This book has been on my list for a long while. So, when I saw it was on sale, I decided to finally read it.

Frankly, it turned out to be a rather good thing that I bought it on sale because I couldn't stand this book. I know, I was surprised too. The movie depicted this sweet and tragic story about love and learning to cope. However, the book was more like the whining of an annoying drunk girl who refuses to grow up. I cringed my way through most of the book and contemplated giving up on it more than once.

Holly is just incredibly selfish and unlikable throughout the whole book. I understand that she's a grieving widow and deserves some sympathy. But most of the time, she's downright rude to her family and friends. I mean, she finds out her brother is homeless and instead of offering him a place to stay, she says ‘go stay with mom and dad’ when the entire reason he was living in a motel was because he was trying to avoid that. On top of that, she's living on a budget and still goes out drinking and partying constantly. She splurges on expensive clothes, haircuts, furniture, etc. and prides herself on always buying the most expensive things in the store. She's unemployed for the majority of the book and only brings herself to start looking for a job a) after her husband's letter tells her to, and b) when she literally hits 0 and is forced to borrow money from her parents.

Kudos to whoever wrote the script for the movie. They absolutely deserve it for managing to turn Holly into a likable person and finding the substance of the story and focusing on that instead of the other 90% of the book. It's a rare thing, but the movie was absolutely better than the book. Save yourself the time and the headache by skipping this book and renting the film instead.

The story felt more like a movie script, or perhaps the book was written with the intention of being made into a movie.

The movie was just okay, but the book left something to be desired.

However, there are a few quotes that are truly worth everyone's time.

“Finding someone you love and who loves you back is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. But finding a true soul mate is an even better feeling. A soul mate is someone who understands you like no other, loves you like no other, will be there for you forever, no matter what. They say that nothing lasts forever, but I am a firm believer in the fact that for some, love lives on even after we're gone.” This quote beautifully captures the essence of true love and the idea that it can transcend time and even death.

“Don't be afraid to fall in love again. Open your heart and follow where it leads you...and remember, shoot for the moon.” It encourages us to be brave and take risks when it comes to love, and to always aim high.

“You gotta be rich to be insane, Hol. Losing your mind is not a luxury for the middle class.” This quote adds a touch of humor and a bit of social commentary to the mix. It makes us think about the different experiences and challenges that people from different socioeconomic backgrounds face.

Overall, while the book and movie may not have been perfect, these quotes offer some valuable insights and food for thought.

This is one of the most original and beautiful romance novels I have ever read.

"P.S. I love you" follows Holly as she copes with the devastating loss of her husband Gerry. After his passing, she discovers that Gerry has left her 10 notes, one for each remaining month of the year. These months serve as a kind of "list" to guide and assist her in navigating life without him.

This book had me alternating between laughter and tears. It was an emotional rollercoaster, filled with heart-wrenching moments, yet it could also be light-hearted at times. The concept of the novel, starting with someone losing their soulmate, is truly unique. I adored so many of the characters and felt an overwhelming urge to give them a big hug during their darkest hours. The love between Holly and Gerry feels so genuine and pure.

I also love the movie adaptation of this book. Both the book and the movie will remain with me forever. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It serves as a powerful reminder of how important it is to love and not take for granted the people in our lives, because none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow.

I tried reading this once before, a few years ago now. I put it down about a quarter of the way in because, frankly, I was bored.

I saw the movie several months ago and actually found it a lovely mix of sweet and sad. I thought maybe I'd missed something in the book and not only that, but I've become well acquainted with this kind of loss in the time that has passed. Thinking that my new perspective might change my mind, I decided that at some point I'd give it another go.

Well this week I gave it another go and I can tell you that I only got about 20 pages further than last time. Now I find the book not just boring, but immature. This book is Ahern's supposition of what it must be like to lose your significant other at a young age. She clearly has no experience with loss, even of a friend or close relative. There is no real grief, or heart, in this book, nor are the characters' actions very realistic. Yes, grief is unique to both the circumstance and the person feeling it - but there are so many moments in here that are simply unbelievable.

Some authors have the talent to write what they don't know. Ahern isn't one of them. My advice: don't waste your time. If you want to read about grief and lost loves, go read The Year of Magical Thinking instead. It is a much more profound and touching exploration of these themes. Joan Didion's writing is masterful, and she brings a depth of emotion and understanding to the subject that Ahern simply cannot match. So, save your time and read something that will truly move you.

I had such high expectations for this book. What I truly desired was a deeply poignant and heart-breaking portrayal of a widow's emotional state. However, all I received was an abundance of small talks and rather boring everyday family time. There was just so much of it.

