Sức mạnh của tình yêu

P.S. I Love You #1

by Cecelia Ahern, Thiên Phước (Translator), Ngọc Lan (Translator)

Một câu chuyện kể về những nỗ lực và chiến thắng của một cô gái trẻ sau cái chết của người chồng mà cô rất mực yêu thương.

Holly và Gerry cưới nhau ở tuổi đôi mươi. Cái chết đột ngột của Gerry đã khiến Holly suy sụp và dường như đánh mất chính bản thân mình. Nhưng rồi, với tất cả nỗ lực và khát khao sống, nàng dần quay trở lại với cuộc đời của chính mình để lại yêu một lần nữa.

Tất cả những điều đó bắt đầu từ một món quà, mà Holly nhận được đều đặn mỗi tháng. Và kỳ diệu thay, những món quà đầy ý nghĩa ấy đến từ chính người chồng quá cố của cô - như một phép mầu. Nhưng lại là phép mầu có thật!

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Contemporary Romance, Love

364 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2004

About the author

Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series.

Reviews

[Candice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made the mistake of seeing the movie before reading the book, thinking that the book is always better than the movie. And the movie changed so much of the book that it made it difficult to settle into the book as an independent, standalone work. I have mixed feelings about both the book and the movie (which is irrelevant, except that it influenced my experience of the book). I'm impressed that Cecilia Ahern was able to imagine the scenario, flush it out, and write an okay novel about it at only 21 years old. And as a nice, sweet novel, it worked...I guess. But I've been widowed for 2 1/2 years right now--I was 27 and my husband 28 when he died--and from a grief standpoint and as representation of a believabe human experience, I only give it a C. Some of the issues raised are spot-on, but the level of "healing" and "closure" (both gag-worthy terms to a young widow) that Holly achieves in only a year are ridiculously unrealistic. I've met many young widows and widowers over the past 2 1/2 years, and all of them would agree that the plot of the novel is unrealistic. But hey--people read to escape, to vicariously experience a fantasy world. The sad part is that our culture is horrible at understanding grief, and stories like this--although sweet and pretty--only serve to reinforce false assumptions about what grief and widowhood are like for those who've never experienced it themselves. If only life, widowhood, and grief were as neat and tidy as Cecilia Ahern imagined....

[Frances · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seem to be one of very few who didn't like this book. First of all I must point out that I love girlie books and cry at anything even the slightest bit sad. With that said, I didn't enjoy it at all and couldn't wait for it to end. I WANTED to like it. I hoped something would happen to make me change my opinion but it didn't.

The whole book felt like a rambling and dull conversation with a repetitive yet inconsistent story-line. I would normally have full sympathy for Holly's situation but honestly she just annoyed me. Her friends annoyed me. Her family (except her mum, I liked her) annoyed me. And the notes from Gerry... what a sweet, romantic idea but I didn't get that from them at all. Even they lacked any realism or real emotion for me.

I'm glad it's over. A BIG thumbs down for me.

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What will you do if you lose the person you love the most at a young age? Holly faced such a predicament when her husband Gerry passed away due to a brain tumor.

Gerry wrote a series of letters before he died to help Holly get her life back together. Will these letters help her to recover from the sadness caused by his death?

My favorite three lines from this book.

"Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you'll land among the stars."

“She had been given a wonderful gift: life. Sometimes it was cruelly taken away too soon, but it's what you did with it that counted, not how long it lasted."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with returning to the house you grew up in every now and again. It's good for the soul."

I have seen a few people struggling in their lives after the death of someone close to them at a young age due to a terminal illness. I think Cecelia Ahern did a brilliant job of portraying the dilemmas faced by Holly during her grief. This book will be a good choice if you love to read love stories.

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

PS, I Love You is a beautiful story that deals with love and bereavement. Holly has recently lost the love of her life, Gerry, to a brain tumor. Now widowed at a young age, she struggles to get her life back together. Holly’s mother explains that before Gerry died, he wrote a series of notes to help encourage her to get back to living life without him. Over the course of the year she opens these messages.

PS, I promised a list, so here it is. The following envelopes must be opened exactly when labeled and must be obeyed. And remember, I am looking out for you, so I will know...

