Lucy Sullivan is getting married

Lucy Sullivan is getting married … or is she?
Lucy doesn’t even have a boyfriend. (To be honest, Lucy isn’t that lucky in love). But Mrs. Nolan has read her tarot cards and predicted that Lucy will be walking up the aisle before the leaves have fallen on the ground again. Or, in layman’s language, within a year.

Lucy’s flatmates Karen and Charlotte are appalled at the news. If Lucy leaves it could disrupt their lovely lifestyle of eating takeaways, drining too much wine, bringing men home and never hoovering. They might even have to — God forbid — tidy the flat to lure a new flatmate in.

Lucy reassures them that she’s far too busy arguing with her mother and taking care of her irresponsible father to get married.

And there is the small matter of no boyfriend. But then Lucy meets Gus, gorgeous unreliable Gus. And she starts to wonder if he could be the future Mr. Lucy Sullivan? Or could it be Chuck, the handsome American? Or Daniel, the world’s biggest flirt? Or even cute Jed, the new boy at work? So maybe the idea of Lucy Sullivan getting married isn’t so unlikely, after all?

Lucy lived at a flat with her other two flatmates Karen and Charlotte. She’s unlucky in love but Mrs. Nolan has read her tarot card that she’d get married within a year. She met Gus, a guy who’s far more younger than her. I find this guy weird and mysterious and he seemed to only use Lucy for money. He’s weird because:
- Lucy didn’t even know where he lived and wasn’t allowed to come to his house while he has slept at her flat and been introduced to her flatmates.
- Gus is an alcoholic and oftenly forgot things easily as: house number and streetname, and appointments.
- Gus didn’t like talking on the phone, his reaction when Lucy wanted to call him was different and gave lots of stupid reasons for that.
- Gus has let her waited for him for hours even for days without letting her know about him.
- He has disappointed her many times.
What I don’t understand from this is that Lucy still wanted him and always accepted his stupid excuses when he appeared at her flat after he has disappeared for months. She didn’t even ask for details. Gus might be cute but he has a weird behaviour and weaknesses, his way to talk is also weird.

The second guy is Chuck, the American man whom she has met through the online dating website that Charlotte has suggested. Well, such a cheap way to find a man but, Lucy has finally managed to accept her offer to help her this way. Chuck comes from Tucson, Arizona. During their first date [or so called blind date, then] at a restaurant, Chuck kept on telling her about his ex wife which annoyed her. Besides, Lucy is an alcoholic and he’s not and doesn’t like an alcoholic woman. Chuck spelled her name wrongly for more than once and considered it as a joke and he didn’t even feel that it annoyed her so much. He also laughed very hard even though there’s nothing funny at all and he seemed to wear a wig and his teeth seemed to be unreal. From the story I described him as a pirate or so. The date was not a success one that Lucy decided to leave him before the food arrived.

Daniel is Lucy’s one of the closest guy friends, he’s a flirt and had a relationship with Karen which didn’t end well. After they broke, Karen didn’t allow her to take Daniel to their flat, also to meet him while he has already been Lucy’s friend before Karen knew this guy. Till the unthinkable happened, Lucy’s mother wanted to meet her at a restaurant because she got something to tell. Lucy was in shock when she heard that her mother left her father because he’s such an alcoholic man but Lucy first denied it and told that her mom didn’t even care of him. Lucy decided to move back to her house to take care of her dad. The first few days she just gave him everything he needed included alcoholic drink, he wet his bed at night which she thought it’s because he’s upset at her mom because she left him. But he has wet his bed almost every night and it didn’t seem okay. Lucy decided to consult at her doctor about her alcoholic father. I’m not going to write for details but so long Lucy’s taking care after her dad, Daniel was willing to come to her house whenever she needed him. Months passed, Lucy hated to admit that her mother had been right, her father brought trouble in or outside home. One day when she got home from work she realised that her father has been arrested, had been charged with about a million things — being drunk and disorderly, causing a public affray, causing damage to property, intention to cause actual bodily harm, obscene behaviour.

