Watermelon

After a slow start, this wasn't a bad read, though the narrative did start to grate on me, as Claire went through every emotion imaginable, learning of her husband's adultery, on the day of their daughter's birth. Then she flees to Dublin to the sanctuary of her family. where they welcome her with worried open arms. I loved the Walsh family. The story became much livelier when Claire talked about them

Count me underwhelmed--nay, irked. I tried this because it was recommended on The Ultimate Reading List under the chicklit section. Well, I'm beginning to suspect that with the rare exception (so far, <i>Bridget Jones' Diary</i>) this isn't the kind of book for me. So many of them strike the same tone--overly chirpy obsessed with dress size and the mating game but without the satiric edge of <i>Bridget Jones' Diary</i> or it's ability to make me laugh-out-loud. The book is centered on Claire Walsh--her husband left her on the same day as their child was born, and she returns to her family in Dublin with the babe in arms. This is all told in first person--and a good first person depends on voice--either one that is strong and colorful or at least one that disappears well so what you get is story. Claire's voice unfortunately grated on me--repetitive, one-note, whiny. And the title "Watermelon." It's because it's how she sees herself--as "fat" at only size 14 (adjusted to American sizes I'm sure). Let me tell you, size 14 is <i>not</i> fat. It's average. But Claire goes on and on about how fat she is and without the irony of a Bridget Jones. When she isn't going on and on and on about her weight, or talking about her constant drinking, it's all how she can't understand how her husband could leave her like that. Repetitively. Annoyingly. Predictably. We have to go through the Stages of Grief by the numbers with denial, sadness, anger and acceptance. By the time James shows back up, were it not for the poor abandoned newborn, I think my sympathies would have been completely with him, so much had I grown to dislike Claire.

Okay . . . a good beach read. My first book by this author - initial reactions is that I thought it was very predictable and the main character seemed to go on and on and on about her feelings . . . when any half-way intelligent person got the gist of what she was saying in the first one or two sentences. Not terrible, but I wouldn't grab another one of these books.

Claire is in the hospital (in London) after her baby's birth when her husband James tells her that he is having an affair and is leaving her. Claire had no clue this was coming and goes to Dublin to stay w/her family and try to recover. Her journey is mostly hilarious. How things worked out with her husband was a bit iffy and I wish she swore less, but overall this was a good read on par w/MK's other books.

Not a lot of books grab you from the beginning. That is what I admire most about this book. So many things go wrong in the beginning that you're not really sure how things are going to work out. The Walsh family is a kick in the pants. I started writing down quotes from different Marian Keyes books because they either make me smile or they make me laugh so hard.

A Wonderful Story I thought that Marian Keyes is the most humorous and interesting author out there on the market today. In "Watermelon" she not only gave me a trip to Limerick and a visit to an Irish family and all the love, disappointments and values that go with this family of characters, but I got a wonderful story and a terrific read. Highly recommend.

Watermelon was my first Marian Keyes book. It was also the first time I had read this humorous genre and it took a while to settle in to, but after reading "Rachel's Holiday" also by Keyes, I became a fan and re-read Watermelon. I have read all of Keyes books in the Walsh Family series and all the rest, except for "The Brightest Star in the Sky."The Walsh Family are lively but also down to earth. Their escapades are funny and you flinch at times but there is much togetherness as a family.Keyes writes with a good dose of maturity and comic relief.

I love Marian Keyes. I love anything involving the Walsh sisters and their hilarious family. And I truly loved this story. Claire leaves behind her life in London, days after giving birth to her first daughter. Moments after having her baby, her husband informs her he’s been having an affair with the lady downstairs and will not be setting up shop with her. With her new child, Claire returns home to Ireland and her family. This novel tells her story of healing and trying to understand and rebuild her life. Marian Keyes always manages to capture something; I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is, but something honest and valuable in all her writing. This was the hardest book to get a hold of (hard to find in bookstores and in the library) and by far one of my favorite Marian Keyes (though I think I almost always say that).

the first keyes book i read, and one of my favourites. she is a writer that an ex was into who made me read it...enjoyed the english made for tv attempt too.