PS, I Love You

by Cecelia Ahern

PS, I Love You

book data

5829 ratings, 3.85 average rating, 1451 reviews (more data...)

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published

January 5th 2005 (first published 2004) by Hyperion

binding

Paperback, 512 pages

isbn

0786890754 (isbn13: 9780786890750)

description

Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty, and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who ...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 7967)

All ratings | 5 stars (1845) | 4 stars (2000) | 3 stars (1384) | 2 stars (442) | 1 star (158) | avg 3.85

all | this edition

Candice

Candice rated it:

02/07/08

bookshelves: fiction, grief-books

Read in February, 2008

I made the mistake of seeing the movie before reading the book, thinking that the book is always better than the movie. And the movie changed so much of the book that it made it difficult to settle into the book as an independent, standalone work. I have mixed feelings about both the book and the movie (which is irrelevant, except that it influenced my experience of the book). I'm impressed that Cecilia Ahern was able to imagine the scenario, flush it out, and write an okay novel about it at onl...more

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Tara

Tara rated it:

01/09/08

bookshelves: chick-lit

Read in January, 2008

I was really expecting a lot more from this book, being that it has been made into a movie but I was fairly disappointed. I understand that Ahern is a young writer but she really does have a LOT of work to do with her writing skills. And maybe she could pick up a thesaurus to find a substitute word for "sarcastically" as she uses it to death in this book - there's no need to state the obvious in my opinion.

I suppose that I'm drawn to strong, proactive, and independent main char...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

2 comments

Despina

Despina rated it:

04/02/08

Read in March, 2008

I really enjoyed this book. There were points in the book where I found myself laughing and crying with the women of "Girls and the City". However, what I really loved about this book was that it didn't follow the typical chick lit formula; with many books of this type, one can easily predict the ending after having read about 1/3 of the book. But in PS, I Love You, things don't turn out as you might expect them to, and I appreciate that Ahern didn't tie up all the loosed ends and g...more I really enjoyed this book. There were points in the book where I found myself laughing and crying with the women of "Girls and the City". However, what I really loved about this book was that it didn't follow the typical chick lit formula; with many books of this type, one can easily predict the ending after having read about 1/3 of the book. But in PS, I Love You, things don't turn out as you might expect them to, and I appreciate that Ahern didn't tie up all the loosed ends and give us a boring and-they-lived-happily-ever-after ending. The ending is a real one. The characters and their ups and downs - they're all real as well. Eh...I guess there are a few things in the book that were a little convenient (Holly's job for example). But, given that Holly was working on herself and living for herself (albeit through Gerry's ten commandments), finding a job that suited her is not that far fetched.

All in all, I gave this book 5 stars because after the first 100 pages, I was hooked. I wanted to go on this journey with Holly and see where it would take her. I loved the world Ahern created with these characters that were Holly's family and friends. I haven't seen the movie yet. I hope it does the book justice.

Here are a few of the most memorable parts of the book for me:
"Holly continued to twist her rings around on her finger. At what point should she take her wedding ring off? Gerry was gone almost five months now, so when was the appropriate time to remove her ring and tell herself she wasn't married anymore? Where was the rulebook for widows that explained when exactly the ring should be taken off? And when it finally did come off, where would she put it, where should she put it? In the bin? Beside her bed so she could be reminded of him every single day? She plagued herself with question after question. No, she wasn't quite ready to give up her Gerry yet; as far as she was concerned, he was still living."

"How presumptuous they had both been never to consider growing old as an achievement and a challenge. Aging was something they'd both wanted so much to avoid." ...less

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Keri

Keri rated it:

(review of isbn 140130916X)

01/01/08

bookshelves: chicklit

Read in December, 2007

With the movie coming out, I finally decided to read the book (however, I don't intend to see the movie as it looks really bad). I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. I didn't know a whole lot about the book before reading it, other than the basic premise.

