Three Wise Men

by Martina Devlin

A warm, witty and wise novel about love, friendship and being in your thirties. Gloria, Eimear and Kate have been friends since they were a trio of six-year-olds cast as the Three Wise Men in the nativity play. Twenty-five years on, they've left Omagh for Dublin and grown up to be Three Unwise Women, all too prone to misuse the gifts they've been given. Eimear's beauty captivates men but robs her of independence. Kate's dazzling wit blinds her to the consequences of betraying a friend. And Gloria's urge to nurture, thwarted by infertility, threatens to destroy everything she holds dear. Aided and abetted in their misdeeds by the irresistible Jack, philandering poet and seducer extraordinaire, the troika find themselves putting their friendship to a test from which it may never recover. To this black comedy Martina Devlin brings a delightful lightness of touch, a turn of phrase to treasure, and three characters to take to your heart.

Genres: Contemporary

437 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Martina Devlin is an Irish novelist and journalist. She lives in Dublin with her husband David and their cat Chekhov - the latter snoozes at her feet and keeps her company while she writes. It's all a far cry from her Fleet Street days, when she went to Parkhurst (a maximum security prison) to meet gangland leader Reggie Kray, was shown how to do The Twist by the maestro Chubby Checker, and kept watch while Anthony Burgess of 'A Clockwork Orange' filled his pockets with all the uneaten cakes at their interview over afternoon tea. She has had nine books published, beginning in 2000. Her work has won a number of prizes including the Royal Society of Literature's VS Pritchett Prize and a Hennessy Literary Award, and she was twice shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards. A current affairs commentator for the Irish Independent, Martina has been named columnist of the year by the National Newspapers of Ireland. She is vice-chairperson of the Irish Writers Centre, and has a certificate as a chartered director from the Institute of Directors. But none of that impresses Chekhov the cat.

Reviews

[David]

It is, indeed, "chick lit." I think it does what it set out to do. This was one of those 'grabbed at random off the library shelf because the title caught my eye' books. I was curious enough, not so much about what was going to happen as about how it was going to happen. It was pleasant enough to read and, I think, succeeds admirably on its own terms.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, mildly entertaining read in the Marian Keyes vein but sadly lacking that spark that Keyes' books always have.
Eimear, Gloria & Kate have been friends for years, since they met at infant school in fact. Eimear's married to the irresistible Jack who happens to be having an affair with Kate but somehow the friendship weathers this storm (not in my world it wouldn't!) Gloria is desperate for a baby & when her husband gives up on fertility treatment, guess who she turns to as a donor.....
As I said it's a reasonable read but for me it's a stretch that this friendship manages to survive - at least on Eimear's part!

[Sandra Grauschopf · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are some books that you can't wait to pick up, and some that you can't wait to put down. Unfortunately, "Three Wise Men" was one of the latter.

The book was about the friendship of three Irish women in their 30s, who met as Three Wise Men in a school play, and grew up to be three very unwise women. That sounds cute and funny, but really, nothing about their situations fit that description.

The thing is, books about long-term friendships without women are a bit of a wish-fulfillment fantasy for me. I mean, who wouldn't want to dish about men with Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda, or have a board game party with Rachael, Monica, and Phoebe?

But none of the characters in Three Wise Men are women I'd want to shake hands with once a year at an office party, nevermind hang out with. They are casually, viciously cruel to one another, taking what they want without a thought for each others' feelings. Why they are friends is beyond me. The only hint given in the book is that it's hard to make new friends in your 30s, so I guess you might as well stick with the nasty, backstabbing ones you already have.

Because I couldn't stand the characters, couldn't believe in their friendship, and was really rooting for at least one of them to grow a backbone and strike out to meet some decent people, the book was a slow and painful read.

Who would I recommend it to? I guess people who actually look forward to trampling other people for ten-cent discounts on socks on Black Friday, and people whose favorite synonym for "friend" is "doormat."

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 2 out of 5]

Irish chick-lit about 3 women who have been friends since age 6 negotiating love and friendship in their 30s in Dublin - so far so Marian Keyes.
Unfortunately, the puns are not that funny, the women are unlikeable, and the story not that interesting. Women who are so desperate for a baby they'll abandon everything else, and women who'll blithely have an affair betraying those closest to them, in the name of love (ie lust/envy) are two particular bugbears in books for me. I did finish it and while I did appreciate them realising the errors of their ways, and the importance of friendship, it felt like it was based on the fact that they couldn't seem to get on with anyone else. Not recommended unless you really love the genre and have nothing better to read.

[Flevy Crasto · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoyed thisbook. It appealed to me more I guess because I was part of a nativity play as one of the kings with my very best friend and though I cannot remember which king, it did take me back to the good old days. I could totally relate to thier state of mind and situation.....very nicely written

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true to life escapades of three young women in their early 30s who have been friends since they were "3 wise men" at school. Humour and pain alternate as their friendship is tested.

A light but enjoyable read. So good to have a plot that you can follow easily and characters you can empathise with!

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm afraid I'm giving up on this one - Martina Devlin's skills certainly developed apace by the time she wrote Ship of Dreams. This is written in the present tense (which I never like), the dialogue is terribly stilted and the characters universally undeveloped and detestable. Sorry Martina...