For me it’s so easy to resonate with Holly. I haven’t experienced losing a husband, but if this happened to me, it would be a complete life-altering event. The anguish, loneliness, and heartbreak would be too much to bear. It’s nearly impossible for Holly to get back on her feet, and
the author did an amazing job describing the emotions and fears a grieving person deals with after loss.

During Holly’s healing journey, she also reflects on their relationship and some of the things she wishes she’d done differently. These reminiscing bits were what sparked much of my emotion and morphed me into an emotional bawl-bag. Luckily, Holly has strong support from family and friends, but even those relationships have challenges ahead.

Holly’s blood boiled and as she spoke her voice shook with rage, “And you wonder why I don’t go out with you. Because of stupid, insensitive remarks like that. Did you ever think for one moment that it might be hard for me? The fact that all you talk about are your bloody wedding arrangements and how happy you are and how excited you are and how you can’t wait to spend the rest of your life with Tom in wedded bliss. In case you hadn’t noticed, Denise, I didn’t get that chance because my husband died. But I am very happy for you, really I am.”

This is my second reading. I decided to revisit the book after winning a copy of the sequel, Postscript. In all honesty, there was emotion during this second reading; however, it felt like the book dragged in parts and some of the emotion was lost for me. There were some changes I appreciated in the film: location, the removal or changing of some characters, how Holly and Gerry meet, and other plot changes. Perhaps the biggest difference of all between the two is Gerry; he’s brought to life in the movie. Regardless, in the end there’s just no comparison to the book which has so much more detail with Holly’s pain, challenges, and struggles to finding a new normal. In addition, the book has much more development on the family (some of which aren’t in the movie), and supporting characters. With that said, I enjoyed both the book and movie for what they are.

4****

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a terrible thing to lose your soulmate!

Holly has found love with her best friend. A person she can share everything with. A person she can laugh with. A person that understands her and makes her happy. Gerry was this for Holly.

A decade after their marriage, Gerry develops a headache. He goes to the doctor and the news is devastating. He has brain cancer and his prognostic is terminal.

At the beginning of P.S. I Love You, Gerry is already dead. It has been two months since he passed away. Holly is immersed in a grief so profound that nothing can make her leave her house. Her family tries, her friends Sharon and Denise try. All is in vain.

Then her mother tells her she has found a letter addressed to Holly with the name List on it. Holly can't believe it. During her marriage and before they knew Gerry was sick, they had a running joke about a list. The list entails things Holly should abstain from doing, like wearing a white dress to a gala or things she should do in case Gerry dies and he is not around to help her.

Now, months after his death, the List has become real. He has left a letter for Holly and a note for each month left of the year. Every time, Holly opens a note, she can feel Gerry around her which brings her some happiness.

Holly will embark on a ride of self-discovery and much-needed healing. Simple and some difficult things are all part of Gerry's big plan to make Holly live again.

Losing a loved one is NEVER easy. Grief manifests in different ways. It can eat us alive. It can improve over time or become unresolved. It can destroy us. Destroy our happiness. Destroy the will to continue living. Thankfully, Holly had Gerry (from the grave) to help her out. She also had great friends and family who had her back.

I enjoyed P. S. I Love You but I'm going to say something that I never say. I like the movie more. I liked the movie so much that when I went to Ireland, I went to all the special places Holly went with Gerry.

One guess as to what I did after finishing the book?

Yep, watch the movie (again) with hubby this time.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the second times. This made me ugly sob, and I had to put it aside every now and again to just breathe. But it was also funny and heartwarming and it shows that one can live a good life after loosing a loved one. Love knows now boundaries, not even after death. It’s an important reminder of what really matters.

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it still in manuscript and fell in love... I knew it would be bestseller... One of my favorites among the books and authors I discovered as editor and bought rights for Serbia

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

So badly written that it detracted from the touching and interesting premise.

