I couldn't finish this book. I wanted to. I have read one other Marian Keyes and loved it. This had me hooked for the first 60 odd pages, but the character of Rachel was just too irritating for me. By page 200 I loathed her and couldn't read any more. I'm pretty sure I know what general course this story will take as well, so at the moment I have no incentive to continue reading.

OMG MARIAN IS WRITING A SEQUEL TO RACHEL'S HOLIDAY.


4.5 ★

Marian Keyes was the first author I fell in love with and I consequently fell in love with reading as a result, so she will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart. I’ve been a bit slumpy of late and the only books that have made me happy are by Mhairi McFarlane. I’ve had this niggle in the back of my mind, telling me: that I think Keyes and McFarlane have some things in common, but it's been too long since I’ve read her older stuff. Turns out I was right, they both just seem to deliver things to match the rhythm of my weird soul.


My name is Rachel. I’m twenty-seven. I’m not an anorexic, but thank you for asking, naturally I’m flattered. No, I haven’t always been tall, I was slightly shorter the day I was born.

I reread Watermelon a few years back so I kicked right off with a reread of Rachel’s Holiday. While I called it my favourite for many years, I had mostly forgotten it. I am SO pleasantly surprised at how relevant it still is to my tastes, even more so now I’m older and wiser. I AM dry humour, Marian is dry humour and this book is all dry humour. It’s about some very dark topics but it’s a true comedy, GET THAT for talent. I was laughing, mostly, and also laughing through my tears, because this was very sad.

It’s weird that someone (me) who has never taken drugs could enjoy a book about drug addicts, but here we are. It was 600+ pages and it was brilliant. There was immeasurable character development not just for our lead, but for all of the addicts at the Cloisters. It was confronting and important to think about the lives people may have had, and how they feel substance abuse is the only way out. Rachel’s rock bottom was a scary place, she was in a state of denial so bad, the truth was revealed as slowly to readers as it was to her. I related to Rachel’s lack of self-worth and her childhood hangups to the point of uncomfortableness. I have done so much work on myself but I am ultimately glass half empty, like her, so the tone of the book was perfect for me.

'Not your fault, some people are born with, for example bad eyesight, others are born with sensitive emotions, And you were traumatised by the arrival of a new sister at an age when you were easily damaged.'

Rachel was very real, it was ugly inside her head and I know some people will hate her (I get it), but I loved her aside from the obvious character flaws (Like Lukey boy). She was just really, really funny. Now, I’m always sniffing out romance and it’s no wonder I used to sing Rachel's Holiday's praises. I have to say I’m shocked at how great the connection was written in this. It included all the good details. Luke was really sexy and swoony, I just adored him. There was a sick scene that would satisfy THG lovers. The way things played out between them—flashback style—was so unique and fresh, it kept the book moving until its gorgeous end.

Like a magnet, Luke drew lots of me to the surface, so that I told him things I'd never tell a man that I fancied.

Lastly, The Walsh family, they are something to be truly experienced. I have read that some hated Helen in this, but she was an absolute scream, like always and like they all are in their own way. I can’t wait to continue.

Maybe more 3.5 stars than 4 as there were times when the tedium of wrestling with drug addiction seemed Sisyphean. And I do feel slightly put out by the inclusion of a drop-dead gorgeous, fabulously wealthy drug counsellor for Rachel as that makes her recovery role-model just a tad too perfect. But that aside, Keyes does have a knack of keeping the pulse of the story humming and also of shining a light onto an area of society that we often demonize and dismiss which made it an engaging read.

