Customer Reviews

Last Chance Saloon

5 star:		(86)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

If you love chick lit but are yearning for something a bit deeper and more complex, take a chance on Marian Keyes. This was my first book of hers and I was totally captivated by her unforgettable characters and unique storyline twists.

What is it about the Irish that make them such wonderful storytellers? The plot sounds very simple---two single women and one gay man, all best friends since their childhood in a small Irish village, find happiness and heartache as professional thirtysomethings in London. Sounds simple, but in the hands of a great storyteller this is a can't-put-down novel.

The situations faced by Tara, Katherine, and Fintan are so true-to-life and yet so heartbreaking, that the reader feels compelled to hold their hands and walk with them through every step of their angst. You will meet Tara Butler who suffers from low self-esteem and the misfortune to be living with the boyfriend from hell, Katherine Casey, the ice princess who has let a mysterious event from her past color and destroy any relationship she enters, and Fintan O'Grady, the flamboyant homosexual who has found his soul mate but risks losing everything to a terminal illness. Not only are these characters remarkable creations, but Keyes gives us as fine a lineup of secondary characters as can be found in any novel. Most notable is Lorcan Larkin, the enigmatic actor whose story parallels that of the main characters and finally collides with one of them in a heartbreaking climax.

This is a story of modern day singles, but it is so much more. It is a testament to friendship and the ties that give us strength. It is a look at the long shadows a family can cast and the ways people can take control of their own destiny. Most importantly, it is about learning to respect yourself and to live each day as if it were your last chance.

Marian Keyes has done it again with Last Chance Saloon! This thoroughly intelligent novel about four Londoners seeking love, success and a defining sense of self at the age of thirty -- otherwise known as the Last Chance Saloon -- is poignant and hilarious.

The book introduces Tara, a compulsive overeater stuck in a horrible relationship with the unpleasant Thomas. She feels that a cheapskate, manipulative man is better than no man at all. The reader is also introduced to Katherine, an anal retentive who would rather spend the nights alone with the remote control than risk falling in love and -- inevitably -- getting her heart broken. Then there's Fintan, a sweet homosexual who is faced with a horrible illness. And who can forget the dreadfully vain Lorcan Larkin? Each of these characters is faced with life-altering events that will help them see life in a different way.

The character development in this book is incredible. You will definitely see yourself in at least one of the characters. I know I certainly did! I marvel at Keyes's ability to create the kind of neurotic characters that would make you laugh till the last page. Jane Green's book called Bookends is vaguely similar to this one, but Last Chance Saloon is better developed. I strongly urge you to get this book!

I first fell in love with Marian Keyes' writing when I read "Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married." I've since read "Rachel's Holiday" and "Watermelon" and enjoyed them both immensely. Now that I've read "Last Chance Saloon," I can't decide whether it, "Lucy Sullivan," or "Rachel's Holiday" is my favorite Marian Keyes book. I thought I might not like "Last Chance Saloon" as much as the others because it was written in the third-person narrative, but I was wrong. While it did take just a little bit longer for me to get into it (with me being used to the first-person narrative), once I was into it, I was hooked. I've learned my lesson: it's the author -- not the point of view -- that matters, and Marian Keyes is my new favorite.

"Last Chance Saloon" was alternately (and appropriately) hilarious and serious, without making light of the solemn issues brought up in it. The way the characters reacted to the situations they came across was completely realistic and very human. It was wonderful to see them grow from their experiences throughout the book. "Last Chance Saloon" was an absolute joy to read, just like Marian Keyes' other books. I can't wait for "Sushi for Beginners" and "In Your Dreams" to come out!

I have a particular affinity for character driven books that take place in England (ie Bridget Jones Diary). I highly recommend this one as it has so much to offer, great characters that you care about, humor and sadness. I found my self laughing out loud at the exploits of Katherine, Tara, Fintan et al. and when the trauma of illness comes into their lives I rode the roller coaster of emotions with them. Marian Keyes has a great ability to convey her characters motivations and foibles without sounding cliche. Her descriptions are original and witty. I loved this book.

I read Rachel's Holiday and thought it was decent. I tried to read Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married (it sounded funny and got good reviews) but couldn't get past the first chapter. So, obviously I was hesitant to buy yet another book by an author who had yet to thrill me. Well, she came pretty close. I read this book laying on a beach over vacation, and was totally into it. I think that in this story, unlike Rachel's holiday which I didn't think was funny, her writing is witty, her characters likeable, and the story makes you want to read on. THIS is the one Keyes book I would suggest. It was intelligent, amusing and enjoyable.

A great, fun book. Okay so it is not the most deep and meaningful book you will find but at least it helped my complex of being the only person on this planet (apart from my mother) that has to always have two knickers for every bra (matching of course)! Marian - keep them coming!

This book was so much fun to read! Granted, it is thick, but the problem isn't the length--it's the fact that the adventure is over too quickly! I enjoyed it very much, finished it off it about three days, because the characters were so intriguing. At first Katherine seemed one dimensional, but it was her secret that made her the way she was--so set in her ways about her former life. And Tara seemed like a man hungry ditz, too--though living her mistake in the end made her a smarter, stronger person. They aren't the most deep characters you'll read,(the gay character seemed like a huge steretype) but it's a fun break from serious literature--a definite beach read.