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sarafanggrant's review against another edition
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
tree166's review
3.0
Not the best book I've ever read but also not the worst. I like the story and the overall feel of the book, but it got a little tedious in some parts. I started having trouble keeping track of all the secondary characters and found myself wondering what the point was in even mentioning them. Overall though, not a bad read.
pixie_d's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book so well that I have read a lot more of Binchy's books as they came into the library. Subsequent novels have seemed formulaic, and good for her for milking a cash cow, but as this was the first one I read it made an impression on me in its own right. Of course (however?) now I can't think of the characters without imagining their movie counterparts.
audreybrown's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kaylielongley's review against another edition
4.0
Maeve Binchy is a compassionate writer. Conflict is at the core of this book, so it’s natural to mourn for her characters, but friendship is the heart. The friendship between Benny and Eve is sentimental, loyal, and very real. Their relationship was formed out of the shared experience of neglect. Eve, abandoned as a child, was raised by nuns and thus was shunned from most of society. Benny, much more privileged, has never made a true friend without help from her parents, due in part to her size. Benny and Eve need each other, and their friendship is timeless as they create a circle of friends. Together, they face pitfalls, large and small, all truly starting when Benny defends Eve from a bully, pushing her, resulting in Eve’s prophetic, “Someday, I’ll push someone down for you.” They grow up, attend college in the big city of Dublin and find even more battles. There’s deceptive Nan, who seems calm and collected but hides her family; lovable Jack who’s pretty and charming but frivolous until he falls for Benny; and Eve’s sometimes-boyfriend Aiden, who dreams of eight children and other shenanigans.
Binchy confronts the changing role of the church, pregnancy out of wedlock, family dynamics and unexpected sources of love (and loathing), transitioning to college, and the life and times of a handful of people in 1950s Ireland. Binchy has the unique ability to capture the core truths of people and how one’s relationships mold the lives of others. Eve, for example, was orphaned as a child, and upon living with nuns, made it her life mission to never be seen as a charity case. This, of course, affects all of her relationships, as she cannot depend on anyone, not even spunky Mother Francis. For another example, as a result of Nan’s father’s abuse of alcohol, Nan first turns to magazines and etiquette books, then experiments with crashing weddings and other events to find her own escape. This idea that relationships affect individual choices sets the pace for the novel, and that’s ultimately what sets the book apart, as well. The lesson? Even ‘villains’ must make choices, and they too can bring sympathy. Taken from my grandma’s book shelf, as she’s read everything by this Irish author, I treasured this story.
Binchy confronts the changing role of the church, pregnancy out of wedlock, family dynamics and unexpected sources of love (and loathing), transitioning to college, and the life and times of a handful of people in 1950s Ireland. Binchy has the unique ability to capture the core truths of people and how one’s relationships mold the lives of others. Eve, for example, was orphaned as a child, and upon living with nuns, made it her life mission to never be seen as a charity case. This, of course, affects all of her relationships, as she cannot depend on anyone, not even spunky Mother Francis. For another example, as a result of Nan’s father’s abuse of alcohol, Nan first turns to magazines and etiquette books, then experiments with crashing weddings and other events to find her own escape. This idea that relationships affect individual choices sets the pace for the novel, and that’s ultimately what sets the book apart, as well. The lesson? Even ‘villains’ must make choices, and they too can bring sympathy. Taken from my grandma’s book shelf, as she’s read everything by this Irish author, I treasured this story.
jenne512's review against another edition
1.0
This book starts off very slowly, with an opening chapter regarding the meeting of Benny and Eve (the main characters of the novel). It's a chapter that does very little than to show that Benny comes from a good family, and Eve is an orphan being raised by nuns. The chapter itself is very long, boring, and honestly doesn't feel like has any purpose for the rest of the story, which then takes place 7 years later. In a way, I am more angry at the fact this chapter happened, since it barely served as a good enough introduction to the created town of Knockglen, and the later development (or lack there of) in the future characters of Benny and Eve.
