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Marian Keyes – chuckles and tears

Posted on 05. Mar, 2010 by Rachael in Books

First of all let me just tell you that I’m a HUGE fan of Marian Keyes. I have read all her books, read every* interview, I make sure I see any telly programme she appears on and I subscribe to her monthly blog. Have I convinced you yet? If not, then you should also know that I always buy her books in hardback as soon as they’re released, because I’m just not willing to wait until the paperback lands in the supermarket for 3 quid (Your local book shop needs YOU).

Keyes’ new book The Brightest Star in the Sky is beautifully presented, all spangle and sparkle with its shiny gold and pink cover, girly in the extreme. But be warned, it doesn’t exactly ‘do what it says on the tin.’ If you’ve read any of her books before you’ll know that this standard form and that each book has dark depths within its pages. You would also agree to go on a protest march (in the style of Father Ted and Dougal, bearing signs with the words: DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING, plastered across them) against the view that this is “just chick-lit”. Yes it is “lit” and it her books certainly do contain “chicks”. However, this cap just does not fit or if this is chick-lit, then everything else I’ve read in that genre is seriously sub-standard. She says her books are “a comedy about something serious”. So I’m sticking with that.

Rachel’s Holiday takes us into the world of drug and alcohol addiction, the trauma of going through rehab and how this affects the sufferer’s family. This Charming Man tackles domestic abuse and its presence in all walks of life. Anybody Out There? is about coping with the heartbreaking death of a much loved partner, the grief, the guilt and the anger at being the one left behind.

You’d think all of these books would be miserable and as hard as hell to read – here is where the magic of Marian Keyes comes in. All of her work is hilarious, I’m talking laugh out loud, and possibly do a little wee, funny. When tackling the dark bits no punches are pulled, they’re hard hitting and sometimes disturbing.

“Okay, so this doesn’t exactly sound like a laugh a minute, but in my experience the best comedy is rooted in darkness. All ten of my books are different but share a common theme of people who are In The Bad Place, and who achieve some form of redemption. I’ve been In The Bad Place myself many’s the time, which wasn’t very pleasant while it was happening but has since come in very handy for writing about it.” – Marian Keyes

Her ‘heroes’ and ‘heroines’ are lovable and realistic characters, portrayed in such a way that you feel as though you’re walking along side them during the story. The ‘villains’ are suitably heinous and just as in life it is not always immediately obvious who is the baddie. As Marian Keyes casts her magical story telling spell the pages really do turn themselves.

The main focus of her books tends to be strong females who manage to triumph over some of the worst circumstances that life can hurl at you. Yet, I’ve a very strong feeling that this is not why people look to her as an inspirational woman – nor is it the fact the she is a best-selling millionaire with an adoring husband. I think it has more to do with the fact that she is so open about her severe clinical depression and her daily struggle with alcoholism. These conditions are rife in our society yet we’re not entirely comfortable with the possibility of being both a ‘super-achiever’ and a ‘struggler’.

She finds life hard going, yet she is here – alive if not always kicking, but when she does kick it’s with both boots! Her strengths are there for all to see, she’s funny, clever, sexy, successful and yet she’s breaking ‘celebrity’ form by being honest about her not-so-great-side. In a recent interview in The Independent she says, “I write for me and I need to feel hopeful about the human condition”, a message that shines through all her books loud and clear.

If you fancy a giggle, follow this link to the ‘Life According to Marian Keyes’ videos. Here you’ll hear her comical observations on several subjects such as plastic surgery, losing your passport and saying goodbye after a dinner party. I really like the one called ‘The Credit Crunch’ – save money on therapy, get it free by “manufacturing a spurious fight with your mother about…gravy or slippers…anything and just have a good auld mad, auld ranty, auld shout…that’ll get rid of loads of frustration…and the thing is, she’ll have to forgive because she’s your mother.” Hmmm, I don’t think I’ll be trying this one anytime soon though.

Pop back in few of days to read my book review of The Brightest Star in the Sky.

* Disclaimer: As Marian Keyes books are published in 37 languages it’s only fair to tell you that I haven’t read “every” interview, I’m using this word with poetic license – my grasp of the German and Vietnamese languages is not what it was in my previous lives

Tags: Anybody Out There?, depression, Marian Keyes, Rachel's Holiday, The Brightest Star in the Sky, This Charming Man

Rachael Holden

Author for the online friendship and dating site Sparkle

Rachael - has written 29 posts on Sparkle in my life. Contact the author

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