Status
Available
Description
What happens when a psychic tells Lucy that she'll be getting married within the year? Her roommates panic! What is going to happen to their blissful existence of eating take-out, drinking too much wine, bringing men home, and never vacuuming? Lucy reassures her friends that she's far too busy arguing with her mother and taking care of her irresponsible father to get married. And then there's the small matter of not even having a boyfriend. But then Lucy meets gorgeous, unreliable Gus. Could he be the future Mr. Lucy Sullivan? Or could it be handsome Chuck? Or Daniel, the world's biggest flirt? Or even cute Jed, the new guy at work? Maybe her friends have something to worry about after all....
User reviews
LibraryThing member BraveNewBks
After the last book (nonfiction, nature) induced some very realistic nightmares, I beat a hasty retreat into the genre furthest removed: British chick lit.
And at least 50% of you stopped reading my review after the last sentence. For the other 50% (okay, okay, 10%) of you, here's my advice: next
Now, a moment of sheer honesty. Why did I pick up a 600 page book in a genre that, with the dazzling exceptions of the Bridget Jones book, has never once failed to disappoint me? Well, duh. I'm mildly obsessed with weddings at the moment, and this book not only has the words "Getting Married" in the title, but my copy ALSO features a bride in full wedding regalia riding a bicycle with abandon. Basically impossible to pass up, in my current state. However, I fully expected to toss it aside after a few chapters with a frustrated but appropriately British-sounding, "Rubbish!"
But I didn't. I didn't adore Lucy Sullivan, I didn't want to be her best friend, and I didn't even fancy myself in love with any of the guys she dated. (Notice the extra Britishism there, giving my review a little extra flair?) But -- and this is a significant but -- I thought she was extremely real. Her experiences were that magical combination of Interesting and yet Familiar -- some of her stories could easily have been my stories, but I didn't feel they were cliched or tired. The endpoint might be a wee bit predictable (there are Irish characters in the book; "wee" is allowed!), but that didn't detract at all from the pleasantness of the journey.
One small complaint (what's that word for a tiny, niggling, unimportant complaint?): the girls are always popping out for chips, which I'm fairly certain are French fries. But at one point, someone eats "potato chips," which I'm lead to believe would properly be called "crisps" in England.
And a final note for those who might peg this book as a romance: there's not really any description of actual sex; the book is quite quaint in that way. At the moment, I recall exactly one love-but-not-really-sex scene, and it did give me a little thrill up my spine, so I suppose it was fairly successful as far as that goes, but one or two scenes isn't much for a 600-page book, if that's the kind of thing you're looking for.
F
And at least 50% of you stopped reading my review after the last sentence. For the other 50% (okay, okay, 10%) of you, here's my advice: next
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time you want something a little girly, a little romantic, something that'll make you remember a dozen funny and touching stories about your own dating history, pick up this book.Now, a moment of sheer honesty. Why did I pick up a 600 page book in a genre that, with the dazzling exceptions of the Bridget Jones book, has never once failed to disappoint me? Well, duh. I'm mildly obsessed with weddings at the moment, and this book not only has the words "Getting Married" in the title, but my copy ALSO features a bride in full wedding regalia riding a bicycle with abandon. Basically impossible to pass up, in my current state. However, I fully expected to toss it aside after a few chapters with a frustrated but appropriately British-sounding, "Rubbish!"
But I didn't. I didn't adore Lucy Sullivan, I didn't want to be her best friend, and I didn't even fancy myself in love with any of the guys she dated. (Notice the extra Britishism there, giving my review a little extra flair?) But -- and this is a significant but -- I thought she was extremely real. Her experiences were that magical combination of Interesting and yet Familiar -- some of her stories could easily have been my stories, but I didn't feel they were cliched or tired. The endpoint might be a wee bit predictable (there are Irish characters in the book; "wee" is allowed!), but that didn't detract at all from the pleasantness of the journey.
One small complaint (what's that word for a tiny, niggling, unimportant complaint?): the girls are always popping out for chips, which I'm fairly certain are French fries. But at one point, someone eats "potato chips," which I'm lead to believe would properly be called "crisps" in England.
And a final note for those who might peg this book as a romance: there's not really any description of actual sex; the book is quite quaint in that way. At the moment, I recall exactly one love-but-not-really-sex scene, and it did give me a little thrill up my spine, so I suppose it was fairly successful as far as that goes, but one or two scenes isn't much for a 600-page book, if that's the kind of thing you're looking for.
F
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LibraryThing member bibliobbe
People may have picked up by now that I’m no fan of Marian Keyes, so it’s probably no surprise that I don’t think much of this one. Here, Lucy Sullivan is a twenty-something single woman with appalling taste in men. She goes for impoverished, unemployed drunks with a twinkle in their eyes.
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Much like her alcoholic daddy, although it takes till the end of the book for Lucy to understand that dad has a drinking problem and there’s no pill to cure him. Meanwhile, the man she will marry is introduced at the beginning of the book. He’s the strong, decent, supportive friend. Well, there’s a surprise. Honestly, Mills and Boons books are better written than this. Not even worth reading at the beach or on a wet weekend. Avoid, avoid, avoid. Show Less
LibraryThing member carmarie
I loved this writer. Somehow she manages to get humor and darkness to work together. I've read several of her books, and even though I have to be in a certain mood to dive into her large paperbacks, she doesn't disappoint when I need her.
