Marian Keyes – This Charming Man
Four Women's Lives are Marked by a Charismatic and Dark Politico
This Charming Man offers views into the lives of four strong, flawed and struggling women: Lola, a fragile and recovering dumpee; Grace, an ambitious journalist; Marnie, Grace’s married sister who should be living her happily ever after; and Alicia, the newly engaged fiancée of Mr. Paddy de Courcy. Yet, each of these women’s lives have been bruised by de Courcy, bringing them together in a way none of them could have anticipated.
In classic Marian Keyes-style, her characters are endearing, even when they’re not sympathetic. Like Lisa in Sushi for Beginners, Alicia is less than perfect; however, with Keyes’ glimpses into her psyche, it’s possible to pity her while simultaneously feeling disgusted with her. Similarly, Keyes initially portrays Marnie as a struggling wife, mother and secretary trying to keep all of her proverbial balls in the air. But Marnie has a secret, one which Keyes exploits, showing the reality of addictions and their destructive consequences.
Like many Keyes novels, the secondary characters subtly grab the spotlight. In This Charming Man, Dee Rossini, leader of NewIreland and hero of all womankind, is the cream that rises to the top. Keyes’ characters, especially Grace, are enthralled with and awed by Rossini’s integrity and bravery. de Courcy, though the center of the protaganists’ lives, is oft-talked about, but rarely seen. When Keyes introduces him, however, his appearances quickly pack a punch.
This Charming Man’s Main Characters and Plot
Although the book follows four women, only three voices – Grace, Lola and Marnie – are dominant. Alicia makes a guest appearance or two, but the book hinges on Grace, Lola and Marnie’s experiences with de Courcy and the residual damage the women must deal with.
Grace, happily shacked up with her domestic partner of 10 years, knew de Courcy once upon a time in her teenage years. Her thirst for a good story and complex feelings of resentment towards de Courcy’s former relationship with her sister lead to a clash that threatens her blissful cohabitation.
Marnie has a devoted husband, two beautiful daughters and a steady job with a compassionate boss. However, her apparent happiness conceals a desperately unhappy, alcoholic existence. Her narrative, unlike Grace or Lola’s, has a certain detachment, and the path her life takes is both heartbreaking and frustrating.
Lola, like Marnie, is wallowing in the depths of her despair; she has been recently dumped by de Courcy. Fleeing Dublin and hoping to mend a broken heart, Lola moves to rural Knockavoy, where she befriends a variety of characters, each of whom provides a humorous balance to Lola’s misery. Unlike Grace and Marnie, Lola’s narrative is in first person, lending more intimacy to her healing.
Themes: Alcoholism, Domestic Abuse and Depression
Keyes’ title, This Charming Man, is almost misleading. Although it lends a certain irony, this book is about much more than love and heartbreak as Keyes ruthlessly opens the door to debilitating issues.
Marnie is a closet alcoholic; her love for vodka outweighs her love for her family, her job, her life. Blackouts, hospital stays, job loss and even separation from her husband cannot convince Marnie to admit her alcoholism. Marnie’s additional issues with depression and her former abusive relationship with de Courcy only compound her dismal existence. Keyes' description of Marnie’s addiction is all too realistic, opening readers’ eyes to the bare facts of alcoholism and depression.
It is domestic abuse, however, that inspires This Charming Man. Grace, Marnie, Lola and Alicia have all dealt with physical and emotional abuse at the hands of de Courcy. Intensifying the brutality of domestic abuse is Keyes’ brief interjections of rape and assaults on nameless, faceless women. The result is a fierce examination of domestic abuse and how it can unravel a woman’s life.
However, Keyes does not disappoint in her review of domestic abuse. The ending of This Charming Man is filled with justice and revenge, and it’s worth both second and third reads.
Keyes, Marian
This Charming Man
Penguin Press
2009
978-0-141-04060-8
This Charming Man
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