Rating: 
Summary: Whew! I just finished it today!
Review: I consider this a well-written book. True -- it was too long and it took a while to get started. The thing I truly value is how Binchy was able to sort out multiple story lines that mesh. I did a mental summary at the end to see if she'd covered all her bases. She had. I found myself annoyed with Ria, but I understood how she could be so totally devoted to her first love. Danny was a habit to her. She was not so much a habit to him. Rosemary reminded me of a friend you should lose much earlier in life. I don't think it was ever clear who Colm was seeing -- perhaps it was just speculation. I kept expecting it to be Hilary, the sister. The grandmother, Nora, was funny. Brian was refreshing. Annie was annoying and disrespectful and made me hope my daughter doesn't grow into that kind of person in her teens. Andy just sort of faded away. I thought he offered some hope. I kept waiting for Danny to change his mind. Couldn't understand the situation with Bernadette. A review I read earlier was correct in saying that Binchy's American characters had Irish accents. She could have had an American review what she'd written in the way of dialogue for Marilyn, Greg, Hubie, etc. Small oversight. I've never read any other books from Binchy. I actually picked this one up, because of the cover presentation and the fact that it was a bestseller and an Oprah pick. Let's just say this was better than VINEGAR HILL. That book was on Oprah's list but never got started and finally stopped. No offense to the author. Anyway, I admire Binchy's writing style and would recommend TARA ROAD. Also, I'd recommend another book I recently read: Tulip Fever. Incredible pace. I read that one in 24 hours. It took me almost a week to read this one.
Rating: 
Summary: I feel like I've been to Ireland after reading this book
Review: I read this book a couple months ago and I can still get the feeling of being in Ireland, eventhough I've never physically been there. What a great writer! This story had the typical neighborhood in it. The husband and wife that adored each other, then his climb up the corporate ladder being a workaholic and slowly drifting away from his wife and family. And there's the "best friend" from hell that all of us has had once in our adult lives, she's selfcentered and selfish. there' the mother/mother-in-law who's hardheaded in her own ways. And emotions from ALL angles of the story. READ THIS ONE it's a fabulous book wrote by an excellent storyteller!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Bought it at the airport & left it on the plane
Review: Yuck...this poorly written book should be an embarrassment to the author. She has so obviously written a formulaic, commercially appealing book, geared toward the Romance reader set. But they deserve much more. Mousy heroine lands a cool guy, his ambitions move them up in society, and she tags along. Plot twists ensue. ZZZZZZZZ. The characterizations are skin-deep at best but the author persists in moving her puppet-like people through their paces. It was utterly unsatisfying. After reading it for a couple hours, (I bought it at the airport since I thought Circle of Friends was kinda OK)I slammed it shut in frustration, offered it to my airplane seatmate, who then had the same experience. We laughed as we left it on the plane as we disembarked.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy predictable read
Review: This is a good read for your commute or while on vacation. Unfortunately, it was very predictable. Another book on lousy men doing things to "nice" women.
Rating:
Summary: Not worth reading
Review: This book was too long - you're halfway through the book before anything really happens. And then when something does happen, its incredibly predictable and stereotypical of the characters that for some reason took 300plus pages to introduce. I was expecting a truly great story being that this book was selected for the Oprah Book Club - but man oh man! Was I ever wrong! I have no idea how they would let this piece of fiction in there! The characters were boring, the story was boring. Everything in the book took way too long to develop.
Rating:
Summary: Just the ticket if you want a pleasant read!
Review: I was surprised to read some of the reviews that were less than glowing. I really enjoyed every page of TARA ROAD. I like Maeve Binchy's books--they take you away to a different place. After reading her books, I feel a kinship to Ireland. I've never been to Ireland, but her books make me think that I'd like to go there. Her characters seem like real, sympathetic people to me and I imagine Ms. Binchy to be a sincere and likable person. I was just in the mood for a long, but light read when I picked up TARA ROAD. It was a light read, but it wasn't silly or stupid. TARA ROAD was not written to be WAR AND PEACE. It's a good story and it afforded me a break from my real world. I recommend it and I also recommend her other books, too!
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Summary: An interesting premise...
Review: Picked off a rack at a British airport bookshop, Tara Road is an easy read. A long book, but one with an interesting premise: an impetuous house exchange by two women (one in Connecticut and one in Ireland) helps them both deal with the most traumatic and devastating events in their respective lives. Maria (Dublin) has lived a life of a dream: escaping a mean hand-to-mouth existence of her family, marrying a beautiful eligible bachelor, building a life - a fantastic Victorian house, and having two lovely children. Her life is full of friends and neighbors and her existence is identified with the activity and interaction of these people. We learn a good deal less about Marilyn (Connecticut) and in fact don't meet her until the book is 2/3rd of the way through. We do know that she is somewhat estranged from her professor husband and that this is a result of some recent tragedy or betrayal. The two agree to exchange houses for the summer with almost no idea about what they are each getting into - and in effect - end up fitting their lives into the other's environment - with some humorous and eye-opening results. The book ends in a manner that left me wishing for more development of the "what happened after" to the story.
Rating:
Summary: Loved It!!
Review: Want to be transported to Ireland? If so, this is the book for you!! Maeve is such a colorful writer, and brings you into the characters lives so you feel like you really know them. A real gem!!
Rating:
Summary: Tara Road
Review: A very light, enjoyable read. She paints a beautiful picture of life in Ireland and the characters within. It was nice to see the positive change in Ria from dowdy housewife to much more self assured soon-to-be divorcee. A very interesting story with many little stories intertwined. Great read.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful Story
Review: Though I haven't read many of Maeve Binchy's novels, I find it easy to say that she does an excellent job in developing her characters and presenting a wonderfully in depth tale. Though the story focuses on the life of Ria Lynch, Binchy makes sure to give us a good perspective of all the characters who have an impact on Ria. After reading some of the other reviews, I noted that some readers felt Ria did not show enough strength when facing the challenges brought on by the other characters. I felt that Binchy used a more realistic approach by giving Ria insecurities and the need for love. It is natural for a woman to want security in her life. The story is about a woman who found that security and then had it pulled out from under her. Her thoughts and feelings are made clear as she deals with the problems involving her marraige, her family and her friends. I think Binchy has the right idea in writing a story that people can relate to. Maeve Binchy is a brilliant writer who has a strong ability to deliver a story that is both entertaining and inspirational.
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