Eventually, Benny grows from being a sheltered 10 year old to being a sheltered 19/20 year old about to attend a Dublin university. Eve herself somehow develops a nasty temper, and is about to start working for a convent also in Dublin. By an unfortunate accident, Benny and Eve meet a group of students who will later be considered their circle of friends (see what I did there?) through the school year. Random events, both good and bad, happen to Benny and Eve, all somehow involving Nan Mahon, Jack Foley, and a bunch of other Knockglen residents and Dublin students whom I didn't pay attention to. Many times the author describes in detail characters who the reader will eventually find have little use to the overall plot of the story (ex: Jack Foley's parents, Patsy and Moosy). In the end, it all reads quite like a soap opera, with a lot of unnecessary antics in between the main story lines of Benny and Eve. Sometimes, I felt the author seemed to tempt me with some kind of worthy 3-dimensional character in Nan or Benny, only to have that snatched away by a scene that portrayed them as inconsistent or backward from how I had pictured them.
The plot felt like Binchy tossed together a lot of twists. They would of been exciting, except Binchy's writing could be so banal, so monotone that it was hard to tell if something truly tragic/joyous happened or Binchy was just stating a fact. For example, when Benny and Eve witness a student's tragic car accident, Binchy wrote the scene as if they simply crossed the street and happened to find a parked car rather than a dead body. I know that sounds cruel, but I don't know how else to explain it. More dramatic scenes should of used more dramatic language. Binchy did not have a grasp of that.
Another thing that bothered me was how Binchy described moments where I'm sure dialogue would of been much better than prose. What the characters could of said would probably show more about themselves to the reader than having their actions described word for word. This happens to every major conversation in the book, where Binchy describes what is said rather than how it is said. Example:
I feel like you could of gotten a bit of insight into how Nan talked or what words she chose to handle the situation. Yet it's as if dialogue was nothing but dribble in literature that should be ignored, rather than a tool for character insight. Ugh.
There were few, rare moments where the writing style comes through and the story drew me in for a bit. Benny's and Jack's early romance had a sweetness to it. The simplicity of the writing seemed perfect to write an innocent, naive love. I kept reading mainly because I wanted to know if they would truly fall apart (plus, I never trusted that Jack - god what a terribly written character). And maybe the scene of Eve's party is somewhat described more strongly than the other tense moments in the book. Otherwise, much of the other scenes felt like jumbled events happening in an already boring world.
Eventually, Benny grows from being a sheltered 10 year old to being a sheltered 19/20 year old about to attend a Dublin university. Eve herself somehow develops a nasty temper, and is about to start working for a convent also in Dublin. By an unfortunate accident, Benny and Eve meet a group of students who will later be considered their circle of friends (see what I did there?) through the school year. Random events, both good and bad, happen to Benny and Eve, all somehow involving Nan Mahon, Jack Foley, and a bunch of other Knockglen residents and Dublin students whom I didn't pay attention to. Many times the author describes in detail characters who the reader will eventually find have little use to the overall plot of the story (ex: Jack Foley's parents, Patsy and Moosy). In the end, it all reads quite like a soap opera, with a lot of unnecessary antics in between the main story lines of Benny and Eve. Sometimes, I felt the author seemed to tempt me with some kind of worthy 3-dimensional character in Nan or Benny, only to have that snatched away by a scene that portrayed them as inconsistent or backward from how I had pictured them.
The plot felt like Binchy tossed together a lot of twists. They would of been exciting, except Binchy's writing could be so banal, so monotone that it was hard to tell if something truly tragic/joyous happened or Binchy was just stating a fact. For example, when Benny and Eve witness a student's tragic car accident, Binchy wrote the scene as if they simply crossed the street and happened to find a parked car rather than a dead body. I know that sounds cruel, but I don't know how else to explain it. More dramatic scenes should of used more dramatic language. Binchy did not have a grasp of that.
