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Under the Duvet: Notes on High Heels, Movie Deals, Wagon Wheels, Shoes, Reviews, Having the Blues, Builders, Babies, Families and Other
by
Marian Keyes
From the acclaimed bestselling author of "Sushi for Beginners" and "Angels" comes a collection of personal essays on shopping, writing, moviemaking, motherhood and all the assorted calamities involved in being a savvy woman in the new millennium.
Her novels are read and adored by millions around the world, and with "Under the Duvet," Marian Keyes tackles the world of nonfic...more
Her novels are read and adored by millions around the world, and with "Under the Duvet," Marian Keyes tackles the world of nonfic...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
July 4th 2002
by Penguin Books
(first published 2001)
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I love Marian Keyes. My friends Kathy and Jenn would call her stuff "pink books" (i.e. frothy chick lit), and they definitely all start out that way: oh no, I'm getting married in three days and I'm too fat! Oh no, I woke up in some strange guy's house after a night of heavy drinking!! Oh no, I have nothing to wear to the party!!! Pretty standard Pink-ness.
But then, somewhere along the way, Keyes' books turn your expectations on their ear. She writes about alcoholism, or loneliness, or having an...more
But then, somewhere along the way, Keyes' books turn your expectations on their ear. She writes about alcoholism, or loneliness, or having an...more
May 31, 2008
Yrinsyde
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone who loves girly fiction and autobiographies
Shelves:
own
This is a gorgeous autobiography! Very sweet and funny. Actually, this book is a collection of magazine articles that Marian Keyes wrote about her experiences - in love, finding a place to live, a job, battling alcoholism. I laughed out loud and had tears in my eyes, and although some of her experiences were far from my everyday life, I felt touched.
This was the first book I read by her, and it took me to reading her novels. I've just bought her new one!
Marian Keyes - the 21st century woman's go...more
This was the first book I read by her, and it took me to reading her novels. I've just bought her new one!
Marian Keyes - the 21st century woman's go...more
The copyrights on this are UK 2001 and USA 2004, and it consists of both published and unpublished essays and newspaper articles. The author is an Irish lass who hie'd off to London in the 80's when there was no work in Dublin, and returned to Dublin in the 90's with an English husband. The essays, many of which were previously published in the "Irish Tatler," range from what are you going to do at the Millenium to her travels to buying a home, learning to drive, her experiences as a 20-somethin...more
After reading the 'Brightest Star in the Sky', I was curious to find out more about the author. Everything I read said that book was a departure from her typical style, and when I took out one of her other books from the library, it was so Chick-Lit I returned it without cracking the spine.
I wondered if something had happened to change her style. This book doesn't answer that question (it was published at the height of her chick-lit fame), but this series of essays was very funny, very Irish in...more
I wondered if something had happened to change her style. This book doesn't answer that question (it was published at the height of her chick-lit fame), but this series of essays was very funny, very Irish in...more
Searching through the shelves at Waterstones I saw this book by Marian Keyes. I've read for Marian Keyes once before very recently, a book by the name "The Brightest Star in the Sky" and I set about buying more of her work. Luckily, I didn't only find a novel, I found a collection of articles previously published and unpublished all about the writer's life.
The woman is hilarious! I love her sense of humor and her wit. Her honesty in dealing with alcoholism, growing up, and weight loss. I could t...more
The woman is hilarious! I love her sense of humor and her wit. Her honesty in dealing with alcoholism, growing up, and weight loss. I could t...more
Under the Duvet is a collection of "things" (dont know what to call 'em) that Marian Keyes has written for Irish newspapers/magazines. She writes about funny episodes in her life and about her thoughts on current issues. U get a really good picture of what kind of person MK is. She is really much like many of her characters. MK says that none of her characters are real persons, but made up by combining up to 100 persons MK has met or something. What is clear from Under the Duvet is that all MK's...more
The life of a journalist can be hectic, frantic and filled with problems. And that’s just the work side of it. Ms. Keyes lays out one funny story after another about her search for decent shoes when she’s practically a midget, finding a proper place to live, dealing with one spiritual fad after another when Catholicism just isn’t working out and other trials of a young wan.
Whether living in England or Ireland, her sense of humor never abandons her and she draws her reader into her life like a c...more
Whether living in England or Ireland, her sense of humor never abandons her and she draws her reader into her life like a c...more
Marian Keyes' pastel-shaded books routinely grace the Chick-Lit section. While the bright colours always draw me, I never actually buy one. Reason? The blurbs reveal too much soul-searching and catharsis for my 'books-are-about-escapism' viewpoint. This pattern had only one roadblock:
Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married
. I loved the book, the Irish humour and Keyes' effortless writing style. But that was it.
