The Brightest Star in the Sky | OLS Library | TinyCat |

2024-04-28 6:35 pm

The Brightest Star in the Sky

by Marian Keyes

Paperback, 2009

Status

Available

Call number

823.914

Genres

General Fiction

Publication

Michael Joseph (2009), Edition: Open market ed, 624 pages

Description

Fate is on its way to the tenants of 66 Star Street, bringing with it love and tragedy, friendship and heartbreak, and the power to change lives ... One of them is falling in love; another is torn between two lovers. For some, secrets they want to stay buried will come to light and for others the unveiling of those secrets will have tragic consequences.

User reviews

LibraryThing member SugarCreekRanch

The Brightest Star in the Sky is a light, charming read about an eclectic group of residents in a Dublin apartment house. The cast of characters is varied. Some are fully fleshed out, very “real”; others add just a bit of spice to the ensemble.

This lengthy book starts out very, very light for

the first half. It’s fluff, but it’s enjoyable fluff. Later, we discover some decidedly unfluffy things about some of the main characters and the book hits its stride. The plot picks up towards the end, and you really want to know how it turns out.

The strangest aspect of this book is the spirit who hangs out and observes the residents. Sometimes the spirit’s narration is really enjoyable, adding a touch of personable snarkiness to the comments about the other characters. But the spirit keeps referring to a big change coming to one of the residents, providing an almost ominous foreshadowing. It gets old, as the spirit doesn’t add more clues with each reference, just keeps the same vagueness until the very end. And then it’s kind of overdone at end, and continues into an epilogue. I think the book would’ve been stronger without the spirit.

Overall opinion: Entertaining, good vacation read.

LibraryThing member LaBibliophille

To call the books of Irish novelist Marian Keyes "chicklit" is to truly undervalue them. On the surface, they deal with women falling in love, breaking up with boyfriends, getting back together, etc. But all of her works have an underlying seriousness and intention which raises them far above the

typical beach/airport book.

The Brightest Star in the Sky is no exception. It has, in fact, much more depth and feeling than other books I've read by Keyes.

At the start someone (perhaps an angel?) is flying over the streets of Dublin. Finally landing at 66 Star Street, this being looks into the homes and lives of the inhabitants. And what is the purpose of this visitation?You'll have to read this and see.

And who are the inhabitants of 66 Star Street? Maeve and Matt, a young married couple so in love their hearts beat as one. Jemima, an elderly psychic with a psycho dog named Grudge. Jemima hosts her foster son, Fionn, who is in Dublin to tape a TV show. Katie, a music executive who has just turned 40 and whose boyfriend keeps breaking dates with her due to his work. Lydia, an intense young cab driver who shares the flat of two Polish immigrants.

These characters are all real people, with real and serious problems. Keyes herself has struggled with depression, and she seems to have a special insight and compassion for the struggles of her characters. At 460 pages this is not an easy read, but well worth the effort.

LibraryThing member bookgirljen

I've been a Marian Keyes fan for a long time, so I always look forward to her new books. But with this one, I wasn't sure about the supernatural spirit element, and to be honest, in the beginning I found it somewhat annoying.

This story started out slow for me. However, about 125 pages in, the

story picked up and the spirit faded into the background for the most part. I enjoyed the flashback elements throughout the story that allowed us to understand why the characters acted the way they did, and also provided foreshadowing for what was going to happen later.

The first two-thirds of the book was generally light, typically chick lit fare. But the story got serious in a hurry towards the last part of the book, and I couldn't stop reading, as I needed to find out what was going to happen.

The ending was satisfying, although the reappearance of the spirit annoyed me, and I could have done without the Epilogue altogether. I just didn't care for the spirit aspect of the story and think the story could have been told without it.

Overall, it was an entertaining book, and I enjoyed reading it. Here's to hoping Ms. Keyes doesn't retrun to the supernatural element in her next novel.

