Customer Reviews

Honeymoon: A Romantic Rampage

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Amy Jenkins created and wrote 'This Life' for BBC2, which was an incredibly intelligent and compulsive piece of viewing. On hearing that Jenkins has written a novel, you immediately picture a huge Dickensian affair of modern London life with multiple characters. Instead of this, we get 'Honeymoon'.

'Honeymoon' is the narrator, and you can't help but groan as soon as you hear her name. One of the most attractive things about 'This Life' was its ensemble cast of men and women. Here you only get Honey as a first person narrator, and you immediately feel bereft. Yep, the portraits of men in 'Honeymoon' are okay, but you don't really get any deep insights into any of the characters. Jenkins is scrupulously fair, mentioning that in the majority of marriage break-ups, it's the women who have walked out. But this is as about as close to real life, or any life, as 'Honeymoon' gets.

Take 'Mac', for example, Honey's boss. He's something big in Hollywood, we're told. But we never really get to see what he does, apart from paying airfares at propitious moments (a lot of the events in the novel seem dependent on the old-fashioned device of Providence). Because Honey is so shallow, you never really get to care about her, despite her sob story of being orphaned when young. Ed, her groom to be, is so anonymous that he could be Anyman. There is the odd bit of humour, but never really enough to make the novel sparkle. Ed is right when he observes that Honey is far from reaching the heights in the hilarity stakes. Everything about this novel is so... comfortable. Honey and Ed arrive in New York by accident en route to their Honeymoon, and Ed thinks nothing about abandoning their reservations in Mexico to stay in Manhattan. Poor little rich kids, you sigh. Even their best friends and employer turn up in New York. Later on, when Honey has to agonise about returning to England... the fact that she does have such a coterie really renders this dramatic choice meaningless.

There are moments of high drama that ultimately fail to get your pulse racing. Jenkins refers to a lot of Cult TV and movies (with Honey ultimately losing all credibility when she claims that Roger Moore was the best Bond), and maybe reading novels is not her first choice of recreation. But you still feel she could have produced something much more meaty than this. The main story is really too girlie to have any great appeal. On the back cover, the legend is 'Fiction: General' which just about sums it up...

Looking for a lighthearted romantic romp a la Bridget Jones? Well, you won't find it here. Amy Jenkins' debut novel, "Honeymoon," is as unsatisfying as stale wedding cake. I was attracted to this book because of its description on the dustjacket. Well, I should have stopped there- that's the best part of the book. Ms. Jenkins falls into one of the most dangerous traps in modern fiction- trying to create "extra" characters, when all we really care about are Honey, the woman caught between Ed, the nice guy, and Alex, a mysterious bad boy she spent a life-changing evening with 7 years earlier. But, unfortunately, we meet Ven, Honey's younger sister, who is boringly beautiful and vacant, Della, a cliched party girl, Theresa, the token Happily Married Woman, and Mac, the yuppie. For a better read about wedding day jitters, try Suzanne Finnamore's "Otherwise Engaged."

I didn't expect much more than a quick, entertaining read from this book, but when it was over, I found I had a lot to think about. If you can stay with the book through the end (and I agree that it includes some rather implausible moments), it's really worth it. Jenkins raises some really interesting questions about the concept of soulmates. I found myself thinking about these questions long after I'd finished the book. If nothing else, read it for an inventive take on love and destiny.

I thought this was an adorable book that would be great to read on a plane or on a beach. I finished it within two days and really enjoyed it. It's not a serious book, but I did find it thought-provoking and could identify with many of the characters' emotions. I would definetly recommend this to a friend who wanted a quick, fun read.

Ed is kind, handsome, and dependable. Honey knows all that as she gets ready to marry steady Ed. However, she tells her friends that she met "the love of her life" seven years ago. Nothing came of her chance meeting of the American "Blue Eyes" in her native London though she will always have the memory of that one glorious, albeit sexless, evening together.

In New York on her honeymoon, Honey looks over at the next balcony only to see Alex, her love of a lifetime standing there. Alex has married Chenelle. Now comes the question of who belongs with whom in spite of their marital contracts? Can Honey turn back the clock, assuming she and Alex want too, to regain what she thought was lost forever?

HONEYMOON requires a major stretch, but if one can accept the DNA helix look at the Heartbreak Kid, they will enjoy this tale. The story line depends on coincidence, Honey's self-deprecating humor, and likable characters, especially Ed and Alex. Any one who enjoys a romantic romp filled with chaos and confusion will gain pleasure from this inane but entertaining look at the Loving Spoonful's Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?

Harriet Klausner

At first, I had trouble getting through the first few chapters of this book. I almost stopped reading it...this is why I gave it 4 stars. I am just being honest! Don't let this deter you from reading it. I am SO glad I kept on reading. I bet if I re-read the first few chapters again I would upgrade my review to 5 stars. Anyway....

This is a wacky story about being with the one you love and loving the one you are with...realizing the truths at every moment...and the search for that one SOULMATE. The emails were a unique way to tell parts of the story and I loved Honey's circle of friends and family. This book will make you laugh and also make you think.

It was a fun book,... always moving. Even though some of the story lines are a little unbelievable,... they are always entertaining. In the big picture of the book, there is some truth in the way, it all works out in life. I enjoyed reading this book!

I began this book with great expectation. After all, the premise is compelling. The book turned out to be a complete disappointment. While it is obvious that the author can, indeed, write, she did not make much effort with this novel. The characters all were dislikable, to be kind, except for the heroine's poor fiance, who just was a jerk. The story was full of holes. How did the heroine's sister realize that her sibling's long-lost mystery love was a man whom she just had met if they didn't know his last name? The best thing that can be said about the whole book is that it was short. In a better work, I might have felt cheated by the length but, here, it was an assist. I couldn't read anymore of it.

It seems that the world of women's fiction is hopping with a new trend... twenty to thirtsomethings looking for the love of their lives while finding theirselves. You've got many to chose from, _Animal Husbandry_, _Dating Big Bird_, _Getting Over It_, _Jemmima J_, the classic _Bridget Jones' Diary_, the list goes on and on. But what if the thirtysomething was already married? That's the twist that Amy Jenkins spins on this new trend in writing that is rapidly becoming old hat. While _Honeymoon_ is definitely not the most profound piece of writing that you will ever encounter, I found the characters to be well developed and the plot to be very unique and interesting. The plot device of soul mates has always held my attention and the way that Amy Jenkins spices it up is absolutely delicious. Honey is a sympathetic character that has many facets to her personality- it is easy for the reader to identify with her struggles while wondering what choice Honey will have to make. The secondary characters of Ed, Mac, Ven, Della, and Paul were delightful and when I grew a little tired of Honey's rantings, their stories were lovely to read about. Amy Jenkins is a very talented writer and though I havn't seen her television series, I'm excited to look for her movie _Elephant Juice_. She kept the plot moving and mixed enough pop culture into the book to keep it easy to identify with. Although some of the situations that Honey managed to get herself into were a little unbelievable, on the whole I found _Honeymoon_ to be a wonderful, lite read to pick up on an afternoon when I had nothing else planned. It's a wonderful break from reality and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh (as I found myself chuckling out loud many times) and a cute story.

This book ended up being much deeper then I expected. I really enjoyed reading it and recommended to several of my friends. If you've ever been in a situation like the main characters then you can relate.