Reviews

Dublin 4 by Maeve Binchy

favourokunbor's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

little vignettes of families and communities in ireland 

shoesmcdaid's review

3.5

Great characters and never one to shy away from taboo topics of her time! I am generally less a fan of Maeve's short story collections than her novels, but this one was just right. 4 stories in Dublin 4 area (my current neck of the woods!), affairs, unplanned pregnancies, alcoholism, worrying about what other people think, a few women not afraid to go their own way, classic Maeve. 

sarahfullybooked's review against another edition

lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

readcodelove's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

aislingmoconnell's review

dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Minor: Abortion

cynicalnovas's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

katiebhastings's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

factandfables's review

3.0

The first of these stories is classic Binchy and really tight. Told from multiple perspectives, it is about a wife who decides to put on a dinner party for her husband, their friends, and her husband's mistress. It if full of tension, misunderstood motivations and it actually quite riveting.

The middle two seem to end before the narrative arc is complete, which is unsatisfying, and the final one, about an recovering alcoholic is mostly sad and depressing.

canadianbookworm's review

4.0

First Maeve Binchy I read.
Donated copy to library.

singlecrow's review

4.0

Enjoyable collection of early short stories, one of which is more a novella than a short. It's interesting that unlike the stories from the 2000s, these eighties ones are much more hard-edged; things mostly don't resolve nicely, with sinister undercurrents often throughout. This isn't a criticism of either these stories or the later, happier ones; just an observation that either Binchy's writing mellowed with age, or her opinion of the human race improved.