The packing is going well, and so I've made the time to write.
I've been wanting to reflect on a book I read a few months back by my favorite author, Marian Keyes. Marian is a talented writer who knows how to (seamlessly) weave humor and romance into stories that tackle serious issues such as domestic violence and addiction. Naturally there is a fine line one must walk in order to create such balanced fiction, and Marian is consistently successful in her efforts. Though I enjoyed her latest release, "The Brightest Star in the Sky," I found myself stunned at the gruesome turn the end brought, and wondered whether the title was written to mask a dark story that showed at most, glimpses of hope. Whereas Keyes' previous works instilled bright though realistic outlooks on life, "The Brightest Star in the Sky" felt bleak at best. Perhaps most shocking to me was one of the characters being killed off at the very end. Though he was scum of the earth at best, it felt to me like an unjust way to tie up his character - an easy way out out of a complicated story. And quite unlike Marian...
As I await Keyes' next book (no word on that yet), I hope that it will be written more in the fashion of her earlier works, a delicate blend of real-life issues with a healthy dose of laughter.
After all, laughter is the best medicine (true story - see the February 2011 Yoga Journal).
interesting.
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