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dunnadam's review
5.0
I loved this book.
Someone once said reading Maeve Binchy is like sitting down to a cup of tea with an old friend and it’s the perfect analogy. I met her only once at a book signing but I loved her and I felt like I knew her through her writing.
She wasn’t the most thin and attractive woman but I believe this helped develop her fantastic personality which shone to the corners of the earth. She once said of her books that she didn’t believe the ugly duckling had to grow up into a swan, that it could mature and become a very nice duck, thank you very much.
These fantastic stories all illustrate a long career with the Irish Times, something I had never known about previously. There’s a real cross section here, all written in the trademark Binchy style. Some of them will make you laugh, almost all make you think, and generally I really appreciated having a window into her life. It was like an autobiography of sorts at times and I loved learning more about this amazing woman.
The Jewish story floored me, the story about the abortion was fantastic and should be required reading for those opposed to legalization. Some stories lost me a little, there was a lot of coverage of royal weddings and while I appreciated learning more about Maeve’s past, that she had been to the weddings of three of Elizabeth’s four children, it was more than I cared to know in detail so I skipped some of these parts.
I would like a sequel, I’m sure there’s more articles that could be reprinted.
Someone once said reading Maeve Binchy is like sitting down to a cup of tea with an old friend and it’s the perfect analogy. I met her only once at a book signing but I loved her and I felt like I knew her through her writing.
She wasn’t the most thin and attractive woman but I believe this helped develop her fantastic personality which shone to the corners of the earth. She once said of her books that she didn’t believe the ugly duckling had to grow up into a swan, that it could mature and become a very nice duck, thank you very much.
These fantastic stories all illustrate a long career with the Irish Times, something I had never known about previously. There’s a real cross section here, all written in the trademark Binchy style. Some of them will make you laugh, almost all make you think, and generally I really appreciated having a window into her life. It was like an autobiography of sorts at times and I loved learning more about this amazing woman.
The Jewish story floored me, the story about the abortion was fantastic and should be required reading for those opposed to legalization. Some stories lost me a little, there was a lot of coverage of royal weddings and while I appreciated learning more about Maeve’s past, that she had been to the weddings of three of Elizabeth’s four children, it was more than I cared to know in detail so I skipped some of these parts.
I would like a sequel, I’m sure there’s more articles that could be reprinted.
jtlars7's review
I’ve enjoyed Maeve Binchy’s books for years, but never realized she was a journalist in addition to being a novelist. I didn’t read every one of these essays/articles, but I enjoyed many of them.
dja777's review
5.0
Oh, I enjoyed this book TREMENDOUSLY. I've always loved Binchy's books, and wished I could have met her in person. Reading this book was the next best thing. It felt like sitting in a cozy coffee shop and listening to my friend Maeve tell me stories.
lynnedf's review
4.0
This was such a lovely read - divided according to when Binchy wrote the pieces for The Irish Times - the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s - Maeve wrote about her views on women being fools, the ridiculousness of etiquette, travelling around the world, royal weddings, royal scandals, etc. Her voice could be heard in each and every one of the pieces. Whenever I read a Maeve Binchy story I always feel like I'm getting a great big hug. She wrote as she spoke - and what a lovely voice she had.
drelaine's review
5.0
Re-read this favourite of Maeve's classic Irish Times columns. Such warmth and understanding of what makes people tick.
08151991j's review against another edition
The short stories that were included in this book were about Maeve's past experiences and how she dealt with them. She wrote about the people and places that surrounded her, and it gave life to the book.
amyl88's review against another edition
4.0
I think I have read all, or nearly all of Maeve Binchy's fiction. I have often thought she had a great ear for dialogue and good observation skills when it comes to pointing out quirky human behavior. I never knew she was a journalist, but it certainly makes sense that she may have polished those skills writing about real people and events before writing fiction. This is a collection of her columns from The Irish Times, and it spans her career from the 60s up to the 2000s.
In one of my favorite selections, she describes developing a writing style. "Don't worry about style, if you speak like yourself for long enough, the style will be there. It will be your style. You will be writing like yourself. You will have found your own voice." I certainly think over the years, she wrote like herself and she did have her own distinct voice in her fiction.
Another favorite concerns how to treat people with a terminal illness. Hint: a "get well soon" card - maybe not.
Also, it made me laugh when she was talking about having a bra custom made. She said she looked "like the prow of a ship". Which I distinctly remember Benny saying in Circle of Friends as she looks at herself dressed up for a dance.
I enjoyed the stories she wrote about everyday people. These stories, like her fiction, sound like her. Less enjoyable, for me, are the observations about political figures and entertainers, as I'm not familiar with Irish and English politics and culture of the 60s-80s.
In one of my favorite selections, she describes developing a writing style. "Don't worry about style, if you speak like yourself for long enough, the style will be there. It will be your style. You will be writing like yourself. You will have found your own voice." I certainly think over the years, she wrote like herself and she did have her own distinct voice in her fiction.
Another favorite concerns how to treat people with a terminal illness. Hint: a "get well soon" card - maybe not.
Also, it made me laugh when she was talking about having a bra custom made. She said she looked "like the prow of a ship". Which I distinctly remember Benny saying in Circle of Friends as she looks at herself dressed up for a dance.
I enjoyed the stories she wrote about everyday people. These stories, like her fiction, sound like her. Less enjoyable, for me, are the observations about political figures and entertainers, as I'm not familiar with Irish and English politics and culture of the 60s-80s.
mishmashedme's review
I just wasn’t into the articles. They were witty and entertaining but some used jargon I didn’t understand (Irish colloquialisms and current affairs)
cynicalnovas's review against another edition
5.0
Never a more perfect audiobook has existed. Why? The more variables introduced, the easier it is to fall short on any given one of them. In this case, the narrator (Binchy's cousin) has impeccably performed these heart-bursting articles intelligently curated by the editor to form a holy trinity of material, voice, and collection by Binchy, Binchy and Ingle. I felt true mourning when I'd finished.