Gus called her after he got her home phone number. Gus’ call was such a wonderful thing for Lucy because she has missed him nevertheless. From what I described about this guy I still find it silly that Lucy was still thinking about this mysterious and weird guy. They went to a pub and, with full of hope Lucy thought he’d tell her where he has been, etc. They arrived there, Gus bought her a drink which made her wonder about it because she was the one who has bought him alcoholic drink so far and she thought that he’d change. But Gus is still Gus, after he bought her the drink he sat silently opposite her, didn’t say a word and didn’t explain her where he has been. He also still didn’t allow her to go to his house and didn’t want to understand that Lucy had no money left in her bank account. All her money has been spent for her alcoholic dad. After the first round he asked her to buy more drink for both of them. Although she already told him about her situation, he didn’t want to understand but told her to write on her check book, he went to the bar and seemed to has fooled the bar worker that he came back with two alcoholic drinks in his hands. She felt annoyed of his careless and when they wanted to go home, Gus wanted to stay at her house and said he had no money, still she asked him finally why he has never allowed her coming into his house, and asked him for an explaination about all things happened between them but Gus refused to tell her which finally annoyed her even more that she decided to dump this guy. What brave! I thought. I don’t like this Gus. Since then she didn’t even think of Gus.

Month passed, her dad was finally being taken care after in a physical sense. Daniel was the one who made her being dependent on him and in the end, you can guess whom she’s going to marry with. It’s Daniel :) Well, in the end of the story they didn’t get married but she was sure he loved her.

This is a very thick book, it has 740 pages. It’s told that it was filmed. This is the cast:
- Cameron Jack as George
- Niall Buggy as Mr. Sullivan
- Gerard Butler as Gus
- Debbie Chazen as Meredia
- Letitia Dean as Charlotte
- Zoë Eeles as Karen
- Simon Greenall as Richard
- Andy Henderson
- James Hillier as Steve
- Pascal Langdale as Daniel
- Dilys Laye
- Sam Loggin as Lucy Sullivan
- David Simeon as Ken Kennedy
- Shirley Stelfox as Mrs. Nolan
- Sara Stockbridge as Megan
- Gwyneth Strong as Hetty
- Oliver Tobias
- Frances Tomelty as Mrs. Sullivan
- Michael Troughton as Ivor

PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry

Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other’s sentences and even when they fought, they laughed. No one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other.

Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry’s death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms, Gerry comes back to her. He’s left her a bundle of notes, gently guiding Holly into her new life without him, each note signed ‘PS, I Love You’.
As the notes are gradually opened, and as the year unfolds, Holly is both cheered up and challenged. The man who knows her better than anyone sets out to teach her that life goes on. With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing — and being braver than ever before.

Life is for living, she realises — but it always helps if there’s an angel watching over you

Short opinions:

‘A bitter-sweet storyline guaranteed to tug on your heartstrings‘
Glamour

‘Heartbreak, intrique and love letters from beyond the grave — Ahern was sure and symphatetic hand.‘
Irish Times

From this book I tried to imagine how it should be when my beloved one, in this case, my man, is not beside me anymore. But from this book I also think how too fake the story goes, Holly seems to be an immature thirty something lady who only thinks that her husband can however not come back alive anymore so that she receives the love letters from Gerry. The way how she gets the love letters looks more like a fake love letters or a play game that are made by her own friends just to cheer her up till she finally can live a life. Maybe if she didn’t get the love letters she shouldn’t even bother that life goes on.

And to my confusion; Gerry seems to know when he should die so he buys a holiday tickets for Holly and her friends before he dies. According to me, someone who knows he has a wonderful wife and life together with his beloved one would not think of preparing something before the death; I meant, they’re just married, most of the couples would more think of what they can do to get healthier. It seems that it isn’t Gerry who buys the ticket but one of Holly’s friends who uses Gerry’s name to make Holly thinks that it’s really from Gerry. As Holly has caught that the leprechaun aka the secret gardener who continuedly gardens her garden isn’t Gerry, she doesn’t even doubt that all the things she receives are probably from her other friends. Oh poor Holly.

Holly also seems like a woman who doesn’t know what she has to do in her life so that she receives love letter which contains “buy new outfit� in it as any woman can do this by herself without getting told by someone else especially by a ghost named Gerry. Holly doesn’t live lonely on this earth, she has friends who care for her, and she should have felt responsible/needed to buy a new outfit, or even to enjoy the life outside of her home without being guided by letters. Holly is hiding for a month right after Gerry’s death and from this book it makes me think that she doesn’t even take a shower (or rarely) because her friend tells her that she doesn’t look fresh so that she has to go to hairdresser and she doesn’t seem to even clean her house, her friend named Sharon cleans it for her. What the hell does she do hiding inside of her house for a month?!? Only crying and sleeping?!? Imagine this immature thirty something lady.