Another thing that bothered me was how Binchy described moments where I'm sure dialogue would of been much better than prose. What the characters could of said would probably show more about themselves to the reader than having their actions described word for word. This happens to every major conversation in the book, where Binchy describes what is said rather than how it is said. Example:
She [Nan] told him that she was going to London. She hoped to do a course in dress-designing. She wanted to be away for a while. She didn't really know exactly what she did want, but she knew what she didn't want.
I feel like you could of gotten a bit of insight into how Nan talked or what words she chose to handle the situation. Yet it's as if dialogue was nothing but dribble in literature that should be ignored, rather than a tool for character insight. Ugh.
There were few, rare moments where the writing style comes through and the story drew me in for a bit. Benny's and Jack's early romance had a sweetness to it. The simplicity of the writing seemed perfect to write an innocent, naive love. I kept reading mainly because I wanted to know if they would truly fall apart (plus, I never trusted that Jack - god what a terribly written character). And maybe the scene of Eve's party is somewhat described more strongly than the other tense moments in the book. Otherwise, much of the other scenes felt like jumbled events happening in an already boring world.
lemeilleurs's review against another edition
5.0
Oh this book was just absolutely lovely!! It’s one of those books that will rip your heart into a million pieces but you absolutely love every minute of it. If all of her books are like this, I will absolutely be reading more. It’s just the highs and lows of doing life together!! You love some characters, you can’t stand others, and you experience every single emotion by the end of it. Not a book to devour in one sitting, but to really savor each time you come to its pages. Love love love!!
kkate7's review against another edition
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zombehdoll's review against another edition
3.0
I saw this movie long ago and have always wanted to read the book, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. There were aspects I liked, and aspects I really really didn't and that made me cringe super hard.
Be warned that there are a lot of references to disordered eating. Benny is more of a wishy-washy martyr and doormat than I remember Minnie Driver's character being in the movie. Jack is wayyyyyy more of an entitled, petulant f*ckboy than I remember Chris O'Donnell either. He is constantly pissy about Benny not being available at his beck and call, uses it to justify cheating on her, and gets annoyed that she's still "sulking" when he cheats on her, but he is welcomed back into the fold and celebrated by his buddies while Nan is a despised pariah. Nan is set up very unsympathetically as the villain in both versions, but especially in the book Jack deserved a much larger share of the blame than he ever got. He happily, and repeatedly, snuck around to sleep with Nan, and when Nan raised the question of Jack being Benny's boyfriend, Jack was quick to dismiss her. Yet the lion's share of the blame was reserved for Nan. Jack is just a disgrace. I understand that Benny grows as a character and this is reflected in her relationship with Jack and the ending of the book but it was hard watching her starve herself for that whiny little weasel.
I was not a fan of a lot of the sexist narratives that permeate the book (men are more generous, more forgiving, easier to be around, blah blah, plus so much more
Be warned that there are a lot of references to disordered eating. Benny is more of a wishy-washy martyr and doormat than I remember Minnie Driver's character being in the movie. Jack is wayyyyyy more of an entitled, petulant f*ckboy than I remember Chris O'Donnell either. He is constantly pissy about Benny not being available at his beck and call, uses it to justify cheating on her, and gets annoyed that she's still "sulking" when he cheats on her, but he is welcomed back into the fold and celebrated by his buddies while Nan is a despised pariah. Nan is set up very unsympathetically as the villain in both versions, but especially in the book Jack deserved a much larger share of the blame than he ever got. He happily, and repeatedly, snuck around to sleep with Nan, and when Nan raised the question of Jack being Benny's boyfriend, Jack was quick to dismiss her. Yet the lion's share of the blame was reserved for Nan. Jack is just a disgrace. I understand that Benny grows as a character and this is reflected in her relationship with Jack and the ending of the book but it was hard watching her starve herself for that whiny little weasel.
I was not a fan of a lot of the sexist narratives that permeate the book (men are more generous, more forgiving, easier to be around, blah blah, plus so much more