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Nabaza.net-The MarketPlace - This Charming Man: A Novel
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List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $16.47
Your Save: $ 8.48 ( 34% )
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Manufacturer: William Morrow
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780061124020
ISBN: 0061124028
Label: William Morrow
Manufacturer: William Morrow
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 576
Publication Date: 2008-06-01
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: 2008-06-17
Studio: William Morrow
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Editorial Reviews:
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With This Charming Man, Marian Keyes hits her stride as a novelist with her best novel yet, telling the stories of four women who are shaped by one man Paddy de Courcy is Ireland's debonair politician, the "John F. Kennedy Jr. of Dublin." His charm and charisma have taken hold of the country and the tabloids, not to mention our four heroines: Lola, Grace, Marnie, and Alicia. But though Paddy's winning smile is fooling Irish minds, the broken hearts he's left in his past offer a far more truthful look into his character. Narrated in turn by each woman, This Charming Man explores how their love for this one man has shaped their lives. But in true Marian Keyes fashion, this is more than a story of four love affairs. It's a testament to the strength women find in themselves through work, friendship, and family, no matter what demons may be haunting their lives. Depression, self-doubt, domestic abuse—each of these women has seen tough times in life, and it's through Keyes's wonderful storytelling ability that these subjects are approached with the appropriate tone and candor. Her deft touch provides a gripping story and, ultimately, a redemptive ending.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: SO Much More Thank Just "Chick" Lit!
Comment: "The worst day of my life. When the first wave of shock released me from a fiendish grip, I couldn't help but notice that Paddy hadn't called me. Ominous. I was his girlfriend, the media was going wild that he was getting married to another woman, and he hadn't called me. Bad sign."
This story is told in alternating chapters by the women in the life of Paddy de Courcy, the head of the New Ireland political part. Smart, handsome and debonair, Paddy de Courcy has charmed the entire country of Ireland....and quite a few women to boot. From each woman's perspective, we can see how knowing Paddy has shaped their lives.
Lola is a stylist with an amazing fashion sense and purple hair. Excuse me. That would be molichino hair. She considered herself Paddy's girlfriend, even though there were very few times he actually took her out in public. After the news broke, Lola spent a week stalking Paddy trying to get answers. The best he could do was that his fiancee was going to be the perfect politician's wife...something Lola would never be. With her business taking a series nose-dive because of her obsession with Paddy, she decided to take a break and stay at a friend's cabin in a little remote village across the country from Dublin.
Grace is a reporter for The Spokesman. She is tough, breezy and full of spunk. And she knew Paddy when she was younger. The worked together in a bar right out of high school. And just when Grace had decided to make her move, Paddy met her twin sister, Marnie. Marnie was as opposite from Grace as could be: she is tiny, fragile and super-emotive, in a Sylvia Plath sort of way. Paddy and Marnie dated for a long time, before he broke her heart and moved on. Today Marnie is married and has 2 beautiful daughters, lives in a beautiful house, and has the perfect life. But she's hiding a horrible secret that could ruin everything.
Alicia is the fiance in question. Not a beauty, like most of Paddy's women, Alicia is a widow that is definitely the conservative, dependable type to be a politician's wife.
When I started this book I expected a light, breezy book that would be cute and funny. While there certainly were some cute parts (mostly all from Lola.....Tranny Night is utterly hilarious!), this book hits on some extremely serious and complex topics, such as domestic violence and alcoholism. I loved the way the book was laid out, with each character's own voice telling how the suave Paddy de Courcy changed her life. (although I have to admit, Lola's chapters slightly annoyed me. As much as I loved her character, her "voice" was written in almost a short-hand sort of way. Made it a bit difficult to read sometimes.)
I'm always a fan of a strong female heroine, which is the reason both Grace and Lola appealed to me so much. Marnie played the victim too well, and it bothered me on some level. But her growth through the book was definitely the most dramatic. Paddy himself is only written through the eyes of the women, and Keyes has done an excellent job of taking him, making him this fantastic man, then peeling back the layers to see what is really inside.
There is so much more to this book, but I'd hate to give anything away. So, I'll leave you with this: although this certainly isn't a book for everyone, it was an exceptionally good tale of love, friendship, family, and heartbreak. And I am extremely glad I read it!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Welcome to the Dark Side
Comment: Part of my problem (and rating) of this book probably has to do with my expectations of it. Having read, and loved, all of Marian's previous books I was expecting more of the delightful entertaining chick-lit style, and it was certainly marketed that way.
Whilst all of Marian's previous books have dealt with some pretty heavy topics (addiction, death etc.) they all managed to do it in a thought provoking way that didn't descend to horribly dark and disturbing. Not so with A Charming Man. This is a graphic and disturbing book detailing rape, as well as sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
Not only that, and maybe this is part of trying to have four main female characters but, with the exception of Marnie and the female politician, all of the female characters felt two dimensional, contrived, weak and inspidless. Lola, in particular, almost caused me to give up reading after almost 100 non-stop pages of whining, pity parties and self indulgence.
There were parts that were well written - expecially Marnie's character and the occasional light hearted interlude but, when I reached the end, I wished I hadn't read it because of the disturbing, explicit and graphic nature of its content and an ending without justice.
If you are looking for the light-hearted entertaining chick-lit I recommend you try Jane Green or Sheila O'Flanagan.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Adequate, just adequate.
Comment: I had been expecting so much more from this novel. Told from the viewpoints of four women in Ireland, this narrative tracks how their lives transect PADDY, the handsome, up and coming political icon...the JOHN F. KENNEDY JR. of IRELAND. SPOILER ALERT: TOO much emphasis was put on the TRANNIE, cross-dressers. Not enough on the plot and revenge. The slow descent into the pit of alcoholism of the sister was well done. Issues of physical abuse were also unveiled. All in all, I would have loved less babble about the life in the village and the little woman who watched t.v. with the liqueurs. THE bit about the high fashion and the stylist image consultant was fun, but a bit much. I must admit that the stilted diary type of entries of the stylist made me want to do give up. SHE would write without a verb, or without a subject......very stilted.THE background of the four women could have been much shorter, with a much more structured plot and final climax, when poor Paddy is fired onscreen, on live t.v. Great premise, but not pulled off . I so wanted to give it a better review.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best written novel on a difficult subject
Comment: Amzing new novel from a great auther. As a survivor of domestic violence, I find this book to be extreemely helpful and accurate. I love the auther, and am Impressed by the research that's obviously gone into it. I am also a sosiologist, planning on using this book as part of therapy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Too difficult to finish
Comment: I have listened to virtually every Marian Keyes book, but I couldn't bring myself to finish this one. It's too graphic and disturbing. Perhaps if I was reading it I could easily skip the physical abuse, rape, and descriptions of battered women, but I'm not sure I could stand reading this either. Not for the faint of heart, or those expecting anything resembling her other works.
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