5 comments about Tara Road.

1. Judging by the large number of reviews, it's clear to see that 'Tara Road' is a popular book. I am therefore surprised and very disappointed that no reviewer has highlighted the glaring editorial error in the title. And it's even more astonishing that Oprah has not corrected it, given her show business connections. As every film buff knows, the actress's name is Tara REID, not Tara ROAD. Such an appallingly public gaff is humiliating for this beautiful and talented artist. If I were Ms Reid, I'd expect heads to roll, not only within the publishing company but also within Oprah's organization. Or is it 'Opera'? No, it's a farce that should not have occurred.



2. When my book discussion group selected this title recently, I was wary. But we have had some pretty good discussions about books that were essentially, well, beach reads before, so why not this one. Maeve Binchy had her admirers among the group members, but no one actually claimed that her works had much literary merit. They were "good reads," and there are times when we're all up for just that. TARA ROAD is compelling in a shambling, soap opera kind of way. It takes over 500 pages to tell a story that could have been told in maybe half that number. But then, we wouldn't have benefitted from every conceivable character's point of view, some subplots might have been curtailed or abandoned.
   
   It wouldn't have been nearly as fun.
   
   Funny that this one-time Oprah selection actually mentions Oprah's show in the context of the storyline. Surely that can't be the reason O selected it. Nah, this has all the hallmarks of (earlier) Oprah books--women overcoming life's obstacles, especially the ones thrown at them by MEN. But it's not all hearts and flowers and happy endings. In fact, the reason it qualifies for OB status is that its optimism is attenuated just a tad by something like realism.
   
   It's the new Happy Ending, the qualified one. You move on, you get over it--or at least you try to. There's a bit of hope, some hard won insights, and life will go on (except for the dead drunk guy who ends up drunk and dead, but I won't spoil it for you).
   
   In a more literary text, the parallels between the two women who trade houses, continents, and lives for two months one summer would have been set up more cleanly. Both characters would have been introduced at or near the story's beginning and their storylines would have "intertwined" in some sense well before they do here. The story "belongs" to the Irish character, Ria, with the American woman, Marilyn, coming in almost as an afterthought, or rather as a plot device to move the action along once there is an major turning point in the story of Ria's seemingly perfect, comfortable existence.
   
   But you know, just as on the TV soaps the novel resembles, it all sort of works. Marilyn's entry into the story is somewhat reminiscent of the new character that comes along in Season Two. She's got her own tale to tell, and it gets told, in dribs and drabs, and before you know it, the new gal is a major player in the plotline.
   
   In that respect, TARA ROAD's rambling, slow moving storyline starts to resemble real life in odd ways. It's a little sloppy, and things don't get all that neatly tied up at the end. We think we know where these characters' lives may be going, but we can't be sure that things wouldn't take a completely different turn somewhere down the line.
   
   If it WERE a more literary novel, I might be justified in wondering whether or not there was some kind of "Mary" motif going on here. After all, the three major (adult) women characters are (Ma)ria, Marilyn and Rosemary. If we were thinking "serious literature," there might be some blending of identities, similarities in their fates, or just some kind of bond. And in fact, you could argue for all of those things. But with a Maeve Binchy yarn, it could also just simply be that the author just happened to like those names. Either way, it's a pretty good read.



3. I picked up this book because it was an Oprah Book CLub book and I had several waiting for me to read.
   I found it hollow and not as OBC worthy as others, like Middlesex which I just finished prior to Tara Road.
   Tara Road is replete with weak female characters: a doormat in Ria, a punching bag in Gertie, a wealthy backstabbing friend, etc etc.
   I wanted to jump into their world and shake some sense into them! WHy must all the women be weak and accomodating and most of the male characters successful and in control (if not domineering)?
   I did find it enjoyable along the way but in the end I felt as if I wasted 600+ pages of reading on a stupid woman's book.



4. I just finished reading this book about 10 minutes ago. I couldn't put it down! I would highly recommend this book to anyone.



