Rating: 
Summary: If you loved Tara Road...
Review: This book gets off to a slow start. However, that is remedied quickly when you get a jist for the two main charachters, Benny and Eve, after the first 5 or 6 pages. Incorporating several other characters into the mix, Binchy uses great care and detail to tell the story of a group of friends.
Enough time is spent with each character to really understand every one, which is difficult for most writers to do without losing the interest of the reader. Binchy does this perfectly so that instead of putting too much into the novel, she simply makes it that much better.
The story is dramatic, touching, hilarious and suspenseful. I laughed at some pages and was horrified at others (at the character's actions, not the writing) :)
Get into the novel, which I almost put down after the first 3 pages or so. You'll see.
Rating: 
Summary: A nice change of pace
Review: After reading three current best sellers - all overhyped garbage - this was a pleasant change of pace. Interesting characters that you care about, a good, solid story, and well-written. A bit long, I might have shaved it a little, but not a big issue. And my personal holy grail: no cuss words!!!!!Nice read.
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Summary: Great Sensitivity Training for Guys
Review: This book was so captivating that I am considering flying to Ireland for a vacation. I did not expect to enjoy this book (I was staying the night at a friend's house and usually read a chess book before bed, but had to borrow one of his sister's since he was asleep already). I had heard it was "girly" and usually don't go for that sort of novel. In this case, however, I read it almost nonstop until I finished. One night in particular, despite stinging eyes and groaning stomach, I continued reading until 10 in the morning -- a new personal record. The author must have done something right to hold my attention that completely. Well done, Maeve Binchy.
Rating:
Summary: Read it once a year
Review: I have read this book once a year after reading it for the first time. This is my all time favorite book. I can always go back to it and love it. I ever sometimes wonder if Jack is going do things differently. Maeve is my favorite writer by far, and I now have to wait for each new book to come out. Maeve puts you into the characters lives, and you learn to love or hate them, wish that they were your bestfriend or your boyfriend. If you are looking for another good read of hers.. try Echoes or Firefly Summer. All are excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Many Characters and BORING!
Review: I couldn't make it all the way through this book. First of all, there were too many characters in it in order to really enjoy the book, and second of all, you wondered what would happen next, and nothing about it was exciting at all. This book has definitely been overrated for sure. Binchy writes with so many characters in this book, that you catch yourself wondering who's doing what sometimes. I wouldn't recommend it if you really want something entertaining and exciting to read.
Rating:
Summary: A great book about friends and coming 'into your own'!
Review: This book chronicles the friendship of Benny and Eve from the age of 10 to about 19. It focuses on their first year at university in Dublin, the friends they make, and the things that happen to them. The book tells how Benny, 'a big girl', goes from a self-deprecating, make 'em laugh at me girl to a more confident woman. And how Eve, orphaned and ignored by relatives allows herself to love and be loved. It is a good read with colorful characters that you love even if they do things they shouldn't. And the characters are real, you will be able to relate to most of them. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: 4 and 3/4 stars
Review: Heroines: Varied They seemed like two unlikely allies: the small, quick, pixie-like convent-raised orphan Eve Malone and the large, ungainly, sheltered Benny Hogan. But they recognized in each other a fierce need for true friendship and became each other's guardian angel. The two stood as fast friends for eight years in the tiny village of Knockglen, and when the time came for Benny to go off to Dublin to University, Eve made sure to find a way to be there also, even though it meant asking for money from the people she most despised in the world. There in the big city, Eve and Benny meet others like themselves and expand their numbers til they are truly a large "Circle of Friends". And it is there in Dublin that Benny and Eve discover what true friendship is, and see each other through first love, betrayal, and heartbreak. What worked for me: It was very hard not to become involved in the lives of these characters. Even those just passing through managed to bring a tear or two to my eyes. And while I was happy that Benny and Eve eventually found their places in the world, I was sad to leave them at the end of the book and would have loved to have heard more about their lives. Size-wise the women in the story were all very different. But Benny, the character who was on center stage most of the time, was a girl of good