The Break by Marian Keyes
A much needed break from my serious reading pile.
Choosing to read The Break by Marian Keyes was a calculated decision to ease my mind from the serious research reading that my time has been occupied with, and how wise of me! It’s an easy read that makes you invested in the life of the protagonist, and this is exactly why I love Marian Keyes. She has a way to lure me into her book for its seemingly trivial plot and before I know it I am best friends with the protagonist and losing sleep pondering over the moral compass of their life choices, simply to forget that this was supposed to be an “easy read”!
Ok now let’s get into what the book is about.
In the first few pages, we meet Amy as she acclimates with her husband, Hugh’s, decision to take a 6 month no strings attached break from their 18 year old marriage. Hugh, who has been struggling with the loss of his father and best friend, wants to break away from his life to travel and think through his life decisions. He promises to come back to Amy, but as you can imagine it is complicated! This shock that jolts Amy kickstarts this 600 page book, through which we live inside her mind as she navigates this new form of normality with her children and her bizarre family. This journey is spiced up with Keyes’ signature wit and a whole host of quirky characters which includes a “mindfulness guru” colleague and an influencer daughter, among others. Meeting them through these pages is a whole lotta fun.
This is not by far my favourite Keyes but it delivered what it intended to. I needed an easy peasy book that was gossipy, full of drama and packed with sarcasm - and that’s exactly what I got! I recommend this one and any of her books to those of you who find this interesting. All her books are huge but don’t get intimidated by them. It will suck you into her world, and you won't even know you read a chunky book.
The hardest part about her books is leaving its characters behind as you read the last couple of pages and put it down. If that doesn’t convince you, I don't know what will.
Ok now onto my more serious reads!
Until I see you next time,
Cheers!