This Charming Man
by Marian Keyes
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Read in August, 2008
Lola. Grace. Marnie. Alicia. Four very different women with one connection: Paddy de Courcy. Told from each of the four women's viewpoints, This Charming Man explains how each of the women is deeply affected by this one man. All of the women are struggling with something, despite her outwardly normal appearance. The story starts with the announcement of de Courcy's engagement and the women's different reactions. From there we get to see why each woman reacted in her own way--and the reasons are ...more
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Read in May, 2008
05/03/08
TITLE/AUTHOR: THIS CHARMING MAN by Marian Keyes
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Women's Fiction/2008/560 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand-Alone
TIME/PLACE: Present/Ireland
CHARACTERS: Paddy de Courcy/politician; Lola/stylist; Grace/journalist; Marnie/wife & mother
FIRST LINES: Everyone remembers where they were the day they heard that Paddy de Courcy was getting married.
COMMENTS: ARC from Harper Collins 1st Look program. Paddy de Courcy is a politician who has be...more
TITLE/AUTHOR: THIS CHARMING MAN by Marian Keyes
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Women's Fiction/2008/560 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand-Alone
TIME/PLACE: Present/Ireland
CHARACTERS: Paddy de Courcy/politician; Lola/stylist; Grace/journalist; Marnie/wife & mother
FIRST LINES: Everyone remembers where they were the day they heard that Paddy de Courcy was getting married.
COMMENTS: ARC from Harper Collins 1st Look program. Paddy de Courcy is a politician who has be...more
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Read in July, 2008
Gosh, another great Marian Keyes book - just when I thought she couldn't get any better. I don't want to make any rash statements here, but I don't think that Marian Keyes is writing "chick lit" (god, how I hate that term) anymore. She's writing serious fiction that also happens to be hilarious in places. Must admit that the first chapter or so of Lola's story threw me off a bit, kept checking to make sure the entire book wasn't written in that diary style, but after a while it tota...more
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Read in June, 2008
This Charming Man tells the story of 4 women (although focusing mainly on 3 of them) whose lives are all somehow connected to one man. Paddy de Courcey, a young Irish politician and attractive bachelor, has annouced he's getting married, and it's big news everywhere. Keyes alternates narrators throughout the book, telling the story of these 4 women and how they are connected to Paddy.
This is a bit different than the usual Marian Keyes novels, but it's excellent. First of all, she usually st...more
This is a bit different than the usual Marian Keyes novels, but it's excellent. First of all, she usually st...more
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Marian Keyes is one of my favorite authors. Even though her publisher tries to market her books as chick lit they aren't. They are normally about very serious issues like alcohol and physical abuse or your husband disappears. On the back of this book REDBOOK raves about beach reads. Maybe one or two of her earlier novels would be considered beach reads but this one definitely isn't. Neither are her last few. Beach reads are supposed to be lighthearted and you don't have to think about them too m...more
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Read in July, 2008
WARNING!! If you have been, or are, a victim of domestic violence, please be aware that this book depicts the violence and the situations very graphically. Ensure that you are ready to confront this imagery.
I give this book 5 stars if you are not reading it as a beach read, typical chick lit book, or even a typical Marian Keyes book. This is a powerful story that can be very disturbing (even if you have not been a victim of domestic violence). The "voice" of Lola is written in very...more
I give this book 5 stars if you are not reading it as a beach read, typical chick lit book, or even a typical Marian Keyes book. This is a powerful story that can be very disturbing (even if you have not been a victim of domestic violence). The "voice" of Lola is written in very...more
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Yet another book that I would prefer to give 3.5 stars to (will goodreads ever have that option). This Charming Man did not have that laugh-out-loud attitude that many of Keyes' other books possessed, but the story was good enough to keep me reading anyway. I think Keyes does an admirable job of interjecting the sorrows or disasters of life with humor.
I think I would have given four stars to this book except I couldn't stand the way Keyes chose to write Lola's story. If the ...more
I think I would have given four stars to this book except I couldn't stand the way Keyes chose to write Lola's story. If the ...more
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Read in August, 2008
Marian Keyes makes me veer from insane giggling to fury to sorrow at/with her characters. She can be so funny and then make you feel such empathy for the protagonists. This book has four narrators who all have a relationship (of some sort) with Paddy de Courcy, a slick Irish politician. Issues in This Charming Man include domestic violence, alcoholism, depression, and severe lack of self-confidence - and it's still filled with humor that made me laugh like crazy.
One of the narrators is ...more
One of the narrators is ...more
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Read in June, 2008
I liked this book, but do not read if looking for funny, uplifting read. The reviewers on back of dust jacket have obviously not read book or have seriously different sense of humor than I do.
Book is story of five/six various women who have all come into contact with same politician man who is quiet frankly shit, he's a shit man and is very very nasty. This book is each woman's road into ruin via this horrid politian as it deals with issues such as abuse, cross dressing, rape within a relati...more
Book is story of five/six various women who have all come into contact with same politician man who is quiet frankly shit, he's a shit man and is very very nasty. This book is each woman's road into ruin via this horrid politian as it deals with issues such as abuse, cross dressing, rape within a relati...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
women saps
number one best seller? friend recommended Marian Keys(darn you Christine O' Hare!!!!!!!!!)? they are my excuses for reading this book!!
there are four women that feature in the story. I was interested in one of these women, so that's what drove me to actually finish the tripe.
tripe...............
thank god i only wasted bus journey time on it, that's the last i'll say.