LibraryThing member readingrebecca

An unnamed spirit tells the story of The Brightest Star in the Sky, someone flying around over Dublin and checking out the inhabitants of 66 Star Street. This is a four story apartment house where seven people live. The spirit tells the backgrounds of everyone living there.

Matt and Maeve live on

the first floor and appear to be possibly the most in love couple ever. Jemima is a lady in her 80’s who works on a psychic phone line. She lives with her dog Grudge who adds his own thoughts to the story. Jemima’s son Fionn is coming to visit soon. Lydia, a cab driver and possibly the most sarcastic and acidic character I’ve read in a long time, lives with Jan and Andrei, two young Polish men living in Ireland to go to school and to further themselves. On the top floor lives Katie who has just turned 40 and although she likes her job, she feels that perhaps there’s something missing.

Why is the spirit so interested in these people?

I found this story just enchanting. The lives of all seven people were real and believable and kept me turning pages to find out just who this spirit is and what’s going to happen next. I read this book during the holiday season when other things kept interrupting my reading time. But I could hardly wait to get back to the book.

I absolutely love books by Marian Keyes; I’ve never read one I didn’t like. The Brightest Star in the Sky is no exception. But let me say that when I started this one, I had some reservations. I’m not really someone who reads much fantasy, but I had to read for just a little bit before I got completely sucked into the story.

LibraryThing member Amzzz

The start is quite slow but definitely worth sticking with.

LibraryThing member Jacey25

Another good read from Marian Keyes, Keyes has gotten into covering meatier & darker subplots throughout her career which makes for a more signifigant storyline but sometimes minimizes the fun, this is a nice balance between her darker themes (think Angels) and her lighter voiced stories

(Watermelon). Enjoyable with an interesting narration voice that she ultimately succeeds in using but that does begin somewhat awkwardly. Reccomended for all Keyes fans & readers of chick lit.

LibraryThing member Tricoteuse

I finished this book in an evening because I didn't want to put it down. The characters were great - not so perfect that they're unbelievable, but likable enough that you care what happens to them. The plot was a bit predictable in places, but engaging enough to hold my attention. The

semi-omniscient spirit narrator was a little odd at first, but faded into the background further into the book, and I really liked the eventual revelation of its purpose. I also liked that there were some semi-serious and important issues under the ostensibly light fiction surface.

My only complaint about this book is one that I have with any number of similar books - the inevitable inclusion of at least one character who spends a large chunk of her appearances worrying obsessively about her weight and what she's eating or not eating. I find all that stuff boring, luckily there was less of it here than there is some times, so this book earns three and a half stars from me.

LibraryThing member karenlisa

What a great Hanukah present! My first early review book arrived today! I will start it right away and write a detailed review as soon as possible. Yay!

LibraryThing member lilkim714

This book started out very weirdly. I have to say that I was very worried that I wouldnt like this book. I love Marian Keyes as an author and have read all of her previous books. So I had high hopes for this book. After the first 100 or so pages it sucked me right in and I even stayed up late

reading so I could finish it because I couldn't stand to be patient. There were times when I thought that I had figured out what was going to happen next in the plot and Marian Keyes surprised me and went in a totally different direction than what I had thought was going to happen. This book kept me on my toes and held me in awe of suspense.

The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland and follows the lives of the residents of 66 Star Street. From ups and downs and all the things in between, I have to say that this book was a very good read (and I had my doubts at first, but I knew all along that Ms. Keyes wouldnt disappoint). I think that Marian Keyes has decided to take writing her novels in a different direction. I was expecting the predictable love story where the girl gets the guy, but have to say that what you expect is not what you get in this novel, which was a breath of fresh air. It's been a long time since I have read a book that truly left me wondering what was coming next and that I had to stay up all night and read because I just couldnt wait to finish it. So glad I got the chance to early review her book. Can't wait until the next release.

