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Playing the Heartstrings
Reviewed by Linda L. Richards
Mining the depths of mortal illness, human despair and suffering for fictional gold is not a new idea. Depending on where you stand, you could even say it began with the Bible, was brought to high art by Tolstoy milked for humor by Dickens and brought into the 21st century by a phalanx of authors too thick to name individually.
Two debut novels published early in 2004 hit this mine with varying degrees of success. One, from this reviewer's position at any rate, is a crashing bore but a commercial triumph. The other the opposite on both counts. Both deal with death and dying and the journey the survivors of loss must make to get on with their own business of living.
The international publishing community opened their arms to newcomer Cecelia Ahern and her first novel PS, I Love You. Her two book deal was negotiated in the United Kingdom, with handsome deals following in the United States, Germany, Italy, Finland, Greece, Japan, Korea, Iceland, Brazil, Spain and others. A film version -- by Warner Brothers, no less -- was in pre-production before the book hit the stores. The kind of attention PS, I Love You got from the starting gate is the stuff bestsellers are made of. Unfortunately nothing about PS, I Love You lives up to the advance praise. It is soapy, sappy and inexpertly crafted. The book's author, however, is the exquisitely photogenic daughter of Ireland's prime minister. That's the sort of pedigree that can give a book legs. It seems to have worked here.
PS, I Love You opens on 20-something Holly, mourning the recent loss of her husband, Gerry, to a brain tumor. Holly, who lives in Dublin, is gobsmacked: the plans she'd made for her future all had Gerry in them.
'Gerry was gone and he would never be back. That was the reality. She would never again run her fingers through his soft hair, never share a secret joke across the table at a dinner party. ... All that was left was a bundle of memories, and an image of his face that became more and more vague each day.'After his death -- and just when she's feeling that she really won't be able to cope with his loss -- she receives a package that contains 10 sealed notes from Gerry, "each with a different month written on them." There is one for every month left in the year. And each note contains a message seemingly intended to help Holly get on with her life and which possibly even eased Gerry's own mind while he prepared himself for the inevitable.
PS, I Love You is a sunny, happy book written by a 22-year-old so it's really not a spoiler to say that, by the time the book closes, Holly has read each note in sequence when she's supposed to, has followed all of Gerry's instructions (plus gone on a vacation, which he planned and purchased) and is well on her way to healing up nicely.
There's nothing really wrong with PS, I Love You, but there's nothing really right with it, either. It lacks texture and feeling and depth. All right, I'll say it: it lacks maturity. And should that be surprising? I don't think so. Expecting a 22-year-old to bring nuance -- not to mention just plain new -- to this topic is just silly. It's possible that Cecelia Ahern will mature into a very good writer. For the moment, however, she'll have to be satisfied with just being a very well paid one. Maybe she'll be able to tough it out.
On the other hand Ellen Sussman's carefully crafted On A Night Like This is a pleasant surprise; especially taking the topic into consideration. Blair Clemens is an ex-hippie chick living in contemporary San Francisco, she is a struggling single mom who is a dying of a melanoma so convincingly described, you're checking your own moles before the end of the book. On A Night Like This is marked by Blair's relationship with Luke Bellingham, a high school acquaintance who has been assigned the task of tracking Blair down, and with Blair's daughter, Amanda:
'Blair watched her daughter. She somehow felt she could see Amanda in all her transformations -- she was the joyous five-year-old, the headstrong eight-year-old, the surly twelve-year-old, and now, this lovely young woman -- in a flash of an eye. Even now, with a tattoo peeking above her tank top, she was Blair's baby. A few months ago, Amanda had come home with ROVE tattooed on her chest, just below her collarbone. Blair used to think she knew her daughter completely, knew every expression, every gesture. Rove? What did it mean? Was this Amanda's first hint of mystery?'
Luke and Blair come together at an unlikely point in their lives. Blair is contemplating the end of her allotted time, largely concerned about her daughter's precarious future without her mom.
Luke is recovering from a failed marriage, coming to terms with the fact that the failure was more his fault than his wife's and that, though he didn't see it coming, he had a larger hand in the unraveling of his marriage than he at first thought.