I read this solely because I saw that a film was being made of it with Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) and wanted to have read the film prior to seeing the film which I am bound to do because it has Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) in it. The book is written by the daughter of the Irish Prime Minister which is the most interesting thing I can think to say about it. I like myself some chick-lit-lite but this is ridiculous. The writing was obvious, unsubtle, clichéd and dull. I did not connect with the characters and felt no emotional connection whatsoever with the story or the protagonist. I did not care what happened in the end. Having said this, I can see why this will be made into a film. The premise is actually not that bad: Widow receives a letter from her dead husband which he wrote before he died along with 11 other instalments to be read monthly to help her bereavement. It actually sounds really naff now I write it… But I honestly think the film will be far superior to the book. I hope so anyway. This does really annoy me though. It seems that to have your novel made into a film, you don’t have to be a good writer. You just have to have a good idea. Seems a bit unfair to me.

[Dewi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I believe that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them."

I've read and liked those words since long time ago but never really took time to think about it until an incident 8 years ago.

That day, I was talking on the phone with Dad. It was just a casual conversation. Dad was planning to come to Bandung at weekend so he asked me did I want him to bring something for me and such. Things were usual until when we were gonna ended our conversation. Usually at the end of our phone call, I'd like to say : Love you, Dad. That time, I didn't know why but I hesitated to say it. So I just said: "Okay take care, Pi" to which he said : "You too, kiddo. Be good. Love you."

That was our last phone call. Two hours after that, my mom called to inform that Dad got a very bad headache and they were on the way to hospital. Turns out it was a first symptom of stroke. When I came to Jakarta, he was in comatose state and he never woke up again.
To this day, I still regret for not saying the i-love-you words at our last conversation.

And that's when the words dawned on me. I promise myself that whenever I part with someone I love, I'll leave them with loving words.
Usually I try to keep that promise. But sometimes I forget and parted after the heated argument with my loved ones.

The second incident happened around January 2009.
At that time, I had someone that I consider as my significant-other. We've been together since the 1st grade at Elementary School. Yep...almost 21 years together at that time. We're a childhood sweetheart, the same with Holly & Gerry from this book.

Unlike many other stories about childhood sweetheart, we started as a couple turn to best friend while still considered ourselves a s couple, then being a true best friend, and finally a true couple (kok ribet yaa).

Of course, like Holly & Gerry, we could finish each other's sentences. We too could read other's mind. I know him more than I know myself and vice versa. That's what 20-years-of-relationship did to us.

We were also a cool couple. Cool in terms of : we rarely argue because of jealousy. As an example, when I saw a pretty lady, I'm gonna tell him like this: "Eh liat deh arah jam sekian. Cakep ya.". And after looking for some seconds (just seconds. Longer than that then he's in a deep shit. LOL), he's gonna say : "Yep. Nice booty. Very sexy boobs.". Things also happened the other way around.
See? How cool are we? (kok jadi pamer ya?)

We're one of those couples that have thing you called as a comfortable silence. We could sit together for hours, saying nothing and just enjoying each other's companion. We've found home in each other's presence.

For me, he's not just a boyfriend. He was also my bestfriend, my dream keeper, my most loyal supporter, my soulmate, or to sum it in one word: my significant-other.

But it's all ended in one night.

That night, we had a plan to hang out with our friends at our usuall place. He was supposed to pick Widya up (our friend whose house located between mine and his), before pick me up then heads to our meeting place. Because of overslept, he was late picking Widya up.

Back then, I was a very very very punctual person. I could be really mad just because one minte late from the schedule. So at that time, though I know it was really irritating, I kept calling him just to ask him where he was and asked him to drive faster.
I knew he was annoyed with my constant calls mainly cause I called him while he was driving. But I was selfish that time and I didn't care, so I just kept calling.

When he arrived at Widya's home, he called me back and asked :"Iya? Kenapa, babe?"

Now we're not the kind of couple who used petnames. Nay...that's not our style. Usually we just call each other with our name (real name, I mean). Or using missy-boy in a casual argument. And lady-sir if we wanted to tease each other.
But he had this habit to call me with petnames when he was mad at me. He'd call me cutie pie, honeydew, love, well you know...petnames like that. I asked his reason once, and he said : "So you'll know no matter how mad I was to you, I still love you" (Yeah...I know that's cheesy)

The sweeter he called me means the more annoyed he was. So on the 1 to 10 scale (with 10 being the maddest), "babe" was on number 5. Usually when I know he's on the 5th scale and up, I'm gonna back off and calm him down.

But that night, I was really pissed too. So I replied him (still with an annoyed tone) : "Dimana sekarang?"

