Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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61 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cecelia is at it again, and we should all be glad, 9 May 2008
Cecelia Ahern, author of PS, I LOVE YOU and the fantastic WHERE RAINBOWS END has given us what is possibly her best book: THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.
Protagonist in this marvelous book is a woman by the name of Joyce Conway. She has this uncanny knack for remembering things that, well, shouldn't be there. Disturbing as this is, things get worse (as they should in any novel that's to keep your interest). Her life starts to fall apart, especially after an accident she has.
The plot of THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES will seem contrived and far-fetched to some, but think about it: when was the last time you read anything that wasn't at least a little unbelievable--that's why we read and watch movies. If you want real life, blow-by-blow, go out and live it. If you want a great story, buy this book.
I have to say that this is one of the best novels I've come across in years. Of the three books I've recently read that made me laugh, cry, and THINK, this was one of the best. The other two were NAKED by David Sedaris, which is VERY funny and at the same time sad, and the new novel BARRING SOME UNFORESEEN ACCIDENT--totally off the wall and worth every cent; really great book with twists and turns that you WON'T see coming for a mile. If you're not a Cecelia Ahern fan yet, and haven't read THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, you might start with her WHERE RAINBOWS END as it too is a great story.
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61 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolute gem, 1 April 2008
If I could have given this book 10 stars I would have.
I have read all of her books and enjoyed them but this is the best by far.
All of the characters are likeable, but the dad is one of the loveliest characters I have come across in a long time.
Although the plot may seem a little far fetched, it is still somehow believable, maybe because you want it to be.
It is laugh out loud funny in places, especially the part with the dad and the baggage carousel - quite embarrassing in a doctors waiting room - but also some great one liners. There is some beautifully written insight into emotions, with the opening chapter being very moving and profound.
I whole heartedly recommend this book and will very probably read it again because I miss the dad, and this isn't something that I do often, apart from Fannie Flagg's, Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man.
It brought a tear to my eye, a smile to my lips and a laugh from my belly, what more could you want from a book than that?
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29 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poor, 21 Jul 2008
I have to admit that the only reason I ever started reading Cecelia Ahern's books was because of her famous family ties. I read PS. I Love You when it first came out and enjoyed it as an original, light and easy, girly read. Then came Where Rainbows End, which at first annoyed me with it's writing style (like anything new and very different may) but once I got used to it, it was really quite engaging; its best feature being it's different style. If You Could See Me Now, and, A Place Called Here were my favourites, the former barely outreaching the latter; they were both interesting, charming, like fairy tales for adults. They left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
So I was excited when I saw Thanks For The Memories on the shop shelf and bought it straight away, hoping (believing) that she would continue with her fairy tale touch in her novels and trusting that it would be a nice easy read as her others were. Unfortunately, I was devastatingly disappointed. The plot was drawn out for far too long, the main `plot point' as obviously hinted in the book's summary was not mentioned until maybe two thirds of the way through. Before that was a lot of rambling about strange feelings and unease, and afterwards it was all about the main character trying to convince herself and her friends of said `plot point', despite the fact that there were obvious reason mentioned in the book as to why she was wrong.
The characters were dull (except for the father, which was the only reason I managed to finish the book), the story overly-predictable and drawn out, Ahern's writing was dismal and had lost it's magic. She didn't even mention what the main male character really looked like until the very last pages, when we found out he had green eyes and curly hair! Her complete lack of detail was enough to bore even the most easily excitable of readers. There were, admittedly, a few good moments, one-liners, humour, some passages that make you think and appreciate your own world, but they were few and far between. The opening chapter was very good - intense, poetic and an excellent introduction by many standards - but wasn't enough to save the rest of the book.
I have to admit that Ahern has little talent for closing a book, and while all those before this were tolerable, this just drove me insane.
She was one of my favourite authors but now I'll be hard pushed to purchase her next novel. I have actually recommended my sister and mother to avoid this one despite their love for her other books.
If you buy this book, don't say you haven't been warned.
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