Further Under the Duvet is the second volume of Marian Keyes journalism, and this time also some short stories are included. I didn't enjoy the book as much as the first one (Under the Duvet). The first three sections of the book (which were about shopping, traveling and beauty) were actually quite shallow, and not that funny. MK gave a shallow picture of her self. Sections 4-6 were more serious (being about feminism, kids etc), and more interesting and funnier. As for the short stories at the end of the book: They shouldn't have been included. MK just shouldn't write short stories. They become too simple, and not especially funny. Even stupid. MK reads her 500 pages to develop her stories into something really worth reading... And she should leave alone things that aren't of this world (angels and aliens). And the same goes for subjects as serious as women that are beaten by their husbands... It just becomes too shallow, especially in a 10 page story.
"Further under the duvet" is essentially the same as "Under the duvet" and as such I enjoyed it. I liked to read all those short accounts about Marian's obsession with Make-up, handbags and shoes, about Himself and her terrifying perfect family.That is the good part of the book, the bonus section consisting of her short story writing, well, I have to agree there with Marian’s own observation that she’s not much of a short story writer. She misses proper build up and structure, and the punch-line is delivered at a point where I was way past caring (or in the case of her shoe story didn’t really get it at all).What’s more, I didn’t like even one of her characters. They are all bad mannered, snarky people with a designer label obsession that have set out to make life harder on everybody else.I guess fans of her novels will embrace the bonus part, me, I did not so much.
What do You think about Further Under The Duvet (2006)?
Marian Keyes continues her column on the trials and troubles that afflict the modern Irish gal trying to wend her way through the world. While readers of “Under the Duvet” will find familiar material peeking out here and there, there is plenty of new fodder to have her devoted readers flipping through and grinning from ear to ear. From free cosmetics to new mothers who are dead bores about their children to the agony of traveling with fellow Irish folk lustily belting out the loud, foot-stomping tunes so dear to the Gaelic heart, Marian Keyes leads us through her wild roving life (sorry) and invites us to laugh along with her. As an added bonus, Ms. Keyes has included several short stories in this collection, proving that she’s as gifted a short story writer as she is a novelist and journalist.
—Marsha
Dieses Buch ist eine Frechheit. Ich lese Marian Keyes wirklich gerne und war ganz überrascht als ich durch die Mayersche schlenderte und diesen Titel fand, weil ich noch nichts davon gehört oder gelesen hatte. Natürlich habe ich sofort zugegriffen in der Gewissheit ein Buch in der Hand zu haben dass mir die Zeit verkürzen und mich gut unterhalten wird. Nichts von alledem ist eingetreten. Ich habe bei keiner einzigen Kurzgeschichte geschmunzelt, gelacht, geweint oder mich sonst irgendwie berührt gefühlt, ob man das Buch liest oder nicht spielt keine Rolle ... direkt nach dem Lesen einer Kurzgeschichte ist deren Inhalt auch schon wieder vergessen. Ich kann mir nur erklären dass Mrs. Keyes ein neues Auto oder ähnliches brauchte und darum diesen Titel auf den Markt geschmissen hat. Traurig, einfach traurig!
—Sarah