"Udah nyampe rumah Wiwid, Sayang. Kata dia tunggu bentar. Dia masih siap-siap." On his list, "sayang" was on number 8th.

"Cepetaaaannnnn."

"Iya, Cinta. Sabar yaaa..." "Cinta" got the 10th score on his list. So actually that time I knew that he was really really mad with me. Usually, "cinta" is a sign for me to seriously back off and calm down. But still, I didn't wanna do it that night.

"Udah dulu ya. Tar gw telpon kalo Wiwid udah siap jalan. Love you."

Since the period when we had a long distance relationship, we made it a habit to end our conversation with "love-you" and such, no matter how mad we were at each other. Again, that day I wasn't in the mood to say it back and just answer him with : "Yeah whatever. Cepetan ya. Gw tunggu."

Not an hour later, I got a phonecall from Widya. She told me about an accident that involved him and now they were on their way to hospital. When I got to hospital, he was already unconscious. He never wakes up again. Turns out, the "love-you" was his last words to me and "yeah-whatever-cepetan-ya-Gw-tunggu" was my last response to him. Bad, eh?

It's been almost 4 years since that. There are many things that I've learned and could accept with now.
I have learned that being punctual is good, but being a very very very punctual person is a pain in the ass.
I could deal with the pain of losing him and have the dreamless sleep now.
I don't ask the universe anymore why 20 years long of relationship had to ended so abruptly like that. I just accept it as the-way-it-should-be.
I could forgive the destiny for taking away someone who has a very bright future ahead in such a young age.
I believe that this is the best for him and for everyone around him (Actually I still can't see why, but I just wanna believe that coz God always makes the best plan for His people).
But...
I still regret my last words to him. I still can't truly forgive myself for ended our conversation after a heated argument like that. At least with my Dad, things were good between us.
And for me, this fact still hard to deal with.

I envy Holly.
No... I'm not saying that Holly's situation is easier or better than mine. There's no use in making comparison here. She lost her man gradually and I lost him so abruptly, blah....both are a fucked up situation to be in. I envy him cause she has times to bide her loved ones a proper goodbye.

I also envy her because even 1 year after he left, she still got his letters that showing her how much he loves her. I know it's lame, but sometimes (back in the past) when I sort his things off, I wished that I got his letters or even note or anything that I could consider as his-goodbye (yeah...I know I've watched too many lame movies). Or at least a note which tells me that he knows though I was pissed at him on our last conversation but I still love him.

Yup...that was one thing that I envy the most from Holly. Because Holly made sure that Gerry knew she loves him when he left this world. The one thing that I didn't do.

Hey you, up there I hope you could read this.
P.S. I love you

“Finding someone you love and who loves you back is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. But finding a true soul mate is an even better feeling. A soul mate is someone who understands you like no other, loves you like no other, will be there for you forever, no matter what. They say that nothing lasts forever, but I am a firm believer in the fact that for some, love lives on even after we're gone.”

PS : All in all, for me this is a good book. Unrealistic actually about that moving on things (the just-1-year-time-span which made it kinda unrealistic), but still it's a good read. Through Holly's journey and Gerry's letter, I got some lessons about healing.

On the other hand, she was a women with a million happy memories, who knew what it was like to experience true love and who was ready to experience more life, more love and make new memories. Whether it happened in ten months or ten years, Holly would obey Gerry's final message. Whatever lay ahead, she knew she would open her heart and follow where it led.
In the meantime, she would just live.”

Just like Holly, I'm a woman with a million happy memories. I could also proudly said that once in my life I knew what true love was.
And I also knew that whatever lay ahead, I'd open my heart and follow where it led. But for now, while waiting that to happen, I'll just live.

Thank you Ahern, for made me realize that a happy ending has many kind of shades.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really expecting a lot more from this book, being that it has been made into a movie but I was fairly disappointed. I understand that Ahern is a young writer but she really does have a LOT of work to do with her writing skills. And maybe she could pick up a thesaurus to find a substitute word for "sarcastically" as she uses it to death in this book - there's no need to state the obvious in my opinion.

I suppose that I'm drawn to strong, proactive, and independent main characters and I spent a lot of time feeling like Holly was whining throughout the whole book. I know that may sound harsh considering she is dealing with the loss of her husband, and while I can't relate to dealing with something like that, I had a difficult time sympathizing with her.