—

Discussion Questions
Who is narrating PS, I Love You? Where is the story located? What affect, if any, does location make to the story? Why?
There’s no location make to the story, maybe the author doesn’t want to get reader who has a relate story? I have no idea! — no answer anyway lol –

At what point does the book hook you? What makes you keep reading? What is your favorite part?
Well, I was confused how the love letters should end and how she would be in the end of the story. I have no favourite part. Oh yes, I do! The moment when Holly describes her sister and how her sister describes Holly.

Keeping in mind that Ahern was 21 when she wrote PS, I Love You, discuss her strengths as a storyteller. How effective is she at describing Holly’s experiences? If you have lost a loved one, or know someone who has, discuss how much you relate to Holly’s mourning process.
Cecelia Ahern isn’t effective enough at describing Holly’s experiences. If I have lost a loved one I surely don’t know what to do but I shouldn’t believe that the love letters I receive are from my loved one.

Look at the first two paragraphs of Chapter One. What is going on? What information does Cecelia Ahern provide at this early stage to set up the story that follows?
–- Holly held the blue cotton sweater to her face and the familiar smell immediately struck her, an overwhelming grief knotting her stomach and pulling at her heart. Pins and needles ran up the back of her neck and a lump in her throat threatened to choke her. Panic took over. Apart from the low hum of the fridge and the occasional moaning of the pipes, the house was quiet. She was alone. Bile rose in her throat and she ran to the bathroom, where she collapsed to her knees before the toilet –-
What do you think Cecelia Ahern provides?

Thinking about the book’s early dialogue, like Holly’s wedding preparation in Chapter Two, explore Ahern’s word choices. How does she convey about the story? Read aloud the long paragraph on page 8. What does Ahern reveal about the characters?
“I can’t do it all the time, you know, Hol. Someday I might not be here and then what will you do?� — said Gerry. He already said something like that when he’s still alive and both were making joke before sleep.

Briefly describe Holly’s family and friends. Which characters do you like most? Why?
Her sister. Because she didn’t seem sad when she came back to her country after living in Australia for years. She didn’t seem sad to remember that her relationship with her significant other has ended and to remember that he doesn’t call her yet while she already stays for a month there. She had never cried before and Holly found her crying in her bedroom, it was the first time that she saw her sister crying as the story described Holly has never seen her crying before.

How does the idea of “a list� come about? What is so compelling about a list left by a loved one who has died? How does the list help Holly? Talk about which item was the most difficult for her, and why. If you know anyone who has been left such a list, share how it affected them.
I don’t know what the hell Gerry’s thinking about to include “singing� part on the list. If I have a loved one he should know what I like and can do and what I really don’t like and can’t do. If I get “singing� on the list I have to do from my loved one I should feel forced and it doesn’t cheer me up, nevertheless. And I also wonder how Gerry knows what Holly needs to prepare before it’s the time Holly has to do the things on the list.

Consider the last two paragraphs of Chapter Four, beginning with “Her stomach did a little dance . . .� Discuss your response. What is the author sharing with the reader? How successful is she? Why?
The list, which she thinks it can guide her in her life without Gerry. The author wrote,�if it wasn’t from Gerry, then Holly finally had to accept the fact that he was gone completely from her life and she had to start thinking about existing without him.� It seems that it’s the next step for Holly to get one step ahead. The package showed her that he’s not completely gone from her.

Even though Gerry is dead, how does he come alive in the book? At what point in the book do we learn the most about Gerry? Describe him both physically and mentally.
Gerry’s like a sweet guy who’s Holly’s everything, a shoulder to cry on, a closest person she’s ever known, her childhood friend as lover, someone who knows her better than someone else. About how he comes alive in the book? As I said the story is too fake everything can happen because it’s fake. I meant, the love letters that come from someone who already died, it’s too fake to believe.

Questions are taken from here

On the other side if I was Holly I shouldn’t know what else to rebuild my life if the love letters haven’t arrived. All what I’d do is to fight against the sadness by trying to have some activities to do by myself. Holly’s friends have partner, one of them is expecting a baby and, her closest friend Sharon is preparing for marriage (I guess it’s Sharon but I forgot because I finished reading this book months ago) so I could imagine how lonely Holly feels without Gerry. I meant, feeling lonely in the heart even though there are friends who are ready to help her; it’s understandable for Holly if she ever feels jealous with her friends because they’ve partners. Expecting baby is one of Holly’s dreams. If she gets baby from Gerry she probably won’t really feel sad as the baby will then become her sweet memories with Gerry in a body of another person who is their son. This book however made me more believe that childhood sweethearts exist. It’s very hard to lose someone whom you love in your whole life especially if you know him/her since your childhood. This story is also good for those who also lost their lovers due to the death, it helps them to rebuild their hopes in life ;)