Är det någon där

Walsh Family #4

by Marian Keyes

Ärlig, rolig, älskad - Marian Keyes!

Nedbruten och omskadad ligger Anna Walsh på soffan hemma hos mor och far i Dublin. Hon är ett vrak i allas ögon men har bara en sak i huvudet: hon måste tillbaka till New York! New York betyder allt: hennes lägenhet, drömjobbet och världens bästa man och make, Aidan. Men inget är sig längre likt i Annas liv...

I "Är det någon där?" möter vi den fjärde Walsh-systern Anna, den förut så vilda och "galna" systern som skärpt sig och skaffat sig drömjobbet på sminkföretaget Candy Girrrl - med obegränsad tillgång till gratisprover - och gift sig med drömprinsen, Aidan. Vi får förstås också veta hur det har gått för de fyra andra systrarnas sedan sist.

"Ja, detta är hennes bästa bok."
- Helsingborgs Dagblad -

Marian Keyes debuterade med "Vattenmelonen" och har sedan dess skrivit ytterligare sju romaner som allt gjort succé världen över och översatts till 30 språl. Hon skriver även krönikor samt medverkar i radion och TV. Marian bor med sin man i Dublin.

www.mariankeyes.com

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Ireland, Adult, Audiobook

551 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2006

About the author

Marian Keyes (born 10 September 1963) is an Irish novelist and non-fiction writer, best known for her work in women's literature. She is an Irish Book Awards winner. Over 22 million copies of her novels have been sold worldwide and her books have been translated into 32 languages. She became known worldwide for Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, and This Charming Man, with themes including domestic violence and alcoholism.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time I read this book, I was too young, too dim witted and lack of spidey or spider senses. I caught the big revelation at the second half but I have to tell you: this quite emotional, ugly tear jerking, poignant story and my second favorite book of Walsh Sisters series (Angels is my least favorite one: even though it takes place in LA) I highly recommend it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book I decided that I will probably never loan it out because I will want to read it over and over again.

This is, by far, the most emotionally provocative book I've ever read. For about the first 25 chapters or so, I was convinced I knew what was going on, only to be hurled into an entire weekend of crying and page-turning. I couldn't stop crying, yet I couldn't put it down.

This book made me realize so many things about myself, life, death, and what it really and truly means to love someone so completely that you would be nothing without them.

Now, I plan to read all of Marian Keyes' other books. She is an amazingly gifted writer and I can't wait to learn more about the Walsh sisters and the many other characters she's created.

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mentally classify most novels into one of two broad categories: Literature or Crap. Within the Crap category there are several further levels. Books with negligible literary attributes (like no plot, no character development, poor writing, etc....ehh hmmm... Twilight) fall into the "Watching TV" category (because reading one of these books is the intellectual equivalent and takes the same amount of effort as sitting through a TV show). Marian Keyes' books definitely do not fall into the Literature category because they don't offer much in the way of new insights or artistic use of language, but as far as Crap goes, they are pretty high quality. They are extremely funny and the writing is surprisingly GOOD! I definitely couldn't write that well while maintaining such a complexity of characters and plot lines for 600 pages. That's for sure.

Her books are belittlingly labeled as "chick lit", forever dooming serious readers to deny having enjoyed them. But thinking about it, (and in an effort to justify my own enjoyment,) the whole chick lit phenomenon is remarkably anti-feminist. Why is there no equivalent nomen for books about traditionally testosterone-y topics like war, fist fights and cars ("dick lit" or "prick lit" are two possible suggestions - no more vulgar than "chick lit" mind you)? Personally, I'd much rather lose myself in a book about a peaceful topic like human relationships (romantic, familial or professional) and the beauty industry, than something bloody and violent. The fact that I am capable of losing myself in 600 pages about cosmetics, a topic that I know absolutely nothing about and have no interest in, is testament to the quality and pace of the writing and the story. Three stars instead of four because, without giving anything away, parts of the theme were really depressing.

[LENA TRAK · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best friend recommended this and I have to thank her for it. A lovely book, I remember crying my eyes out so I often had to put it down, get a grip and then go on. Easily read even though I hadn't read the first 3 books of the Walsh Family series. If you enjoyed books by Ahern or Kinsella then you will love Keyes' style!