By rights, the tenuous thing that springs up between Luke and Blair shouldn't work at all. It's a testament to Sussman's narrative skill that it does. It works, and more. On A Night Like This is never maudlin and seldom even sad. In fact, the opposite is true. Sussman takes all of these endings and transitions and weaves what is ultimately a beautiful and even uplifting tale. On A Night Like This is Sussman's first novel. It seems certain it won't be her last. | June 2004
another comments:- Cute concept, horrible writing,
- P.S., I liked this,
Holly and Gerry were the perfect couple. Not sickening perfect, but perfect for one another. And so when Gerry dies of a brain tumor, Holly feels utterly lost and depressed, staying in her apartment and deteriorating. Finally she emerges from her cocoon, but still isn't ready to reembrace life. Despite the efforts of her family and friends, she can't move on.
Then she receives a package from beyond the grave: the List. Gerry wrote it before his death, leaving her instructions to do things like buy a bedside lamp, sing karaoke, and ends every note with "PS, I love you." Holly obeys the List -- sometimes happily, sometimes reluctantly -- and her new experiences help her to remember the past, while looking to the future.
"PS I Love You" is not your typical chick-lit. Sure, it has most of the usual trappings -- a young woman out in the world, the loud'n'lovable gay confidante, the outspoken best friend, the eccentric family complete with pink-haired baby sister. But there's no gooey love story with some new Hot Guy Du Jour, nor does it avoid the darker, more depressing experiences.
Ahern's writing is the sort that will be excellent when she gets a bit more writing experience. It's almost painfully awkward in places, the sort of thing that normally gets smoothed over by editors. But she has plenty of talent -- she makes the settings and characters come alive. And she knows how to mix grieving and humor, without making the humor less funny or the grief less heart-tugging.
Holly herself is a likable character, very true to life and sympathetic. Her family seems a little too bizarre at times, but weirdly enough, we all knows jerks, freaks and lovables like this. Worse, we're related to some of them. And Gerry himself, despite being dead, is one of the more intriguing personalities in the book even if he only appears in Holly's memory.
Ahern needs to work on her sometimes-awkward writing style, but her humorous, melancholy slice of chick-lit is a sweet read, especially for anyone who has had to say goodbye, and "PS I Love You."
- Cute concept, horrible writing, I really wanted to like this book because I loved the concept and the movie looked cute. However, I couldn't get past the first chapter due to the horrible writing. I agree with other reviews, watch the movie or get it from the library, but don't spend your money. There are other authors out there that are MUCH better. Her concept is great, but she needs to take some creative writing classes!
- "PS, I Love You" is an entertaining and enjoyable read.Holly, the thirty year old heroine, lives in Dublin and loves her life. Then fate delivers a brutal blow: her beloved husband dies and leaves her a very young widow.
The book recounts Holly's first year after her husband's death. His final gift to her is a series of notes to be opened at the beginning of each month. Each note contains one suggestion to help Holly move on with her life. And each note is signed "PS, I love you."
The book is quite moving as it depicts Holly's struggle to follow her husband's suggestions-give away his clothes, take a trip with her friends-and continue living. She realizes that her life had centered almost completely on her husband--not necessarily a good thing-and now, for the first time, she has to create a life for herself.
My only complaint with the book is that I found the writing amateurish at times. The plot, the characters and the ending were all satisfying and fully developed. However, I winced at some of the writing.
Still I would recommend this book to chick lit lovers everywhere.
- I kept trying to finish this book, because the story seemed cute. However, it is very hard to read while rolling your eyes every third word. This book is unintentionally funny many times when it uses trite or literal wording. For example, "Holly explained the story about the woman in the salon and they both rolled around laughing." Good lord. Throughout the entire part that I did read, all I could think of was my junior high teacher saying "Show, don't tell" - I think Cecelia Ahern must have been absent the day that concept was taught in school.
Other reviewers commented on how her dad is Ireland's prime minister. I may be wrong, but I think he wrote a fawning review on this site. Somehow, that made the book even more pathetic to me.
I wish I could give the book two stars because her intention was to tell a good story, but I just can't get over the awful writing. Maybe she will have worked on that with her next book, Rosie Dunne - but I am not going to spend the money on it to find out.
- I read this book when it came out and, recently, a friend of mine asked if the book was good (after seeing a preview for the new movie coming out).
My instant response: Watch the movie, if you'd like, but the book is un-readable.
As other reviewers have stated, this book was written by a woman who writes at the level of an elementary school student. Very little interesting dialogue. While the premise is a great one for a "chick-lit" book (or even, as we are seeing, a chick-flick movie), there is little follow through in fleshing out the characters and their interactions. It's boring. This proves that, unfortunately, a good premise does not equal a great novel.
So, my advice to anyone who is fooled by the success this novel has garnered - please get it from a library or borrow it from someone. Don't waste money buying it.
