Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes

Sushi for Beginners Reviews

• 
  Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

  
  
  
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  DNF @ p. 51
  
  
  
  The idea of a trashy mid-2000s chick-lit about the magazine industry sounded incredibly appealing given my current mood. I've been devouring trashy reads like a trash hurricane whirling through my bookshelves. Even better, it's set in Ireland, where I've finally been, so now I feel like I can appreciate the descriptions and the setting even more, because I've actually been to Dublin! Whee!
  
  
  
  Marian Keyes is most famous for her Walsh Family series but she also did a lot of standalones. I was a huge fan of her in high school and college and used to buy up all her shit like an addict. The standalones were typically not as good, and I felt like a lot of books were way too long. This one is 500+ pages which seems excessive.
  
  
  
  It's about three characters: Clodagh, a beautiful girl turned reluctant mom and housewife; Ashling, an eager beaver who enjoys her job until she meets her bitch boss; and Lisa, the bitch, who will do anything to claw her way to the top with her manicured talons. The last character is named Jack Devine, head of the new magazine and a dick, which, given when this was made, probably made him the love interest because that's when dicks were all the rage.
  
  
  
  I'm not really feeling the characters and there isn't a lot happening. Plus, I don't really get the title. Not a single mention of sushi or beginners. I'm sure the connection happens later but I don't really care to read to the end. It's not a bad book but it's so slow, and I am just remembering that I took this book with me on the airplane to Ireland, and ended up leaving it in my bag and sleeping instead, so that probably should have been the sign I needed that this was no good. RIP, attention span.
  
  
  
  1.5 stars
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  Lisa

  4.5 stars
  Just what I needed right now...this is a pure comfort read. I needed a comforting, funny, dramatic, traditional, feel-good read...and that's what I got!
  Perfect for this time of year when you're really stressed out and just want to read something totally absorbing and fun...with a little bit of seriousness to keep it real.
  Marian is the best and I have probably read nearly all her books now but I need another one to take me into Christmas...a Christmas one would be fab!!!
• 
  Jen

  Let's see. Take Bridget Jones, mix with The Devil Wears Prada, add some Irish details and remove about 50% of the interesting plot details and you have this book. I previously had read another book of Keyes' that I enjoyed a lot but I found this one a bit of a slog to get through. I admire her portrayal of an unappealing main character (Lisa) but it didn't really work for me as light reading. Overall, I'd say it is a professionally-rendered execution of an idea that just didn't appeal to me personally.
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  Nick Davies

  Now, I've quite like Marian Keyes as a person when I've seen her on telly, I quite enjoyed 'Rachel's Holiday' when I read it a good few years ago, and I don't mind the odd book in the chick-lit/lad-lit genre. This, alas, was a little disappointing and more of a two and a half than a three and a half. This is a clunky opening paragraph, isn't it?
  
  The book follows the lives of three or four (or more) young women living in Dublin, centred around a women's magazine. There's lots of romance, bitching, glamour. There are some serous points made about the family/career balance, trust and relationships, and even stuff about clinical depression. Despite all this, I just found it all a bit long and relentless with the repetition of little jokey comments that could be reduced to "..ooh, aren't men rubbish!.." followed by "..ooh, but aren't we daft girls for loving them despite this!.." for 550 pages. It was quite entertaining and enjoyable, but I would've preferred to be more amused by something around half the length. Perhaps because most of the characters are in the end a bit unpleasant, the story could've done with losing a few of them.
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  Sofi Collodel

  ujjj so boring...
  
  
  Take Bridget Jones, mix with The Devil Wears Prada, add some Irish details and remove about 50% of the interesting plot details and you have this book. All the characters annoyed me to some degree, and Lisa was insufferable.
  
  I just wanted to finish this book. I did not enjoy it at all.
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  Morgan

  I think one of the stars is for my accent enjoyment due to listening to the audio.
  
  Just wasn't my cuppa, and the fact that it stretched so long in the audio version didn't help matters much.
  
  Also I wake up at 1am to go into work now so, being entertained is much more of a requirement at the moment. lol.
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  Anna

  I had really enjoyed other books by Keyes - Lucy Sullivan & Watermelon - but Sushi really disappointed me. I could not care for any of her characters - workaholic Lisa was plain annoying, Ashling was just boring (though she was by far the best of the bunch), and I constantly wanted to yell at Clodagh to "Shut uuuup!". I also thought the book was too long for a story that barely developed, and in the end, some things (like Ashling's relationship) happened too fast.
  
  Some parts were funny (but I wasn't laughing out loud like in "Watermelon") but mostly I just finished it for finishing's sake, and retained nothing of it (except that I hate Clodagh). It wasn't exactly bad, but it just wasn't entertaining.
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  Chrissana Roy

  Es divertida, para pasar el rato, pero no hay ningún personaje femenino que me llamará la atención o impactará de alguna manera. En cuanto a los masculinos lo mismo, excepto Marcus Valentine que me caía fatal.
  Me gusta el ambiente de la revista de moda, y hay que recordar que está novela es anterior al diablo se viste de Prada, creo que está muy logrado.
  Y por supuesto el sushi!! Es un libro de principios del 2000, cuando todavía nos frenaba la idea de comer sushi (pescado crudo), y los que se atrevían eran modernos y chics.
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  Mela

  Another wonderful package of wisdom, fun, and 90-ties from Marian Keyes.
  
