Love Is the Easy Bit

by Mary Grehan

For fans of the luminous and emotional story-telling of Maggie O'Farrell and Kim Edwards, Mary Grehan's Love is the Easy Bit goes on a shattering and exhilarating journey that will resonate with anyone who has questioned how they have ended up in the life they have.

For eleven years Sylvia Larkin has been a mother - and she knows, deep down, that she's no good at it. Seeing her husband's loving relationship with their daughter Kate, she believes she's simply been going through the motions. She feels disconnected, an outsider - a total fake.

When a former lover turns up, reminding her of the striking young artist she once was and the life she gave up, Sylvia is finally tipped into despair and nearly destroys her own world, and that of her family.

Coming so close to the edge, however, allows Sylvia to face the truth about who she was and who she is now. She realizes she must try to fix the family she's given up on. It is a journey of heartbreak, challenge and painful surprises. And for Sylvia, her husband and Kate it is one in which the destination will remain unknown until they get there . . .

'Love. It feels like a word from science class that you nod along to but don't really understand,' Sylvia says. And anyone who has ever felt the strangeness and wonder of being in a role that doesn't quite fit will be captivated and moved by Sylvia's journey into the heart of being a wife, mother and daughter.

Mary Grehan trained as an artist and now works as an arts manager and curator. She has travelled widely, lived in many places and is now based in Co Waterford. Love is the Easy Bit is her first novel.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2013

About the author

Mary Grehan trained as an artist and now works as an arts manager and curator. She has travelled widely, lived in many places and is now based in Co Waterford. Love is the Easy Bit is her first novel.

Reviews

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Love is the easy bit by Mary Grehan.

I was quite surprised by this book as it is the author's fist novel and it is really well written and certainly kept me turning the pages with interest.

The novel tells the story of Sylvia, a mother who suffers from post natal depression after the birth of her daughter and eleven years later she knows that her relationship with her husband and daughter has suffered. She believes she has been simply going through the motions. Coming close to the edge shocks Sylvia into facing the truth about who she was and who she is now.

You really get a sense of who Sylvia is as the novel progresses and sympathise with her struggles in trying cope with depression and to fit into society as a mother and wife.

This is a short novel and I read it quite quickly. The writing is intelligent and descriptive and author draws the reader in from chapter one. Mary Grehan handles the sensitive subject of depression and suicide with great maturity that manages to give the story an air of hope and leaves the reader feeling satisfied by the novels conclusion.

Thank you to Penguin Ireland for letting me read this in return for an unbiased review.

[Patricia Mcquillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book explores family memories and what different memories different members of a family retain. It considers the long term effects of post ntatl depression and how someone can be cocooned by love but not realise it. the main character had to revisit her past to move into her future. I would recommend this wonderful book by an Irish author

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classy contemporary story reaches out to its readers with heartfelt sincerity and evocative resonance

This beautiful book is profoundly poignant, with an exquisitely drawn plot that draws you into the most magnetic tale. the realism and thought-provoking honesty is so refreshing that I felt instantly connected to the story, as though the author was reaching out to me on a personal level. Truly unforgettable and wrought with emotion, passion and originality this is a book like no other and something incredibly impacting. If you are seeking a sensational new read that is well-written and which contains fantastic characters with whom you can relate, then this is a book that stands-out a mile for me in terms of scope and substance.

What impressed me most was how Mary Grehan put such ‘life’ into her novel, highlighting such truth-drawing issues that are relatable to all readers. I was touched deeply by the author’s acute and exacting perception on life, and blown away by the wonderful detailed descriptions that were so sharp and precise!

Sylvia Larkin’s story is gritty, earthy and at times frighteningly ‘real’ as it speaks of such truth without shying away from the disconcerting details. It is a tale about love and yet more noticeably it is a story of self-evaluation, wherein the main characters examine their inner self and delve deep down into their very souls. Taking you on a heartbreaking journey into the unknown this is a book that has to be experienced for yourself, as only while reading are you able to grasp the profundity and power within the words.

