Audiobook13 hours
Watermelon
Written by Marian Keyes
Narrated by Gerri Halligan
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
On the day she gives birth to her first child, Claire Walsh's husband James tells her he's been having an affair and now's the right time to leave her. Right for who exactly? Exhausted, tearful and a tiny bit furious, Claire can't think of what to do. So she follows the instincts of all self-respecting adults in tricky situations. . . and runs home to Mum and Dad.
But while her parents are sympathetic, Claire's younger sisters are less so. Helen wants to share the new toy (baby Kate), while Anna is too busy having out-of-her-head experiences. So when James slips back into her life, desperate to put things right, Claire doesn't know whether to take a chance on a past she feared she'd lost forever or face an uncertain future of her own. But is she as on her own as she really believes?
'An astounding writer and chronicler of our times' Independent On Sunday
'A warm and hilarious page turner' Good Housekeeping
'A modern fairy tale, it's full of Keyes's self-deprecating wit' Sunday Mirror
'Gloriously funny' Sunday Times
'Funny but poignant' Marie Claire
But while her parents are sympathetic, Claire's younger sisters are less so. Helen wants to share the new toy (baby Kate), while Anna is too busy having out-of-her-head experiences. So when James slips back into her life, desperate to put things right, Claire doesn't know whether to take a chance on a past she feared she'd lost forever or face an uncertain future of her own. But is she as on her own as she really believes?
'An astounding writer and chronicler of our times' Independent On Sunday
'A warm and hilarious page turner' Good Housekeeping
'A modern fairy tale, it's full of Keyes's self-deprecating wit' Sunday Mirror
'Gloriously funny' Sunday Times
'Funny but poignant' Marie Claire
Author
Marian Keyes
Marian Keyes is the author of ten bestselling novels and two essay collections. She lives in Ireland with her husband and their two imaginary dogs.
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Reviews for Watermelon
Rating: 3.4642857142857144 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
28 ratings21 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Book DescriptionFebruary the fifteenth is a very special day for me. It is the day I gave birth to my first child. It is also the day my husband left me...I can only assume the two events weren't entirely unrelated.Claire has everything she ever wanted: a husband she adores, a great apartment, a good job. Then, on the day she gives birth to their first baby, James informs her that he's leaving her. Claire is left with a newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a postpartum body that she can hardly bear to look at.She decides to go home to Dublin. And there, sheltered by the love of a quirky family, she gets better. So much so, in fact, that when James slithers back into her life, he's in for a bit of a surprise.My ReviewThis book was hard to put down. Marian Keyes writes in a way that is very relatable. She has a way of expressing humor in tragic experiences that makes you feel exactly how her characters are feeling. The plot is very realistic and the characters are well-drawn. I have never read Marian Keyes before but I look forward to reading the 2nd book in this series, Rachel's Holiday, and I would highly recommend Watermelon to those who love to read chick-lit.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/53.5 starsThe day Claire has her first baby, her husband James tells her he?s been having an affair and he is leaving Claire. Devastated, Claire moves back to Dublin from London to live with her parents and two younger sisters while she tries to figure out where to go from here. Her youngest sister, Helen, is in college and one day brings home a friend, Adam.Have to admit, I didn?t like Claire all that much, but there were humourous bits to the story and it was still enjoyable, overall. Actually, I?m not sure there were any characters I really liked much. Maybe Adam. Close to the end, it was a bit? odd and took some figuring out (as Claire was also figuring it out!). I did enjoy the book enough to put the next Walsh family book on my tbr.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5My second Marian Keyes Book. I absolutely loved the last book "Other side of the story". "Watermelon" somehow missed that grip. Even though the style of funny; yet I could not bring myself to love it. I would give it 2 out of 5 stars.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5When I got this book I had already read 3 Marian Keyes books (Sushi for Beginners, the Other Side of the Story, and Under the Duvet) that I have enjoyed greatly (despite being a man). I like how she wraps deep and thoughtful pieces of literature in a slick women fiction cover. Her characters were always 3D and the pace of her (two other) novels was relentless, even the humor was genuine. Until I read Watermelon.As far as I know, this is her first novel, and that's shown clearly. The story drags forever, and the main character, Claire, doesn't start to feel like a decent character at all up until near the end of the novel. Even the writing style is not the usual confident, slick, and hard-hitting Keyes' style that is very lovable. In my opinion, this novel is just another generic chick-lit fluff and you would only enjoy it only if you are comfortable with that genre.If you just have to read a Marian Keyes, make sure it is not this one.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Claire 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.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's an easy read and it was interesting to see Claire grow as a character. I feel a little sorry for Adam. Does he know what he's gotten himself in for?