Yes, Garry’s notes were touching, yet they were far too short to be a truly significant part of the novel.

The story begins with the protagonist dealing with the death of her husband. Holly isolates herself for a few months after Gerry succumbs to a brain tumor. They had been together since high school, and Holly's world had revolved around Gerry ever since. It turns out that Gerry had prepared letters for Holly from April to December, which she has to open at the start of every month to follow Gerry's list for her.

Regrettably, there are an excessive number of dialogues, and all of them lack vitality and are dull. While I do appreciate Holly's family dynamic, it can be a bit of a drag, and I was eagerly awaiting the occurrence of the plot. Eventually, the plot never really materialized, as all events unfolded at an extremely slow pace. I had thought this would be much better since I am a huge fan of the movie version. I made the error of watching the movie before reading the book, assuming that the book is always superior to the movie. This book is simply too long. With 470 pages, there is very little that is relevant happening.

Holly, on the other hand, is truly awesome. She was the best aspect of the novel. Despite the weak plot, she was a strong protagonist who managed to make me laugh on numerous occasions. Her struggles felt genuine, and I wholeheartedly wanted her to move on. All she ever desired was to be a wife and a mother, and it was interesting to observe her search for a new purpose in life.

I didn’t know enough about Gerry to truly feel sorry that he’s gone. I could sense Holly’s love for him, but I couldn’t fully understand her loss because I didn’t know precisely what she had lost. There should have been more flashbacks about their relationship, as there was too much telling and not enough showing. And as you know, I can become quite impatient when this occurs.

Holly's bond with her distant brother Richard is really captivating. I adored how their relationship developed from having awkward silences and not knowing what to talk about, to one of complete understanding and support. Honestly, their bond alone had better development than Holly’s healing process, which I’m not even certain actually happened or was just poorly described.

Finally, Holly and Daniel have absolutely no chemistry. I did like how their bond was resolved in the end, but the unnecessary tension that the author attempted to create only added to the negative impression. Yes, they had some interesting scenes, but their connection felt forced. If there had been no mention of anything romantic between them, I’m certain this book would have been much better.

**P.S. I Love You (P.S. I Love You #1), Cecelia Ahern**

P.S. I Love You is the debut novel of Irish writer Cecelia Ahern, published in 2004. It tells the story of Holly and Gerry, a married couple living in Dublin. They are deeply in love, although they have the occasional fight. However, by winter that year, Gerry suddenly passes away from a brain tumor. Holly realizes just how much he meant to her and how insignificant their arguments were. Overwhelmed with grief, she withdraws from her family and friends. But then her mother calls her to inform her of a package addressed to her. Inside the package are ten envelopes, one for each month after Gerry's death, containing messages from him, all ending with "P.S. I Love You".

As the months go by, each new message fills Holly with encouragement and sends her on a new adventure. With Gerry's words as her guide, she slowly begins a journey of rediscovery. This novel takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring themes of love, loss, and the power of hope. It has been widely acclaimed and has become a bestseller in many countries, including Ireland, Britain, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. In 2007, a film adaptation of the same name was made, starring Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank.

The story is beautifully written, with Ahern's prose capturing the essence of Holly's grief and her journey towards healing. It is a touching and inspiring tale that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. If you are looking for a novel that will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the power of love, then P.S. I Love You is definitely worth a read.

What would you do if you lost the person you cherish the most at a tender age? Holly found herself in such a difficult situation when her husband Gerry succumbed to a brain tumor.

Before his passing, Gerry penned a series of letters with the intention of assisting Holly in piecing her life back together. But the question remains: will these letters truly enable her to overcome the profound sadness brought about by his death?

My favorite three lines from this book.

"Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you'll land among the stars."

“She had been given a wonderful gift: life. Sometimes it was cruelly taken away too soon, but it's what you did with it that counted, not how long it lasted.”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with returning to the house you grew up in every now and again. It's good for the soul.”

I have witnessed several individuals grappling with life after losing a loved one at a young age due to a terminal illness. I believe Cecelia Ahern did an outstanding job of depicting the dilemmas Holly confronted during her period of grief. If you have a penchant for reading love stories, this book would be an excellent choice.

  

I'm currently in the mood for a story that has the power to completely shatter me, to tear at my emotions and leave me in a state of vulnerability. So perhaps this particular piece will be my next literary adventure???

I'm filled with anticipation as I wonder what kind of heart-wrenching tale awaits me within its pages. Will it be a story of love lost, of dreams dashed, or of a life filled with hardships and sacrifices?