An outstanding accomplishment of astonishing proportions that can only be deemed as exceptional, I found this starkly explicit novel very stirring and an undeniably engaging read.
Mary Grehan is an impassioned Irish writer who writes with such warmth and openness from the heart, so as to instil in her readers a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment when reading. The challenges that we all face in life may be unique to us but one can draw a lot from Sylvia’s story, as she encounters hardships and suffering whilst being presented with some difficult choices. Reading this book is like knowing that you are not aloneand that the rawness within this story, emphasises how when life is stripped back bare we can then make more sense of that which surrounds us.

This dramatic debut novel captivates you with cleverly crafted characters and realistic heroines of the modern day. I cannot express in words how this novel was such an unexpected delight, so impressive and awe-inspiring as to bring me to tears. I am so pleased to have won a copy of this spectacular story through a Goodreads, first-read giveaway, hence I would like to thank Penguin Publishers.

goodreads.com/PenguinReaders

[Pauline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Won this from Groodreads a while ago. The story of Sylvia - how she ended up where she did and that's it. Sorry I really didn't feel like there was much of a story to this. Sylvia goes to her parents for a holiday, meets up with an old flame, reads her sisters childhood diary, walks into the sea, has an argument with her husband and he storms out. She drives across Ireland with a few driving lessons under her belt and a child in the back (illegal? Dangerous?) and the finds husband - that's it. There are some issues covered briefly around depression which I felt could have been delved into more. Sorry but the quote on the front of the book says "Sharp, Modern and funny" - the sharp bit I agree with the writers technical and artistic ability is not to be questioned, but modern? and funny? I failed to grasp the humor of the situation.

[Margaret Madden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this by Penguin Books to review......

A very dark book with depression being the main story.
Read my full review below


http://bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie...

[Doreen Dooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the start of this book hard going as it was a bit all over the place on what sylvia was feeling. I feel more could have been made on her mum and sister but also her relationship with her husband and daughter , as it feels lacking in those areas.

[Pooja Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book...though it takes time for one to soak in the situations and feel for its characters, but once you are mid-way, you would not want to put it down even for a minute.

[A Broken Zebra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so beyond grateful that I won this book through the awesome give-away contests that Goodreads partake in. Love is the Easy Bit is, by far, one of the loveliest novels I've read. It's obvious that Grehan is an artist, because she uses words like paint, creating a gorgeous world with fantastic characters. And Mary came up with such fun and creative names for the stranger characters (strangers as in nameless, not kooky).

I had loads of favourite lines, enough to have turned the book into a rainbow of sticky tabs, but I was too busy devouring the thing to take the time to mark any. And honestly, I'd rather they be a surprise instead of robbing anyone of reading them for the first time. There were a few instances lost on me, being American and all, but it was never enough to halt my reading nor did it take away from the brilliant story much.

This was also a wonderful break from Veronica Roth's atrocious Insurgent; one drastic writing to another. I probably would have finished this book in one sitting were it not for the holidays or my reading two things at once...it was just that great.

Thank you Goodreads and Penguin Books for the amazing opportunity to read this!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly quick read about Sylvia, and how her life has turned out 11 years after the birth of her daughter, Kate. It is a story about the long term effects of post natal depression and how Sylvia finally finds the strength to move out of the stalemate she finds herself in at the start of the book and to finally enjoy and love her daughter and to try and achieve the sort of marriage she always wanted.

I found it rather hard to get into for quite some time. For a large part of the book, I never really got the feeling that Sylvia had suffered post natal depression, she just come across as self obsessed, remote, uninterested in her family and, to be blunt, just seemed to be a very nasty person all round. I did, however, start to warm to her as the story progressed. Having said all that, it was a very emotional read at times, narrated in the first person by Sylvia who was brutally honest with herself, but also showed a very wry humour every now and then. In the end, I have to say it was a very good read that really kept my interest.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as part of the First Reads giveaways program.

