This Charming Man by Marian Keyes Review

2 months ago 01st May 14:18

We’ve come to expect a few things from Marian Keyes. She’ll make you laugh, she’ll make you cry and she’ll give you a good happy ending.

But frothy shallow chick lit she isn’t. She doesn’t conform to the ‘girl meets guy, girl falls for guy, something bad happens so they can’t be together so grab your tissues and get ready for a weepy happy ending’ industry standard. She deals with issues much stronger, harder and grittier than that.

This Charming Man, deals with domestic violence, alcoholism, cross dressing and much more. It’s not your typical beach read. What is really heartwarming about Keyes is she tackles these difficult subjects and still manages to put a smile on your face.

The publishers seem determined to market her in the ‘easy-reading’ female market, with the cover dominated by stars, flowers and swirls and the title conjuring images of a suarve and sophisticated gentleman caller. But despite this, fans of Keyes will know she can mix the shocking and often uncomfortable issues faced by women everywhere, with the light and witty accounts of her lovable heroines.

She must be doing something right: she’s sold 16 million copies of her books in 35 countries to date. Her approach to the genre led Zadie Smith, esteemed as a ‘highbrow’ British novelist, to write a letter to Marie Claire magazine hailing Keyes as "one of the most important” feminists in modern writing.

Her latest offering is a fair wedge of a book, enough to keep you going through a two-week holiday but it might mean you have to pay an extra baggage charge if you pop it in your suitcase: it’s almost 700 pages.

It’s worth it though. It traces the intertwined stories of stylist Lola, journalist Grace, Grace’s sister Marnie, an old friend Alicia and the man that binds all their lives, Paddy de Courcy.

The discovery of the dark secret that unites the four women means it is definitely a page turner. This Charming Man by Marian Keyes is out on May 1 (Michael Joseph; £17.99)

Tara Hounslea- Female First

Watch Marian talking about her new book below....