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A review by stefhyena
The Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy
3.0
All the characters in these separate but intertwined stories are on a journey of growth and redemption. There is hope for them although most of them come from difficult families that don't know how to help them thrive.
I had to admire how non-judgemental the text stays as it moves through heartbreak, adultery, and even crime (although there is a cosy conservatism behind it, gendered identities are very conventional and that is inadequately problematised in each context). I really disliked the first chapter and all the references back to it that were meant to be funny I think, but I think this was the one place where the author was a bit nasty to one of the characters.
There is a hint of romance- after all the relationships and situations gone wrong, after all the loneliness and hints of sadness of all the characters there is a quiet coming together that may or may not turn out at the end. I liked it a lot better than more passionate romances that take over the plot- and it seemed there was genuine attraction behind it.
It still wasn't completely my cup of tea, but I could see why a lot of people would love this sort of writing (anyone who likes the Anne of Green Gables series for example). I liked it better than the last Maeve Binchy I read.
I had to admire how non-judgemental the text stays as it moves through heartbreak, adultery, and even crime (although there is a cosy conservatism behind it, gendered identities are very conventional and that is inadequately problematised in each context). I really disliked the first chapter and all the references back to it that were meant to be funny I think, but I think this was the one place where the author was a bit nasty to one of the characters.
There is a hint of romance- after all the relationships and situations gone wrong, after all the loneliness and hints of sadness of all the characters there is a quiet coming together that may or may not turn out at the end. I liked it a lot better than more passionate romances that take over the plot- and it seemed there was genuine attraction behind it.
It still wasn't completely my cup of tea, but I could see why a lot of people would love this sort of writing (anyone who likes the Anne of Green Gables series for example). I liked it better than the last Maeve Binchy I read.