  

  not a bad bloke but insecure. Addicted to being loved, but only reasonably good-looking

  
  

  She suspected she was having an original thought, but couldn’t be sure

  
  

  Did you remember to put conditioner on your pubic hair?

  
  The novel about three women in/between relationships and before the big changes in their lives. All of their changes were consequences of their own decisions, but Keyes' showed splendidly how much our past/childhood created us. So - are our decisions our own?
  
  I simply loved Ashling, Jack, Ted, Joy, Trix, Boo. But, I admit, I disliked Clodagh from the beginning to the end. Nonetheless, I understand the message flowing from her character. The same, I had difficulties with Lisa - she was so much out of my comfort zone (I am terrified of such people). At first, I was not even interested in her. But, with time she grew on me. In the end, all about her clicked into places. I think, that rereading the book will be quite interesting because I like Lisa now.
• 
  Jennifer

  I will be leaving
  Sushi for Beginners by
  Marian Keyes without a formal rating simply because I can't explain why I didn't care for it, which leads me to believe it was a timing or mood issue on my part. I listened to the audiobook intermittently while spending a very LONG day-nearly ten hours-in jury duty...that right there explains it! If I had to rate this title today, I would give it 1 or 2 stars but that rating just wouldn't be fair. However, the only honest feedback I can give is that the audiobook quality is pretty poor. I will consider re-reading it at a later date.
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  Irene

  
  Una lectura fresca y ágil, con ciertos enredos pero que no aporta gran cosa.Keyes te hace pasar un buen rato cómo sólo ella sabe hacerlo.Perfecta para estos días.
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  Lauren Johnston

  This was not the best of Marian Keyes that I’ve read. It was a very slow burner but eventually got good about 150 pages towards the end. Still a good read though.
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  Jane

  I finally finished this book. I had started Sushi for Beginners only a few days before it was due back to the library and never really got time to read much... now having finished it, I can say it was an interesting read. I am not sure why I was compelled to read and keep reading, but I was. It was different having three "main" characters, and surprisingly not overly confusing either.
  
  The reader got to see different points of view from Lisa, Ashling, and Clodagh (all of whom are girls despite how the names may look). All three women are friends/ become acquaintances during the book. Of the three, Ashling got the most story time, however Lisa was probably my favorite character of them for some reason.
  
  The book had less to do with sushi than the title may suggest, however, it is still an apt title as "sushi for beginners" is somewhat of a theme perhaps symbolizing trying new things or change.
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  S.J. Pajonas

  Just re-read this and, sigh, I love Marian Keyes. She's such a great storyteller, often surprising me with twists I didn't see coming. Her books in general are snarky, witty, and sexy, and this one hits all of those notes and more. I'm glad I took the time to re-read it.
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  Jennifer Virskus

  It's not going to win any literary awards, but this is a great book for when you just want a fun read! And, it's not too far off when describing working for a small fashion magazine. Def one to recommend!
  
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  Mariota

  Me ha encantado este libro. La historia de sus protagonistas se va tejiendo lentamente, con sus problemas, alegrías... No decepciona.
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  Bex

  Marian Keyes shoots and scores again with another fantastic novel which centers around three modern singletons. Magazine editor Lisa Edwards meets with her bosses about a new job they have lined up for her to launch a new magazine called Colleen. Lisa is already visualizing a new posh lifestyle for herself in New York.
  However, New York isn't quite where her new job has been set up. She's pretty much being deported to Dublin to fend for herself, start anew and make this new magazine the next big thing.
  
  Ashling Kennedy is the assistant editor for Colleen. She's a bit frumpy and unhappy with her non-existent waistline and her non-existent social life.
  
  Meanwhile, Ashling's best friend, Clodagh Kelly, is living the high life and seems to have it all. But she's searching for something more.
  
  The transition from one singleton's point of view to the next is smooth and unmistakable. And the ups and downs these women go through are hilarious to follow.
  
  This is a romantic comedy that hits just the right tone with the writing style and comedic dialogue. It's like getting three novels in one. With Sushi for Beginners, Marian Keyes does a great job in capturing perfect settings and following these women on their search for happiness.
  
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  Arnetra

  For Ashling Kennedy, the new job she lands at start-up Irish fashion magazine Colleen is a dream come true. For Lisa Edwards, a high-maintenance London editor expecting a promotion to New York, her appointment as editor-in-chief of Colleen is a slap in the face, the only consolation being her rumpled-but-handsome new boss, Jack Devine. Furious at being passed up for a job at Manhattan magazine, Lisa vows to make Colleen the envy of the fashion industry, even if it kills her. She drives her Dublin staff to exhaustion, and Colleen becomes a smashing success. But after a particularly lusty meeting with her much-maligned long-distance London boyfriend, she wonders if the move and the single-minded career obsession have been worth it. Meanwhile, Ashling is betrayed by her boyfriend and her best friend Clodagh, whose bourgeois domesticity she's long envied. Ashling realizes that she has to let go of her cheerful "Miss Fix-It"
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  LectoraEstherica

  No eres tú, soy yo.
  
