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A review by amyl88
Maeve's Times: In Her Own Words by Maeve Binchy
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.