all been Bridgit Jonesed to death? Tedious. I usually admire Keyes for her character development. With that said, it is unless Lola was a fool who couldn't determine differencein importance between distinct life events, she would constantly bring up the exact name of her hair color while going through what turns out to a be a real crises? For so very many pages, there is little character development that makes you care about the story, despite the sad fact of the subject matter. The absence of a great Weiner or Keyes read lead me to the fairly predicable Kinsella, who was unpredictably disappointing with "Remember Me?" (too simple, too silly, boring) & the abysmally cliche I-feel-bad-about-myself-for-reading-something-this-corny Jane Green. My advice? Check out the thank-youin the front of "This Charming," save yourself the book price & donate it to help the people she is trying to assist through her story. That, or volunteering the time it takes to wade through 700 pages, could really change the world. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Emily Giffin & Allison Pearson will come through now.....
Poor - By: Mrs. D. N. Houghton, 28 Jun 2008 I have read all of Marian's books & enjoyed every single one, except this one, I have found it such hard going that I have given up.
A Good Read - By: Norma Lehmeierhartie, 26 Jun 2008 As usual, Marian Keyes newest novel, This Charming Man, kept my interest & I recommend it. Although the book claims to be about 4 women affected by one man, Paddy de Courcy, Alicia remains a mystery to the end. I never considered Paddy as charming, either.
A number of reviewers have commented negatively on Lola's voice, as the writing isin diary short-hand. However,in the first chapter, her voice rings true & she is very, very funny. Later onin the book, her short-hand style began to get on my nerves, as all the characters sound like her.
Keyes deals with some tough subjectsin this book--domestic abuse & alcoholism. She does an exceptional job with these subjects.
I really did like this novel, but it was unevenly edited. The beginning & the end were top-notch, the middle needed work. While I would have appreciated more humorin the heart of the book, Keyes does a great job of keeping the reader mystified over several key plots.
Keyes has a keen understanding of human behavior that comes outin her books & which make her an internationally best-selling author. She falls slightly short on two key charactersin this book, but the other characters--Lola, Grace & Marnie--are all fleshed out very well & I came to care deeply about them.
By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet.