LibraryThing member Kace

Won this on LibraryThing first reads giveaway. Keyes being one of my favorite authors I couln't believe my luck.
When you begin reading the story, you will notice this countdown. The countdown of course is not really relevant until the end. It does however, indicate the switch to another characters

POV. Much like in parts of "This Charming Man" the narrative is very..bumpy I guess I'll say. Theres not this seamless transition, and it wasn't until halfway through, that I began recognizing who was speaking without thumbing back to find out what I missed. It left me discombobulated to say the least. This omnipresent/spirit type that watches everything, sometimes revealing a bit of the past to help unfold the story, is more interference. A feeling that didn't change at the end when I discovered just who/what this voice was. In fact, it was this part in the story I had the most problem with.
That being said, Keyes just gets characters, and she gets human nature. She rolls the two together in an awesome humorous wrap and what you get is magic. To read a Keyes book, for me, is to at some point recognize myself in something, laugh along. To, at the very least, sigh in contentment in Belief. It's another world I willingly become apart of, for that time that I spend reading it.

LibraryThing member Sodapop

This is the story of the lives of the residents of 66 Star Street, Dublin, as told from the point of view of a spirit that is visting the house.
I enjoyed reading about the lives of the various characters and the supernatural aspect didn't bother me as it has in other similar books - Janet

Evanovich's Between the Numbers, Cecelia Ahearn's If you could see me now. Until I got to the epilogue which felt very unnatural and contrived.
Overall it was an enjoyable, quick read but I would recommend you skip the epilogue as the actual ending was the far more natural conclusion to the story.

LibraryThing member catherinea

Marian Keyes has done it again. I always know I can rely on her for a fantastic story and she just keeps getting better and better. Her writing is infused with wit and humor and I loved the characters and how they're lives intersected at 66 Star Street. I loved how she took two very serious

subjects and handled them so well and left the reader with such hope. Marian is a brilliant author and I am already looking forward to her next book!

LibraryThing member traciragas

I jumped for joy when I was selected to receive this book through Early Reviewers. I have fallen in love with every Marian Keyes’ book written. This one, though more unusual than her other novels (IMHO) was no different (though in all honestly I wasn’t sure starting out, that I’d feel that

way – it did take me a little bit to get into the novel).

This story took on a different approach with the spirit narrator, whose identity is not revealed until the end. I had an idea, but didn’t expect the twist till the end. This story, like the other reviewers indicated, follows the lives of the residents of 66 Star Street (an appropriate address for these residents). Each resident has a quirk, a downfall and a positive aspect about them and each one seems troubled by life. I think that’s what I like best about Marian Keyes is that her characters are real. They aren’t embellished; they are all flawed, but always endearing.

While some of the narration was a little challenging (the bold interspersed voice of the spirit was a little scary), I enjoyed a little switch with a little fantasy touch. I found many of the characters to be real and like people I’ve met in real life, which shows Marian Keyes ability to build real people.

LibraryThing member aubreyskingdom

The book is very typical Marian Keyes in that it has depressive themes to it as well as lighthearted ones. Overall the book is a quick and good read. The initial chapters are slightly confusing with the vast characters and mystery narrator but eventually everything sorts itself out. I would

recommend this book to Keyes' current fans and anyone interested in the "chick lit" subgenre.

LibraryThing member knitgeisha

This book is such a delight. I know that I'll be rereading it for years to come. Honestly, at the beginning, I had a rough time getting into it and the only thing that kept me going the first 10 pages or so was that fact that it was given to me free for the express purpose of reviewing. But soon, I

was deeply involved in all the characters and their lives.
The author does such an amazing job of drawing you into the minutiae of the characters lives that you feel like you know everything about them, when so much is still left to discover. A good 3/4 of the book goes by without you learning any of the deep sub-plot but it never feels stilted or dragging. I honestly don't have adequate words to describe just how terrific I think this novel is. The story feels so real and you feel so connected to the characters that everytime you open the book you are right there with them.
The only downside to me was that the author writes in a colloquial style of Ireland that can sometimes be hard to decipher for an American.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that this book is just chick-lit or romance fluff, it has so much for any kind of reader. A novel leaving you feeling not only entertained but changed for the better.