As much as I enjoyed listening to Rachel’s Holiday, a book I have previously read several times though many years ago, I’m a little bit pissed. After I had finished it, I noticed it was the Abridged Version. Gaaaahhhh! I wanted to refresh my memory of Rachel’s journey in preparation for the debut of Marian Keyes‘ new sequel to my long-time favorite of her novels, After Rachel. When I searched for it on my Audible account a few months ago, this one popped up and when I saw that it was almost 12 hours long, I bought it. It never crossed my mind that it could have been abridged at that length. Now that I have listened to it, and investigated further, I see that there is an unabridged version, not available until tomorrow, February 3, that is almost 15 hours long. Now that I have finished it, and looking back in the foggy mists of my memory, I do seem to remember scenes and aspects of the book, that weren’t in this audio version. It seems like Rachel had more than one relapse, or almost relapse, than the one depicted in this. It seems like there was more about Chris in the world outside of Cloisters. It seems like we get more of her background with Luke, primarily her mistreatment and hatefulness towards him. Also, in my first read of this novel, It never really hit me how serious Rachel’s problem was until I found out the job she was fired from was as a maid in a seedy hotel. And I seem to remember that we learn that one of the addicts Rachel meets in the Cloisters ends up dying of an overdose in the outside world. These may be memories in my imagination, but I am spurred to get a book version of this to see if those were real happenings in the full book or not. I may have mixed things up in my memory.

So all that said, on to the book. The narration was great, and I enjoyed my “re-read”. It was as funny, witty, painful, and shocking as I remember. As I said, I did not get the sense that anything was missing at the time except one thing. Rachel doesn’t seem to go through any withdrawal symptoms or struggle with craving drugs and alcohol in this version. Does she struggle in the full novel?

Having it told in the first person made the book very effective as we see the truth according to Rachel and the real truth at the same time. That is, once you realize that Rachel is the definition of an unreliable narrator, and nothing she says can be taken at face value. If I’d read it for the first time today, I may have realized how bad her situation was right away. But I didn’t when I first read it. I really liked Rachel. The dawning realization that Rachel was not a likable character at first was a large part of why the book had such an impact on me. Even when she is on the road to recovery she still sees things from a skewered viewpoint until well towards the end. Her continued rage against Luke’s (and Bridget’s) “betrayal” being the primary example. It is only when she lets that go and sees that their visit to The Cloisters was an act of love rather than a betrayal that we know she sees her past behavior clearly and is truly and firmly on the road to recovering.

Apparently, the sequel, due out this spring in the U.S. (and in a couple of weeks in the U.K-not fair!), finds Rachel in her 50’s and a drug counselor at The Cloisters. It sounds like she doesn’t stay with Luke but meets him again in this one. But yet in Mammy Walsh’s A-Z of the Walsh Family, they did get married and had a little boy. Also, he is mentioned in Helen’s story, The Mystery of Mercy Close. So it will be interesting to see what happened. But whatever, she is happy and healthy. Yay!

https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....

4.25 Stars

I wasn't so sure about Rachel's Holiday as I began, but when I realized the significance of the storytelling format, I was impressed. Early on, I did feel that there were moments that could have been less verbose and later, less rushed. Yet, admittedly by the end, I didn't care. I simply enjoyed the story. I'll definitely be checking out the other books in the series.

Rachel's Holiday was one of the best books I've read in a very long while. It was one of those books that leads you to a place in a very humorous way, and then offers you the chance to review your own life in a way you might not have before. Rachel has just accidently overdosed, ended up in the hospital, and been railroaded by her family, roommate, and boyfriend into treatment. She can't believe that they think she has a problem, because, of course, she doesn't. Watching her come to grips with what remains of her life in New York, seen in the flashbacks Rachel has during treatment, is both very funny and very sad. We see Rachel come to the realization of what and who she is. We also see the seduction of Lady Denial, and this is very powerful, subtle and eye-opening to the reader. Anyone who has "overdone" any substance may recognize themselves in the aftermath of papering over the wrongs and hurt feelings. All this in a book that is easy to read, mostly delightful, and very honest. I read it in a day, couldn't put it down, and was sorry to see it end. I hope we see another book about this family (Watermelon was the first) so I can see how Rachel is doing. This is a definate keeper!