5. Maeve Binchy, once again uses her expertise as a masterful storyteller, to create this light and very readable tale of two women, who are trying to pull their lives back together, after experiencing two separate, very personal, tragedies.
   When Ria swaps her beautiful home in Tara Road, Ireland, for Marilyn's fancy house in New England, America, she wonders what possessed her to leave the familiarity of home. But in her struggle to make sense of this new environment, Ria discovers a new sense of self.
   Tara Road is a lovely story, filled with colourful, completely believable characters. It also possesses a warmth that is unique to so many of Maeve Binchy's works. And for a book that is 639 pages long, it's also a surprisingly quick read.
   A great (and appropriate) book for the holidays!
   
   
   
   
   Zara Stevens
   Boy Meets Girl: A Pocketful of Wedding Stories

1 comments about Quentins.

1. This is an excellent story in the rich and entertaining way of Maeve Binchy. She transports the reader (listener) to the actual place and time - or at least makes one wish to join the wonderful characters and the fun activities. This story centers around Quentins, the popular and exquisite restaurant. The chracters in the story are connected in a variety of ways through the restaurant. Some of the characters are known from Binchy's books, Tara Road and Scarlet Feather. A very pleasant read!

No comments about Tara Road (Unabridged).

5 comments about Nights of Rain and Stars (Larkin Family Chronicles).

1. This novel is a bit different from Binchy's others. The uplifting tone and Greek setting will draw you into the inner circle of the four characters' meeting.



2. NIGHTS OF RAIN AND STARS by Maeve Binchy
   July 28, 2007
   
   Amazon Rating: 3.5/5 stars
   
   I hadn't read a Binchy book in quite a while. NIGHTS OF RAIN AND STARS, I have to admit, will not be one of my favorite Maeve Binchy books but it still was enjoyable. The story takes place in Greece, where a group of tourists bond after a touring boat catches fire and many people, locals and visitors, are killed. The tragedy brings these people together, bonding them as friends.
   
   Elsa is a beautiful German television reporter who is running away from her life. She remains a mystery to her fellow travelers, as she does not want to talk about her past. Fiona is from Ireland, who is visiting Greece with the man she thinks she loves, a man that no one approves of back home. Fiona thinks her family and friends simply do not understand her boyfriend, but her new friends in Greece can see the reasons why. David is running away from his family business. His parents love him but expect him to take over once his father is no longer able to work, and David loathes their entire lifestyle and what he thinks they represent. And finally, Thomas, the Californian, is dealing with his recent divorce and is trying to run away from a situation that he doesn't want to face - his son will soon have a new stepfather, and Thomas feels he may get in the way of his son's new life. Yet he yearns to be with him again, to be his father and have a real father-son relationship, not just the occasional phone call.
   
   While the four new friends bond and learn about each other, two locals also have their own stories. Vonni is a mystery to everyone, at least to the newcomers. Her past goes back to Ireland, and the tourists wonder what brought her to Greece in the first place, and why she has never gone back home. She acts like a mother figure to them, giving them advice even when the advice is not wanted. And last but not least, Andreas is an elderly man who regrets what he said and did to chase his son away to America, a son who does not want to return home.
   
   I'm not sure if my tastes have changed over the years, or possibly Maeve Binchy's style has changed as well, but I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed some of her previous books, including TARA ROAD, my introduction to Maeve Binchy (through the Oprah Book Club). Maeve is great at creating and writing about characters you grow to love, but most of her books were set in Ireland, and I am wondering if this was the problem with NIGHTS OF RAIN AND STARS, which was set in Greece with an international set of characters. I felt the people in this book were not quite "real", that they were not really contemporary characters but characters from another era. I also felt the novel was just a reason to publish another book, maybe her publisher was expecting another one, so here it was.
   
   Overall, while I was able to finish the book and was able to enjoy reading about the various characters in NIGHTS OF RAIN AND STARS, I didn't quite buy who they were. It felt like I was watching a made for TV movie, from the seventies, no doubt.



3. Maeve Binchy did it again for me. I always take her books on holidays and I end up reading her on the beach. This time I read her instead of sightseeing in Manchester - I could not wait until the summer.
   This book takes you to Greece, a small town by the sea which is suddenly wrecked by a tragedy. A group of people from various countries witness the boat go up in flames at sea from a distance. The tragic view triggers memories and new decisions - some will return home, some will try to mend severed family ties, there will be a lot of tears and some smiles in the end. After the nights of rain and stars the new day will break and nothing will be as it used to before.
   Obligatory reading for anyone who likes Maeve Binchy and a perfect introduction to all those unhappy souls who have never heard of her before!