LibraryThing member PaperbackPirate

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It was too difficult for me to keep track of the 7 tenants of the building, their relationships with each other, their relationships with people outside of the house, the sub-relationships... By the end I wasn't really rooting for anyone.

I liked

it more than Sushi for Beginners, but not as much as The Other Side of the Story.

LibraryThing member mjmbecky

Throughout the story, you follow the lives of the different characters . As is familiar today, we watch one character's story, then move on to another, examining how they all intersect. In this story, they do all rub shoulders eventually, but not all for one overriding story. Each story is

important. There is the old lady with her dog, the young TV gardening star, the young married couple who seem "old," the 40ish single professional woman (dating her boss, no less), and the 20ish female taxi driver and her two Polish roommates. All living in Dublin, all living separate lives, yet all affecting one another in strange ways, we watch the complicated ways these individuals deal with the challenges in their lives. As for the narrator, we later find out its role.

I feel as though I couldn't have been any more obscure in my synopsis of the novel, and yet that is how the story plays out. It is a complicated web of characters and stories that must be kept straight. In the end, I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to find out what was going on, and how the narrator played into the story.

In beautiful language used to describe people and their thoughts, Keyes really pushed her characterization. There seemed to be this dance between what she wants the reader to think, and what the characters actually think. You always seem to be chasing the real meaning of the story. There were times that I felt the relationships to be unrealistic, that characters were schizophrenic in their dealings with one another, and in their own emotions. It also bothered me that characters such as the female taxi driver could be so angry at the world, disconnected with the love interests in her life, and so nonchalant about the anxieties she experienced. As with that character, you would just begin to feel like you understood the insecurities driving them, and they would turn around and do something that felt erratic and spontaneous, but in the opposite direction of what they wanted in life. Maybe that's really how we are as humans, always striving for happiness, but messing it up by going in the opposite direction?

Overall, I really liked this novel. I have a hard time placing it in a category or genre, but felt that its modern portrayal of characters and their lives to be fascinating. If you enjoy examining characters and their behaviors, then this book is perfect; it is a strange and interesting look at how humans behave, and why.

LibraryThing member bookworm12

Marian Keyes' greatest strength always lies in her ability to make the reader connect with her characters. She creates people that are deeply flawed, not cookie cutter characters. Her books fit into the "Chick Lit" category, but tend to have a bit more substance than most. They often seem

lighthearted at first and then quickly delve into a deeper theme. This is no exception. The story follows the tenants in an apartment house and it is narrated by a spirit who hangs around there. Stick with the book, as it starts out slow, but picks up and the plot progresses.

LibraryThing member Mylady

I really found this book boring and struggled to finish it, may have missed a few bits on the way. I did like the idea of the spirit but I was annoyed by most of the characters in the book. Maeve's story was really sad, the end though very unbelievable. The book was a bit too fairy tale-ish and

also confusing. I didn't like the Polish boys at all, Lydia was annoying to begin with, but I liked her more towards the end. Fionn is still a riddle to me, didn't get him at all, Conall is a tart - why would Katie take him back? I was really looking forward to this book but feel a bit disappointed now. Anyway, I'm sure the next one by Marian Keyes will be better. Hope she recovers quickly from her depression and writes in her old style again.

LibraryThing member Lorelai2

I'm still reading this book right now but it's very enjoyable and don't mind taking my time with it. Watching all of these characters slowly but surely start to interconnect with each other is more entertaining than most of the TV/movie fare being pushed at us during the midwinter season.

One of my

favorite characters is Lydia,who is a real pistol but no doubt has a really sweet heart under that tough talking exterior there.

LibraryThing member janet58

I like this book the least of all her books. It was alright but just not my favorite.