In keeping in line with my love of all things Irish, I enjoyed that this book was set in Dublin. I'm surprised that that author was as young as she was when she wrote the book. I also can't help but like the fact that she's the daugh...more

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Ros

Ros rated it:

09/08/07

bookshelves: chicklit

Read in August, 2007

P.S. I Love You is an unusual choice for me since it starts off with the protagonist dealing with the death of her husband. Those who have seen my book collection would note that I go for high drama and sweeping romances, stuff for romantics who are in love with love. I always get the ones that start with the heroine being taken by the hero not realizing that they have been falling in love in the process. I couldn't say what drew me to the book but I picked it up and brought it with me to the ca...more P.S. I Love You is an unusual choice for me since it starts off with the protagonist dealing with the death of her husband. Those who have seen my book collection would note that I go for high drama and sweeping romances, stuff for romantics who are in love with love. I always get the ones that start with the heroine being taken by the hero not realizing that they have been falling in love in the process. I couldn't say what drew me to the book but I picked it up and brought it with me to the cashier.

The book starts with Holley Kennedy keeping to herself a few months after the death of her husband Gerry Clarke. Holly and Gerry have been together since high school and Holly's world revolved around Gerry since then. Gerry was diagnosed with a brain tumor and rounds of medical procedures have not stopped him from succumbing to the death that it brought with it.

Holly closed off to everybody, wallowing in the grief that Gerry's death brought. She had no appetite and no desire to continue with her life as it was before Gerry passed.

Ahern's storytelling style had her cutting back and forth from the present to the past, illustrating the relarionship that Gerry had with Holly, her family and their circle of friends. Through these flashbacks, the readers learn that they shared a joke called "The List" which Gerry promised Holly he would write for her so that she can cope with the loss of Gerry. As Holly realized some time in the story, of all of Gerry's promises, this was the hardest for her to accept since it meant that he was gone.

Turns out that Gerry did prepare a list for Holly some time between his medical procedures. He sent a package to Holly's parents' house which contained individual envelopes labeled from April to December with a letter to Holly that she open an envelope per month to do Gerry's list for her.

The tasks went from buying a bedside lamp (since it was always a nightly thing for them to argue who would get out of bed to close the bedroom light) to conquering her fear of karaoke to a wonderful Spanish vacation with her closest friends, to finding her dream job. In between the tasks, Holly learned more about her family and friends as well as how life continues despite the all the loss.

Ahern created compelling characters that tell about growing up, the poignancy of loss and of rediscovery. The characters are real people that they seem to jump out of the pages and at me. They are flawed and human in their reactions and in their choices.

It rocked me to the core since it made me think of the what ifs. It made me realize that I have a wealth of family and friends by me. We may not always get along but we bring value and joy to each other's lives....less

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Ita

Ita rated it:

08/30/07

bookshelves: chicklit

Ide ceritanya sederhana tapi unik : bagaimana seorang suami (Gerry) yang merasa hidupnya tak akan lama lagi akibat penyakit kanker yang dideritanya, mempersiapkan sang istri (Holly) yang sangat tergantung padanya dan sangat dicintainya untuk menjalani hidup setelah kepergiannya. Diapun meninggalkan surat-surat untuk dibuka Holly setiap bulan setahun kedepan setelah kematiannya. Surat yang berisi bermacam-macam permintaan berdasarkan apa yang selama ini biasa terjadi di kehidupan mereka.

Cerit...more

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Annie

Annie rated it:

(review of isbn 0007184158)

10/20/08

bookshelves: general-fiction, reviewed, stories-read-in-2008

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Annie by: Sheree McLeod
recommends it for: Chick-Lit Readers

After being obsessed with the movie for months, I decided to take the plunge and read the book. Finally. And I can tell you that the book was equally as satisfying but completely different to the Gerard Butler perv-fest that I so dearly love.

There were so many changes made to translate this book to film. I won't go into them all here now because I wouldn't want to ruin it but let's just say they were significant. From love interests to careers, everything was different. And for that reason, ...more

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Tara

Tara rated it:

11/24/07

Read in November, 2007

How presumptuous they had both been never to consider growing old as an achievement and a challenge. Aging was something they'd both wanted so much to avoid.