LibraryThing member twilightlost_2
Marian Keyes usually writes funny and engaging books. Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married failed to be either. The dialogue was stiff and did not flow, and the situations the main character found herself in were boring and predictable. I was less than impressed with this one.
LibraryThing member starless_
Once again, long, and sometimes a little draggy, and sometimes even unnecessary. But at least this story has a moral behind it: Don't follow the mistakes of your parents, look around you and know that you are blessed. Rather predictable towards the halfway point, I knew how the story would end but
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I read on to find out how it unfolded. All the same, it's a lighthearted chick-lit in which girls would wish could happen to her. Show Less
LibraryThing member kikilon
Ah, the James Joyce of chick lit. She writes the hugest pop fiction books I know, full of pages upon pages of (fortunately realistic-sounding) dialogue. There are always very deep, depressing issues being dealt with in an almost off-hand manner. it's like a car crash. You can't help but watch the
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story unfold. I don't know whay I keep reading her books, cause they're slow reads and not enjoyable in the happy-glow sense. But I still do come back to them. Maybe misery is its own satisfaction. I do love the realism with which she works through people's problems. Not everything gets fixed, and certainly not easily, but people come to terms with themselves, their issues, and life. They're not happy books, but they give you hope. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaBibliophille
Not great literature, but a fun, fast & easy read.
LibraryThing member sakismom
Good, pleasant reading, a little too long. Not as hilarious as reviews led me to believe.
LibraryThing member kikianika
Ah, the James Joyce of chick lit. She writes the hugest pop fiction books I know, full of pages upon pages of (fortunately realistic-sounding) dialogue. There are always very deep, depressing issues being dealt with in an almost off-hand manner. it's like a car crash. You can't help but watch the
Show More
story unfold. I don't know whay I keep reading her books, cause they're slow reads and not enjoyable in the happy-glow sense. But I still do come back to them. Maybe misery is its own satisfaction. I do love the realism with which she works through people's problems. Not everything gets fixed, and certainly not easily, but people come to terms with themselves, their issues, and life. They're not happy books, but they give you hope. Show Less
LibraryThing member timothyl33
An okay book, by the author of the Walsh Family series of books (Watermelon, Rachel's Holiday, etc), but her weakest so far. While Lucy Sullivan (of the title) is a very interesting and relatable character, the plot itself suffers from the fact that the ending was predictable about a third of the
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way through. Show Less
LibraryThing member joanasimao
Lucy is so dumb and clueless she could be any one of us. Funny, heart warming read!
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
Shortly after Lucy and her boyfriend have broken up, Lucy goes with some coworkers to a fortune teller. Lucy is told she will be getting married within the next year and a half. When the other girls' fortunes come true, Lucy begins to wonder if hers will, too. Then, she meets Gus, a really charming
I really enjoyed this. The first half was good, but it got better in the second half, I thought, as more obstacles came up and Lucy had to deal with family issues, as well as boyfriend and friend issues. Overall, though (no surprise here), the book ended as it should have.
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and fun guy. Will Gus be “the one”? I really enjoyed this. The first half was good, but it got better in the second half, I thought, as more obstacles came up and Lucy had to deal with family issues, as well as boyfriend and friend issues. Overall, though (no surprise here), the book ended as it should have.
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LibraryThing member AnnieSeiler
Cute read!
LibraryThing member susandennis
This is a tough one to describe, but it's a great story. It centers around Lucy Sullivan and her mid-20's friends in London, current day. They are all trying to find the way to the rest of their lives. It's a big, fat book and a very engaging story.
LibraryThing member annmariegamble
There is so much drinking in this book. It goes from being a mystifying textural detail (how do these people hold down jobs?) to a plot point--but still labeled other characters' problem even as the plates are smashed, lovers lost, and bank accounts overdrawn. I was intrigued by a heroine with
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clinical depression, but that never quite gets tied in with the alcohol, and the scenes before she reaches self-awareness (such as it is) were tough to get through. For too large a portion of the book, the reader is the only sober person at this party. Show Less
LibraryThing member Marlene-NL
At first i thought why bother keep on reading cause after just a few pages I knew with whom she'd end up with but I am glad i sticked with it cause the way she learns more about her family and other people is very interesting. Fun easy summer read. 3.5 stars
LibraryThing member Fantasma
I finally ended this book! It took me almost 2 weeks to read it as I found Lucy so boring and stupid that I had little pleasure in reading. It's the weakest book by Marian Keyes I've read so far...
We know that in chick lit books we have most of the times not very bright females, but Lucy was too
Some parts made me smile but the general feeling was: how much more to the end?!
We know that in chick lit books we have most of the times not very bright females, but Lucy was too
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much. And I can't understand how she could live with a roomate who was always calling her names and putting her down. It was obvious what Daniel felt about her. It was obvious that her dad had a serious drinking problem. Some parts made me smile but the general feeling was: how much more to the end?!
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LibraryThing member ElizabethCromb
Somewhat predictable story about a group of 20 something women in London; their love lives, aspirations and problems. Not Keyes best.
Awards
Whitcoulls Top 100 Books (86 — 2008)