LibraryThing member LauraBrook

Even though I'm still reading this book, I have to say that it's enjoyable. I've never read Marian Keyes before, and wasn't sure what to expect. Judging by its' cover (c'mon, we all do it) I thought it was going to be typical chick lit - not so at all! I'm really liking this book and that the way

we get to know these Dubliners is through a star/sprite thing. It's really a nice concept and a refreshing change. I admit that I did get stuck in one part (for no real reason) but other than that it's been smooth sailing. The size of it seems a little daunting, but it reads very well. I'll look for Marian Keyes' books again in future.

LibraryThing member smallwonder56

I wait eagerly for the next new Marian Keyes book, and I was not disappointed with this one.

"The Brightest Star in the Sky" was a delight, from the opening pages with the unnamed sprite/spirit who gives us glimpses into the lives of the apartment dwellers to the "conclusion". This is not a

conventionally written book, but I loved getting to know the characters and the device that Keyes used I found to be enchanting. Nobody writes characters, with their flaws and virtues, as well as Marian Keyes.

Definitely a book I'll recommend to my friends. And just in case Marian Keyes is listening--I'm now waiting for the next book. (But no pressure or anything, ok?)

LibraryThing member emhromp2

Not Marian's best novel so far. I had difficulty getting into it. Of course the book gripped me at some point, but I was already halfway through at this point.
I can see what she wanted to do with the story, but it's almost like she wrote it on automatic pilot, after so many succesful novels. This

doesn't come near gems such as Rachel's Holiday.
I liked the characters well enough, especially Lydia, and the story had me grinning at quite a few points. I also like the Irishness of her writing, and this is probably because I'm a non-native.
I hope her next novel is better than this one, although this one wasn't bad.

LibraryThing member HollyMS

My mother is a fan of Marian Keyes, so she has given me a number of her books. I have to admit that I don't remember if I've read any of them or not yet. In any case, I have read The Brightest Star in the Sky. I'll start out this review with saying that if you like Marian Keyes and if you like

Irish chick lit, then you will like this book. For anyone else, it really depends.

Though it may sound like an oddly specific genre, there is actually a lot of chick lit that comes out of Ireland to the United States. I've read a bunch of it. I enjoy chick lit to a certain degree, but for the most part I'm pretty ambivalent about it. After awhile it just seems like more of the same. The Brightest Star is the Sky follows four households living in a town house in Dublin. Their stories are fairly typical and this book wouldn't be particularly remarkable, except for some twists at the ending and a somewhat strange premise. The premise of the story is that some odd fairy/spirit thing is watching these four households and remarking on what is happening (as well as having some influence over what is going on.) It's a very strange way to structure the book, but to be honest, it's not the first time I've ever read a book like this. I have read two chick lit novels in the past about weird fairies who watch over women and either protect them or complicate their lives. I think I read one about a fairy godmother and one about fairies (a la A Midsummer Night's Dream). Both were either British or Irish, I can't remember. Is this a "thing" now or something? Because that is a very weirdly specific genre: European chick lit with fairies.

That being said, the weird premise doesn't stop The Brightest Star in the Sky from being fairly typical. I liked it well enough, but it seemed overly long. It also took on a strangely dark tone at the end. Marian Keyes is known for this, but for me personally it's rather disconcerting to start with a piece of fluff story and then randomly insert a dark storyline in there. I'm not personally a huge fan.

Overall, I'm just going to have to reiterate what I said at the beginning. If you like Marian Keyes and if you like chick lit, you probably will like this book. If you don't like either of those aspects, this book will not make you change your mind.

Awards

British Book Award (Shortlist — 2011)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2010-01-25

Physical description

624 p.; 6.02 inches

ISBN

0718155491 / 9780718155490

Barcode

2299

Other editions

The Brightest Star in the Sky.Der hellste Stern am Himmel, englische Ausgabe by Marian Keyes (Paperback)

More

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