Rachel is living in New York and has no idea that her drug problem is completely out of control until she accidentally overdoses and finds herself back in Ireland in a rehab centre.
Why is she here? She only does a few recreational drugs, doesn't she?
This is the story of Rachel's journey to accept her drug addiction and start on the road to recovery.
It is so interesting and written with the dark humour and excruciating honesty that Marian Keyes employs in all her novels - this book got under my skin!
I loved it the first time I read it and I loved it the second time I read it too...and yes I will probably read it again!
A brilliant insight into what people go through when dealing with addiction combined with an excellent story, feisty humour and honest delivery. Being inside Rachel's head was so painful at times- why can't she see what's happening! - but we have to experience her denial alongside her which is sometimes hard.
A brilliant read and highly recommended.

Rachel's Holiday is about Rachel, a 27-year-old party girl who’s in denial about her drug habit. She’s forced into rehab, largely against her will, and undergoes the most incredible transformation. There are dark moments in the book as she comes to terms with her behaviour but what lifts it into a joyful read is Marian Keyes’ clever way with words and her extraordinary wit. I listened to Rachel’s Holiday during lockdown dog walks and lost count of the number of times people stared at me as I laughed to myself.

I thought the subject matter might turn me off but this is nothing short of brilliant.

I waffled between 3 and 4 stars for this novel about a young woman straightening herself out at a substance abuse clinic in Ireland. Marian Keyes is a witty writer, but there are stretches here where I really got tired of Rachel's whining and self-pity and insecurity. Especially the insecurity. Maybe I just don't remember being that young.

Last week I was listening to an episode of The Book Club Review podcast in which Kate interviewed Daisy Buchanan discussing her recently published guide Read Yourself Happy. Buchanan and I share some similar taste in comfort reads, Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love and Laurie Colwin’s Happy All the Time coming to mind. What I chiefly remember is that feeling she describes of becoming so emotionally attached to the characters and the world they inhabit that you feel quite bereft when the book ends. Another writer she put in that category was Marian Keyes, specifically name-checking this book, and it made me wonder why I had never read her.

I’ve been vaguely aware of Marian Keyes for years, mostly that she was Irish and sold lots and lots of books. I mentally put her in the category of “chick lit” and “beach reads” because that was how her books seemed to be marketed. It never really occurred to me to read her books because, well, I didn’t think that they were my sort of thing. My official “view” on reading material is that people should read anything they like - whatever makes them happy - but the truth is, I can be a book snob when it comes to my own choices.

Well, let me humbly confess that despite not being much attracted to the world that Keyes describes in this book - early 90s New York City, a group of Irish expatriates, and a 27 year old protagonist with a self-esteem and drugs problem - I did feel deeply attached to the “heroine” Rachel by the end of the book. I hadn’t even known what I was getting into, which turned out to mostly be a woman confronting her own self-destructive and addictive behaviour whilst in “The Cloisters” - a treatment and recovery centre in Ireland.

Although I wouldn’t describe myself as an addict, I do believe that we all have addictive tendencies - and certainly tendencies towards denial about our own motivations and behaviour. Several people who are close to me are struggling with addiction right now, and it’s a topic close to my heart - and one that I want to learn more about. It turned out to be, quite unexpectedly, a book that felt like it had a message for me.

As long-time Marian Keyes fans will also know, she is a deeply funny and sympathetic writer - even when she is writing about tough emotions and situations, as she is in this book. She is highly readable, which is exactly why she has sold so many books. I was certainly late to the party, but as soon as I finished this book I couldn’t wait to begin reading its sequel - written and set 25 years later.

4.5 stars. Bloody wonderful book! Such a moving story about a woman, addiction, friendship, love and loss - with proper LOL moments too. Looks and feels like a light hearted chick lit, but has depth and darkness I did not anticipate. Audiobook was wonderfully narrated, too.