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readingspells's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I super enjoyed this short little book. I had not read a Maeve Binchey in years but this reminded me just what a brilliant story teller of everyday people's lives she is and I think I might go back and read some of her other stuff. I remember loving Circle of Friends. I wonder if I would love it as much now?
But back to the Lilac Bus. Officially a collection of short stories but they are interwoven as all the people live in the little town of Rathdoon.
My favourite story may have been Rupert. Yay for some LQBTQ+ rep. It was beautifully done and felt exactly right for the time it was set in. However I enjoyed all the stories. They are brilliantly observed portraits of a individuals but also a small town.
I listened to the audio which I would happily give a 5-star for. Its read by Kate Binchey and her accent and different voices was absolutely perfect.
If you are looking for a short brilliantly narrated book then I can't recommend this one enough
But back to the Lilac Bus. Officially a collection of short stories but they are interwoven as all the people live in the little town of Rathdoon.
My favourite story may have been Rupert. Yay for some LQBTQ+ rep. It was beautifully done and felt exactly right for the time it was set in. However I enjoyed all the stories. They are brilliantly observed portraits of a individuals but also a small town.
I listened to the audio which I would happily give a 5-star for. Its read by Kate Binchey and her accent and different voices was absolutely perfect.
If you are looking for a short brilliantly narrated book then I can't recommend this one enough
onioons's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
trm's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
clarissareads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
2.0
I think I may have missed something. I've heard a lot about Binchy and that her books are fabulous, etc. But this was my first time reading something of hers, and I have to say, I'm not really impressed.
The Lilac Bus is a series of short stories that are all somewhat related in a way, but individual stories all the same. They involve a bus load of people that are driven from Dublin to their hometown on the weekend. In the hometown they all have their little secrets and things they're trying to cope with. The latter part of the book though deals with some other people who are living in Dublin and have issues all their own. I wish I could write a better description, but really, that's what the book is about.
Since we only get to see these people for limited amounts of time (even if they do appear in each other's stories) there is no real connection here. The first story was about a miserly girl who is finally told off for being miserly. There is a woman dealing with her drunken mother, another dealing with her drunken husband. A man who doesn't connect with his parents and can't tell them about his secret. And so forth. Everyone in this book has some kind of problem.
Yet all these problems are unresolved. For the people on the Lilac bus we only hear about their lives for the space of a weekend. The latter part of the book the stories encompass more time, but still have no resolution. It's very annoying and unsatisfying and to make it even worse, it's exceptionally depressing. There are only a few stories that ended with an upbeat note, and even then it wasn't so much upbeat as it was just average living. None of the stories are ever followed up on either so we don't know what happens. If I wanted to read unfinished stories, I would have just went to the file of documents I have on my own computer. I like to have a finish to my stories. But still, I'm giving this book at least two stars because Binchy's writing style is nice and clear and had she finished her stories, I expect they would have been good. It was the only redeeming feature of this book.
Not for me, and even though I have a couple of other books by Binchy sitting on my shelf, I may hold off on reading them as a result of having read this book.
The Lilac Bus
Copyright 1982
390 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2013
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
The Lilac Bus is a series of short stories that are all somewhat related in a way, but individual stories all the same. They involve a bus load of people that are driven from Dublin to their hometown on the weekend. In the hometown they all have their little secrets and things they're trying to cope with. The latter part of the book though deals with some other people who are living in Dublin and have issues all their own. I wish I could write a better description, but really, that's what the book is about.
Since we only get to see these people for limited amounts of time (even if they do appear in each other's stories) there is no real connection here. The first story was about a miserly girl who is finally told off for being miserly. There is a woman dealing with her drunken mother, another dealing with her drunken husband. A man who doesn't connect with his parents and can't tell them about his secret. And so forth. Everyone in this book has some kind of problem.
Yet all these problems are unresolved. For the people on the Lilac bus we only hear about their lives for the space of a weekend. The latter part of the book the stories encompass more time, but still have no resolution. It's very annoying and unsatisfying and to make it even worse, it's exceptionally depressing. There are only a few stories that ended with an upbeat note, and even then it wasn't so much upbeat as it was just average living. None of the stories are ever followed up on either so we don't know what happens. If I wanted to read unfinished stories, I would have just went to the file of documents I have on my own computer. I like to have a finish to my stories. But still, I'm giving this book at least two stars because Binchy's writing style is nice and clear and had she finished her stories, I expect they would have been good. It was the only redeeming feature of this book.
Not for me, and even though I have a couple of other books by Binchy sitting on my shelf, I may hold off on reading them as a result of having read this book.
The Lilac Bus
Copyright 1982
390 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2013
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
bonnieelise's review
3.0
I'm finishing up all the Maeve Binchy books I hadn't read. This was not my favorite of hers, but very typical of her earlier books.
kingfan30's review against another edition
3.0
I have had this book on my shelf for a few years and find it funny that I pick it up now the roads are filled with lilac mini buses, or is callconnect just a Lincolnshire thing?
I quite like the format of this book, it just goes to show you can share a bus journey (or work with come to think of it) with the same people and never really know them. I did find it quite amusing that the bus picked them up in Dublin where they work and stay in bedsits during the week to return home at the weekend, 17 miles away, I know many people who do this commute (or further) on a daily basis!!!
I quite like the format of this book, it just goes to show you can share a bus journey (or work with come to think of it) with the same people and never really know them. I did find it quite amusing that the bus picked them up in Dublin where they work and stay in bedsits during the week to return home at the weekend, 17 miles away, I know many people who do this commute (or further) on a daily basis!!!