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Marian Keyes
Anybody Out There
London, Penguin Books Ltd., 2007
592pp. $10.99
0-14102-988-9

Marian Keyes’ novel Anybody Out There covers topics of love, death and despair, and self-discovery. As suggested by the title, narrator Anna Walsh feels alone and confused as she wakes up in her childhood home in Dublin, Ireland, complete with cuts, bruises and broken bones. Her husband, Aidan Maddox, does not appear to want to have contact with her and she cannot figure out why. She is seeking guidance, yet no one seems to be willing to give it to her. After having time to heal from the mysterious accident, she heads back to her New York apartment, which she once shared with her beloved Aidan. It is there she has to deal with harsh reality and the over-bearing sense of loneliness.
Marian Keyes chose to use an informal style of writing for the story, and it helps readers to connect to the characters by use of dialogue and strong imagery. Readers will want to become Anna Walsh’s friend, and be the one who is there to talk to her. Keyes wrote the story in first-person, telling the details as they happen, as well as including informative flashbacks. She explains Anna Walsh so clearly that readers will feel as if they know her. This book, and others written by her, tends to switch back and forth between characters and their personal stories, yet it is written with such clear ideas that readers will not feel lost.
This story is an excellent example of one woman’s journey from an emotional heartache and loss, to picking herself up and rearranging her life to truly suit her desires. Throughout the book, readers find themselves laughing, crying, and silently cheering for Anna Walsh, the hilarious and emotionally unstable Public Relations assistant.
International bestselling author, Marian Keyes, is considered one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time. She grew up in Dublin, where many of...