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is one terrible mess, which is surprising because it's written by a "bestselling" author. I mean, the dialogue...does she really think people talk like that? And what was up with all those boring email sections, which did nothing to add to the story. Plus, all the main characters are super annoying, especially the parts concerning the main character's job.

The most obnoxious part of the story is the "plot twist" which happens about 200 pages into the book. I'm fairly certain that everyone must know what the twist is about 50 pages into the story, and the rest of the pages leading up to the "shocking" twist are painful.

Why did I keep reading this book?

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book four in the Walsh family series and this book is all about Anna.

Unputdownable. I am really enjoying all the book in this series.

Five stars.

[Saadia B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful narrative.

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[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd have to put this book in my list of top-ten favorites of all time! I picked up the book-on-tape version at the library and immediately fell in love with Marian Keyes. I had to get the print version to enjoy the story again, and I am not usually one to re-read books (because there are so many others on my "to-read" list)!

After reading this most engaging novel, I felt compelled to read all of Keyes' other books, most of which were wonderful as well. This one remains my favorite of hers, however. I think it is several steps above the chick-lit category. The story is both hysterically funny and extremely poignant. I loved getting to know the Walsh sisters and bits and pieces of their various stories, so I was delighted to learn that there were other books that had different Walsh sisters as the main character.

I like how Anna's story is revealed a little bit at a time, and the intermittent flashbacks that help us learn about her relationship to Aiden. I fell in love with him right along with her and felt endeared to him throughout the story. I sobbed at the end--it was such a touching and satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed this book so much that I have given it as a gift to several of my friends. *Highly recommended!

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will cry the entire way through, when you’re not laughing your ass off.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i particularly liked this one in the series, as i could identify with anna.

it was a great story, very realistic and believable and of course i simply love the writer's writing style.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Marian Keyes book, so I haven't read the others about the Walsh sisters. I think I have a hard time getting into a lot of books, it usually takes the first 100 pages before I care about the book. Once I hit the turning point in the novel (around chapter 25) it was un-put-down-able. Seriously, I read the majority of the book on Sunday afternoon (about 300 pages).

I enjoy Anna, there is a lot that I can relate to about her under the surface. She is a PR Account Executive, I've worked in the PR field (not on the account side) for about five years and the things she would complain about made me giggle because I could totally see it.

Watching Anna remember February 16th was heartbreaking, watching her recovery would break my heart one minute and have me laughing out loud the next page. Definitely a good read, now I think I need to read Watermelon so I can experience more of the other Walsh sisters. Only Helen and Rachel were discussed a lot in Anybody Out There?

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having a love affair with Keyes at the moment. Started with Lucy Sullivan gets married (loved it) hiccuped with Watermelon (not so much) then on to Rachel's holiday (rivaled Lucy's story) and now, this one. Anybody out there is Anna's story. Keyes was on point in this book, Anna was heartbreakingly familiar. When I realized where her story was heading I was a bit angry, as I was already in love with Anna and Andy as a couple...how could Keyes do this to me. It was the delicate way that Keyes wove Annas story that made me keep reading through my anger =)

I love how in each of these story about this family, one sisters life story, or segment of their life, is explored, and then you kind of get updates in the following sisters story. It's a nice way for the stories to continue.

I'm trying not to give too much away, mostly cause I know Laura has this marked as to read. There were many moments in the books where I just paused and was wowed by Keyes ability to turn a phrase, or make a moment so recognizable and emotional.

One of my favorite quotes (cause I have felt this way before) is

"Funnily enough, I wasn't that keen on butterflies. It was a hard thing to admit because everyone loves butterflies and not liking them is akin to saying you don't like Michael Palin, or dolphins or strawberries. But to me, butterflies were slightly sneaky; all they were were moths in embroidered jackets. And, yes, moths were creepy and their flapping wings made a nasty papery sound-but at least they were honest; they were brown, they were dull, they were stupid (flying into flames at the drop of a hat). All in all, they hadn't much going for them but they didn't pretend to be anything other than what they were."

its not really a pivotal quote, but I liked it ;)

[notgettingenough · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why I will never read this book. The verdict is in.