The writing was good, the plot flowed well, but for me there was something missing. The story surrounds Sylvia, a mother who feels she is a bad mother, a bad wife, and on a trip home to her mothers rediscovers an old boyfriend who is now apparently a successful artist. I think that I may have missed some of the depth to the emotion not having a child to know how Sylvia was meant to feel over her lack of love for her daughter and the resultant disconnect from her husband as their daughter seems to be very much a daddies girl.

Overall I liked it, but didn't love it and wouldn't be in any hurry to get hold of Mary Grehan's next book.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love is the Easy Bit
I was very pleased when I received this book via goodreads.com.
However, I did not find it an easy read. Fortunately, I am one of life's natural mothers, and I found it hard to empathise with Sylvis.
I found the subject dealt with very sympathetically, and the book is very well written, but for me there was a little something lacking.
It was very readable, and I did want to continue reading to find out what would happen, and in hope of a happy ending.
In fact, the story did reach a satisfying resolution, and all in all I enjoyed this book.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was well written and the prose flowed well, but I found the story dull and the central character boring. The reader follows the daily life of Sylvia who feels isolated from the lives of her husband and daughter. She meets two friends from the past, but the tone and pace continue in much the same way. I didn't empathise much with Sylvia and found her not to be all that well developed as a character. I read around half of the book and felt unable to continue as I was simply getting nothing from it. I rated it 3 stars for the quality of the writing.

[Emma Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads Firstreads and would like to thank Penguin for sending me the free copy.

We are introduced to Sylvia who is the protagonist. Sylvia suffers with depression and faces many problems along the way. She doesn't feel anything for her daughter and she ends up having an argument with her husband which leads to him leaving her. This sends her further into her depression.
The story is told in a way that you feel like it is one of your friends who is talking to you and not reading a book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who fancies a quick read.
4/5

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

i received this book through first reads. The book takes you on an emotional journey for anyone who is a woman, mother, friend,daughter,or midwife. although the main character Sylvia is quite annoying and irritating there are aspects of her character that most women will identify with. For me the book had a therapeutic effect empathizing with Sylvia in the final chapters.
The author has managed to capture the atmosphere of certain events brilliantly in particular the birth scene.
I would highly recommend this book to all women a lovely easy read.

[Andrea Russo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful novel by Mary Grehan, about a woman, Sylvia, who doesn't seem to fit in her own family, as if there wasn't enough space for her too. She's not a very good mother, and she knows she doesn't do all the things a mother is supposed to do.
Page after page we discover why she is the way she is, and if at the beginning we find her extremely irritating, as we go on reading and we discover her past we start to sympathise with her, to pity her, for all that she has gone through.

I recommend this debut novel to everyone, it's very well written, while being easy to read.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the title of this one but ultimately it was a nope for me. I didn't give one hoot for anyone in this family. This was another case of the author having obvious technical skill as a writer -- as far as her choice of words, her way with descriptions -- but as far as storytelling goes, it was just too dull for me. There was nothing really gripping for me to get breathless over. It kinda felt like the literary equivalent of that scene from American Beauty, where the guy is filming literally nothing else except a floating plastic shopping bag. Nope, nope, nope. Not for me.

[Janet Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharp, sad, funny, and beautifully written. I was never sure if Sylvia's journey would end in her own destruction or her family's. The setting, on the rural Irish coast, added so much - this is a novel I remembered in images. My favourite bits were the letter that Sylvia's twelve-year-old daughter receives from her school friend - the poor kid has been brainwashed by Victorian novels - and the overall tone and atmosphere; it felt quiet and passionate at the same time. Highly recommended.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This won't go on the list of one of my favourites. Too much setting each scene and therefore I found myself skipping lots of paragraphs to get to the actual story. A nice read but not one I would recommend.

[Francisca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pure and honest narrative!!

[Samantha Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story which I enjoyed reading.

[G. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://behindthebookwithinthepages.bl...

[Susan Ash hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend won this on Goodreads, it was ok, a bit dark