The ending was the most anti-climatic ending I've read in a while. Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend this book to many people and most likely won't even see the movie because of it - and who would cast Hilary Swank for Holly's character in the first place??

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being obsessed with the movie for months, I decided to take the plunge and read the book. Finally. And I can tell you that the book was equally as satisfying but completely different to the Gerard Butler perv-fest that I so dearly love.

There were so many changes made to translate this book to film. I won't go into them all here now because I wouldn't want to ruin it but let's just say they were significant. From love interests to careers, everything was different. And for that reason, I think I probably did it the right way round watching the movie first and reading the book second.
I'm giving it 4 stars for because Cecilia Ahern is just so easy to read. It requires no effort to get into a rhythm and it's the perfect little book to pick up when you're in between epics. She tackles grief without making you feel life is pointless. There is always hope. And I think that's what Gerry gives Holly in her first year without him - hope for a new life.

I'd say this little story gave me a similar feel-good feeling to The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. It didn't matter that it was tragic, it still managed to really touch me. Really it was beautiful.

Read this novel if: You're looking for something inbetween other books and don't want to have to work too hard to enjoy the characters.
Don't read this novel if: You think you could feel disconcerted or upset by the intense, overwhelming grief Holly is struggling to come to terms with.

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[Leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried reading this once before, a few years ago now. I put it down about a quarter of the way in because, frankly, I was bored. I saw the movie several months ago and actually found it a lovely mix of sweet and sad. I thought maybe I'd missed something in the book and not only that, but I've become well acquainted with this kind of loss in the time that has passed. Thinking that my new perspective might change my mind, I decided that at some point I'd give it another go.

Well this week I gave it another go and I can tell you that I only got about 20 pages further than last time. Now I find the book not just boring, but immature. This book is Ahern's supposition of what it must be like to lose your significant other at a young age. She clearly has no experience with loss, even of a friend or close relative. There is no real grief, or heart, in this book, nor are the characters' actions very realistic. Yes, grief is unique to both the circumstance and the person feeling it - but there are so many moments in here that are simply unbelievable.

Some authors have the talent to write what they don't know. Ahern isn't one of them. My advice: don't waste your time. If you want to read about grief and lost loves, go read The Year of Magical Thinking instead.

[Tahera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the movie somewhere around 2008/2009 and have finally got around to reading the book almost 10 years later. Although the basic plot remains the same, the situations/ events described are quite different in both versions but I can say I enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed the movie (maybe the movie a bit more because of Gérard Butler ❤️❤️). A solid 3.5* rating!

[Lana Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 stars? Maybe less...

Now I'm gonna rant. So if you really loved this book and don't want to hear anything about it, just skip this one. Also, there will be some SPOILERS, so...

I guess my OCD made me finish the book, because I wouldn't have bothered otherwise.

It started good, even if a bit rambly. But the idea was so heartbreaking and sweet at the same time, of course I wanted to know what happened next. As I watched the movie so many years ago, I could only remember liking it, not much more. So I decided to read the book, because they usually are way better than the movies, right? Well...

The heroine, Holly, was a 30 year old woman, who acted and talked like a 20 year old. She's never had a decent job (and hated every one of those she had), hated school, "lived her life for her husband Gerry" and couldn't find any sense in it since said husband died. Untill she started geting letters from Gerry to restart her life.
Besides being extremely shallow and having no hobbies or interests whatsoever, Holly was also depressed (understandable). Some stuff happened, some stuff with family and friends occurred, some absolutely unrelated to the plot stuff was also included, some parts were told from different POV with no transition or such... Friends, family, vacation, man named Daniel, grief. And some more grief.

At one point, after reading one of the letters from Gerry, Holly decided to find a job. So that was one of the moments where I almost dropped my kindle and was rolling my eye like never before; because Holly listed some of her ideas on what kind of jobs a person with a high school diploma and a secretary job experience could get (also listing why they would not be an option). There were stuff like FBI agent, lawyer, doctor, nurse, waitress, hairdresser, journalist, actress, model and hot-shot advertising businesswoman (I kid you not). [insert facepalm here]

What happened next? HERE COMES THE ACTUAL RANT

- Well, somehow she got a job in a magazine (let's ignore the fact how unqualified she was for it, but whatever) as the only person responsible for advertisement. She got so good at it, her boss decided to ask her to cover an event and write an article about it (wwwwhat???). At that point I was very much convinced the author has never worked in her life and had no idea about how magazines functioned either.