4. I have been a Maeve Binchy fan for quite some time and feel that any book with her name on it as author just has to be a good book. I have not yet been disappointed. Prior to buying Nights of Rain and Stars, I glanced through the reviews posted here and saw that most were not too favorable. This surprised me but didn't deter me from purchasing the book. I've just finished reading it, and feel I feel a strong need to review it. OK, perhaps it wasn't the best of Ms. Binchy's books that I've read so far, only because in my opinion, the characters situations could have been delved into more deeply. However, it most definitely was not a disappointing read to me. From the start, I became captivated with the Greek island of Aghia Anna, as well as its people. The book is vividly descriptive and I soon was able to be drawn into the area - even though I've never been to Greece in reality. The bond formed by the four strangers who found themselves there as they were each trying to escape situations in their lives, showed a realistic way of how one can be influenced by being in a foreign place, being removed from your familiar surroundings and seeing a more clear way to attempt bettering your own life, while gaining strength in new and true friendships. I would love to see a sequel to this book - perhaps something along the lines of what happened with each of the book's main characters "after" they departed Aghia Anna, as well as what happened to the beloved key individuals at Aghia Anna. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who's already been a Maeve Binchy fan; you won't be disappointed. As to those who have never yet read Ms. Binchy's writings - try Nights of Rain and Stars - it's definitely going to grab you and make you feel as though you've just stepped into a visit to a lovely Greek island. Go for it! :-)



5. Maeve Binchy has this rare gift. Every time I pick up one of her books, I'm very quickly drawn into the story as if I was there in person to experience it with the other characters. Rather than the usual setting of Ireland, this one takes place on a small island in Greece.
   
   As usual, the characters seem very real and likable, the storyline so realistic it's almost as if this were a true story turned slightly fictional. If these characters really existed, I'd be on the next plane.
   
   This is another story that kept me up til all hours reading, excited for more and very sad when it ended. Bittersweet would be the word.
   
   I highly recommend this book. Also a perfect summer read.

5 comments about The Copper Beech.

1. If you're like me and you read a lot of Maeve Binchy, this one is a little repetitive and uses many concepts from earlier stories. While still worth a read for the wonderful descriptions of a small Irish town and it's inhabitants, it isn't one I would pick up again and again. "Circle of Friends", "Firefly Summer" and "Glass Lake" are much better. My favorite of all is "Light a Penny Candle" - one of the best books I have ever read of this genre.



2. This Maeve Binchy book was just OK. I read and loved Tara Road, Scarlet Feather (my favorite) and Quentins. I think all of her books are a little slow and hard to get into at the beginning. The Copper Beech, however, never seemed to capture my attention. It was more character study than plot and I found it a little boring; not as rich and intriuging as her others I've read.



3. Like some of her previous novels, Binchy offers a collection of stories from several different characters living in a small community, anchored by a beginning and end piece to tie them together. The idea is that we get to learn what's going on behind their facades, appreciate why some people seem cold, aloof, etc. This approach was far more effective in "The Evening Class," one of her best books, IMO. In that novel, you really got a sense of how several very different people came together for a shared experience.
   In this case, the shared environment is Shancarrig, a one-horse backwater in central Ireland, a place that kids leave as soon as they can to go work in London factories. Like all of Binchy's settings, this one breathes so convincingly that you can picture the entire town in your mind as you read.
   These individual stories, while interesting and full of her poignant realism, don't really go anywhere and in some cases seem shallow and forced. They also become somewhat repetitive. But in most cases, I felt like they all needed about 10 more pages to bring some kind of meaningful conclusion.
   The ending, which was supposed to tie these threads together, also felt quite artificial and tacked on.
   Despite the weaknesses in the overall plot integration, Binchy's style is always engaging. I think she could write a refrigerator manual and make the pages flow like music.



