This Charming Man by Marian Keyes

This book is the story of the influence that one man has on the lives of multiple women...with different parts of the story told from the perspective of each of those women. 

I'm not sure yet if I'll develop some sort of rating scale to rate each book that I read relative to one another, but what I can say about this book is that I stayed up until about 3:30 this morning to finish and briefly considered not leaving the apartment to go to dinner with friends last night so I that I could continue reading. 

Is this book going to change the way you look at the world? Probably not. But it will entertain you while also introducing an idea that you may not have taken the time to seriously consider in the past. This book follows the classic Marian Keyes formula - lull the reader into a less serious cognitive state with a chick lit introduction while slyly drawing a topic with more gravity into focus. In that way, the book is indulgent in a way that other chick lit books are not - it allows you to tell yourself (and maybe others) that you're reading a book about domestic violence...when in reality you're reading a thoroughly entertaining book about relationships in which domestic violence is one of the supporting characters.  

I don't mean to criticize Keyes - or the book - for taking a less than serious look at the concept of domestic violence...rather, I support her formula because it brings important ideas into view that devoted chick lit readers otherwise may not have considered. That is exactly where Keyes' brilliance lies - you'd think that the idea of an entertaining book dealing with domestic violence would be impossible...but she doesn't introduce the serious topic until you're already devoted to the characters...and she balances gravity with levity in perfect measure to make sure you don't abandon her cause.

I honestly think that this book communicates the exact message that Keyes intended - it develops a number of characters thoroughly and independently and shows the reader how people so different can really be the same. It may not cause you to champion a local movement against domestic violence, but it will probably cause you to visit a few websites and educate yourself on the topic...which I consider to be an accomplishment. 

I think this book would be perfect for a read on a long plane ride - it draws you in and keeps you entertained, keeps you thinking...but it's not so serious or grave that it couldn't also be a beach read. Maybe I'm the only one with the antisocial reading problem, but beware of the fact that this book may cause you to sacrifice sleep...and for me, that's saying something.