orlagh
Junior Member
Posts: 48
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Post by orlagh on Dec 13, 2005 20:10:47 GMT
I've finally finished this book. I think the pattern of how I read it says a lot about the story. The book starts in the first person and is in an unusual style. It is hard to know whether the character is a child or an adult. This confusion leads you to read more and by the fourth or fifth chapter you get the gist of what the whole story is about. After this I let the book sit for about a week. I thought about it every now and again and wondered how it would all end up- which one of the two predicted endings would be used. I thought about it but forgot about it again. Then one night when I had nothing to do my husband flung it at me to keep me quiet and my reading recommenced. To my surprise the main characters came to life in the middle of the book, especially Ivan. He became believable and even lovable. I was even able to forget the disjointed manner in which novel is written, jumping from third to first person all over the place. So that was that I was glued, hooked like a fish. I ready like a mad woman until I got to the end the following evening. When I finished I felt emotional. It was similar to watching a sad film. I wanted to change the ending but I knew that to do that would be to make it predictable and take away what makes it worthwhile reading. So that's what I think. If you start reading it try and make it to the end because it's worth it.
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Post by megan on Dec 13, 2005 21:49:53 GMT
Thanks for that Orlagh,
I am interested in the part where you say the writing jumped from third to first person all over the place. Can you tell me a bit more about that? Did she switch from third to first person with the same character or were some characters written in the third and some in the first? This is something I am working on in my own novel at the moment so I would be very interested to hear more about it and why it made it difficult for you to read - thanks.
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orlagh
Junior Member
Posts: 48
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Post by orlagh on Dec 13, 2005 22:18:04 GMT
Hi Megan, The whole first chapter is in first person (Ivan)and then the second chapter is in third. Throughout the novel, it returns to Ivan's perspective in the middle of chapters and at the beginning of others. Perhaps the unique nature of Ivan's character allows this to work and I believe that there is no reason why someone couldn't be successful with this approach. It's more that I felt at times the way that she used it upset the flow of the novel. It was almost tiresome switching to a different mindset each time-like a starting a new story. I don't know if this makes it any clearer and some people might like the style better than I did.
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Post by megan on Dec 13, 2005 22:33:57 GMT
Thanks Orlagh,
I am looking at a few books that do this at the moment. Marian Keyes does it in the Other Side of the Story. Two of her characters are in the first person and one is in the third. But she focuses on each character for one third of the novel so their was no chopping and changing between them. In my novel I had one character in the first person and the others in the third but I am re-writing it now with everyone in the first person -eek! But instinctively I feel that it is the correct thing to do. I know what you mean about switching mind set being tiring - I find that sometimes when switching between characters even if they are all in the third person. I am just getting into someone's head and then I am into a new chapter and someone else's head. Often I feel like putting the book down at that point. It's certainly not easy! I will read this book because I think I might learn from it and I'm interested to see if I become tired from all the switching the way you did. It was great to get on a review on it - thanks again.
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Post by Happy reading on Dec 13, 2005 22:41:37 GMT
Yes I really think you should read it. I'm sorry I wasn't more specific but if I gave any more detail I'd give away the whole story and I don't want to spoil it for you. It will be interesting to see what everyone thinks of it.
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Post by Shirley on Dec 14, 2005 10:10:07 GMT
Hi Orlagh, this book is the bookclub book at the chick lit site that Charlie gave us if you'd like to post your comments there as well - s14.invisionfree.com/ChickLitOnline/index.php?showtopic=22 It's not open for posting just yet but you can give everyone your opinion at a later stage if you want.
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Post by Oonagh on Dec 14, 2005 12:05:10 GMT
Im looking forward to reading it now!
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Post by tatty on Dec 14, 2005 19:00:30 GMT
This is my Xmas book im reading over the holidays
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orlagh
Junior Member
Posts: 48
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Post by orlagh on Dec 14, 2005 22:28:11 GMT
Thanks Shirley, I'll check it out.
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Post by Oonagh on Dec 15, 2005 11:55:20 GMT
Its mine as well !! hoping santa will bring it
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Post by claire on Dec 16, 2005 19:57:48 GMT
I hope you all enjoy the book and I can't wait to hear what you all think of it. I have no intention of reading it, I just can't even get positive about it
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Post by tatty on Dec 16, 2005 20:00:25 GMT
Are you sure you don't want to read it? I could send you my copy once i have read it?
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Post by claire on Dec 16, 2005 20:04:07 GMT
No thanks, can't really explain it, she does nothing for me. There is another writer, can't think of the name right now but I just know her books are not for me. That's the way it goes sometimes. But if you lot wnat this could also be done on a bookclub. Keep it in mind
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Post by tatty on Dec 16, 2005 20:10:50 GMT
Will do, i am like that with certain authors too so i know what you mean
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Post by megan on Dec 17, 2005 9:47:37 GMT
I would be interested in doing this book for the book club at some stage. I haven't read it but I think it would be interesting to analyse it and try and work out the secret of her success! I enjoyed parts of P.S I Love You very much. In particular I thought that the first and last chapters were excellent. There was some bumpf in between when the girls went out on the tear in town which I could have done without but I can see that Cecilia Ahern can have great insight into people's feelings. I took a look at her second book in shop when it came out last year and read the back of it. All about Alex and Rosie who were childhood friends and then eventuallly got together in middle age. I presumed that Alex was a girl and that it was the story of two women, life long friends who eventually fall in love. I thought it was a brilliant idea and was really impressed with Cecilia Ahern for having the nerve to do it ( so I thought). I was all set to buy a copy but just read a few pages of the first chapter - then I discovered that Alex was a boy and I thought, what's different about that? BORING! So I didn't buy it or ever read it - I got it out of the library once and tried to read it but found it really uninteresting, particularly when I knew the end that was coming. I have a feeling though that - If You Could See Me Now - will be more interesting - at least I hope so. I mean it is number One in England! That is amazing! Mind you so was the Da Vinci Code and I thought that was a load of tripe!