4. What a delightful read this is! It's the story of the lives of the inhabitants of a tiny Irish village from the 50's onwards, with an emphasis on the pupils of the small village school. The three roomed school is built under the shade of a huge Copper Beech tree on which generations of children have carved their initials. The pupils range from the elite of the village, the Major's daughter, the solicitor's son and the daughter of the hotel owners, to the desperately poor offspring of the town dressmaker and the town drunk, with a few adults thrown in for good measure, such as the spinster who yearns for the young priest, the school teacher couple who can't have children of their own and the hotel owners who are trying to improve their social status. Add to the plot a covered up murder, a randy bachelor and a romantic wife who's looking for some extra spice in her life and it all makes for a good, meaty read which is difficult to put down. Maeve Binchy fans will love it!



5. "The Copper Beech," by Maeve Binchy, is a loving portrait of a rural Irish village told through the lives of its ordinary town folk over a twenty-five year period from the mid-1940s to 1970. There are eight main characters and almost a whole village worth of other secondary characters. If there is one minor fault with this book, it is that readers may find it difficult to keep track of all the names and relationships. At the novel's core is a huge copper beech tree that stands in front of the old schoolhouse. At some moment in each character's story, this beech tree takes on an important role.
   
   Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, and each forms a delightful and complete story in itself. Subsequent chapters dealing with other characters' lives, manage artfully and subtly--often by mere happenstance--to reveal relevant information about previous characters and events. This new information makes the reader reevaluate and reassess what actually may have occurred in previous chapters. Thus the chapters intertwine artfully to create a unified whole. In addition, we manage to see many of the same events from entirely different perspectives.
   
   Overall, this book was a very satisfying reading experience--a slow novel, with considerable emphasis on realistic character development. Binchy is a master storyteller. In this work, her prose is unpretentious and easy-going, giving the reader the experience of being there, in the village, hearing a series of stories told by a sage old timer. The author is at her best when she delves into the interior emotions of her characters--their hopes, dreams, insecurities, sorrows, fears, and disillusionments. But overall with this book, it is not the characters one falls in love with, but the town. In many ways this novel is a loving lament for a place and time that is vanishing all too quickly in this pace-paced modern world.
   
   This is one of those rare novels that I did not want to end--I wanted the author to continue telling us about the lives of each and every person is Shancarrig and carrying their stories right up to the present day--obviously an impossible task. But the author did manage to put a satisfactory ending on this heart-warming tale, and I closed the last page with a profound feeling of peace, love for humanity, and a twinge of grief for the imaginary people of Shancarrig that I would visit no more.

5 comments about Quentins.

1. I love Maeve Binchy books, but there are so many little inconsistencies in this one, it drove me nuts. Quentins was supposed to have been open and run for years. Nora met Aidan when she was her in 50s, the same age as Brenda, yet in Quentin's Brenda's nephew is referred to as a baby near the end of the book and he would have been in his 20s or 30s by then. Quentin was listed as being in his 40s when he should have been in his 50s. The town in Italy where Nora lived was misspelled. Mon is called Mon Harris in part of the book and her future husband is Mr. Hays, then he becomes Mr. Harris. Deirdre, who doesn't really know Brenda somehow knows she can read lips. Ella is supposedly only in New York for less than two weeks. At this time Cathy and Tom are not married and the baby is two months away, but later, when only a few days have passed it says they are married and the baby is due any minute. Ella also has worked at Colm's restaurant, but then has to go and hang out with him to see what a day in the restaurant is like? Ella and Derry never go to Quentins to work, but Quentin supposedly watches them coming in and working on the movie. Ella's father makes the comment that he knows Mike Martin, but later when he comes to their house, he doesn't know him? I can't believe this wasn't edited any better than this. I was highly disappointed with all the little errors, but, I love the characters and was happy to see them all again.



2. I really enjoyed this book, especially how it brought together so many characters from Ms. Binchy's other books. I highly recommend it for Maeve Binchy fans.



3. I finally finished this one about a month after I started it. I bought the book in hardback for a few bucks off a table of used books in a general store in downstate Indiana. The book was in fine condition. The story was not.
   
   "Quentins" tells the story of a young Irish woman's adventures in love and documentary filmmaking. Protagonist Ella Brady tries to rebound from a bad love affair by joining a small filmmaking crew who sets out to tell the story of Dublin's last 30 years through the customers and crew of a popular restaurant. The first reel is interesting from a soap operaish perspective. Reel Two is stultifyingly boring as the we slog through a series of vignettes meant to be the content of the documentary. The third reel is disappointingly predictable.
   
