Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Starts slow but gets better, April 7, 2004
This is the sixth Keyes novel I have read. Generally, I find that she provides average-to-good reads, although for the type of fiction she writes, I find her books to be a bit too long. This novel was no exception, as the first half of the book really dragged; in particular, it was hard to get into the story because one of the main characters, Lisa, was not at all likeable. However, the book definitely picked up in the second half, when the characters became more three-dimensional and better developed. The story centers around Lisa, a hotshot London magazine editor who has been banished to Ireland to start up a new magazine; Ashling, the plain Jane who gets a job as an assistant editor of the magazine; and Clodagh, Ashling's gorgeous best friend who feels smothered by her roles as wife and mother. All three women are trying to sort our their work and love lives while also dealing with demons from their respective pasts. The cast of supporting characters adds interest, including Jack, Lisa and Ashling's boss; Joy and Ted, Ashling's supportive friends; Boo, a homeless man who Ashling befriends; and Oliver, Lisa's estranged husband. My actual rating of this book is three and a half stars: if you can hang in there through the somewhat boring first half, you'll be rewarded with several unexpected twists in the second half. A worthwhile read for fans of Keyes, but perhaps not for others.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.....Irish Style, September 21, 2003
Marian Keyes is deservedly known as the queen of contemporary womens' novels, and SUSHI will not disappoint either her long-time fans or those new to her work. Set in the glitzy world of a high-fashion magazine with a detour through the madcap comedy club circuit, this book has its hand and heart on the pulse of young Dublin singles and marrieds who aspire to be successful, wealthy, and happy. Ashling Kennedy is the heart of the story---the everywoman with boyfriend problems and weight problems. When she is offered a second banana spot on "Colleen" a new magazine for the upwardly mobile Dublin woman, she feels she has latched on to something really good. Unfortunately, her boss and editor-in-chief is the very disappointed Lisa Edwards. Instead of a big promotion to the New York office, this assignment feels like a passport to hell to the ultra-ambitious fashionista. Horrified at being shuffled out of London and off to Dublin, she vows to make this new magazine one the world will sit up and take note of. Rounding out the trio of women is Ashling's best friend, Clodagh Kelly. Married to a handsome professional, the mother of two children, and tucked away in a beautiful home, Clodagh seems to have it all. The only glitch in her life is that she is bored and miserable. The lives of the three women weave together and eventually collide as life takes some unexpected turns. An ex-husband, a wayward boyfriend, a handsome managing director, and staunch friends add interest to this story of surviving the daily grind and making it work for you.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Amazing Winner - She Just Gets Better And Better!, May 28, 2003
Marian Keyes does it again with "Sushi For Beginners". This talented Irish author tackles the world of fashion magazines with her new tale, and does it with her usual charm and humor. The backdrop of "Colleen" magazine is the perfect place to set up the main characters. First you have Londonite and fashionably dressed Lisa Edwards, who thinks that her life is over when she is shipped off to the great north to be the editor of this new magazine with a the smallest staff known to man, no perks, and well ---- it's in Ireland (which she thinks is a fate worse than death.) The bright spot is the really sweet (sometimes overly sweet) Ashling Kennedy. Ashling is everything that Lisa is not. She's not fashionable, she's not worldly, she's not --- well, posh. But, she's the foundation of this book and really the driving force behind this great tale of work, love and friendships. I don't think there is a better author out there than Marian Keyes and she didn't let me down with this one. I love "Sushi for Beginners" and would suggest it to any lover of this genre or great fiction in general. Cheers!!!!!!
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