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Post by Shirley on Dec 18, 2005 21:56:53 GMT
Well girls, I was in no rush whatsoever to read CA's latest book, but I think Megan makes a very good point about analysing the reasons for CA's success. I thought PS was readable, but WRE was just laborious as far as I was concerned. I would read IYCSMN if you want to do it for a bookclub so that we could try to work out why she's so much more successful in the sales field than other Irish authors, because I for one really don't know why that is the case. I'd also be interested to see if IYCSMN is an improvement on WRE.
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Post by Shirley on Dec 18, 2005 21:59:25 GMT
Marian Keyes does it in the Other Side of the Story. Two of her characters are in the first person and one is in the third. But she focuses on each character for one third of the novel so their was no chopping and changing between them. Must say that I thought Marian did this exceptionally well. But then again, Marian does everything exceptionally well! I think this was her most adventurous book to date. Sorry for changing the subject slightly but I just had to comment on it.
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Post by Oonagh on Dec 18, 2005 23:21:02 GMT
ok girls the reason is her Dad is Taoiseach!!!!
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Post by claire on Dec 19, 2005 12:39:59 GMT
Yeah, but he's only known in Ireland. What about the rest of the world. I think we should aim for the end of FEB to do this in the book club. I would love to hear what you gals have to say about it
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Post by Oonagh on Dec 19, 2005 15:22:39 GMT
Yet claire she is no 1 in ireland too. Also other people would know that when buying the book. i think!!!
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Post by Shirley on Dec 19, 2005 15:59:12 GMT
I think a lot of her success abroad might also be down to her advertising budget, because there were ads on E4 and in Now magazine for PS and I sure as hell have not seen ads for any other Irish author on either.
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Post by megan on Dec 20, 2005 14:00:17 GMT
The huge publicity around her £1 million deal initially is also a reason for her success. Everyone wanted to know what the fuss was about. I don't think her father being Toaiseach has bearing on her being number one in Britain but of course it would have made a big impact here. I know that I was fascinated to read 'PS. I Love You' because of who she is. The end of Feb for the book club sounds like a great idea. I should have the book from the library by then. I don't want to buy it because I doubt I will want to keep it.
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Post by susanmay on Dec 20, 2005 15:18:24 GMT
Would love to do this book for the club out of curiosity! I'll pick it up this evening. I loved PS. The amount of advertisement Cecilia gets is outstanding. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it as far as a writer goes. Look at Marsha Mehran and Marie Seymour for example working like they do and doing their own publicity. I don't understand it.
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Post by charlene on Dec 20, 2005 16:19:10 GMT
Everyone wanted to know what the fuss was about. I don't think her father being Toaiseach has bearing on her being number one in Britain but of course it would have made a big impact here I agree shirley, I think I read PS before I joined this site and I didnt know who Ceclia was so didnt judge and to tell you the truth I still don't understand the fuss but I know you guys know alot more about her. we had alot of adverts over here which I found strange I just read PS first and liked it and WRE I didnt like as much I'm not very detailed am I
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Post by Shirley on Dec 20, 2005 16:26:19 GMT
The Indo are going mental on praising her at the mo - she was on the cover of their supplement on Sat and she won the 'Person of the Month' award in Sunday's paper!! I don't understand it because the Indo seem to tear everyone else to shreds!
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Post by Shirley on Dec 20, 2005 16:27:53 GMT
PS Charlie, you're dead right in your assessment - it all boils down to whether you like a book or not at the end of the day, and I agree with you totally on WRE. It's really interesting to hear from a UK resident about the adverts that you saw for her etc - the ad budget must have been huge.
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Post by susanmay on Dec 20, 2005 20:49:48 GMT
Two or three weeks ago there was a spread on Cecilia in Hello Magazine!
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Post by Oonagh on Dec 20, 2005 23:13:42 GMT
iN hello ok girls that is making me sick!I noticed that too shirley in the indo!there are other authors in the world.
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Post by susanmay on Dec 21, 2005 9:16:11 GMT
Just to make it clear it was my Granny's magazine I read it in not mine!!!
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Post by megan on Dec 21, 2005 11:26:24 GMT
Perhaps the critics are 'eating their hats' at this point. They certainly gave her Cecilia Ahern enough abuse when her first book came out. I remember all the literary sorts turning their noses up at her work and everyone saying that it was just because of who she was. However since then she has won an award for literature in Britain and has been nominated by Irish Librarians for the International Impact Award. The journalists may have now realised that Cecilia Ahern is not going to go away and there is more to her writing than who she is - I mean there must be! No one could have so many book sales based on the fact that they are Bertie Ahern's daughter. He's not THAT important!
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