-- For the article, Holly got herself help from a girl named Alice, who worked in the magazine as a secretary for 5 years. Alice has basically rewritten the whole thing - for what Holly, who could not even spell the word "gardener", took credit. About 30 pages and couple of weeks later we realised the credit was given to Alice after all, BUT it was presented as a surprise.

--- At that point Alice was rightfully PISSED with Holly, with their boss and with her whole ducking job - could you for a moment imagine, how such a mood would influence the editorial team of only ten or so people?

I get that Ms. Ahern had no idea what she was talking about, but how could the editor just ignore such rubbish?

After around 60% of the book I had to just push myself forward, because it got even more ridiculous, repetitive and absolutely childish.
Her friends became a group of crazy people, some extremely unnecessary stuff happened and then a massive blow up of her superficial "friendship" with Daniel occurred. After her very detailed interactions with friends, family and colleagues, all we read from her and Daniel were just some small-talk-level conversations, which never convinced me the friendship was in any way real at all. The way it was dealt with at the end was so bizarre, I could only laugh at it.

All in all. I'm absolutely amazed at how such a shallow and repetitive book with the most flat and uninteresting characters could be made into a decent movie. You want some romance and feeling? Go watch the movie. I guess it's THE FIRST TIME EVER that I find a movie WAY better than the book.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Beautiful story and very well written.

It made me cry a few times and also appreciate things in my life....especially my loving and thoughtful husband. He works away from home and at times I am so lonely without him. So I could feel Holly's pain and lonliness. This year is our first Christmas apart and I've been rather blue lately. A few chapters in the book were hard to read and I had to put it down for a while and watch TV instead.

Thankfully though I know he is coming home unlike Holly's husband.

This book has also been made into a movie. I read the sypnosis of the film and decided I'm not going to see it. They changed the story and characters around.....her Mother they make out to be something different from the book. They change how she gets the letters and leave out what I think are important characters. I hate it when they do that to movies made from books.

So before seeing the movie I advice reading the book.

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels good to get through my physical copies, this one has been on my list and my bookshelf for 8 years. I watched the movie many years ago, but my memory of this means I can only recall the bare bones. This story is quite simple, and those bare bones are pretty much it.

Very emotional, at times possibly overwritten, Holly has lost the love of her life. Childhood sweethearts, Holly chose love and marriage over career and travel. Sublimely happy in their relationship, she is heartbroken when a brain tumour takes her beloved before turning 30.

Gerry, who seemed to be one of those good guys, a wonderful husband, talks to her beyond the grave, leaving her monthly notes for a year. These impart some wisdom, anecdotes that mean a lot between the two. I think she may have been overly reliant on him, and now is bereft in her sadness. She is focused on these notes, and mostly we see her evenings on these nights, where she obsessively counts down to midnight which allows her to open the letter.

Her family is supportive and funny, her friends quirky and loving. She is lucky as she is not alone and this book takes her and us on the journey to the next stage in her life – leaving behind her soul mate and seeing what comes next. This was well written but very saccharine sweet and tidy, which contemporary romance lovers will surely embrace.

[Erin Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The movie is one of my favorite movies and even though the book is a little bit different I loved it too!

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Chama Que Nunca Se Apaga


Os alvos do Amor são efémeros, mas o Sentimento neles gerado dura e perdura como Chama que Nunca se Apaga.
E há todo um Mundo de Possibilidades onde se reinventar.

Ao Abraçar a Vida rumando em Frente, veremos os Impossíveis de Hoje tornarem-se os Possíveis de Amanhã.
Nada supera a sensação de Renascer das Cinzas!
É a Vitória da Vida sobre a Morte Potencial que sucumbe. Um Momento de Ressurreição. E não conheço nada na Vida que se lhe equipare!

[BigTreesAndBigBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Again I liked the movie more than the book. I feel like a mean person saying it for a newly widowed woman, but Holly is an insufferable little shit and I hate her.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so… I’m in complete tears right now as I write this.