  Dejó de hacerme gracia y dejó de interesarme la historia... la verdad es que me encantaría disfrutar de estas novelas, pero no logro que me interesen. Aunque, ¿por qué quiero que me interesen? Para tener más donde elegir, porque como no tengo suficientes libros por leer, ni en mi wishlist... No, es para experimentar otras historias, sí. Pero mira, el chick-lit sin vampiros ni hombres lobo no consigue atraparme.
  
  No le diré que no en otra oportuna ocasión.
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  Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا

  Marian Keyes knows how to write a good chick lit novel, her characters are so real, the settings are so familiar and her style is easy going.
  
  
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  নিটোল

  I dunno why I wasted my precious nights on this.
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  Tania

  Fun read! My favorites still remain This Charming Man and Last Chance Saloon (ok, also loved Rachel’s Holiday) and what I enjoy most is the character development - Marian Keyes goes deep into detail on that. It takes time to understand what the story is all about, but then unravels towards the end.
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  Ana Fierro

  This book had been recommended, but it did not live up to its expectations.
  
  The characters are not developed, yes, they change throughout the book, but so drastically they become new characters. It's like someone turns on a switch to make them depressed, nicer... They also were not likeable at all, or relatable. Lisa is a workaholic with no redeeming traits, Aishling is just plain dull, and Clodagh is annoying. They do not have any other personality trait.
  
  Also, nothing happens until you have read 78% of the book, and then everything happens quickly. Way too quick. You would think that the first 78% of the novel would be a build-up to the mess that happens, but no. I mean, it is good that it surprises you, but I should not have to read pages upon pages on nothing to get to something good.
  
  Overall not what I expected.
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  Federica

  Think about an ambitious woman who expects a promotion to became an important magazine editor in New York and ends up in a little pennyless women's magazine editorial board in Ireland instead.
  
  She could either resign indignant or make "Colleen" the most prestigious magazine in the fashion industry.
  
  To do so Lisa Edwards will drive her Dublin staff, mainly made up of women, to exhaustion (nothing like the icy Miranda Priestly in the "Devil Wear Prada" though)but all the efforts will be prized as "Colleen" becomes a smashing success.
  
  
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  Covadonga Lopez Iglesias

  I loved the book. It's such a nice story; so contemporary and real that could happen to any woman these days.
  Her lively writing style and her awesome humor is outstanding.
  Reading a book of Marian is like talking to your best friend at home. I always think she and I could get along excellent with each other.
• 
  Bethan Hazell

  A classic for good reason. Love early Marian Keyes. Have been in a reading slump & needed a feel-good, fluffy comfort read. Had forgotten how much I liked this book!
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  Chloe Rebecca

  My first read of February ✅
  
  I find Marian Keyes books a bit hit or miss for me, I either love them or they’re a bit meh. This one for me was a bit meh. The book was published in 2000, so a lot of the views/comments/themes are a bit outdated and I found myself cringing or eye rolling quite a bit 🙈 the amount of references to starving yourself to be thin annoyed me!! But like I said, it’s outdated and comes from the Bridget Jones era so I suppose it is to be expected.
  
  The story centres around three characters - Lisa, Ashling and Clodagh. Lisa and Clodagh are particularly unlikeable, although Lisa at least redeems herself towards the end, whereas Clodagh is just horrible! Ashling and Clodagh work for a new Irish magazine. I am a sucker for books about people who work for magazines so that part definitely drew me in!! I liked Ashling and I felt that she had a lot of depth to her character, unlike the other two who were very, very shallow. She was definitely the most relatable character, and I liked seeing her relationship with Jack develop over time. Depression is explored, although I don’t think the topic is explored particularly well or sensitively. Homelessness is also a topic of the book, and is tackled a bit better than depression is.
  
  Overall, this was an easy read (although long - 564 pages!) and it was written in that addictive style where you just get sucked into the lives of these characters, even if you’re not that keen on them! It’s entertaining but to me it’s entertaining in the same way that I find Love Island and Big Brother entertaining, rather than me enjoying it because it’s a story with depth, if that makes sense.
  
  I enjoyed this book more than Rachel’s Holiday, but less so than some of Marian’s more recent books such as Grown Ups and The Break. A decent read but it won’t be my favourite, nor will it stick with me.
• 
  ANNA MARIA

  Es una novela entretenida, que va in crescendo en interés, porque al principio es como un batiburrillo de situaciones que luego se van mezclando bien, aunque de forma un poco precipitada. Hay algún momento bonito para releer. Me ha dejado un regusto raro, creo que esta novela la hubiera disfrutado más hace 15 años. No obstante, creo que en la próxima ocasión leeré una novela más actual de esta autora, para ver la evolución que ha tenido y pueda disfrutarla más.