   Peeking out of this stew is a moderately interesting story of how Quentins came to be, from the perspectives of ownership, operation, and its grammatically-incorrect name. Like eating an unappetizing meal, I picked at this one for a long time, before mom yelled at me (metaphorically) to clean my plate, at which time I force fed myself the last 100 or so pages, just so I could show you this clean, shiny review and move onto dessert (which I'm eating, I mean reading, now).
   
   Two stars only for this thin gruel. For Binchy devotees only, and I expect even some of them will be disappointed. I only moderately liked Binchy's "Tara Road" (an Oprah book, no less), but "Quentins" fell well short of that effort.



4. This novel is a series of vignettes of different people's lives and somehow, all the pivotal points in their lives have a thread that runs through the restaurant called Quentins. This is a delightful tale, full of life, love and hope. Betrayal, rejection and greed are also present. It is a story of fathers, sons, mother and daughters, wives and husbands, friends and lovers. It is moreover a story of closed doors and open hearts. There is the betrayed lover, the greedy family, those with no hope, those with the courage to begin anew and those with only hidden promise. Somehow Maeve Binchy draws them all together and tells a heart warming story of Irish life in a small town. This seemed a bit of a different take from Maeve Binchy from her previous novels, but no less enjoyable.



5. Ella Brady, heartbroken after her relationship with already-married financier Don Richardson ends in humiliation and betrayal, discovers Quentins purely by chance. Desperate for work to recover money that Don stole from her family and take her mind off the complicated problems the doomed relationship brought her, she agrees to work with a filmmaker friend on a documentary about this longstanding Dublin restaurant. As she unravels the story behind Quentins and learns more about the myriad individuals whose lives have been impacted by this one-of-a-kind restaurant, her life is changed in ways she could never have expected.
   
   The best thing about "Quentins" is the way it introduces readers to a richly populated character world. Binchy's introduction of new characters is usually deft and well-timed-it was satisfying to find an author who (mostly) managed to juggle an ever-growing cast of characters in a believable and interesting way. Of course, as is the case with all but the most perfect books, there are a few portions of "Quentins" where readers will want to skip ahead to the next interesting part, but for every one of the dull sections, there is an especially touching or satisfying part that nearly makes up for it. Characters from other Binchy books (Cathy, Tom and the twins from "Scarlet Feather", Ria from "Tara Road" and Nora from "Evening Class") are included in "Quentins," and although their appearances are typically low-key, they perfectly "round out" the circle of friends at Quentins.
   
   Fans of Maeve Binchy's warm, realistic sagas will find "Quentins" to be the perfect novel to curl up in bed with and will happily ignore a few slow pages when the payoff is total immersion in another engrossing Irish world.

5 comments about This Year It Will Be Different.

1. This book had some stories in it that were a tad uplifting, but there were too many other stories with cheating husbands. That was a bummer; I was hoping the whole book would be full of feel-good Christmas tales, not feel-depressed. Anyway, my favorite was the first story, "The First Step of Christmas." I just prefer the happy endings!



2. This book of short stories was okay. The stories were short (thankfully) but not that memorable . Nothing that touched at the heartstrings. It is not one I will pass on.



3. Maive Binchy is a truly outstanding author. Great read. Received in great conditon.



4. What could be better in the heat and humidity of summer than to read a refreshing book of Christmas tales? Each story was just enough to stand on its own, while entertaining. Surely it made one think that the holidays are less than six months away. Better get started on lists.



5. Let me set something straight here ~~ I love Maeve's books. I have read them all and there are several that I re-read over the years simply because they're honest and uplifting. So it was with great anticipation that I sat down with this book ~~ I was expecting something to set my mind on the proper Christmas mood and boy, was I disappointed.
   
   This book is not uplifting at all. In fact, the tone I detected throughout the entire collection of short stories is bitterness. Not bittersweet, just bitterness. Like Maeve has a grudge against Christmas. Maybe she does have a grudge ~~ but anyhow, this entire short story collection is not for the reader who is looking for something to cheer her up before the craziness of the holiday descends. In fact, if you're bitter about the holidays, then this book is perfect for you.
   
