Rating: 
Summary: Much better than the movie
Review: If you liked the movie of "Circle of Friends," you will love the book. I enjoyed this book the first time I read it. But, to my surprise, I found it doesn't get stale with repeated readings. This is one of my favorite "read-again" books.The story and the characters are what make both the book and the movie entertaining. But, what makes the book so great is the stuff that was left out of the movie. The histories and families of Benny, Nan and Jack are described in more detail. But, the best is what Maeve Binchy provides in her story for Eve. We see more into her life with the nuns. And, Eve's situation when she goes to college adds to her character, personality and gives Eve a wonderful new relationship. Eve lives and works in the house of a woman who provides room and board for college boys and who just lost her son. Their relationship adds a wonderful sub-plot to this book (which unfortunately was cut from the movie). "Circle of Friends" differs from the movie in several other respects. Benny and Eve don't meet Nan until college. Characters not in the book compete with Benny for Jack's affection. Eve forms a wonderful relationship with Simon's little sister. And, the end is much different. Read the book and discover all the wonderful characters and plot the movie didn't share.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok
Review: I read "circle of friends" because the movie is one of my all time favorites movies. I think the movie was a lot better, the book had a lot of extra peoples it didn't need.
Rating:
Summary: A must read.
Review: I absolutley loved this book. Maeve Binchy captured the essence of friendship in vivid detail. The characters were very life-like and easy to relate to. I could not put this book down. You will fly through the pages and when you get to the end it leaves you wishing that the story would continue forever. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good book to curl up with on a rainy day.
Rating:
Summary: Circle of friends
Review: This is probably my all time favourite book. I first came across this book in late 1997 on my way back from Australia. Back then this was book has just been "movie-rised". The topic appealed to me because I was hooked on Irish culture but also the fact that i had a group of close set of friends just like Benny. What Maeve really succeeds as a writer is the fact when i first read the book i can imagine myself being in Ireland, travelling with Benny daily on her bus rides to university. I felt her joy at being "Jack's girl", what i identified most was when she found out about Jack. Her pain could be felt just by reading. I would recommend this book for people who think that they want to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and get emersed in someone elses for just a brief moment in time. Trust me, you will love this book .
Rating:
Summary: How can you NOT love this book?
Review: I don't think there is anything "typical" about this book. I do, however, think that it's characters reflect the time it takes place in. If the friendships seem "too perfect", that's probably pretty accurate. 1959 in Ireland was (I'm guessing, here) probably a much simpler time- before the A-bomb or AIDS, when drinking every night wasn't constituted alcoholism, when kids could play outside all night long without parents having to worry about kidnapping, and every girl had an ideal image of what her grown-up life would be. I enjoyed the book much more than the movie (as I usually do) because it thouroughly explained why Nan Mahon was the way she was, and why she could seemingly be so cold-hearted in her actions. It also helped us to understand why Benny was kind to a fault, and why most people never gave her much thought. I truly love Maeve Binchy's books. She's a smart woman- she writes about what she knows, and it shows in her novels. If you've ever thought the person you had a crush on was out of your reach, you have to read this book. Inspiring and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Book for All
Review: Circle of Friends keeps you in the story and keeps your attention. It's suspenseful, romantic, exciting and interesting. I read it when I was 13 and I read it again. I'd highly recommend it to men and women. Writer for BellaOnline.com
Rating:
Summary: -->Actually three stars and a half
Review: I had been reading all the reviews below and cannot seem to understand why everyone here loves this book so much. If you want a different opinion, here's mine: skip this book if you do not enjoy sentimental stories that weigh you down and leave you longing for fresh air. I bought this book on impulse, and after 200 pages or so, I really got tired of the "heartwarming" plot, the cliché characters, and - above all - the friendship that seemed a tad too perfect to be believable. When I turned over the last page, my first thought was: read it once, not likely to again. If I had borrowed it I wouldn't have bothered to finish it. To give Ms.Binchy credit, I loved her writing style. And her wonderful, flowing dialogues! Her descriptions of the Irish life, too, left me wanting more. Even though the story was relatively slow-paced, I managed to enjoy the reading overall. The ending, especially, received my applaud. (I saw the movie afterwards - didn't bother finishing THAT!) I sincerely recommend this book if you are 1)looking for a nice, average read, 2)enjoy college stories in an Irish setting, or 3)are a devoted Binchy fan (in which case you wouldn't be liking my review anyway). Otherwise...don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: Too good to miss
Review: Let me begin by stating that objectively, I do not think this book is a work of "great literature". I find the writing style to be questionable at times, the moralistic attitude smothering, and am frankly rather annoyed by Binchy's one-sided approach to the Catholic-Protestant turmoil that rips at Ireland's seams. But oh, how I love this book. I find myself picking it up over and over again. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story tracing the friendship of two fascinating girls. It pinpoints the sometimes destructive nature of love with absolute clarity. Furthermore, Binchy has breathed life into an entire town of secondary characters, creating a novel rich in stroy-telling and in life. A caution - the movie version of the book starring Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver was a despicable act of butchery. The changed, Hollywoodized ending of the movie version was unforgivable. If you love this book, avoid the movie. If you loved the moive, read the book, and you'll see what audience members were missing.
Rating:
Summary: Charming, Heartbreaking, Wonderful
Review: This was the first Binchy novel I picked up. I didn't know anything about a movie being made out of it, and it sat in my car for about six months. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN TO YOU! While I read, I became instant friends with Benny and Eve, fell in love with Jack, was suspicious of Nan, hated Mother Clare, and overall felt like I was part of this circle. I felt like I wanted to gossip about it to my real friends, and my world was transformed as I peeled each page.
Rating:
Summary: INTRIGUING
Review: It's a simple story of extraordinary friendship between 3 young ladies. The characters are normal people but yet the plot is so captivating. A beautiful story.
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