Tara Road

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Binchy
Review: I was lucky enough to be able to pick up the paperback version in London earlier this month since the paperback is already out in the U.K. This is classic Binchy. The characters are well developed and the reader knows each of them well. Although the story is long, I wanted to know more as it ended with some additional questions of "what happened..." I felt myself cheering on Ria and being angry with Danny. Simply a wonderful read.

Rating:
Summary: I wish I could read more...
Review: I miss the characters now that I am finished. I could not put this book down. It was a very quck, easy and enjoyable read. Although somewhat predictable, I was fascinated with a life and people so different from my own. My only (minor) complaint was that the American characters were definitely not speaking like Americans. I could not picture Dubie, a 16 year old American boy using the word lovely to describe food. The ending left me hanging, I want to know how everyone is doing today! Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: *VERY* Enjoyable Read....perfect summer book
Review: I have always wanted to read a Maeve Binchy book and after reading Tara Road, I can't wait to read more. I became involved with the characters from the beginning and couldn't wait to learn more as the pages continued. I also loved the "change of scenes" from Ireland to North America in the middle of the book. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a easy, enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Great Start, but Too Long and not Developed
Review: The first 100 pages totally grabs you and you can't put the book down, but then the story starts dragging, and leaves too many unanswered questions. Why does Danny never want to see his parents or his siblings? This question is brought up throughout the book, but it is never resolved. Maeve Binchy's a good writer, but I believe she lost control of the story after a while. Characters are brought in without any sort of introduction, and halfway through the book, there are too many to keep track of. The reader ends up forgeting who's who, and the story becomes frustrating to deal with. You end up not caring about the characters, and the story becomes too long with little redeeming value. Great idea, but weak follow-up.

Rating:
Summary: MEDIOCRE
Review: Way, way too drawn out and redundant. Would have been an ejoyable easy read were it not for the endless (and needless) repetitions. Binchy is clearly a good storyteller, she just needs a good editor!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful summer read
Review: This was my first Binchy book and I loved it. I could not put the book down, especially 50 pages into the book. Maeve's writing style is very visual and captivating.

Rating:
Summary: Grabs you and pulls you in.
Review: When I first started reading, I wondered if I would finish this book. But, the further I read, the more involved I became in Ria and Marilyn's lives. I became a "neighbor" and an "insider" as I read, and was emotionally involved before I reached the midpoint. The best of Binchy.

Rating:
Summary: Loved the characters
Review: Although it took me about 120 pages to get hooked, once I got into this book, I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and the involvement they all had in each other's lives. By the end of the book, I felt like I was friend of Ria's. I was sorry when I finished Tara Road.

Rating:
Summary: Too Drawn Out
Review: Although I enjoyed the story itself, I felt the book was too drawn out. The characters weren't fully developed until quite a bit into the book, and by then I was too frustrated to care.

Rating:
Summary: Horribly boring and mundane
Review: I have read alot of books in my 28 yrs, and I must say this has to be one of the most boring I've ever read. Danny is a creep, Ria is a wimp and their kids seem to be rotten. Not to mention the length of the book. It took me FOREVER to finish it and I'm sorry to say that I may never pick up another of Maeve Binchy's books. Stick to good ones such as Plainsong or Gap Creek!