   The short stories don't even feel complete nor full ~~ she has written better short stories than this collection so it is very disappointing that I put the book down and say, where's my Maeve?! This one is about women having affairs with married men, parents grown distant from their adult children, women who miss their spouses and lost dreams, and so on. There was nothing, I mean, nothing redeemable about any of these stories.
   
   If you're a die-hard Binchy fan, you might like this collection. But save your money and buy her other books. This one is definitely not going into my personal library.
   
   11-30-07

5 comments about Evening Class.

1. The new Signora moves into town... It is a mystery to the town folks where she is from and a mystery as to why she is able to speak Italian so well. Because she is single and lonely, she begins to start teaching Italian classes at the local college. The classes make her relive her life when she was younger and lived in Italy. They bring back fond memories of being in love. The classes change her life; they give new meaning and purpose to her present life. Soon after, through many twists of fate she comes together with Aidan Dunne, a teacher, who is surviving in a life-less marriage...
   
   One of my favorite books of all time... The plot is simply amazing. Maeve Binchy is a master story-teller!



2. Binchy does a marvelous job of entertwining of seemingly vast different people. Her characters come alive. I symaothized and found myself pulling for them all. A bit slow a spots and certainly no action adventure, but if you like well told stories full of realistic characters a good read. Liek sittign down with an old friend and catching up.



3. An engaging and entertaining novel, in which Binchy takes a rather ordinary experience and shows a deep understanding of the people involved. In this case, it is a group of working class Dubliners who come together for an adult education class in Italian at a run-down inner city school. The point, which she conveys brilliantly, is how this humble experience means so much to these people. Some have used up their savings to take this class. An unwed mother and her daughter, who work in a butcher shop; a bank employee who once dreamed of seeing the world, but who is now stuck taking care of his mentally handicapped sister; the son of a corner shopkeeper trying to protect his family's store from local thugs, etc. Basically, they all understand that this meager class is their only vacation from the rough neighborhood in which they will live out their lives. For balance, Binchy throws in a couple of rich characters too.
   By telling each character's narrative seperately, but showing plenty of cross-glimpses such that we see them becoming friends, we get a sense of their struggles and what this experience means for them in terms of their dignity and their dreams. As always, Binchy is neither sappy or sensationalist; she tells the stories straight, without any melodrama. Marriages dissolve without fanfare, nice guys miss out on promotions and watch their career hopes fizzle with no more drama than it would get in real life. No major events need happen. This is a story of ordinary lives and you sense that the author truly understands them



4. I have read many of Maeve Binchy's novels and am always inspired at her amazing ability to weave a story that involves many different characters, their lives, and their personalities in such a real and thought-provoking way. She is an amazing storyteller!



5. This was an unusual experience. One of the greatest, most honest hooks I've ever seen, which is how I knew after one short page (out of 551) that this well-written book just wasn't for me. It's an intelligent romance in a scenic setting, and I believe the reviewers who call it witty and literate. I picked that up pretty quickly. But I'm just not a romance reader. And Maeve Binchy, who I'm not saying anything bad about, convinced me to throw my informal "10% rule" right out the window. Okay, who's next in my list of unread authors?

5 comments about The Glass Lake.

1. I loved Glass Lake. That is until I got to the end. Did Kit and Stevie get married. That was not clearly explained. I can guess, they did or guess that they did not. I wish I knew. A strange ending to a very good book.



2. This book is one of my favourite easy reads. I rarely re-read a book - but I have re-read this one many times. The characters are realistic and modern for their times. It is a good story line - maybe a little slow - but you can skip the bits that don't fit. Some reviewers have complained of the ending - I agree it was abrubt - but I liked it - it wasn't too sweet. I would recommend you try this book.



3. Although this novel really struck a chord with me by dealing with the "woman leaves comfortable home for love her life" bit, I found it all too similar to Tara Road, the only other Binchy novel I have read as of yet. "Handsome man runs around on the woman who is madly in love with him and she either doesn't notice or pretends not to". However, I found it refreshing that this one at least had other characters and storylines running to distract from how similar the Lena/Louis relationship was to the Ria/Danny relationship in Tara Road. I still feel that Ms. Binchy is a good storyteller in that she makes you care about what happens to basically all of the characters (except, of course, for the wandering husband figure). She's kept me going, I will certainly read another of her books when I get the chance.



