Reviews

This Charming Man
by Marian Keyes
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When I say that I love Marian Keyes’ writing, what I actually mean is that I love, love, love, really love her writing. Since the early days of Watermelon, I’ve been such a huge fan of this Irish author’s writing style and her approach to dealing with common yet uncomfortable life issues, which most of us can relate to - like it or not. Keyes write under the guise of ‘chick-lit’, a much abused term that belies the powerful content of her novels. Anyway, that said, you can imagine how chuffed I was to get my paws on her latest offering: This Charming Man.

Set in Dublin, the novel is written from the vantage point of four 30-something year old women - Lola, Grace, her sister Marnie and Alicia - bound together by (yes, you guessed it) a man. But not just any man. We’re talking about Paddy de Courcy, a young up-and-coming, hot to trot Irish politician and the novel’s ‘charming man’. (In my mind, he looks just like JFK Jr.) But our Paddy is anything but charming.

Lola’s first up in the novel - she’s just been dumped by her lover, Paddy - and in the worst way possible way. Out of the blue she reads about his engagement to another woman, and just like that, their 16-month relationship is over. It’s hard not to laugh a little and nod your head in commiseration and understanding as she goes a little postal after the break-up, leaving hundreds of voice messages on his mobile and even resorting to camping out on his doorstep so that he has to talk to her. Phoning her girlfriends, telling them to bring her soup while she braves it outside his front door, we feel sorry for Lola. (Who of us haven’t done something a little nutty while in the throes of a break-up? Ah, the memories…) But his resolve is stronger than hers and he doesn’t come to the door. Eventually she gives up her vigil, broken in so many ways. Anyway, as Lola watches her life fall apart as a result of the break-up, her friends convince her to take some time out at a holiday home in Knockavoy - a quaint little Irish town far away from Dublin and, more importantly, Paddy.

Next we meet Grace, a journalist working for the local newspaper. She is introduced initially as the reporter who is trying to get info on Paddy from Lola, but as we get to know her better she grows on the readers as a confident, sensible woman with a great partner (Damien) and a twin sister, Marnie. Unlike her sister, Marnie lives in England and is married with two kids. She seems to have the perfect life but as the story unfolds, it appears all that glitters in not gold.

Lastly, there is Alicia - Paddy’s wife-to-be. Of the four women, her character is the one we know the least about. But what we do know isn’t particularly riveting. She comes across as insipid and insecure.

But wait for it… here’s the clincher: Each of the novel’s chapters are punctuated by an account of domestic abuse which frankly, is not something one expects of chick-lit. (Like I mentioned, Keyes’ redefines the genre.) Indeed, domestic violence is the central theme of the novel, and while handled very sensitively and with a protective layer of humour, its stance is very clear. Yet for the most part, even though we know that one of the characters is a victim of domestic violence, we are left in the dark as to which woman it is. Kinda like in real life, hey? Though it’s not hard to guess who the aggressor is.

This Charming Man is definitely worth reading. As women, domestic violence is something too many of us have to deal with, and the novel helps broach a subject that is generally considered taboo. Characteristically Keyes, is her brilliant sense of humour. As mentioned, she is as Irish as they come and her writing reflects the humour typical of the Emerald Isle. The language too is fairly colloquial but it’s pretty easy to get into the swing of things. Fast-paced and engrossing, This Charming Man proved to be a great read and certainly lived up to the hype surrounding its release. Enjoy it!

Nicola-Jane Ford is a 30-year old ‘chick’ who is the proud guardian of a fabulous cat and many pairs of equally fabulous shoes. She lives in (gorgeous) Cape Town and supports her love of red wine by working as a copywriter. She is the Assistant Reviews Editor here at All Things Girl

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