Ps i dont have a copy i'd be willing to sell/swap because I left it on the bus in disgust. much to the amusement...more
there are four women that feature in the story. I was interested in one of these women, so that's what drove me to actually finish the tripe.
tripe...............
thank god i only wasted bus journey time on it, that's the last i'll say.
Ps i dont have a copy i'd be willing to sell/swap because I left it on the bus in disgust. much to the amusement...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
women's fiction fans
due out June 2008
Irish writer Marian Keyes has another great book out just in time for beach season. This Charming Man is told in the voice of 4 very different women who have all tangled with one nasty man over the course of several years. Paddy de Courcy is a cad no matter how you slice it--but a very successful one. He's second in command of the up and coming political party New Ireland and about to be married in a very lavish celebrity sort of way. But his trail of misdeeds is catchi...more
Irish writer Marian Keyes has another great book out just in time for beach season. This Charming Man is told in the voice of 4 very different women who have all tangled with one nasty man over the course of several years. Paddy de Courcy is a cad no matter how you slice it--but a very successful one. He's second in command of the up and coming political party New Ireland and about to be married in a very lavish celebrity sort of way. But his trail of misdeeds is catchi...more
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Read in August, 2008
My favorite book I've read this summer is, This Charming Man, by Irish author, Marian Keyes. I'm a huge fan of hers and have read all of her books. They've been thoughtful, delightful and entertaining. But This Charming Man weaves together compellingly stark portrayals of alcoholism and domestic violence in a serious, yet sassy, page-turner that isn't, strangely, depressing. The women in the book come together to confront their abuser and, while not all of their issues are immediately resolved, ...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Emma by:
Boss at workrecommends it for: Most women
You know what? I expected to read this book and think, urgh there's another chick-lit same-old same-old. I'm not the biggest fan of chick-lit but I can happily flit into the genre when I fancy something light-hearted.
I didn't find this predictable, though, which is my usual qualm with chick-lit.
Lola is easily the funniest and most engaging of the characters; I found myself looking forward to her bits the most. Grace is sarcastic, witty, and the woman that binds all the plots together.
Mar...more
I didn't find this predictable, though, which is my usual qualm with chick-lit.
Lola is easily the funniest and most engaging of the characters; I found myself looking forward to her bits the most. Grace is sarcastic, witty, and the woman that binds all the plots together.
Mar...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone with a grain of emotional sense
I stayed up all night reading this brilliant book. marian Keyes has never come across as being afraid of tackling huge and important psychologically real issues. Make of that what you will. Under the girlish covers of her books I've always found pertinent issues; In 'This Charming Man' the issues are corrupt politicians, battered girlfriends, underhanded antics at work; steadfast firm friends as well as a wickedly funny turn involving cross-dressers (not trannies though one of them is gay). The ...more
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Read in June, 2008
I was a bit disappointed with this one. I adore all of her books...they're smart, sexy, hilarious. But this one just didn't fill the bill for me. The story is told through the viewpoints of Lola, Marnie and Grace...three women who have had varying experiences with a man named Paddy de Courcy.
Per her usual style, MK manages to raise some pretty serious and intense issues beneath the "fluff" of her story. Maybe it's because I felt like this storyline wasn't as original as some of he...more
Per her usual style, MK manages to raise some pretty serious and intense issues beneath the "fluff" of her story. Maybe it's because I felt like this storyline wasn't as original as some of he...more
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I generally love Marian Keyes' books. I like to think that her books have a little more substance than most 'chick-lit'. However, this was not my favorite of her books. I listened to this as an audiobook, which might have had something to do with it. It wasn't always obvious when the story was moving between present day and the past. I found myself getting annoyed as I was listening.
I can only assume that the 'Charming Man' title is an attempt at sarcasm, because I didn't find him all ...more
I can only assume that the 'Charming Man' title is an attempt at sarcasm, because I didn't find him all ...more
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recommends it for:
Krystal (I know you already have it marked, but just to make sure)
I am slightly put off at the strange style of writing in this first section. It's missing nouns or something (yeah, I don't do so well with labeling parts of grammar). So instead of "I went to the store and bought ice cream and then went home and ate it." it will just say "Went to the store. Bought ice cream. Went home. Ate it." It's very odd. Makes the tone choppy and akward. Even some of the dialogue is that way, but not in a "this is really how people talk" kin...more
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It's impossible not to enjoy Marian Keyes writing. This book deals with domestic abuse but shouldn't be approached as a definitive work on the nature of abusers or abusees. It also deals with addiction, and tackles this subject superbly. It features four women all of whom are, or have been lovers of the vile Paddy de Courcy. He's not charming, he has absolutely no redeeming features, but it doesn't really matter as most ofthe book isn't about him. I absolutely loved the Lola character,and think ...more
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Read in May, 2008
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Read in July, 2008
Marian Keyes is the only 'chick lit' writer that I read. She's usually hilarious, good character, strong women (or weak women who get stronger), lots of sexy men, always a good BEACH READ! [oh, plus she's Irish and most of her stories take place in the U.K.--Dublin and London usually--and she uses all this Irish slang for things: fizzog= face; banjoed=drunk; rough as a badger's arse=very drunk and/or hung over]
BUT, this book takes on some heavy subjects: alcoholism and domestic abuse. Su...more
BUT, this book takes on some heavy subjects: alcoholism and domestic abuse. Su...more
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