Fotografía de autor

Ken O'Neill

Autor de The Marrying Kind

2 Obras 61 Miembros 6 Reseñas

Obras de Ken O'Neill

The Marrying Kind (1870) 58 copias

Etiquetado

Conocimiento común

Género
male

Miembros

Reseñas

People use the acronym “LOL” all the time, but they usually don’t mean it. I laughed out loud twice while reading this book. (Once on the subway, which was mildly embarrassing.) It is THAT funny. Once was a sex joke, and once was a Rosa Parks joke, which gives you the idea of the breadth of the humor in this book. Some of the funny bits are silly and cute. For example, the main characters in this novel are called Adam and Steve (ok, it’s actually “Steven,” but still) and no one in the book ever refers to that fact. It’s a complete throwaway joke. Other funny bits are quite dark, poignant, and Woody Allenish, especially the descriptions of the protagonist’s kooky Romanian mother. I also particularly liked all the classic movie references.

The Marrying Kind is light and fluffy, like a beach read (think Marian Keyes) and yet at the same time is a searing look at inequality and bigotry in our modern life. I was fascinated at the way the story deftly walks the delicate tightrope between flippant and serious. In a nutshell, the book is about a Manhattan wedding planner and his boyfriend who decide that they’re going to boycott all weddings until marriage equality is enacted in the USA—-but then some family members get engaged. The characters are very real and sympathetic, especially the witty but neurotic protagonist Steven. The pacing is nice, and there are a lot of reversals, so that I was kept guessing until the end whether Steven and Adam would attend the family wedding. This is an incredibly accessible and non-threatening way to present a “social issue.” I think even casual straight readers who have never given a thought to gay people will a) be entertained and b) be provoked into thinking about marriage equality (aka “gay marriage.”)
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Denunciada
jollyavis | 4 reseñas más. | Dec 14, 2021 |
4.5 stars. A serious topic delivered with plenty of humor, Ken O’Neill’s debut novel The Marrying Kind is a thought-provoking novel that is poignant, funny and quite touching. To read my review in its entirety, please visit http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/2012/07/05/the-marrying-kind/
 
Denunciada
kbranfield | 4 reseñas más. | Feb 3, 2020 |
4.5 stars.

George Bailey Gets Saved in the End by Ken O'Neill is a humorous novel that is also poignant and surprisingly, uplifting.

After a series of life-altering events occur in fairly quick succession, George Bailey is forced out of complacency about his career and marriage. He works alongside his father, brother and to some extent, his own children, in the family owned Christmas business. George has grown increasingly unhappy with his job but inertia and family expectations have left him unable to decide whether or not to leave his position. Although not exactly happy in his 24 year marriage, he is content to stay with his childhood sweetheart, Tara. As events continue to snowball out of control, George has no choice but face his growing dissatisfaction with his life, but will he make better choices than he has in the past?

George is an endearing middle aged man who is content to maintain the status quo despite his increasing unhappiness. He ignores problems until he has no choice but to face them and even then, he is hard-pressed to make decisions about how to fix them. With his life completely upended, George makes a few questionable choices but overall, he is making progress as he tries to figure out what will make him happy. While he is definitely making progress in making positive changes in his life, he still has to force himself to explore his feelings and stop reacting passively to difficult situations. Habits of a lifetime are difficult to break, but George makes considerable progress in affecting positive changes in every aspect of his life.

George Bailey Gets Saved in the End by Ken O'Neill is a charming holiday novel that is fast-paced and engaging. The characters are multi-faceted with quirks that add to their overall appeal. An entertaining yet extremely heartwarming story of new beginnings that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
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Denunciada
kbranfield | Feb 3, 2020 |
This book was so funny, but also very touching. I didn't read it. I devoured it.
 
Denunciada
JDRuskin1184 | 4 reseñas más. | Jun 9, 2013 |

Premios

Estadísticas

Obras
2
Miembros
61
Popularidad
#274,234
Valoración
½ 3.7
Reseñas
6
ISBNs
4

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