I can't wait to find out. Stay tuned as I embark on this literary journey and discover the story that will surely rip me to pieces.

Who knows what kind of impact it will have on me? But one thing is for sure, I'm ready to be consumed by its words and taken on an emotional rollercoaster.

Feels good to get through my physical copies. This particular one has been on my list and my bookshelf for a whopping 8 years.

I watched the movie many years ago, but my memory of it is so hazy that I can only recall the bare bones. The story is quite straightforward, and those basic elements are pretty much all there is.

It's a very emotional tale, and at times, perhaps a bit overwritten. Holly has lost the love of her life. They were childhood sweethearts, and Holly chose love and marriage over a career and travel. Their relationship was sublimely happy until a brain tumour took her beloved away before he turned 30.

Gerry, who seemed like one of those really good guys and a wonderful husband, communicates with her from beyond the grave. He leaves her monthly notes for a year. These notes impart some wisdom and contain anecdotes that mean a great deal between the two of them. I think she may have been overly reliant on him, and now she feels completely bereft in her sadness. She is completely focused on these notes, and mostly we see her evenings on those nights, obsessively counting down to midnight so that she can open the letter.

Her family is supportive and funny, and her friends are quirky and loving. She is lucky in that she is not alone. This book takes her and us on the journey to the next stage in her life – leaving behind her soul mate and seeing what comes next. It was well written, but it was also very saccharine sweet and tidy, which contemporary romance lovers will surely embrace.

I had accidentally seen the movie years ago on a Sunday afternoon while lying in my bed. I remember that Hillary Swank with her tough characteristics seemed completely inappropriate for the lead role.

The idea of the postmortem messages was really ingenious and constituted the whole charm of the book.

The way the story developed was not exactly as I expected because quite a few points in the behavior of the heroine seemed contradictory to me. In my opinion, her so many repetitions did not match reality, at least the one I had in my mind while reading. Of course, on the other hand, the process of grief can be contradictory in itself.

Many points in the plot provide food for (positive) thought such as true friendship (a kind of self-erasure), the mythologization of love (as Monroe was mythologized with her death), the unique moments of life that come and go quickly, like water through the fingers, how much you should appreciate each day as if it were the last and quite a few others.

But, I have to say that I was amazed when I discovered at the end of the book, in the interview, how young the author was! That alone excused any mistakes! The book, written by a 21-year-old child, was very good and skillfully handled, for her young age, the theme of grief. Even if and of course provided that she had no outside help, something which I doubt.

The funniest thing in the whole story of the interview was the question of whether it weighed on the publication of the book and its subsequent successful course that the author (happened to) be the daughter of the country's prime minister and the answer "bah, not at all". Should I laugh now or later;;;

The world and its mother seemed to love this book. However, I didn't. In fact, I couldn't.

I don't think there was anything inherently wrong with the book itself, except that it was overly long. By that, I mean it was too long for the particular story it was trying to tell, not in the general sense of being a long book.

Everything in it felt too forced and too predictable. The blurb loudly proclaimed "I'm different", yet the story remained disappointingly the same. Then again, perhaps this is just another instance of "it's not you, it's me". I'm certain everyone is familiar with the story, so I won't go into the details of that. What I would like to mention, though, is that Ms. Ahern is indeed a quite talented writer, and she is really not a bad storyteller. It's just that in this particular case, there didn't seem to be a substantial story.

I understand that I'm in the minority with this opinion, but as I've previously stated, very few romance novels manage to impress me, and this one simply didn't meet my expectations. I know I might come across as a heartless bitch when I say that, but that's the truth. Actually, I think one of the reasons I couldn't bring myself to like the book was that I couldn't empathize with Holly. I felt pity for her, but I couldn't truly feel what she was feeling. And so, yet another book bit the dust.

A Flame That Never Goes Out

The targets of Love are ephemeral, but the Sentiment generated in them lasts and endures like a Flame that Never Goes Out.

And there is a whole World of Possibilities where one can reinvent oneself.

When embracing Life and moving forward, we will see the Impossibles of today become the Possibles of tomorrow.

Nothing surpasses the sensation of being reborn from the ashes!

It is the Victory of Life over potential death that succumbs. A Moment of Resurrection. And I know nothing in Life that can compare to it!

Love has the power to create a lasting impact, even when the initial object of affection may change.

The world is full of opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

By facing life with a positive attitude and a willingness to take risks, we can achieve the seemingly impossible.

The experience of rising from the ashes is truly transformative and gives us a new lease on life.

It is a moment of great significance and one that we should cherish.

There is nothing quite like it in the entire spectrum of human experiences.