The time just seemed to pass her by these days without her knowing what time or even what day it was. She seemed to be living outside of her body, numb to everything but the pain in her heart, in her bones, in her head. She was just so tired...Her stomach grumbled and she realized she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Had it...more How presumptuous they had both been never to consider growing old as an achievement and a challenge. Aging was something they'd both wanted so much to avoid.

The time just seemed to pass her by these days without her knowing what time or even what day it was. She seemed to be living outside of her body, numb to everything but the pain in her heart, in her bones, in her head. She was just so tired...Her stomach grumbled and she realized she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Had it been yesterday?

She didn't feel thirty. But then again again, what was being thirty supposed to feel like? When she was younger, thirty seemed so far away, she thought that a woman of that age would be so wise and knowledgeable, so settled in her life with a husband and children and a career. She had none of those things. She still felt as clueless as she had felt when she was twenty, only with a few more gray hairs and crow's feet around her eyes.

You've lost the plot.

[She:] thought about how she had bumbled around for the remainder of [the month:] trying to get her life in some sort of order. Days went by when she felt so happy and content and confident that her life would be ok, and then as quickly as the feeling came it would disappear again, and she would feel her sadness setting in once more. She tried to find a routine she could happily fall into so that she felt like she belonged in her body and her body belonged in this life, instead of wandering around like a zombie watching everyone else live theirs while she waited around for hers to end. Unfortunately the routine hadn't turned out exactly as she hoped it would. She found herself immobile for hours in the sitting room, reliving every single memory.

Friends and family came and went, sometimes helping her with her tears, other times making her laugh. But even in her laughter there was something missing. She never seemed to be truly happy; she just seemed to be passing time while she waited for something else. She was tired of just existing; she wanted to live. But what was the point in living when there was no life in it? These questions went through her mind over and over until she reached the point of not wanting to wake up from her dreams--they were what felt real.
Deep down, she knew it was normal to feel like this, she didn't particularly think she was losing her mind. She knew that one day she would be happy again and that this feeling would just be a distant memory. It was getting to that day that was the hard part.

She wanted to be irresponsible, she wanted to be looked after, to be told that she didn't have to worry about a thing and that someone else would take care of everything. How easy life would be without having grown-up problems to worry about. And then she could grow up all over again...

She loved airports. She loved the smell, she loved the noise, and she loved the whole atmosphere as people walked around happily tugging their luggage, looking forward to going on their holidays or heading back home. She loved to see people arriving and being greeted with a big cheer by their families and she loved to watch them all giving each other emotional hugs. It was a perfect place for people-spotting. The airport always gave her a feeling of anticipation in the pit of her stomach as though she were about to do something special and amazing. Queuing at the boarding gate, she felt like she was waiting to go on a roller coaster ride at a theme park, like an excited little child....less

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Theresa

Theresa rated it:

(review of isbn 1401300901)

09/08/08

bookshelves: read-this-within-last-year

Read in September, 2008

I really liked the movie even though it's not traditionally my style. When I saw that the movie was inspired by a book I decided to pick up the book. Wow are they different!! The movie shouldn't even have the same title, so don't expect the same stories at all if you decide to see the movie based on the book, or read the book because you saw the movie.
With that said, the book starts off for me rather weakly. the writing wasn't particularly mature, there was definitely some revisions ...more

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Kimberly Keith

Kimberly rated it:

07/09/08

Read in April, 2008

I had bought P.S. I Love You with a collection of other chick lit novels on Ebay before the movie had come out yet. So I figured I would just read the book first for once and see what I thought of the movie after. Now that I've done that, I have to say I really enjoyed the book so much more. The two were vastly different and many things were left out of the movie, but I guess with 512 pages, there's a lot of story you have to cut. I just didn't expect them to change SO MUCH of it. Like Holly's s...more

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Michelle

Michelle rated it:

06/02/08

bookshelves: 11thgrade

The novel is set in Ireland, when Holly Kennedy married the love of her life, Gerry. They had a wonderful time together. However, their relationship did not last. Gerry's life is taken by an illness and Holly became really depress and upset. Life has no meaning now after Gerry is gone. The only one who can help her is the person who is no longer there. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. So it's a good thing he planned ahead. Before he died, Gerry wrote Holly a series of 10 letters that will g...more