The story is about Holly, a woman who has recently lost her husband due to a brain tumor and thinks she can’t live without him and feels like she doesn’t have a piece of him anymore.

Until her mother hands her a box with letters. And all of them written from her husband, daring her to do open a new letter each month and follow the instructions that he left.

We get to take a huge look at how Holly is grieving and is trying to overcome the bad emotions. But then she remembers and takes something into account, she’s not alone.

—————————-


Might sound basic as heck, but this was so cozy, heart warming, heart wrenching, and humorous at the same time! The perfect combination of everything!

The plot was just mwaaaah, it didn’t feel like 400 pages, my gosh, I was absolutely obsessed with this! It felt so satisfying to read, and man did I laugh a lot too.

This might have hit too hard not only because of its beautiful plot but because, man, I have so much respect for this main character and for everyone who has been through something like this, which might explain the reason why I love this, because it really hit home because of personal experiences.

The characters, ughhhhh, man I wish this fictional family existed, it looks so fun to be around with? And those friends? Gosh.

Also, what the hell? The characters actually know about communication, who would have guessed?

Definitely recommend this. Read it NOW.

[Astrid Adityawarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty, and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who must put her life back together after she loses her husband Gerry to a brain tumor. Ahern, the twentysomething daughter of Ireland's prime minister, has discovered a clever and original twist to the Moving On After Death concept made famous by novelists and screenwriters alike--Gerry has left Holly a series of letters designed to help her face the year ahead and carry on with her life. As the novel takes readers through the seasons (and through Gerry's monthly directives), we watch as Holly finds a new job, takes a holiday to Spain with her girlfriends, and sorts through her beloved husband's belongings. Accompanying Holly throughout the healing process is a cast of friends and family members who add as much to the novel's success as Holly's own tale of survival. In fact, it is these supporting character's mini-dramas that make PS, I Love You more than just another superficial tearjerker with the obligatory episode at a karaoke bar. Ahern shows real talent for capturing the essence of an interaction between friends and foes alike; even if Holly's circle of friends does resemble the gang from Bridget Jones a bit too neatly to ignore (her best friend is even called Sharon).

While her style can be at times repetitive and her delivery is occasionally amateurish, Ahern deserves credit for a spirited first effort. If PS, I Love You is any indication of this author's talent, readers have much to look forward to as Ahern matures as a novelist and a storyteller. --Gisele Toueg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

[Carmen de la Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermoso. Maravilloso. Encantador. Una obra maestra. Reconfortante. Fantástico. Sensacional. Evocando emocionalmente. Cecilia, eres y asombrosa pensadora y escritora. No sé cómo pensaste en esta historia, pero lo hiciste bien. Pero lo entregas al papel aún mejor. Esta hermosa pieza era como ver el retrato más hermoso jamás pintado a través de un vidrio manchado con las manchas de la lluvia, con la lluvia que representa la emoción que incluso el mundo siente al saber que este libro existe. Fue realmente increíble.

Es el primer libro de la autora y empecé con su debut. Me alegro de haberlo hecho, porque para mí es un debut increíble. Aunque se trata de un tema difícil, su duelo y su gestión, no es totalmente deprimente. Hay varios elementos cómicos, dados de una manera sencilla que aligeran el clima.
Un libro que habla de amor, de una manera dulce y emotiva.

Me encantó este libro. Hermosa historia y muy bien escrita.

Me hizo llorar varias veces y también apreciar las cosas en mi vida...

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I wait too long? Did I watch the movie too many times? Did I want to hear Gerard Butler's voice?

I came into this with the movie version; I expected some differences, but WOW! Other than the main letter concept and some of the same Holly personality, this is an entirely different story.

I still enjoyed it, but it was pretty jarring in many places. I find value in both and wish I could have enjoyed this without knowing about the movie, but I don't wish I had seen the movie after reading it—what a conundrum.

This was a great novel on the whole and easy to connect with emotionally.

Great passage:
“Finding someone you love and who loves you back is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. But finding a true soul mate is an even better feeling. A soul mate is someone who understands you like no other, loves you like no other, will be there for you forever, no matter what. They say that nothing lasts forever, but I am a firm believer in the fact that for some, love lives on even after we're gone.”