As I wandered down to my local coffee shop the other morning, I couldn’t help noticing a little pile of books somebody had put on the footpath, part of a clearing up. A motley collection, if ever I saw one, was my professional assessment.

Over the next couple of days the pile got smaller. Somebody took the book on ’Twenty-two ways to improve the feng shui of your lavatory.’ And ‘Things you can do with bonsai plants if you have a front loader.’ Even the Booker Prize winner went missing. Eventually all that was left was Marian Keyes Anybody Out There? Apparently not, Marian. Apparently not.

[María Greene F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me encanta cómo escribe esta autora, porque además de ser divertida, es muy profunda, y sus historias en general tienen giros inesperados a diferencia de casi todo el resto del género chick-lit (o semi chick-lit, en su caso), pero ésta me costó más. Encontré que el humor en muchas ocasiones era bullyinero y mala onda y que había envejecido mal. En especial la manera de tratar a los hombres, u objetivizándolos o riéndose de ellos no me gustó y dudo que hubiera tenido la misma recepción hoy que el año en que salió el mercado (2006), porque afortunadamente las cosas han ido cambiando para todos.

Pero lo más difícil para mí no fue eso, sino que mi mamá me hizo spoiler, jajaja, le comenté que estaba leyéndolo y me soltó así de la nada lo que era el mayor giro de la novela. Como tal giro está bastante avanzado en el libro y (spoiler) era bastante ridículo, luego llegar hasta ahí fue casi UN TRABAJO, así que solo retomé el libro entre otras lecturas o cuando me costaba dormir. Sin embargo, una vez aquello sucedido, me encantó. Volvió a tener la frescura típica de la autora y sus otras novelas, me hizo reír y me entretuvo mucho. Lo pasé la mar de bien, otra vez en especial con el elemento inesperado, que en verdad a veces no sé dónde va la cosa.

Recomendado, no especialmente. Es piola, sí, pero Marian Keyes tiene libros mucho mejores, como "Lucy Sullivan se casa" o "Rachel se va de viaje". Y además es laaargo. Todos los libros suyos son largos, al menos todos los que me he encontrado, pero acá realmente pude sentir todo el peso de su longitud, al menos en la primera parte.

[Alisha Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anybody Out There was a book that started out really great. However, after a while, not only did it start to drag on, it also started to resemble a mess...a mildly intriguing mess, but a mess none the less. Now, I don't need much from a chick-lit to be happy, but in Anybody Out There, I just needed more.

The Good: Part 1. Part 1 of Anybody Out There was the best out of the three parts in this book. The family dynamics, which was my favorite part of Anybody Out There, were more prominent in the first part and were only alluded to in the last two parts. Another good thing was the twist. I definitely did not see that coming, particularly because I thought this was going to be a breezy, easy, funny chick-lit. Definite points for the twist.

The Okay: Part 3. Part 3, where everything was coming together, was not as good as Part 1, but way better than Part 2. Jacqui's side plot was funny enough that it kept me interested in Anybody Out There. As unplausible as it was, I was also mildly satisfied with the ending. Although, that could have been because I just wanted the book to be over.

The Bad: Part 2. I don't know how something involving mediums could've been so flippin' boring. Part 2 just dragged on and on. Oh, and Helen's emails...also dragged on and on. I found Helen to be funny and interesting at first, but after those emails, I was so incredibly bored with her character. That side plot was just pointless. Another bad thing about Anybody Out There was the numerous side plots. You had the mediums, you had the husband turmoil, the job turmoil, the ex-girlfriend turmoil, and a couple more turmoils that I don't feel like elaborating on. This book just had way too much going on. Oh, and it also stopped being funny at one point.

So, overall, I found Anybody Out There to be a dud. No laugh out loud moments, but a couple of chuckles at first. Then, there were no chuckles...no type of laughter. There was major eye-rolling, though. Utterly forgettable and more than a little boring, so I say skip it.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the Marian Keyes novels completely out of order, having started with a copy of Watermelon my mum leant me when I was home on break. As a result, I perhaps saw the Sullivan girls mature in a slightly different order than other people who read the books in "order."

