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Summary: Tara Road was everything I thought it would be and more....
Review: I simply loved this book. As an avid reader, for the longest time I kept telling myself that I would get around to reading a Binchy novel. Then, after seeing Binchy as a guest on Oprah's show, discussing Tara Road, and after hearing so many wonderful things from others who had read the book, I knew I had too had to read it. Finally, I bought it last month, and it has become the first Binchy book I have ever purchased or read. Now that I have read it, I am wondering what took me so long to discover this wonderful author? As others have stated, Binchy knows her craft. She is an expert when it comes to weaving intricate situations of well developed characters into a plausible story. In the process of doing this she also knows how to lure her readers into the worlds she has skillfully created for her characters. I felt like I was a part of Ria's life and was sorry she had to go through the heartache she went through in the same way I would have felt if it had been one of my real life friends. Then too, I became angry with her as I watched her helplessly stand by and fail to confront her dilemma the way I thought she should have. Danny Lynch's behaviour disgusted me and on many occasions I longed to be able to whack him upside the head for treating Ria with such disrespect. Earlier on I admired Rosemary for being the strong-willed woman she was and thought of her as the backbone in she and Ria's friendship. I admired her for speaking up for Ria when Ria didn't have the good sense to speak for herself. Well imagine my horror when I discovered she wasn't all that she claimed to be. I was then appalled at her behaviour too. I loved the way that Binchy wove Marilyn and Ria's lives together and enjoyed the way they discovered each other just when they needed each other the most. It was wonderful how virtual two strangers came to play a major part in each other's lives and in helping each other confront each of their own personal demons.Tara Road was the first time in a long time that I actually laughed out loud while reading dialogue in a book. Several times while reading it on the way to work on the bus I caught myself laughing aloud. I'm sure passengers on the bus thought I was missing my marbles. But I was too lost in the story to care. I found myself looking forward to daily and nightly readings so that I could get back into the story and be with these people I felt like I knew personally. This book may have been a tad longer than some readers may have preferred, but personally, I had no problem with its length. Binchy needed the extra pages to continue telling the story in a detailed fashion and then ultimately wrap it up as her character's issues were resolved. When I finally arrived at the end of Tara Road, I hated to leave Ria and Marilyn behind and was left feeling as though I'd just lost two of my good friends. Binchy left me so impressed that I had to buy another one of her novels the other day, which I have already begun getting lost into. All I can say is kudos to Binchy for writing such wonderful stories and making them such such a joy to read.
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Summary: Great read!
Review: I read this while on vacation and had trouble putting it down. This was the first Binchy book I read, definitly not my last!
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Summary: Don't read it if you want to read quality literature.
Review: She may have creative storylines but she is an atrocious writer. Don't do it. Save your reading energies for quality writing.
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Summary: Wonderful Book!
Review: I love this book. I would recomend it to almost anyone!!
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Summary: Great travel reading
Review: A quick read, as are all of Binchy's books. Very predictable...the women are strong and most men jerks.
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Summary: Circle of Friends, this is not...
Review: If I had been asked to rate this book when I had read just the first 200 pages, I would have given it one star. However, I had nothing else to read at the time so I continued to read it. At that early stage the book seemed poorly written and terribly dull. I couldn't fathom why Oprah chose it for her book club. The story picked up for me over half way through and by the end I couldn't put it down. Once I was finished I could begin to understand why Oprah chose it, but I'm still surprised that the book was published without some major editing. If I recommend it to anyone I will be sure to provide a list of the characters and tell the reader to begin reading after the first two hundred pages. This is not Ms. Bincheys best, by far.
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Summary: Ignorance is bliss?
Review: Is it better to live a lie or face the truth? I think this is probably the most important question in Tara Road. So many characters in this book are living a lie and in the end either face the truth, go on choosing to ignore it, or never find out what the truth is because of the others who are trying to protect them from it. Mona is one in the first group. All her life she has chosen to ignore the fact that her husband, Barney, has been carrying on a long-term relationship with Polly. In the end, however, she finally confronts the situation and in her bail-out deal with Barney, forces him to give up his mistress. Gertie is from the second group. All her life she has refused to face facts: that her husband, Jack, is a total loser. She defends him to the entire community in spite of his alcoholism and the regular beatings that she endures. Then, even after his death, she goes on with the lie, having totally convinced herself that indeed she did have a great marriage. Marilyn also comes from this group. For over a year she couldn't deal with the death of her son. However, when she finally gains the strength to accept this tragedy, she is able to repair her marriage. Marilyn is also in the third group, those who never find out the truth, because those who know it choose not to tell them (supposedly for their own good). Marilyn never finds out the truth about what happened that terrible night when her son died- that it was not another boy's fault- as had been assumed- but her own son's. And Ria, too, falls into this category. She never finds out that her wonderful best friend Rosemary and wonderful husband Danny have been carrying on a long-term affair. So, is ignorance bliss? Or are we better off knowing, no matter how hard it is to face facts? Colm was one character who faced the truth. He was an alcoholic but pulled himself up out of it. He said that it was a lonely time for him. However, he may have been one of the nicest, most genuine characters of the book (there were a bunch of losers in this one). On the other hand, we have Marilyn, who was certainly better off not knowing all the circumstances of her child's death. What good would it have done? And what good would it have done Ria to find out the truth about Danny and Rosemary? She was so stupid she still probably would have taken him back, if he would have had her (and he probably would have, along with all the other women in town). This book was full of stupid, stereotypical characters. However, it does bring up some interesting issues that make you think.
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Summary: Missing in action - Ms. Binchy's editor
Review: One star because it's mostly set in Ireland (personal prejudice); another star because of Maeve Binchy's earlier work. But where was the editor? The 'action' doesn't start until around page 250 and it's a slog to get there. Even the most neophyte of writers wouldn't be allowed to get away with the broad generalizations and cliches that run throughout this book. For emotional depth, for a real insight to Ms. Binchy's strengths, read The Copper Beech or Circle of Friends. Give this one a miss.
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Summary: You've got to be kidding
Review: I am amazed as I read the other reviews of this over-long, tedious, trite "Oprah-pick," bestseller. Reading a grocery list would be infinitely more exciting than this drivel. The woman has no style, no flair, no talent - but then Danielle Steel has made quite a living with the same set of credentials. The cardboard characters on the front of cereal boxes have more credibility.
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Summary: Hard to put down Book
Review: I could not put the book down. I loved the way the characters were portrayed. Much of the action centered around the likeable naive Ria who fell in love and married the selfish shallow boy/man Danny. It gave me much pleasure when things started falling a part for him and Barney. Another digusting character was Jack who was really a minor character. When he died, just like Rosemary, I said aloud,"Good". The story line was predictable to some extent because of the fortuneteller's predictions but this did not take anything away from the story itself.
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