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Marian Keyes is a guilty pleasure, like surfing celebrity gossip sites, or watching 1980's Sharon Cuneta movies. And like any guilty pleasure, you are hooked for a time, then you're done and wondering "why did I do that? i am not any smarter, any happier, any more insightful or any better equipped to navigate my life, than when I started." Claire is cute, but not as smart as she thinks she is. I actually like her character better in the other books about her sisters. She is better in smaller doses.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Marian Keyes again. I keep coming back to her without knowing why. The first chapter drew me in straight away. Maybe that's why. The European-ness of the story is like a familiar taste you vaguely remember. And the depth of the people potrayed, combined with the extraordinary (for chick lit) length of her books make me pick them up. That, and the titles. Don't you just love her titles? I know I do. Having said that, I must say that this book is by far my favourite Marian Keyes so far. maybe it's because I could really relate to her predicament (minus the child, fortunately), so the final showdown between the heroine and her husband brought tears to my eyes. I may not always have been 100% convinced by her books, but I know I can't stop now. So the rest of her books have just elbowed themselves to the top of my to-read pile.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Marian Keyes again. I keep coming back to her without knowing why. The first chapter drew me in straight away. Maybe that's why. The European-ness of the story is like a familiar taste you vaguely remember. And the depth of the people potrayed, combined with the extraordinary (for chick lit) length of her books make me pick them up. That, and the titles. Don't you just love her titles? I know I do. Having said that, I must say that this book is by far my favourite Marian Keyes so far. maybe it's because I could really relate to her predicament (minus the child, fortunately), so the final showdown between the heroine and her husband brought tears to my eyes. I may not always have been 100% convinced by her books, but I know I can't stop now. So the rest of her books have just elbowed themselves to the top of my to-read pile.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Watermelon 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.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A 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.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5the 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.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5After 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
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Really loved this book. she didnt actually end up with a guy, but was leaning towards someone. Written with a really goofy person sense of humor2/00
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Okay . . . 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.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Claire?s husband leaves her on the day she gives birth to their daughter. She flees to her mad Irish family to recover from the shock, hurt and humiliation. So far, so sadly mundane. But as this is Marian Keyes, expect short, wry sentences along the ?why me?? lines. Don?t worry, it gets better: it ends eventually. Claire has a man by the end. I won?t spoil it and tell you whether it?s the cretinous husband or the hunk she meets in Ireland. This is Marian Keyes, you can work it out for yourself. Although it seems like a long book, there are so many five word paragraphs that there?s more white on every page than you might expect. Perhaps people who have never before managed to finish a book are so excited that they can get through a Marian Keyes book, that they vote for them in the Top 100. If you love rubbish, this will be for you. If not, don?t bother.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not 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.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Count 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, Bridget Jones' Diary) 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 Bridget Jones' Diary 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 not 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.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A very fun and quick read. It was quite charming and definitely felt like it was written by a combo Dubliner/Londoner. Claire, our heroine, is simply lovable and you can't help relating to her incredible tangents of thought. Sometimes they go on a little long, but I know I've done the same thing. The way she finally stands up for herself is one of those that I do hope many women take a lesson from.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is chicklit that crosses more into the women's fiction domain. The cover is deceiving. The book is full of humor AND depth. Recommend.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I can't believe I'm only giving 3 stars to a novel by Marian Keyes. If you've never read anything else by this author, please don't judge her based solely on this book, which I understand to be her first.
In Watermelon, the pace is off (very little happens for the first ten chapters) and there were several places where Keyes seemed to take two paragraphs to make a point which could have been contained in one. And for me, the errant husband is also just a little too awful to be credible.
All that said, Keyes' writing voice is catchy, engaging, and the wit is as sharp as a needle. I loved her other work, admire her greatly, and will continue to be a loud supporter.