Last Chance Saloon [Paperback]

Marian Keyes (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Perennial / Harper-collins (2004)
• ASIN: B000RTJZJG
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,674,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marian Keyes lived in London for ten years before returning to her native Dublin. After receiving a law degree and studying accounting, she began writing short stories in 1993. She is the author of three previous novels--Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married, and Rachel's Holiday--all major bestsellers around the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Give this one a chance..., March 12, 2002

By 

Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Chance Saloon: A Novel (Hardcover)

Last Chance Saloon is such a great book! I have read four Marian Keyes books, and she has yet to disappoint me. She has a wonderful way of mixing serious issues and sadness with huge amounts of laughter and fun. Last Chance Saloon is no exception.

Tara, Katherine and Fintan have been friends since their small-Irish-town days. Now living it up in London, the three friends have made a life for themselves in very different ways. Tara, who just turned 31, is a wee-bit depressed that she's getting older and involved with a terribly selfish, penny-pinching boyfriend, Thomas. For fear of dumping him and never being able to find anybody else, Tara manages to convince herself that being miserable is better than being alone. Katherine, or as her co-workers call her, the Ice Princess, is a brilliant accountant and very independent woman. Who needs a man when you've got success, right? But there's more to that statement than meets the eye -- could it be that Katherine's forcing herself to stay single? As for Fintan, growing up gay hasn't always been easy. But he's finally found soulmate status with Sandro and life is good. But then something tragic happens that completely tears Fintan's world apart. But through tragedy comes wisdom, and Fintan has a few things to say to Tara and Katherine about the way they've been living their lives.

It's the Last Chance Saloon for these three friends, or so it seems. There's a lot of growing up to be done, a lot of realizations to be made, and many changes to go around. Will they somehow make it through to the other side? Marian Keyes weaves a thought-provoking and humorous story and leaves no question left unanswered. Toss in some side characters like the trio's friend, Liv, who is in search for spiritual wellbeing; Fintan's family, the O'Grady's, who look like Hillbillies compared to the modernization of London; and suave, debonair, Lorcan Larkin, Ireland's answer to Fabio.

Expect to be laughing and crying with this one! Wonderfully written with a nice flow of short chapters that make the book fly by. Last Chance Saloon holds within its pages a great cast of characters and an unforgettable story. Witty, charming, and believeable. Excellent job!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Our 8th Reading Selection, January 18, 2003

By 

Hooked On Books - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Chance Saloon (Mass Market Paperback)

Last Chance Saloon was our Book of the Month for November 2002.

We thought this was a very funny book, but it wasn't that light it because it does deals with some serious issues but it still was very entertaining. We thought that the characters were well written and we really liked the involvement of all the characters had in each others lives.

This was a good book about friendship, overcoming adversity and growing as individuals. A few of us were very sad to see the book and some members are adding more Marian Keyes books to their Wish List.

We received varying ratings when the members were polled about this book, the lowest being a 3.5/5 and the highest a 5/5 but when averaged out our ratings come out to a 4, so this is a book we do recommend reading Last Chance Saloon.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marian Keyes' best effort yet!, August 7, 2001

By 

karolinatx (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Chance Saloon: A Novel (Hardcover)

I've read all of Marian Keyes' novels now, and I have to say that this might be her best yet. Watermelon was great, Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married a bit disappointing, Rachel's Holiday mildy depressing and frustrating, but Last Chance Saloon had me hooked. I very much enjoyed the cast of characters, each very well sketched out. The book really is a clever look at how easily one can become complacent, how easy it is to settle or simply float through life. The novel was a perfect mix of having something wortwhile to say about life and being immensely readable -- I oftentimes have the feeling that most books make me choose between substance and pleasure. Tara, Katherine, and Fintan will make you laugh and cry with their lives. Most definitily recommended.