Roadblock # 2: Under the Duvet. The prospect of having a glimpse into an author’s life (w...more
Roadblock # 2: Under the Duvet. The prospect of having a glimpse into an author’s life (w...more
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Well I have never read anything by Marian Keyes before and this was a good starter book. It's a collection of short personal essays, some previously unpublished, that are all witty and fun. This is actually a pretty fun book to tote in your purse or next to your bed because you can read one or two stories quickly while waiting and stuff. What I enjoyed about the book were all the fun titles of the stories. Examples include, "The Pissed Is a Foreign Country, They Do Things Differently There". I m...more
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“Inhalt: 100% Gefühle, Witz, wahres Leben”, so titelt der Heyne Verlag großspurig auf dem Buchcover. Anthologien haben ja praktischerweise den Vorteil, dass sie eine geradezu prädestinierte Bahnlektüre darstellen. Anthologien haben allerdings den Nachteil, dass sie – sofern sie Werke eines einzigen Autors beinhalten – dazu neigen, recht schnell öde und langweilig zu werden. So geschehen leider auch in diesem Fall. Zwar kann man Frau Keyes Kolumnen als recht amüsant bezeichnen, mehrere am Stück h...more
Jun 15, 2010
Katie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction-biography-memoir
I've read a few books by Marian Keyes (Rachel's Holiday, Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married, Sushi for Beginners) and have enjoyed all of them so I was interested to read more about the author. This collection of essays was a very quick read that made me laugh out loud on many occasions. She touched on virtually every topic, some serious and some frivolous, with humor and wit. Reading this book made me want to read the rest of Keyes' novels.
Aug 30, 2010
willaful
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio,
made-me-laugh
I didn’t get into this book in print form, but it was perfect for something to listen to while hanging the laundry or watering the yard.
This is a collection of (mostly) fluffy pieces originally written for magazines. Keye’s primary shtick is that she’s just a ordinary Irish gal, living in an oddball world she never made. The approach feels too shallow at times, and the occasional glimpse of keener insight under the fluff can be tantalizing. I liked the book more as it went on; it seemed to get m...more
This is a collection of (mostly) fluffy pieces originally written for magazines. Keye’s primary shtick is that she’s just a ordinary Irish gal, living in an oddball world she never made. The approach feels too shallow at times, and the occasional glimpse of keener insight under the fluff can be tantalizing. I liked the book more as it went on; it seemed to get m...more
May 07, 2013
Connie N.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
short-stories,
non-fiction
Totally cute series of real-life vignettes by the author about her life in Ireland and London. She looks at life in a very amusing way and can tell a story so that you laugh out loud. She runs the gamut from her family life, to work, to owning a home, to vacations. Most of the stories were written for the Irish Tatler where she worked, but some were published first for this collection. I will definitely read more by this author, although I think the rest of her books are fiction.
Favorite quote a...more
Favorite quote a...more
Peiton alla, suomeksi. Luin tämän nyt suomeksi vaikka englanninkielinen versio löytyy omastakin hyllystä (kuten kaikki Keysin kirjat). Pidin tästä yhä paljon ja haluaisin että Keyes kirjoittaisi enemmän ja nopeammin, olisi myös kiva tietää mitä hänelle nykyään kuuluu, tämän kirjan tapahtumat sijoittuvat 90-luvun lopulle ja 2000-luvun alkuun. Hienoa näistä tarinoista huomata että vaikka olisi kuinka suosittu kirjailijatar niin elämä kolhii ja joutuu kokemaan kaikenlaisia asioita. Lohdullista ja a...more
This was pretty good. Not a story, but a collection of essays written for various Irish and English papers and some previously unpublished for variety. You really get a better sense of who Marian Keyes is as a person, especially the article about her alcoholism. I found it humorous that many of her stories ended up in her books. Since I've read almost all of them, I could identify where I'd read them, such as the free gift story appearing in Sushi For Beginners. There's another collection of ess...more
Feb 12, 2008
Deirdre
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
irish-literature-studies,
waste-of-time
horrible
I love Marian Keyes' novels and also really liked this collection of her newspaper and magazine pieces. She uses the same tone as in her fiction and some of it is very funny. She talks about her own life, work and her (long-suffering) family.
The highlight of the book for me was the piece called "The pissed is a foreign country, they do things differently there" in which Keyes talks about her alcoholism and how she stopped drinking.
It's definitely a book to dip in and out of - if you read too muc...more
The highlight of the book for me was the piece called "The pissed is a foreign country, they do things differently there" in which Keyes talks about her alcoholism and how she stopped drinking.
It's definitely a book to dip in and out of - if you read too muc...more
This is the autobiography of Marian Keyes. She has written a number of newspaper and magazine articles and included all of this as a book.
She has touched on weight loss, her Irish family, addiction and relationships.
Some of these were funny and her take on life was interesting. Authors sometimes seem to have a different perspective than ordinary folks like me and it is just fun to read about a normal life experience and see it turned upside down.
