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girlinacardigan's review against another edition
4.0
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2017/11/05/a-few-of-the-girls-by-maeve-binchy/
nessaf's review against another edition
4.0
I love Maeve Binchy's writing but reading so many short stories reminded me how many of her characters have affairs and this just made me a bit depressed.
susie_warsen's review against another edition
3.0
Admittedly biased rating due to my adoration of all things Maeve Binchy. Not her best work but Binchy nonetheless.
karak's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of short stories. Not curated as well as some of Binchy's other works, probably because she's dead. I know I've read at least one of these stories in another book. Overall not bad. A good choice for when you want to just read a short story and move on to something else. Not really good for reading the whole collection in one sitting.
joelle_cooper's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
amyl88's review against another edition
3.0
Published posthumously, this collection suffers a bit in comparison with the author's other stories. Men who cheat on their spouses, women who fall in love with married men, spoiled children of divorce playing the guilt card, parents who can't let go... I think she was trying to keep it real (because Maeve always kept it real, honestly), but so many of these themes all stuck together in one book is just a bit much. As always, the characters mostly feel real and the dialogue is true. It was just kind of depressing.
I did really enjoy Audrey, a charming story told from the POV of a cat. >^..^< I don't think I've ever read anything like this from Maeve.
I did really enjoy Audrey, a charming story told from the POV of a cat. >^..^< I don't think I've ever read anything like this from Maeve.
kaylor_guitar's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. They are like mini glimpses into ordinary people's lives. And I loved that they were separated into different categories like "Friendships" "Love and Marriage" "Your Cheating Heart" etc. And each story was only a couple of pages long usually, which meant it was easy to find a decent stopping point.
My only criticism is that some of the stories seemed unfinished. As if Maeve stopped mid-story to move on to another idea, with the intention of returning to it at a later date. But since this book is a post-humorous publication it sort of made sense. It's still a really good book despite of those few stories.
My only criticism is that some of the stories seemed unfinished. As if Maeve stopped mid-story to move on to another idea, with the intention of returning to it at a later date. But since this book is a post-humorous publication it sort of made sense. It's still a really good book despite of those few stories.
knitter22's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sorry I read this collection as it taints my memories of the Maeve Binchy novels I have enjoyed. Her widowed husband, Gordon Snell, does tell us in the beginning that these are some of the stories Maeve was always writing, but my main impression was that there were reasons she hadn't published these while she was alive. Some of them are so short and undeveloped that I would hesitate to even call them stories, and some end so abruptly that I pictured the doorbell ringing, Maeve getting up to answer it, and shoving the unfinished story into a desk drawer. She might have worked on these and edited them into her usual warm-hearted storytelling if she had lived, but I did not enjoy reading her first drafts.
claresbookishworld's review against another edition
4.0
"But in the middle of this and all the music, Rory and Fiona celebrated the fact that nobody is, or ever has been ordinary. Not since time began."
I really loved this collection of short stories! All of these stories are about everyday life and everyday characters, but as the quote says, somehow they aren't ordinary. I love how Maeve Binchy explores that anyone can have really beautiful, extraordinary experiences and find joy in their lives. Somehow, despite how short each of these stories is, the story and characters are still so developed. Each of the characters learns something so valuable about life and love, and as a reader I felt that I was learning along with them. There was so much hope in all of these stories and they made me so happy because even while characters were struggling or going through something hard/sad, they also learned that it was okay and ultimately they would find love and joy in themselves. Also, what I've heard about Maeve Binchy's twist ending is so true! They were really good and were constantly surprising me. I also loved all of the European settings, particularly Dublin/London where many of the stories are set.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. I always like novels more than short stories because I just prefer full stories, so I will definitely be checking out Maeve Binchy's full length novels and I am so excited.
I really loved this collection of short stories! All of these stories are about everyday life and everyday characters, but as the quote says, somehow they aren't ordinary. I love how Maeve Binchy explores that anyone can have really beautiful, extraordinary experiences and find joy in their lives. Somehow, despite how short each of these stories is, the story and characters are still so developed. Each of the characters learns something so valuable about life and love, and as a reader I felt that I was learning along with them. There was so much hope in all of these stories and they made me so happy because even while characters were struggling or going through something hard/sad, they also learned that it was okay and ultimately they would find love and joy in themselves. Also, what I've heard about Maeve Binchy's twist ending is so true! They were really good and were constantly surprising me. I also loved all of the European settings, particularly Dublin/London where many of the stories are set.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection. I always like novels more than short stories because I just prefer full stories, so I will definitely be checking out Maeve Binchy's full length novels and I am so excited.