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Rachel

Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 1401300901)

02/05/08

Read in February, 2008

I happened across a book review for this book a few days ago.
I was intrigued by the concept and felt that I had to explore how someone who is dead can still communicate with the living. I also wanted to explore how one might possibly carry on after the death of a loved one. I was pleased to find that the connection between Holly Kennedy and her dead husband, Gerry, was not morbid or disturbingly depressing. Instead, it made me root for Holly more as she struggled to move on in her life, though...more

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Kathaileen

Kathaileen rated it:

11/03/07

bookshelves: novels

Read in March, 2004

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Astrid

Astrid rated it:

(review of isbn 0007165005)

10/19/07

Read in January, 2007

recommends it for: women who lost their loving men

Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty, and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who must put her life back together after she loses her husband Gerry to a brain tumor. Ahern, the twentysomething daughter of Ireland's prime minister, has discovered a clever and original twist to the Moving On After Death concept made famous by novelists and screenwriters alike--Gerry has left Holly a series of letters designed to help her face the year ah...more

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Heba

Heba rated it:

12/28/07

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: Lulu

This book will make laugh and cry with the character. It describe the feeling of a women who lost her beloved one, her soul mate.

The main story is that her husband before he died he wrote 12 notes for her to support her and help her to start a new life without him. 12 notes for 12 months.

You will see what she will do and live her life without him and try her best to continue.

I enjoyed every moment readying this book.. Enjoy it :)

P.s. sorry for my poor English

القصه تح...more

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Jillian

Jillian rated it:

12/16/07

bookshelves: chic-lit

Read in December, 2007

I loved this book. Beautiful story and very well written.

It made me cry a few times and also appreciate things in my life....especially my loving and thoughtful husband. He works away from home and at times I am so lonely without him. So I could feel Holly's pain and lonliness. This year is our first Christmas apart and I've been rather blue lately. A few chapters in the book were hard to read and I had to put it down for a while and watch TV instead.

Thankfully though I know he is comi...more

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Megan

Megan rated it:

10/17/07

Someone I interviewed for work recommended this book to me and insisted I take it home to read. It was my first chick-lit experience, and it left me confused with the genre as a whole and the women who enjoy it. Yes, I did laugh from time to time, and yes, once I got a little teary-eyed (keep in mind Hallmark commercials make me cry) but the quality of the writing was ... shocking. Cliche after cliche after cliche after cliche, from phrases to entire sequences to the whole book, really. I kept w...more

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1 comment

Willa

Willa rated it:

(review of isbn 1401300901)

10/29/07

bookshelves: to-re-read

Read in June, 2005

recommends it for: anyone who wants a light read but normally doesn't go in for chick-lit

I chose this book one day when I was in the mood for something different than my usual fare of high fantasy, smart science fiction or classic literature. I spent a long time perusing the chick-lit shelves (not being a fan of the genre, normally) before settling on this book, and I was not disappointed with my choice.

Holly is a widow who watched her husband die from a lengthy illness and is having a hard time dealing with it... But her husband has planned for that and has left her help in tha...more

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Frances

Frances rated it:

04/23/08

Read in March, 2008

I seem to be one of only a few who didn't like this book. First of all I must point out that I love girlie books and cry at anything even the slightest bit sad. With that said, I didn't enjoy it at all and couldn't wait for it to end. I WANTED to like it. I hoped something would happen to make me change me opinion but it didn't.

The whole book felt like a rambling and dull conversation with a repetitive yet inconsistent story-line. I would normally have full sympathy for Holly's situation bu...more

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Sarah

Sarah rated it:

09/16/07

bookshelves: just-for-fun, page-to-screen

Read in January, 2007

I picked up this book because my Favorite Person Ever, Harry Connick Jr., just finished filming the movie version with Hillary Swank and I wanted to read the book before the movie comes out. I hope this will be one of the few occasions where I enjoy the movie better than the book. I liked the story, although it was not particularly well written, but the ending left me unsatisfied. I appreciate the journey the character goes through and how the ending plays into that, but I just thought there was...more