Circle of Friends

Rating:
Summary: Save Your Money
Review: I read Circle of Friends a few years ago when I was trapped with a poor book selection and too much time on my hands... so I read it from cover to cover. And I have to say that this stands out in my memory as the worst book I've ever read all the way through. Binchy's writing is skillful enough... and she does indeed develop her characters and her portrait of Irish town and country life in decades past. I don't necessarily dispute what other readers have said about this book. But I would like to add that the novel is simply oozing with sentimentality and a sense of longing for the values of bygone days... when the social roles of women and men were clear-cut, when a woman could dare to improve her status by marrying a man of a higher social class... charming, yes, if Binchy's novel was a product of the 1950s rather than the 1980s. As a reader in the 1990s, I found that the women were far too dependent/obsessed with their respective male love objects... during the course of the ENTIRE novel... for my own level of comfort and tolerance. I simply do not long to go back to the time Binchy sentimentalizes here. And if I do revisit it, I prefer a viewpoint concurrent with the era in which the story is written rather than that which it blindly and uncritically depicts. As I neared the end of the novel, I found myself glued to the story in hopes of a profoundly tragic ending for each of the main characters. Binchy placated me somewhat with some high drama, but no end would've been too grotesque or tragic for my 'friends' Benny, Nan, Eve, and Jack. Don't say you weren't warned.

Rating:
Summary: Page turner
Review: My new favorite book; I could not put it down. I hate to even tell the story line, but you will love it, trust me! This is my first Binchy book and I can't wait to read another. You will not be able to put this down once you start to read. I love the way she writes. You'll be immersed in one character or situation and Binchy will quickly take you to another place. It is a real page turner and yet you are just reading about people's lives. Could there possibly be a sequel does anyone know? Any reccomendations of what to read next of Binchy's?

Rating:
Summary: circle of friends
Review: Fabulous, real, loving, with so many charachters to keep straight and to rush back and forth as thou you were actually there in the conversation is great! Descibing each character and the surrondings makes me want to visit! Never boring I love maeve binchy's writing style!

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: While wandering through the library in search of a good summer novel, my fiance picked this book up for me. I was hesitant at first, as the title and description on the cover did not particularly appeal to me. However, he told me how much he had heard about this book from family members, and he concluded that it would be a novel I would enjoy as well. I had never read Binchy before, but oh, what a novel with which to begin! After swiftly reading it, I decided to read as many of Binchy's books as I could get my hands on -- that's how much I enjoyed the story. I was consumed with the characters and their situations, and I soon began to feel as though I was completely involved as well. The characters were deeply developed and consistent from the very beginning until the last page. I felt satisfied after finishing the novel, but also disappointed that there was not more!

Some of the previous reviews complain that the novel is "not a work of great literature," but what does that mean? That is not a tangible thing to measure, and it is an arbitrary at that -- I suppose literature earning the description of "great" is chock full of symbolism and deeper meanings. All I know is that I enjoyed the characters, plot, culture, and dialogue, and it was a wonderfully relaxing story into which I could immerse myself after countless semesters full of "great literature" which my professors insisted upon. It was a pleasure to read Circle Of Friends.

Rating:
Summary: better than the movie
Review: Its been a while since I read this but there are still many parts that I will always remember. This was the first book of Maeve Binchy's that I read and since then I have read probably a dozen more of her works and still find this one as the best!

Rating:
Summary: One of Binchy's Best!!!
Review: Binchy is my favorite author & along with The Glass Lake,Circle of Friends is one of her best & my favorites.Yes,it takes a while to get good but once it does you will be so glad you picked it up.Circle of Friends has everything--secrets,first love,the atmosphere of a small town, death, betrayal, friendship, etc.I really enjoyed this book & read it in a very short time because it is one of those novels that you don't want to put down & you do want to pass on to others.The characters are well developed & you find yourself getting into the book & loving it.I would recommend this if you're looking for a good read by Binchy that will fly by.It fully deserves the 4 stars as a great piece of literature.

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent work of literature
Review: When I read Binchy's book of 'Circle of Friends', I felt like flipping through the pages of the book once more. Such a heart-warming story about the original characters Benny, Eve, Nan, and Jack.

It came to my interest when I heard that there was a movie made, based upon the book, starring Minnie Driver and Chris O' Donnel. I thought that it would be a big Hollywood hit, maybe even better than the book. But without even finishing the movie, knowing that it was a big disappointment, I left.

To me the book had more realistic characters, telling the story of each person. Their history and their family background, first giving an introduction of every character's life. Not to mention that the movie mainly focused on Benny and Jack. What the movie totally left out, is the Roman Catholic way of life, and the Irish culture.

Don't miss out on the friendship of these wonderful characters. Watching the movie is just a waist of time. Turn off the video and please, pick up the book.

Rating:
Summary: An all-nighter
Review: This is an amazing book. Once I started reading, I could not put it down until I had read up to the very last page. The characters were so real, and the plot was excellent. I sympathized with Benny, rejoiced when good things happened to her and got very sad when things went badly. Even though it didn't have a Hollywood ending, I thought it was very true to the characters. Some people might find it a bit slow, but I loved every page of it. Even being very tired the next day was worth it. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: Runs Rings Around the Movie
Review: Seen the movie?

If you're visiting this review because you liked the movie and are trying to decide whether to buy the book-- wait no longer. Buy it now!

The secret of the book's appeal is its ability to get inside the protaganist's character-- make you feel what she feels-- *become* her, regardless of your own gender. The plot is gentle, wandering, complex, not at all predictable, as opposed to the film version. (Minnie Driver may be a great actress, but the movie doesn't let her plumb the depths of this character, and the need to fit it all into an hour and a half means you miss half the plot. You know you're in trouble when a major character from the book is missing entirely from the movie.)

If you liked the movie, you'll LOVE the book.

Rating:
Summary: Deeply Touching Story of Love and Understanding
Review: This is the third book by Maeve Bincy I've read and it lives up to all of my expectations. The story line is expertly crafted in a way that kept my attention throughout the entire book. I felt myself relating to Benny in her struggle to accept herself since Binchy's characters all have a warmth of their own. The ending touched my heart as it describes the ultimate love for a friend. Binchy doesn't deal with the superficial qualities of friendship and relationships, but the complex emotional struts that hold up the very fabric of life. I recommend this novel to anyone as it is one I could read and reread many times over. The Irish culture whisks the reader away to a distant land and a different culture. Each character speaks volumes about the truth of love both in romantic and platonic viewpoints. Definetly a worthwhile read.