≡ Read Gratis The Other Side of the Story A Novel Marian Keyes 9780060731489 Books

The Other Side of the Story A Novel Marian Keyes 9780060731489 Books

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The Other Side of the Story A Novel Marian Keyes 9780060731489 Books

This book begins with a very good and realistic story which had me reading happily, but then the plot gets interrupted when the writer seemingly starts a whole new book by going back in time to tell in great detail, chapter after chapter, how the main character had previously lost her beloved boyfriend to her best friend, something alluded to early in the book. But the change is so abrupt that the reader does not know what's happening! I honestly thought that the Kindle download was defective and that somehow two different books had accidentally gotten mashed together. Gah. I was so unhappy about having the narrative of the first story cut off completely that I looked ahead from chapter to chapter on my Kindle reader to try to find out if indeed this was the same book, the one I'd started reading. When it appeared that perhaps even a third story was also being woven in with the other two, I lost interest completely. I poked ahead from chapter to chapter until I finally found some bits here and there which continued with the original plot and protagonist (Gemma) and how it all ended for her, but this 'story within a story' format was quite disheartening and an unsatisfactory way to bring the reader to a 'conclusion' (and I never really felt there was a good one). What a convoluted and confusing read! I found--when I did try to keep reading past Chapter 11--that I had no interest whatsoever in these 'other' stories even if they were (very obliquely) related to the first. I just wanted to continue with the original story which had pulled me in, but the 'other side of the story' kicked me out. Keyes should have stuck with the original plot-line, and, if she felt she had to, told the side-stories in a very minimal way, as part of the whole. I had thoroughly enjoyed reading until Chapter 12 where the gears of the original tale ground to a halt and that story-line was stuck motionless on the rails, only haltingly chugging along from time to time much later to try to get to a satisfactory end at the roundhouse along with the other 'engines' heading on separate tracks but in the same direction. It seemed that none of them ever quite made it 'home'.


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The Other Side of the Story A Novel Marian Keyes 9780060731489 Books Reviews

First and foremost, this was a fun read. If uses Gemma is the main character, though there are a few other stories that unfold, then intertwine. The characters are mostly likable, though each has her flaws. The main characters are reasonably strong. The book is interesting in its study of how relationships work, and what's a reasonable expectation to have of another person, especially a man in a romantic relationship. My summary take-aways were you can't count on "forever"; relationship expectations have changed since our parents' time; you don't own or control your romantic partner; and despite the fact that many women work and have an income, they are still judged by their partner's devotion, and not fully respected and given all the professional opportunities that men are.

In short a good, fun, and thought-provoking read for professional women balancing all life's varied demands.
This is similar to Keyes's other books -- light, entertaining, a bit predictable, a bit unrealistic, but fun to read. However, I found it ironic that the characters talk about the unedited copies of their books and the copy I got from had so many typos. I'm not sure if someone made a mistake, or if it was because I bought the book on sale (1 dollar), but I was surprised that this copy got released to the public. Spelling mistakes, quite a few formatting issues (especially spacing, combined quotations from different speakers, etc.), two points in which the speaker suddenly changes from the first person to the third person (I think the author must have changed her mind and forgotten to edit those paragraphs...), and even a part where the end of the chapter repeated in a slightly different way (I thought at first that it was one of the character's fantasies, but after reading it a couple of times, I'm pretty sure it was just a publishing error). The story is typical Keyes escapism but the copy I got was sloppy.
This book is full of a lot of interplay between three women. Each character is presented individually, but their lives intersect throughout, and the complications created by this make for a delightful read. Gemma lost her boyfriend Anton to her best friend/ author Lily, whose book became a bestseller represented by literary agent JoJo, who subsequently became the agent of Gemma, who wrote a book for revenge, but then Anton, a PR guy, promotes Gemma's book instead of Lily's. Meanwhile, JoJo is sleeping with her boss, and...and..and... Well, you get the picture.

Yes, the plot is unrealistic, and silly at times, but the beauty of this book is the author's clever way with words and ideas. For example, Anton likes to spend money recklessly, and he says, "I've never been comfortable with a credit card that isn't at it's limit. I get that nagging feeling, like someone left the gas on." Or this "The entire room went onto shock. Even the ever-restless molecules of air seemed to pause their perpetual circling." Or this "Stop peeing in my ear and telling me it's raining."

It's interesting that I discovered Marian Keyes around the same time I found Lawrence Grobel, who has a similar ability with wordplay. Although most of Grobel's books are based on celebrity interviews, his two novels and his Book of Shmoga employ a lot of similar fun with ideas and linguistics. I find I am now reading everything either one has to offer, and enjoying every page. For me, this is a real "Shmogasbord" of entertaining books.
I just didn't get it, I guess. I bought this work because I was looking for humor, but instead I felt either impatient or sorry (in about equal parts) for the characters and their self-absorbed personality flaws. I kept waiting for the amusing part, and never found it. Look, I DO understand that a perfect character is unbelievable and boring, but you CAN go too far the other way. There is a fine line between being funny, and hammering the same point to death whenever it comes up - and an unlikable heroine (or even three unlikable heroines) made reading this book like wading through slush.
This book begins with a very good and realistic story which had me reading happily, but then the plot gets interrupted when the writer seemingly starts a whole new book by going back in time to tell in great detail, chapter after chapter, how the main character had previously lost her beloved boyfriend to her best friend, something alluded to early in the book. But the change is so abrupt that the reader does not know what's happening! I honestly thought that the download was defective and that somehow two different books had accidentally gotten mashed together. Gah. I was so unhappy about having the narrative of the first story cut off completely that I looked ahead from chapter to chapter on my reader to try to find out if indeed this was the same book, the one I'd started reading. When it appeared that perhaps even a third story was also being woven in with the other two, I lost interest completely. I poked ahead from chapter to chapter until I finally found some bits here and there which continued with the original plot and protagonist (Gemma) and how it all ended for her, but this 'story within a story' format was quite disheartening and an unsatisfactory way to bring the reader to a 'conclusion' (and I never really felt there was a good one). What a convoluted and confusing read! I found--when I did try to keep reading past Chapter 11--that I had no interest whatsoever in these 'other' stories even if they were (very obliquely) related to the first. I just wanted to continue with the original story which had pulled me in, but the 'other side of the story' kicked me out. Keyes should have stuck with the original plot-line, and, if she felt she had to, told the side-stories in a very minimal way, as part of the whole. I had thoroughly enjoyed reading until Chapter 12 where the gears of the original tale ground to a halt and that story-line was stuck motionless on the rails, only haltingly chugging along from time to time much later to try to get to a satisfactory end at the roundhouse along with the other 'engines' heading on separate tracks but in the same direction. It seemed that none of them ever quite made it 'home'.