If you are really looking for a great "chick-lit" book by a novelist who knows how to write great characters, interesting dialogue and creates an amazing story, read any book by Elizabeth Young. Around the same time I tried to read this book, I picked up "Asking for Trouble" by Elizabeth Young and I devoured that book in one sitting. This book, though? I put it away after 3 chapters and wondered how the woman managed to find a publisher for this drivel.
Bottom line: Poorly written with under-developed characters & a weak plot.
- As an "International Bestseller" with a feature film spin off, I bought this book expecting a decent read. Instead, I muddled through it in constant amazement of just how bad the writing was. I couldn't even believe that it had been made into a book until I read somewhere that the author is the daughter of Ireland's Prime Minister.
The storyline itself has potential, but all was lost as a result of the author's poor prose and consistently corny dialogue. Bottom line... I would not recommend this book to anyone who reads or thinks above a 5th grade level.
- I'm no snob by any means. But this book is just plain low on the intellect scale. I'm in my early 30s and I felt like a grandma reading this. I made it to the 60th page and felt like throwing it out. This is written at a junior high/high school level at best. Cecelia Ahern is rich and successful, but how did that happen with this book? I realize she was only 21 when she wrote it though, which could be the reason.
- boring, immature, elementary....
very cheesy, very anti-climatic ending, was like this is it? did i really spend all that time reading this?
not a good book, spend your time reading something else.. Don't mean to bash C. Ahern's book she has some potential just needs more practice, guidance, and more exciting plot!!
- Oh my gosh- How did someone who has never experienced such a loss get this so right. I lost my Charlie last May and have gone through everything described in the book. How I wish I had a list and envelopes waiting for me each month to help me get through this. I read the book with many tears, but it was such a source of support for me, too. The many months and years ahead of me with so many memories will continue to be difficult, but "In the meantime, (I will) just live." Thanks Cecelia~
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Definitely One for the Women
If you knew your life was ending, would you think up a way to help your spouse/significant other move on? In P.S. I Love You, Gerry Kennedy (Gerard Butler) knows he’s going to die and concocts a plan to help his wife Holly (Swank) make it through the grieving process and start over without him.
Holly and Gerry have verbal battles over children and shopping and sex and future plans – the same things a lot of married couples spar over from time to time. Gerry wants more ‘hot, nasty sex;’ Holly wants Gerry to get serious about work. Holly’s intelligent and serious; Gerry’s a fun-loving Irish hunk with a wicked sense of humor. Despite the occasional bad moments and their clashing personalities, their marriage is a strong one.
But the Kennedys aren’t given a ‘happily ever after’ ending to their relationship. Gerry succumbs to an illness and Holly’s left to handle life without her best friend. Depressed, Holly becomes a hermit in the home she shared with Gerry. She withdraws from her friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon) and won’t respond to phone calls from her concerned mom, Patricia (Kathy Bates). Holly’s miserable and inconsolable – basically a horrible mess who’s resorted to watching old Judy Garland movies and going without bathing.
The Cast
Swank’s known for embracing roles that are anything but glamorous, but in P.S. I Love You she shows there is a softer side to the multiple Oscar winner. Swank does a fine job of balancing the comedy with the drama, although playing the romantic leading lady doesn’t seem to suit her as well as playing a boxer in Million Dollar Baby.
Scottish actor Gerard Butler (300) ditches action films for a while to take on the role of Gerry. Butler’s not only easy on the eyes in P.S. I Love You (his strip tease is worth the price of admission), he’s also easy on the ears. Signing on stage at a karaoke bar or providing the voiceover as Swank reads his letters, Butler’s charismatic presence on screen and engaging voice make him the right choice to play a guy who, albeit in a morbid way, plans ahead.
To Sum It Up
Death and the grieving process aren’t the usual setups for a romantic comedy and director LaGravenese obviously had to walk a very fine line to keep the film from becoming maudlin. The film hits a few speed bumps by relying on the delivery of letters to prompt Holly into action, because there becomes a point in the film in which the letters seem to be a hindrance in Holly’s ability to just get on with things. The audience is left to wonder if she wouldn’t have actually moved on quicker had she stopped getting these reminders from the past sooner. Of course, the flip side of that argument is that it would have meant the end of Butler’s presence in the film early on, something which wouldn’t sit well with fans of the talented actor.
GRADE: B-
P.S. I Love You was directed by Richard LaGravenese and is rated PG-13 for sexual references and brief nudity.
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