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Editorial Review:
Marian Keyes begins Watermelon with a rather inauspicious romantic opening when the heroine's husband leaves her for Denise from the flat downstairs the day their first child is born. Claire, the deserted wife and mother, returns to her family in Dublin and, after going through the required stages of "Loss, Loneliness, Hopelessness and Humiliation", begins to feel much better--so much better that when James tries to win his way back into her affections, he gets more than he bargained for.
The author's style is too blunt and her setting too suburban (with its all-too-human heroine struggling to keep her sanity, tend to her new-born baby, fight it out with siblings and begin to love again) to be a traditional romance, but there is enough chemistry and mystery to keep you guessing in the lip-smacking Watermelon--a dish that may not fill you up but will certainly give you a taster of Marian Keyes' work, of which there is much to sample, including Lucy Sullivan is getting Married, Rachel's Holiday and Last Chance Saloon. --Nicola Perry
It’s bad enough that Claire’s husband James left her the day he was at the birth of their first child – I mean, if he thought it was going to upset him that much he should have just stayed at home – but to rub salt into the episiotomy, he didn’t even have the decency to leave her for someone skinny!He’s just absconded, leaving Claire with a newborn baby, a broken heart, two extra stone and an …er…birth canal ten times its normal size.In the absence of any better offers, Claire goes home to her family. To her beautiful sister Helen, her soap-watching mother, her bewildered father. And in a story that’s both hilarious and bitter-sweet, Claire just gets better.A lot better.In fact so much better that when James slithers back into her life he’s in for a bit of a surprise.
This work tells a hilarious and bitter-sweet tale of baby-blues and fruitless men. The original Marian Keyes novel is back! At twenty-nine, fun-loving, good-natured Claire has everything she ever wanted: a husband she adores, a great apartment, a good job. Then, on the day she gives birth to her first baby. James visits her in the recovery room to inform her that he's leaving her. Claire is left with a beautiful newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a body that she can hardly bear to look at in the mirror. So, in the absence of any better offers, Claire decides to go home to her family in Dublin. To her gorgeous man-eating sister Helen, her soap-watching mother, her bewildered father. And there, sheltered by the love of an (albeit quirky) family, she gets better - a lot better. In fact, so much better that when James slithers back into her life, he's in for a bit of a surprise. "A grand first novel by Irish writer Keyes is a hilarious treatise on love's roller coaster. A candid, irresistibly funny debut and perfect summertime read." - "Kirkus Reviews". "Bitter-sweet comedy." - "Express". "Marian Keyes has a talent for writing about ordinary things happening to ordinary people.
But in "Watermelon", the skill with which she weaves this tangled web is extraordinary." - "Star". "Reading a new novel by Marian Keyes is like sitting at the kitchen table with your nicest, most confiding friend" - "Daily Mail".
An hilarious and bitter-sweet tale of baby-blues and fruitless men. The original Marian Keyes novel is back!
Marian Keyes: Marian Keyes has had two number 1 Sunday Times bestsellers - Sushi for Beginners and Angels. She is the celebrated author of Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Rachel's Holiday, Last Chance Saloon, and The Other Side of the Story. She also writes short stories, monthly columns and one-offs for various magazines. She is involved with various charities - she contributed to a multi-authored book, Yeats is Dead! where all the royalties were donated to Amnesty International. She recently published a collection of her journalism, titled Under the Duvet , and donated all royalties from Irish sales to the Simon Community, a charity which works with the homeless.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Blast from the past Oh Gosh, I came across this book recently after finding it in a second hand bookshop and bought it immediately as my original copy was obviously stolen by one of my flatmates all those years ago. I began reading chicklit in college when I was supposed to be studying and I read everything from Marian Keys to Patricia Scanlan. Watermelon blew me away though it was so funny. Written in the first person it's self depreciating honest and just an excellent read that tugs at the heart strings. It's the story of... more info
Not a bad start i know this is marian's first book, and you can really tell too. i've only read one other book of hers (last chance saloon), but could really tell the difference. i wasnt sure i was going to like this book at first. It reminded me of sophie kinsella's books that are written from the characters point of view, and i never prefered that. the first chapter was slightly annoying, it had lots of 'funny' bits written in brackets. and i just wanted to get on with the story, it was like marian was trying too hard to... more info
A wonderful first novel This was Marian's first tale about the Walsh family and as with all of them it has a wonderful mix of tears and laughter. Claire our heroine starts out as a victim, and you'll be cheering her on as she struggles to cope with a new baby, a slightly eccentric family, and her own low self esteem.
The woman is a genius This is my forth MK book, and my second Walsh sisters one, and like the others I loved it. The characters are so well written, and funny, the mum is fabulous and def my favourite character. Was so pleased with the outcome of the story and had to stop myself turning back to the beginning and starting it again. Will be reading Angels next I think, I doubt I will be disappointed with that either.