4. This is still my favorite Binchy novel and I have read them all. The scope of these characters' stories, the decision moments that impact the rest of their lives and the lives of those around them is finely drawn. Weaving all the lives together with good pacing took real skill.



5. There was tragedy and sadness from unrequited loves. A loves B. B loves C. C loves others. The first 400 pages were sad and a little tedious to get through. The last 350 pages were wonderful! One georgeous man was shallow and evil, always having short-term love affairs. Another gorgeous man was wild with women when young, but was faithful and good when he finally ended up with the right woman.
   
   CAUTION SPOILERS: It was a good reminder of how loving the wrong person can ruin one's life. Lena was a doormat for Louis. Doing everything for him including pretending not to be angry when he would go off with other women. Her only goal was that he would come back to her later. Then, her daughter Kit fell in love with Stevie, who appeared to be similar to Louis. He had many affairs before he ended up with Kit, but, he was not like Louis which made for an interesting comparison. I loved the why and how Kit first asked out Stevie. She did it as a favor to someone else. I enjoyed how she was trying to flirt with him, feeling that he would see through her phony attempts, yet she was surprised that he liked what she thought of as "fake flirting". I loved their relationship, which began after page 440.
   
   An interesting side story was Sister Madeleine, who lived in a hut as a hermit. Most of the local people would visit her for advice. Her guiding views of life were "to do the right thing" and that meant "to do what hurt nobody". People would tell her their secrets and she never revealed those secrets. She had an interesting way of talking so as to give good advice yet not reveal secrets from others.
   
   Even though Lena was a doormat to Louis, I loved seeing her competent, smart business woman side. I loved how she talked Jessie into hiring her and then grew the business into something much larger and very successful, all the while giving credit to others. She made everyone else look great. She never took any credit for things, but it was understood that she was the reason behind the company's success. It was a wonderful talent which I think many people could benefit from if they could do something similar in the "real world".
   
   As I mentioned, the first half of the book was a little hard to get through, but I'm definitely glad I read it. I know I will think of things from the book from time to time. I would have liked to have seen more from the point of view of Louis. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: none. Setting: prior to 1995 in Lough Glass and Dublin, Ireland, and London, England. Copyright: 1995. Genre: human relationships fiction.

1 comments about Aches and Pains.

1. Most of us make lousy patients. I'm told that physicians are the worst. We think the worst. We miss what we can't do. We take it out on everyone around us. In short, we need to lighten up.
   
   Maeve Binchy and Wendy Shaw ended up having hip replacement surgery around the same time, and compared notes. They realized the patients needed something to cheer them up. This little, light-hearted, warm book is just the ticket! I think it is the best book gift I have seen for those going through normal illnesses.
   
   I wouldn't recommend it for people with serious, life-threatening situations. An inspiring book about miracle recoveries would work better there. Lance Armstrong's new book, It's Not About the Bike, fits the bill for many cancer patients, for example.
   
   Here's what's in this book. It begins with an explanation about Ms. Binchy's hip replacement that includes having to face up to the need to lose weight, stop smoking, and cut way back on the alcohol. In a witty fashion, she makes great good fun out of her own fears and foibles. You can't help but like her for it, and begin to laugh at yourself a little in your own past experiences with doctors, nurses and hospitals.
   
   From there, she goes on to provide witty lists that would cheer anyone up. One of my favorites was full of put-downs (that everyone has thought, but never said) to one's roommate in the hospital. No, you won't say these either, but you'll probably break up laughing as you think about this list every time you look at the other patient.
   
   There are lists for what gifts to ask for, things to do when you get home, what tasks to give visitors, and every other imaginable circumstance.
   
   The book is enjoyable both for its humor, and its good humor -- showing you how to look on the bright side. One of my favorite sections was the story about the woman who thought she was having a heart attack, and ended up getting a lecture from a third year medical student (serving as a waitress) about all of the other things it could be that are not so serious.
   
   Smile! You'll feel better when you do!