Grown Ups
Grown Ups by Marian Keyes is one of our fiction recommendations for May. Grown Ups is Marian Keyes’s fourteenth novel. She is an internationally bestselling author whose work has been translated into thirty-six languages. In addition to her novels she has also published two collections of journalism.
If you have read any of our other reviews: when writing about a book I think it is helpful to include the blurb as this is what folks might first read if they picked up this book in a bookshop or in your local library. We are told about Grown Ups:
They’re a glamorous family, the Caseys. Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together - birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they’re a happy family. Johnny’s wife Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it.
Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, some people like each other far too much …
Everything stays under control until Ed’s wife, Cara, gets concussion and can’t keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny’s birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.
In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it’s time - finally - to grow up?
This was my first time reading a book by Marian Keyes, and I’m already planning to read more. This book is massive. Usually a book this size will have dull moments or passages, but the pacing in this book was great and the tension held up until the very end. The dialogue felt natural and the structure of hearing each character’s voice in alternating chapters added layers to each scene preceding and strengthened our understanding of the characters and their relationships to one another.
The book starts with all of the Caseys gathered together to celebrate Johnny Casey’s birthday. The opening chapter ends right as Cara is about to tell a big secret to the family, but we don’t know the details. We are then dropped back in time to 6 months before that night. While we do eventually get the big reveal, we learn that there are many more secrets and unspoken feelings that are just as scandalous and alarming than anything Cara would reveal.
I love flawed characters and Keyes gives us seven. In an interview with the Cúirt Festival, Keyes said that she identifies most with the character of Jessie, Johnny Casey’s wife Jessie is the pushy, self-appointed matriarch of the family, who is always trying to bring the family together to create memories. I really loved this character. On the surface Jessie seems to have it all together. She has made a lot of money and has a lovely home and family, but beneath the surface she worries about being unlikeable and like she doesn’t fit in. She worries that no one really wants to be around her unless she is paying for weekends away and fancy meals. As readers we know there is truth to this and that the rest of the family feel obligated to participate even when they might rather have a casual night in. Their unwillingness to be honest with Jessie and her unwillingness to open up the question for fear of rejection creates a really interesting setting for this story. It also is interesting that on top of it all, Jessie can’t really afford to be putting on so many events and get togethers. I loved the little moments where we saw Jessie’s vulnerability and her inner monologue as she tries to orchestrate the perfect family memories. This underlying self doubt runs through every character in the book in different ways.
I also really loved Cara, Ed’s wife, who struggles with a secret eating disorder after years of negative body image and dieting. I thought her storyline was heartbreaking and hopeful. As someone who has struggled with disordered eating throughout my life, I related so much to her unhappiness in her own skin. The small moments of people saying cruel things about her weight and body felt so real and reflected things I have experienced. I loved the relationship between Cara and Ed. It was so respectful and caring, especially in contrast to the other relationships throughout the story.
I appreciated the way this story echoed the problems of modern day Ireland. We meet Pearl, a Syrian refugee living under Direct Provision. I believe it is common for Keyes to incorporate social issues into her books. There is also information about period poverty. Both of these issues didn’t feel shoehorned in or preachy, the characters addressed these issues in ways that felt genuine, and added to their arcs within the story.
The three Casey brothers, Liam, Ed, and Johnny, were written with a lot of depth. I enjoyed the section where the whole family attends the Casey matriarch and patriarch’s wedding anniversary. Canice and Rose Casey are terrifying and cruel and through this passage we see how the strained relationship between parents and children has impacted them deeply. The character of Johnny especially demonstrates the confines of masculinity and how limiting and harmful it can be to be raised with impossible standards. Johnny struggles to express his emotions to others and is still hoping that someday he will get his parents’ validation.
There is also so much to explore within the character of Liam, a former famous athlete struggling to find his footing after the breakdown of his marriage. He meets Nell, a young theatre set designer with a strong ethical compass and falls in love on sight. Within months they have married and we watch as Nell realises that Liam had been telling her exactly what she wanted to hear to fall in love with him. Liam’s emotional abuse within their relationship is subtle but Keyes shows us the deep impact it has on Nell. Nell’s story was one of my favourites in the book for all it’s messiness.
This book deals with all the big, heavy things of life: grief, loneliness, love, family, and how we deal with the past. The writing is wonderful and witty with lots of humour to balance out the seriousness. This would be the perfect read for anyone who loves stories that deal with family dramas and strong characterization. Have you read this one? Which character did you identify with the most? Let me know over on our socials and let me know which one of Keyes’s books I should head to next.
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