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Summary: Publisher must have needed a new title in a hurry
Review: When Maeve's novels are amongst one's "guilty pleasures," one is quite accustomed to plowing through certain tedious sections, knowing they tend to have relevance, in unexpected ways, later. In this case, the wading is constant, and only literary quicksand ahead.Maeve often is brilliant in her characterisation, dialogue, and depiction of relationships. Not so here - the plot, such as it is, seems to go nowhere at all, and such relationships as are not totally contrived are far too puzzling.
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Summary: Maeve Binchy's excellence, and her enjoyable characters!
Review: Recommended as a great summer read, I picked up "Tara Road", and instantly fell in love with the setting, characters... the whole bit. Set in Ireland, the novel is focused around number 16 Tara Road, the home of Ria, and Danny Lynch, and their two children. Ria's life as a mother, and wife seems a complete fairy tale, with amazing friends, and a hysterically busibody of a mother Ria's life is more then she ever wanted. When Ria awakens from her ignorance to what she considers a complete tragedy, this typical housewife comes into her own by the help of a new American friend Marilyn, and a new setting. I will never forget the characters in this book, and you won't either. Buy it now!
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Summary: What a waste of time
Review: This book was sooo boring! Having read a number of M.B's books I kept hoping for something to happen and it never did. All the characters were so unbelieveable, cardboard, stereotypes especially the children. I shall give M.B. a wide berth in future...!
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Summary: Tara Road
Review: Tara Road was quite a disappointment. I had heard wonderful things about Ms. Binchy and was excited for a good summer read for our book club. Though the book kept my interest (I wanted to know what the point was so I read it through) I was sorry to see, there was not much of a point. The characters were dry and not very likeable. Now I am wondering what we will disucss at book club. Perhaps the lack of interest, or smarts these women have in this book. It was a sad commentary on women who couldn't figure out what to do with themselves and are happy just living for their men. I would not recommend this book, pass it on and find another.
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Summary: Not Terrible; Will Read More of Binchy
Review: Well, I just finished Tara Road, and was surprised that it did keep my interest. I didn't love it, but was able to finish it, and enjoy it somewhat. It wasn't spellbinding or suspenseful, but probably wasn't meant to be. Ria is a poor, blind soul, with nuts for friends. Ria's transformation to a strong person was too quick. She went from the shock of hearing of her husband's infidelity (from thinking they were blissfully happy) to within a few days being in control of herself and into "growth mode". Her disrespectful daughter needed a whack or 2, Ria seems to have no anger toward her cheating bum of a husband, her friend had been sleeping with her husband for years, sheesh. She can't be so dependent and unaware for so many years and then be strong in a couple of days. I also thought it ended quite abruptly, but can't think of any way that I'd do it differently. If some of the other reviews are correct and this is the worst of Binchy's, I'll read the others and expect a good story.
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Summary: Tara Road
Review: I thought this book was very well written. The character development throughout the book was excellent. I have to admit though, I was a little disappointed in the character of Ria. She was made out to be a clueless housewife who clung to the idea of being reunited with her adulterous husband. I wanted her character to become stronger in the end. Yes, she did travel to America but I felt as though her character did not triumph over her weaknesses. In fact I felt that Marilyn who had the terrible tragedy of losing her son was the stronger character of the two.
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Summary: garbage
Review: I was looking for some light summer reading and picked up "Tara Road." What a bunch of dithering, mindless, fluff. The writing style, the characters, and the plot are simplistic and unoriginal. There was not a character in the book who was likeable or believable. This is a bestseller and an Oprah pick? Is this world spiraling down into illiteracy? I'm embarrassed to say that I read this book.
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Summary: A Must Read!!
Review: I've read Danielle Steel for years, but after seeing this on Oprah's Book List I had to read it and I couldn't put it down. I loved all the characters especially Ria and how she found her inner strength during very hard times. Very well done, I highly recommend this book!
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Summary: hopeless soap opera fodder....but engrossing all the same
Review: I was taken in by the 'Oprah Club' and bestseller hype while looking for some light reading and found this to be ultra lite fare. Simplistic vocabulary....soap opera fodder....but I was pulled through the whole course with interest in seeing what happens to the main characters. Nothing mind bending here and your intellect can remain in doze-mode....this is something I could have read in third grade (when I was reading Kon Tiki and Big Red).
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Summary: Zzzzzz
Review: Although the first three chapters of Tara Road held my interest, I soon became bored with the story as well as the characters. However, the positive reviews listed here outweigh my negative opinion, so my advice is to wait for the paperback version (and at least you'll save a bit of money).
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