Solid 4 Star.

[Anu · Rating 2 out of 5]

The world and its mother loved this book. I didn't. I couldn't. I don't think there was anything wrong with the book per se, except that it was too long, but somehow, nothing about the book stuck with me. Oh, and by too long I mean it was too long for the story, not as a book in general.

Everything was too forced, too predictable; I mean, the blurb screams "I'm different", yet the story remains the same. Then again, this is probably just another case of "it's not you, it's me." I'm sure everyone knows what the story is, so I'm not going to delve into that, what I would like to mention, however, is that Ms. Ahern is quite a talented writer, and she really isn't a bad story teller. It's just that there is no story in this one. I get that I'm with the unpopular opinion here, but as I've previously mentioned, very few romance novels impress me, and this one just didn't cut it. I know I may come across as a heartless bitch when I say that, but it is what it is. Actually, I think one of the reasons I couldn't bring myself to like the book was that I couldn't sympathise with Holly. Pity her, I did, but I couldn't feel what she was feeling. And so another one bites bit the dust.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gerry and Holly are soulmates and they can't imagine life without the other until Gerry dies. Holly doesn't know what to do with her life and even where to start picking up the pieces. But then things change as there are letters left by Gerry for Holly and she starts following those instructions and with the help of her family and friends she starts picking up her life piece by piece.

The story was really good and I liked all the letters and all the instructions that were left by Gerry but I found the writing to be very dull. It didn't hold my attention very well. Overall, not a bad book but I couldn't like it as much I had wanted to.

3 stars

[Verte · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible book, bored me to tears. Whine, whine, woe is me, whine. The protagonist is incredibly lazy, whiny and empty headed. At one place in the book, she exclaims "but my vocabulary is about fifty words" - she nailed it. She has no interests, no hobbies, no job. She lived for her husband, and when he died, she lost everything, even his friends. So, she now mopes alone, thinking about that husband all the time. She "recollects" him, but really can't even describe what's she recollecting, so it always gets down to "his smell, his eyes, his smile". She is incredibly narcissistic and juvenile. For example, she goes to buy a newspaper, then want to buy some chocolate, but thinks that everyone is "looking at her" (why would they, what a diva!), so she tries to pick one bar from the lower shelf and spills the whole shelf on the floor. She picks it up and announces that the chocolate is for "the kids" and then picks up some chips and announces that the chips are for "the party she is throwing", because everyone would be judging her for eating that much chocolate and chips, if they knew they were for her. What the hell, who cares what she chews? Calls a club owner to arrange a karaoke singing and pretends to be her friend, because it's "embarrassing", and so on. Is she thirty or thirteen? Nothing much happens in that book, some random things, all interrupted by long whine about feeling and emotions, described with the same fifty words. I was so happy when I finished.

[Booky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of PS I love you. Gerry is romantic and makes some wonderful gestures that make his wife realize she's not alone in dealing with life after Jerry. But thanks to these sweeping romantic gestures, they're out of money (nothing left even to pay utility bills) and Holly has to beg her Mom for money.
PS: Take a splurgy vacation with your friends, then come back and make the most of the remaining $10 in our joint account!
PPS I love you!

[Tylah Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little tedious to read. It took me a lot longer than I initially planned. I feel like the story stayed at the same kind of level throughout the whole entire book and nothing was really grabbing my attention for long enough to want to sit down and read a lot at one time.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!!

This was an addictive read and I went through boxes and boxes of tissues. Thought the film was a pretty good adaptation also.

Looking forward to reading the second book.

Five stars.

[Vaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ειναι το πρωτο βιβλιο της συγγραφέως που διαβάζω και ξεκίνησα με το ντεμπούτο της. Χαίρομαι που το έκανα, γιατί για μένα ειναι ένα εκπληκτικό ντεμπούτο. Παρότι πραγματεύεται ένα δύσκολο θέμα, το πένθος και τη διαχείρισή του, δεν ειναι καθόλο καταθλιπτικό. Υπάρχουν αρκετά χιουμοριστικά στοιχεία, δωσμένα με απλό τρόπο, που ελαφρύνουν το κλίμα.
Ένα βιβλίο που μιλά για την αγάπη, με γλυκό και συγκινητικό τροπο.