Marion Keyes - always so misogynistic?

[squashyhat]

I am on holiday so decided on some light reading. I've started my first ever Marion Keyes book (Last Chance Saloon) because everyone says she is funny, insightful etc and I imagined it would be a fairly easy read. I didn't know she is Irish so was surprised at all the Irish characters at first, not that that's necessarily an issue, and it's quite well-written and humorous. But every single female character seems to be hanging on for dear life to a terrible and abusive relationship, mourning the loss of terrible and abusive relationship, or eyeing up useless, abusive men with whom it would be a disaster to have a relationship. Am I unlucky with this book or does she just hate women?

I'm mixing the audio book with kindle and hadn't even clocked it was narrated by Marian herself! I think maybe because I went straight to it after listening to Rachel's Holiday (having read it years ago, but not remembering much about it) which was narrated by someone else, so I just assumed it was someone else again.

I had it on whilst weeding at the weekend, and DH came out and said 'is that the woman who loves Strictly and is on ITT?' and I said it wasn't but it was her book, so close... I'll have to tell him he was right now, as well as being impressed that he got it from a sentence or 2, whereas I'd listened to hours of it and not realised!

I’ve read The watermelon, Lucy Sullivan, Rachel’s holiday , last chance saloon , sushi for beginners

I just didn’t get the fuss so I stopped but then tried again with Grown Ups

I think it’s all a bit emperors new clothes but many disagree so it’s all obviously just a matter of taste

"You may say I'm a cleaner. And I've got a hairy bum" sang to Imagine by John Lennon. I remember this in the book 🤣. I loved Last Chance Saloon and want to read it again now

Marian is super !

If you get tired of reading why not try some of the podcasts by her ( AND Tara Flynn ) ?

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09zgv36/episodes/downloads

I concur with other posters (and notice OP hasn't bothered to return).

Personally, I don't love Marian's fiction. They're fine, and I've read a good few, but I find her characterisation a bit one-dimensional often. I usually find one of 2 characters I like / relate to or who are well-drawn.

But I like Marian Keyes a lot, I think she's an intelligent nuanced commentator, and her journalism / columns are excellent and so sharply written.

I agree with you @EarringsandLipstick . She seems like a fantastic woman.

I'm told by my ex on/off boyfriend that Marian and I dated the same guy (she dated him a few years before me). My lips are sealed though. Sadly this ex managed to break my heart many times over but that's a whole different story. I hope he was much nicer with her .

Oh wow @LochJam what a connection. (Sorry about the crap ex & the 💔)

She gives great advice I find. And somehow it doesn't sound hokey in the way so much celeb advice can, like they haven't really got a clue.

On point.

First thing that came to my mind too!

Her early books were amazing. She's gone off the boil lately. I haven't been able to finish any of her books.

Plus she blurbs EVERY fucking new release, which puts me off her because she clearly gets someone else to read them and write the tag lines. There isn't enough time in the day to physically read all those books she apparently "loves".

I've not loved her latest stuff to be honest. I wasn't too fond of the latest Rachel book at all. This Charming Man is my favourite I think.

I completely agree with you. I’ve noticed it’s a common theme that her female characters are petrified of being single so they all have saviour complexes and end up picking up the pieces of shitty ungrateful men. There’s also a lot of forgiving of infidelity. I actually threw The Break across the room, I can’t believe they made the main female character such a piss poor weak woman.

Im currently re-reading Rachel’s Holiday. I read it first when I was a teenager. There’s a scene where man sexually assaults the main character. She’s lying pretending to be asleep when he starts feeling her up and prizing her thighs apart. At first she wants him off her and is wondering if she can just leap up and run but then he bites her nipple or something and she’s suddenly turned on and it’s fine really bothered me!

I’m inclined to think Marian Keyes does hate women, she very much has a pro-trans agenda and wants men in women’s spaces.

there’s no getting away from her characters accepting sub-par relationships. Half the Walsh girls do. The woman in the Break did. Grown Ups was about crappy men and their patient wives. She does have a style 🤷‍♀️

I didn't know she is Irish so was surprised at all the Irish characters at first, not that that's necessarily an issue

Not necessarily an issue, but could turn out to be. Please keep me posted.

I love Marian Keyes, and her writing - she is definitely not chick lit. However, I am getting a tiny bit tired of the Walsh sisters. What was funny & quirky when they were young does feel a bit laboured now they are supposedly middle-aged. I do hope that her next book brings us some new characters.

Having had the opportunity to meet her in person during a festival I can confirm that she is just as wonderful in person.

She criticises the term chick lit as another attack on women and the things they hold dear.

I’m inclined to think Marian Keyes does hate women, she very much has a pro-trans agenda and wants men in women’s spaces.

What?

Also her stories are stories. The women are characters and characters usually have some sort of struggle. It would be pretty boring if her characters were happily married and watched Netflix every night after sharing the chores and bedtime.

Marian Keyes is awesome.
Follow her on Instagram, she's funny and lovely.
I love all of her books and her latest is just as good.
Misogynistic 😂😂😂😂😂😂