Rating: 
Summary: Best of the best
Review: I can't express how much I enjoyed this book. After I got into the story, I started scheduling time to get it read! The characters really came to life and I found myself in a love-hate relationship with the ever-complex mother the story centers around. I think Binchy really showed an understanding of how readers who react to her characters and she responds to our questions, unbelief, and heart-wrenching perfectly. It's worth your time!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I couldn't put the book down. This was the second book I read by her and it was just wonderful. Every detail drew me deeper in and made me cheer along with them as they fell in love.
Rating:
Summary: If you've never read Binchy, start here
Review: This is my favorite of Binchy's novels, and I've read most of them. I had the pleasure of asking the author about this novel while I was at a book signing for "Scarlet Feather" a few winters ago. "The Glass Lake" was so sad, that I asked her if it made her sad to write it. She said that her intention when writing this book was to show the lengths to which people would go to have a loved one buried in hallowed ground. With that information, you can tell that this will not be an upbeat novel. If you are looking for a light read, I'd suggest "Evening Class" by the same author. If you are looking for a book that makes you feel as if you know the people and the landscape of somewhere that you've never been, read this book. Binchy takes her time in weaving a story, and lets her characters develop and change in the course of a novel. These characters will draw you in. These are characters that you'll remember long after you've read the final chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Another pleasure...
Review: There's not a whole lot to say without giving away some aspect of this novel, other than to say that it was absolutely amazing. I loved the book as I do all of Maeve Binchy's novels and I found it extremely hard to put down. All of the characters were so well developed and Lough Glass was so easy to picture - it seemed so familiar. I didn't want it to end. Onto my next Maeve Binchy book...
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary story-teller
Review: The Glass Lake, as all of Maeve Binchy's stories, is about a small Irish town and the interwoven lives of the people who live there. It is difficult to explain the plot without giving away too much information, but basically it deals with betrayal, good intentions and lack of discernment when choosing friends and spouses. It is a wonderful book, full of unforgettable characters and sad thoughts of "what might have been". It tells of love which remains steadfast and love that flees in the face of temptation. It is one of Maeve Binchy's best, which is high praise when the whole body of her work is considered. This is highly recommended reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Bad...
Review: I enjoyed this book from the start and found the storyline engrossing but not particularly believable. Maeve Binchy's books always seem to be able to draw the reader into the story and I have enjoyed all the ones I have read so far but I found myself skipping some pages of The Glass Lake as I found some parts of the storyline a bit irrelevent and uninteresting. I also thought that the ending was a bit rushed in comparison to the rest of the book and I would liked there to have been a more about some of the smaller characters in the book, such as Sister Madelaine. I would recommend reading this book however, as I did find it compelling and hard to put down.
Rating: 
Summary: The Glass Lake is an exceptional story.
Review: Maeve Binchy really out did herself in The Glass Lake. In this novel, she tells the story of a small town in Ireland called Lough Glass. She writes about how the whole town is shook up by the disappearance of the local pharmacist's wife, Helen. She shows how the reactions of the citizens of Lough Glass affect the other characters in the story. Binchy demonstrates this well as she illustrates how Kit, Helen's daughter, copes with the tragedy and what the people in her town are saying about it. The many characters of Lough Glass, that make the story, help to engage the reader. The people in the story are very easy to relate to. The reader can see members of her own community in some of the characters. For example, Lough Glass had a town gossiper, know it all, wise women, and drunk. It also had many families and neighbors that made up the small town. As the reader goes on the journey, with the many characters, she is never lost. Binchy's writing is clear and easy to understand. The reader gets to watch each character grow over the many years that the story takes place. Throughout the book it is easy to become familiar with each character and get to know them. Just when the reader thinks they have all of the characters figured out, Binchy will throw in a surprise. Binchy tests several characters when they are faced with new problems and tough decisions. Their actions lead to many twists and turns in the storyline. The reader will be shocked and surprised several times throughout this book. She will be eager to read on to find out what is going to happen next. The story of Lough Glass is very compelling. It is impossible to put the book down. The reader must not let the 700 plus pages scare her away. The book will be over before the reader realizes it. When the book is finished, it is sad to see the characters go, and hard to not wish for more. I would defiantly recommend people to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Don't get me wrong, I love this author
Review: Don't get me wrong; I love Maeve Binchy's novels. Circle of Friends was one of my favorites, but I really had a more difficult time with this one. As I say in many of my reviews, if you want to know what the story is about, read someone else's' review or better yet read the book yourself. The problem I had was with the "Mother" in the story. Being a mom myself I just could not forgive her for what she did. The more the story told about her "life" after leaving Ireland. . .Ugh, the more I couldn't stand her! I was hoping at some point, something would happen that I felt would redeem her, but it never did. I was glad when bad things happened to her. She deserved it.
With this said, Maeve Binchy obviously did some pretty outstanding/convincing writing to solicit these emotions from me. I give this book 4 stars because it was so well written. The missing star is attributed to the lack of compassion I felt for the mother and disappointment I felt at the end of the book that I couldn't find a redeeming quality (again this is my opinion) her.
Rating:
Summary: A Page Turner, An Interesting Mother/Daughter Story
Review: This is my third Maeve Binchy novel, and I believe I'll
keep on reading them. To me she is the Irish version
of Joanna Trollope or Rosamunde Pilcher, a woman who
can describe life in the British Isles to us American
fans. The themes of family loyalty, judgement and friendship
run through this fine novel about the effects upon the
lives of others when one person decides to "follow her
bliss" and abandon family and homeland for love. Do we recognize that Louis is a jerk? I admit I didn't
at first, I thought the author wanted to make him sympathetic
as a symbol of Lena's bid for freedom and happiness. But we
quickly see that although hard-working and loving, Louis
Gray just wasn't worth it; something Lena finds out the
hard way. I was even a little suprised towards the end
when he turned vicious and blackmailed the woman who's life
he practically destroyed. And it was so depressing to see
Lena pay for her foolish decisions with her own life. I had hoped to see her start her life afresh and carry on as a
business tycoon. So Lena is the doomed heroine, but Kit is destined for
happiness with her good guy Stevie. I'd have liked to have
seen more resolution with Emmett, or Sister Madeline. Though set in the 50's, the plot could have happened
nowadays; the Catholic stricture against pre-marital intercourse
was only given lip service. Perhaps it was only the United States 1950's that held such a strong
anti-fornication stance. I liked the way friendship love was showcased (Kit and
Cleo)family love (Kit and Martin, Kit and Emmett),step-
parent love, estranged-parent love, but I didn't quite
get the feel of the romantic pairings; WHY did Kit fall
for Stevie, just because he wasn't a drunk like his father?
WHY did Emmett fall for Anna, just because she visited him
as he convalesced that time? WHY did Martin and Maura
get together, just because they were mutually friendly
through the Kellys? It was easy to be sympathetic towards most characters,
and I think the author wrote the male characters well.
At least they sounded believable on the great audiobook
I listened to, Kate Binchy does a wonderful array of
voices and accents, making the story truly come alive. I would recommend The Glass Lake to Binchy fans and other
readers of British Isles family-saga fiction.
Rating:
Summary: "I couldn't put it down!!"
Review: I could not put this down once I started in.I am notan advocate ofparents abadoning their children under ANY circumstances, however...I could not help but to becometotally immersed in the characters. The cross between 'mystery' and small town story telling worked so well. You could not help but to become involvedwith these characters. I recommend this above ALL of Ms.Binchy's novels... Forgiveme if I am not saying too much about the story,I don't want to give it away toanyone who hasn't read it!
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