It's easy to develop a taste for this book! (Sushi for Beginners - Marian Keyes)

Member Name: kingfisher111

Product:	Sushi for Beginners - Marian Keyes
Date:	09/11/09 (139 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: absorbing enjoyable read

Disadvantages: none!

I can't believe that I have been reading for as many years as I have and have never read any of Marian Keyes' novels although I have been aware of a lot of her titles. This is now rectified having just completed Sushi for Beginners and the only problem is now, that having read this one, I want to read all of the others.

Sushi for Beginners is set in Dublin and follows the lives of three women. There is Lisa who is pushy and ambitious and sees being sent to Ireland in order to editor a new magazine about the worst thing that could happen to her! (She was hoping for a promotion to New York.) Next there is Ashling who is a down to earth homely kind of girl - the sort who is happy to help anyone but as a result is in danger of being walked all over. That is especially true with a best friend like Clodagh who ought to be happy with a gorgeous husband and two adorable children. Unfortunately, for Clodagh, the grass is always greener on the other side and with her obsessive nature she is quite likely to lose everything she ever had.

The novel follows the three women's lives - sometimes overlapping, sometimes not. Their lives do converge much of the times especially as both Lisa and Ashling work for the same new magazine - 'Colleen'. All sorts happen to the three of them over the course of about a year especially relating to their love lives which are mainly quite tempestuous to say the least. The novel works well because it has a great pace to it and there is lots going on to keep the reader's interest. I did wonder whether to bother when I noticed that the novel is very long with 560 pages as my interest staying power is generally quite a lot less than that. I'm glad I did stick with it though as I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of its 560 pages!

The characters are all very believeable and I particularly warmed to Ashling and her desire to help everyone else including the homeless man she often finds on her doorstep. Lisa and Clodagh are perhaps slightly harder to like but I did start to feel more sympathetic to them both as I got to know them better. There is also a multitude of minor characters that really make the novel worth reading too. These include the staff on the magazine, both Lisa's and Ashling's various neighbours and even a few stand up comics thrown in for good measure. They all contribute to a lively and enjoyable read.

I particularly liked the way that the story was set against the backdrop of trying to launch a new magazine and all the trials and headaches that that involved. I was almost living the tension as the story evolved. There are also a couple of more serious issues touched upon - those of homelessness and depression - and these are both treated in a sensitive way. Both themes are quite integral to some of the storylines though so it is important that they are there.

This feels like a real 'coming to terms' novel. All three of the main characters have issues from their past and as the story reaches its climax, in the main they do come to terms with their pasts and move on as more contented women.

You might wonder a bit about the title as I certainly did as I was reading. This was especially because sushi was not even mentioned until at least three quarters of the way through. However towards the end it seems to act as quite a strong metaphor for starting afresh and being prepared to give life a try! So in the end it was a very apt title but I was beginning to wonder!

The paperback is available on Amazon for £4.66.

Summary: A thoroughly enjoyable read