Tara Road

Rating:
Summary: Her best book yet
Review: As Binchy continues to write, she is developing more of an ability to provide a balanced story (i.e., this is not the unmitigated sadness of "Firefly Summer", but also not the sugary sweetness of some of her other books). I loved "Evening Class", but Tara Road is even better. I particularly liked the ways that the women characters develop, and become more and more aware of their own power and capability. Also, we see some connections to the story of "Evening Class" here, which I liked. Also new: the trip to the United States, which offers opportunity for comparisons between US and Irish culture. In sum: Binchy really demonstrates a lot of growth in this book, and one feels at home with the characters.

Rating:
Summary: VERY PLEASANT READING
Review: A REAL WOMANS BOOK, I ENJOYED READING EVERY PAGE. MAEVE BINCHY IS A GREAT WRITER, LOVE ALL HER BOOKS AND THIS WAS ANOTHER GREAT STORY... THANK YOU MAEVE .PLEASE START ANOTHER ONE SOON

Rating:
Summary: Typically Formulaic Binchy (and Oprah, for that matter)
Review: Oprah obviously picked this book because it displays her favorite elements: worthless men and the downtrodden women who suffer at their hands. Well, for all the predictability of their foci, Oprah's picks are worthwhile to the extent they focus popular attention on talented authors (Hegi, for one--check out Stones from the River) who might otherwise escape notice. It's too bad that this time around, she didn't read the rest of Binchy's novels and short story collections. She'd have realized that this latest Binchy offering is nothing new and nothing special; Binchy is simply writing to her old, drab formula: Irish woman struggles to create happy domestic life for herself, her efforts constantly undercut by her loser man, and only finds happiness when she focuses on herself and the meager skills she's picked up from a life of drudgery. The introduction of an American woman, as a sort of stateside parallel to Nia, adds nothing new to the formula, where the character is the colorless Marilyn. My advice? For a far more skillfully-drawn portrait of an Irish woman's soul, skip this book and read Brian Moore's The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne instead.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, intelligent novel!
Review: This was the first Maeve Binchy novel I've read but I was immediately enthralled by her fluid writing style and complex characters. The way the author adjusts the language and feeling to fit the characteristics of the Irish and American lead characters is truly remarkable. I just wanted to shake Ria to make her accept the events unfolding around her but at the same time I was able to empathize with what she was feeling. A wonderful book that makes you think about how much in life we all take for granted sometimes.

Rating:
Summary: Maeve Binchy Does It Again!!
Review: Tara Road is a beautiful tale of love and survival-a common theme in Maeve Binchy's books-and will carry you away with each character's story. I am glad to see that Oprah is giving this book-and author-the regognition they deserve by adding them to her book club! Be sure to read more of Maeve Binchy's masterpieces and she will become one of your favorite authors!!

Rating:
Summary: Good characters....
Review: At times, I thought this story moved too slowly. Binchy spent many pages developing her character Ria. In the end, however, I grew to appreciate Ria. One does ponder though how Ria could have been so blind for so many years to the her husband and best friend's endless lying. Binchy spends hardly any time developing the American character with whom Ria trades homes. The ending is a little trite.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic , complex story with great characters!
Review: I enjoyed Tara Road's intrigue, and intermingled characters and plot twists. Maeve Binchy is indeed a talented author, blending personalities and character traits in ways that the reader is kept quite busy with sorting it all out. The impacts that each of them have on each other, both known and unknown, keeps your mind guessing and we feel for Ria as much as we do for Marilyn, Rosemary and Gertie. I loved it and highly recommend the purchase of this book! You will want to read it again and again, and it is bound to become a classic piece of literature, like Gone with the Wind. The scenes Binchy paints of Tara Road in Ireland and summer in Connecticut make the reader feel that they are there with the characters! Amazing writing style, and you will love it. It is definitely at page-turner!! Get it!

Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down.....
Review: I have been a Maeve Binchy fan for quite some time and would have no problem recommending this book to anyone. It captures all kinds of emotions and without any hesitation you become completely involved in the story. The writing is so descriptive that it is easy to imagine everything from scenery to how distraught a person looks. It was nice to read something that when you finished you continued to wonder what the characters were doing.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book.. A little surprised it's an Oprah pick
Review: I just read Tara Road last week (am I psychic or what?) and really enjoyed it. I was surprised, however, to hear that it was picked by Oprah. I am so used (and happy to be) to learning of new authors that this was a shock! However, I think that Tara Road is a wonderful introduction to reading Maeve Binchy, and I also recommend her Evening Class and Circle of Friends.

Rating:
Summary: delightful
Review: What a delightful look at the lives of these characters. They are funny and inspiring.They could be any of us. I loved Brian. He was the truth amidst so many lies.