size. She was frequently referred to as "a great horse of a girl", "a little barrel", and "Big Ben" by the more thoughtless people in her life, and it was impossible not to share the pain those comments brought to her. What didn't work for me: Usually if there is a problem in the writing craft of a story, I not only pick up on it but it will grate on my nerves and pull me out of the book. However, Maeve Binchy breaks some of the hard and fast rules of writing, and yet my eyes frequently pass over these occasional technical flaws simply because the characters have drawn me so deeply into their story that I read too quickly to catch whatever mistakes there may be. It was one thing to leave Benny and Eve knowing that they had more or less gotten their lives together, but I couldn't help but feel perturbed that I was left without confirmation that the most fatally-flawed characters in the book had indeed learned their lessons. Overall: "Circle of Friends" is an epic saga about coming-of-age in the sheltered world of 1950s Ireland. It may be a bit slow-paced for some readers, but I thought it was well worth it. If you liked "Circle of Friends" you might also enjoy: "Tara Road", "Last Chance Saloon", "Having It and Eating It", and "Good in Bed". Note: There is also a film version of "Circle of Friends". While I thought that the cinematic vision of Benny's story was beautiful to see and certainly very well-cast, the translation lost something when it went from book to screen. It was unfortunate that the producers felt the need to rewrite the plot into a more pat Americanized version in which they glossed over the flaws inherent in some of the characters, taking away their responsibilities for their actions and making them instead victims of their own destinies. Ultimately, the movie was a feast for the eyes and ears, but the book was food for the soul.
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss Binchy's best!
Review: I've read a couple other Maeve Binchy books and was not impressed, but I remember seeing the movie CIRCLE OF FRIENDS in about 1995 and liked it, so I tried this one. I LOVED it!!! I immediately became involved in the lives of Benny and her friends in Ireland as they start college in Dublin. They come from different family backgrounds and social strata. There's hope, love, hatred, suspense, betrayal, surprise, death, and mostly friendship. Everything you could want in an excellent read. (The anal-retentive editor in me kept wanting to pick up a red pencil to fix the sentences that had no verbs, were run-ons, or had verbs that didn't match the subject. But when the story's good enough that those things don't really bother me, I know it's a good story!) Totally engaging -- almost 600 pages, and I didn't want it to end! I could hardly put it down. Wonderful! Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Friendships
Review: Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy Maeve Binchy's Circle of Friends focuses on the friendships of Benny and Eve, starting from their childhood years in Knockglen, to their days at college in Dublin. Benny is a large over weight young woman, somewhat shy, and Eve is a petite girl who grew up as an orphan with a convent of nuns. Together, they share life's joys and sorrows and experience what growing up is all about. While a few chapters focus on their early childhood, the bulk of the book takes place in College. Eve and Benny decide to go to school in Dublin, and while Eve gets to move out from the convent and into her own place, Benny ends up living at home with her over-protective parents. Despite the fact that she doesn't have as much freedom as her college-mates, Benny does make many new friends at the college. Benny and Eve meet Nan, a beautiful young woman who befriends them on their first day of school. The three of them become best of friends, and are always seen hanging out together. On the same day, they also meet Jack Foley, a very good-looking son of a local doctor, and soon Benny falls in love with him. These two and many other new friends become part of Benny and Eve's new life at college. A lot of parties and lunches and good times are had by all. As always, there is a huge cast of characters in this Maeve Binchy novel, along with complicated plot twists which all get resolved at the end. The book takes us back and forth between the two towns, throwing in various subplots including the story behind Eve's family history, which could be a novel in itself. The book's main emphasis, however, is friendship and betrayal, and the loyalties that one makes throughout their lives. Circle of Friends comes highly recommended from this reader.
Rating:
Summary: one of my favorite books of all time
Review: if you have read other books by Maeve Binchy, completely disregard any opinions you have about her writing and read Circle of Friends. It is a million times better than her other works, and a wonderful read. It is funny and heartwarming, with the kind of characters you wish weren't fictional so you could find them and meet them. It is the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day.
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