Nevertheless, I was confused by this book, and one other, Rachel's Holiday. From the initial character development I got on Anna and Rachel, I always felt that it would have made far more sense to send Anna to rehab.

This book was even further for me. This isn't a bad book. The writing isn't bad, although the plot is a bit strange. My main complaint about this novel is that, for my money, except for a few small flashbacks that fill in the missing years between books, this novel has NOTHING to do with the Anna we meet in the other books. Pretty much all of the Anna, the pretty, somewhat diaphanous hippie we meet in the other books-- is explained away in a few pages, which sum up a whirlwind of her life and dismiss every other instance of her in the series. I felt discomfited by this fact, especially since I felt that the actions of the character in this novel were not in tune with those which would have been taken by the character I knew.

All in all, I felt if Keyes felt she needed to write this book, it should have been written as a stand-alone; I didn't feel the plot was well-served by being compressed into a standing character structure that really did not allow for the interplay between the characters here. If nothing else, again, I feel this book would have been better "delegated" to Rachel.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILERS AHEAD - do not read if you plan to read this book!!

I've had a sense of deja vu lately when I've been reading. One was with Remember Me? and the other one was with this great one by Marion Keyes. It's been ages since I read PS I Love You by Cecilia Ahern but I think the premise was similar - in this one, the main character has been seriously injured in a car crash that has killed her newlywed husband. She is in denial of this fact for the first third of the book but then comes to accept it and is in grim pursuit of trying to communicate with him, along with dealing with her friends sympathy and trying to keep her job at a cosmetics firm. I loved it - she's an Irish woman living in NYC and her family back in Dublin is hilarious, and the twist at the end of the book brings it to a satisfying conclusion. I don't think I've ever been let down by Marion Keyes.

[Brittany Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a weepy girl book. I had a hard time being convinced that their relationship was so amazing and am pretty sure that had this been a real couple, it would have seemed so great simply because she'd only been with the guy for a year and half - fully still within the infatuation stage. But still - the feelings are there regardless of the reasons for them, and it didn't keep me from emphasizing with her entirely.

I also felt like Keyes tried a little too hard to be cutesy, especially in the first part of the book when describing the woman's family. For example, I had enough of the "Greatest Job in the World (TM)" garbage by the end of the first chapter. She toned it down for the second half of the book, though, which made it much more bearable.

Anyway, not a terrible read for the beach or a plane ride. But not winning any awards any time soon, either.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book by Marian Keyes that I've read, and it made me see why so many people like her! She does a great job of keeping you guessing what has happened to Anna throughout the first 200 or so pages, until its finally revealed how she got her injuries and what has happened to Aidan. Normally I might say that a book this long was a bit overdone and could've been cut back on, but I loved every page of it. I was crying by the ending. This book really pulled me into the story and made me feel for Anna so much.

[Carme · Rating 3 out of 5]

No había leído nada de Marian Keyes y debo decir que empezar en una lectura conjunta ha sido una muy buena idea. De hecho, eso ha sido lo mejor del libro, sin duda: ir comentándolo poquito a poco.
Ahora bien, no quiero ponerme sentimental. Vamos con las impresiones. Así para empezar, decir (escribir) que me he reído más de una vez. Sí, sí, la amiga Keyes tiene un humor que va de lo absurdo a lo ácido y, joder, es la leche.
Mi principal problema tiene nombre y apellidos: Anna Walsh. ¡Sorpresa, sorpresa; el problema es con la maldita protagonista! Qué jodido es eso de que la protagonista caiga gorda, ¿eh? Porque sí, más de una vez le hubiera sacudido un guantazo de estos que te quedas como Dios. Vale, ya paro. Bromas a parte, la chica a ratos era un poquito gilipollas. Y digo un poquito porque, la verdad, tiene un par de salidas de tiesto que no me han parecido ni medio normales.
Mis favoritos han sido los secundarios. Los correos de Helen y la madre de las chicas me han flipado; ya no hablemos de lo cuquis que me parecen Rachel y Luke o las risas que me echado a costa de Jacqui y Joey-Morritos.
La historia está bien. Tal vez es demasiado larga para lo que realmente cuenta, pero está bien. Sin duda, el final es de lo mejorcito del libro y, si bien es cierto que no ha sido precisamente la lectura del año, no me arrepiento, para nada, de haber leído la historia de Anna.