She has touched on weight loss, her Irish family, addiction and relationships.
Some of these were funny and her take on life was interesting. Authors sometimes seem to have a different perspective than ordinary folks like me and it is just fun to read about a normal life experience and see it turned upside down.
Another very-appreciated gift, devoured in a couple of days.
This is a collection of essays and articles by Marian Keyes - one of the best and most reliable chick lit authors out there. This is a lovely insight into Marian and her life. There's light funny pieces, as well as a devastating account of her alcoholism and recovery.
My favourite was an article detailing why she didn't like dogs. Good to know I'm not alone.
mychicklitlife.com
This is a collection of essays and articles by Marian Keyes - one of the best and most reliable chick lit authors out there. This is a lovely insight into Marian and her life. There's light funny pieces, as well as a devastating account of her alcoholism and recovery.
My favourite was an article detailing why she didn't like dogs. Good to know I'm not alone.
mychicklitlife.com
I normally don't like books that are collections of essays. I find them boring and trite; I can't relate. Keyes changes that. I read this book in one sitting because I simply couldn't put it down. She shows how versatile she is. Not only can she create characters I identify with, her everyday life I can identify with. I highly recommend this book to people who normally love essays and who hate essays.
This is just what is needed. I have been dealing with too much stress, and Marian Keyes's book takes me right away from all that with out loud belly laughs. And more. There is a kind and thoughtful writer inside the funnies that lifts my spirit and enlarges my too constricted world. It is a mending book as well as a get-right-back-up-and-grab-life kind of book.
What a treat!
What a treat!
I have always loved Marian Keyes and I have had this book for ages but as I thought it was just short stories, I never got round to reading it as short stories are not my favourites. However, when I found out that they were about Marian Keyes own life, I became really interested in reading it and I loved it. Marian Keyes has such a brilliant sense of humour and this is a laugh aloud book, it makes it such an easy book to read.
Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes is a fun collection of very short essays. I'm a big fan of Marian Keyes so when I saw this I couldn't resist it. This is a perfect book to share with people by reading out loud. I took this book to work and when things got to be a little too much I would share a story and we would burst out laughing. This one gets a definite five stars.
5 Stars
5 Stars
Feb 05, 2012
Magiczna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-english,
ebook
I have to admit I enjoy every single story by Marian Keyes. Moreover, I love her columns. Reading what she wrote not only leaves me in spams of giggling and makes me a highly-amused person, I could quote every second sentence from the book. This woman has a gift of writing stories of all kinds: emotional, sometimes amusing, sometimes leaving you in meditation little pieces of art filled with humour.
i know, it's crappy chick lit, but her first few books were actually funny (at least i thought so when i read them 8 years ago) and i liked that her characters had real problems (depression, drug/alcohol addiction). this book is the 4th about one of five sisters. when the sisters were first mentioned, the less involved ones had fairly exaggerated characters: one was the goody-goody, one was a flaky, hippie etc. when she wrote about the good one, all of a sudden, she wasn't so boring, but in this...more
Under the duvet is an autobiography written by Marian Keyes who is known as the best-selling Irish author and her novels are read by millions around the world. This book consists of seven sections and each one includes different articles. At the beginning, I have a difficulty in understanding the author language but then I get used to it. The part that I found it hilarious was the essay in which she discusses the Irish people’s inability to give directions using street names or addresses. While...more
Bought in a thrift store for 25 cents and was the best laugh I've had for years. True to life real stories from Ms. Keyes own life, from childhood, young adult, marriage and return to live again in Ireland. It's really an adult book, but would be greatly enjoyed by teens who can understand the Irish slang used by the author.
I didn't like this as much as I do her novels, but there were some great essays in here, about the magical time she was reviewing makeup and delightful boxes showed up at her door daily, her alcoholism, and the problem with having a wedding around Christmas (parents go on a diet and ruin their traditional selection box races).
I went into this thinking it was fiction, but instead it was a collection of essays from the popular chick-lit author, Marian Keyes. Her writing style is easy to read, and most of the essays were pretty funny. It only took about a day to read through it. I do prefer books to collections of essays, though.
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Marian Keyes, born September 10, 1963, is a popular Irish writer, considered to be one of the original progenitors of "chick lit". Keyes' first novel, Watermelon, was published in Ireland in 1995. Since then she has published seven further novels and two collections of non-fiction, and has sold 15 million copies of her books in 30 languages.
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“Our health is our wealth.”
—
3 people liked it
“When I opened my case in the hotel, he gestured excitedly at my snakeskin sandals, turquoise suede wedges and silver-speckled jellies. “But you’ve loads of shoes,” he bellowed joyfully. I shook my head sadly. Men just don’t get it, do they? They’re definitely missing the shoe chromosome.”
—
2 people liked it
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