¿Pasa algo si empezáis la saga por la cuarta parte? Pasar, no pasa nada. El problema es que sabréis qué es de Clarie, Maggie y Rachel, protagonistas anteriores. Personalmente, os recomiendo empezar en orden. La casa no se empieza por el tejado, ¿cierto? En cualquier caso, prontito tengo pensado hincarle el diente a la historia de Claire.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear, think I switched off at the point where she said his jumper didn't smell like his groin did 🙄😂

Think this was meant to have been moving but it certainly wasn't for me.

[Abril Camino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha gustado muchísimo. Si algo admiro en Marian Keyes (y quizá más en este libro que en ninguno anterior) es su capacidad para contar una historia dramática, terriblemente dramática en este caso, con ese tono de humor y comedia... y sin que nadie chirríe. Se me ha hecho un poco largo (me ha sobrado toda la subtrama de Helen y los mafiosos), pero por lo demás ha sido una lectura entretenida y muy recomendable.

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely the worst of Marian Keyes that I have read so far (six). Not a bad book, just out of tune with me.

In the beginning, I was gripped. I hadn't any idea about a plot, so when I understood what 'event' was the core of the story I was really sad (and even more hopeful about the book). I remember how phenomenal was On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins (it is one of my favourite novels).

But it started to drag. I was so not interested in Anna's professional life. Then, there was Helen - what for was she so big part of the book? And Anna's struggles with grief eventually started to annoy me.

There were quite a few precious moments. E.g. the funny scenes with Walsh's family, and some wiser ones. But too little as for six hundred pages.

I was weeping for Aiden at one point, and now I am (metaphorically) weeping for this Keyes' novel (I am still her big fan).

[2-2.5 stars, rounding up thanks to male characters, like Aiden, Matt, Angelo, Leon, Joey]

[Zen Cho · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, but it was not the kind of book I would ever have picked up on my own. This is because it is pretty bad. It's not that I dislike chicklit as a genre so much as that it is not a genre I will forgive occasional badness in so long as it presses my buttons, and this was just all sloppy writing and uninteresting characters. Characters is kinda overstating it; they were more names plus associated collections of tics.

But as I said, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. I liked the descriptions of the main character's wacky outfits.

This book has a surprisingly perky cover for a book about death.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good holiday read, with more grit than I had expected.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 6th book I've read by Marian Keyes and my ratings have been all over the place, from 2 stars to 4 stars. But this is by far my favorite. This had so much to the story and was such an readable story. While it was a long book it didn't take much time to flew through.

[Hildy · Rating 5 out of 5]

first read: February 2011
second read: December 2016

This is one of my favourite books. It is rare that I read about a couple that is so obviously perfect for each other and so intensely in love. I miss that. This book is quirky, laugh out loud funny, and so emotional. Keyes nailed every part of this. It was long but I still wish that there was more to read.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 sterren.
Mooi verhaal met een emotioneel thema. Echter pakte het verhaal mij niet helemaal, wat ik jammer vond.

[Emma Arrowsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that’s like lying under a big duvet.

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I not review this last year? I feel like I need to listen to it again as I have profound respect for MK - love her to bits - but I really can't remember this story and it was only less than a few months ago.

I've kept on with the series, but how do I rate 5⭐ and not remember. Arghhhh!

The verdict is not in yet, I may go back and take another squiz. The Walsh family are kind of up there with mine, so they deserve my priority😉

Here is my attempt at a review, months post reading:

Anna Walsh has been in an accident, and we learn what's gone on by flashbacks. I love New York, where the main action happens, and I love the Walsh Family. The family dynamics always are a top draw card, as is the banter and the wit.

I also believe MK can do no wrong, as she's lived experience with addiction and mental health struggles. I still feel bad I forgot to review, but I'll probably listen to the entire series again one day!