Circle of Friends
by Maeve BinchySign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
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avg 3.93
I confess to loving what we at the bookstore used to consider "old lady novels." You know, written by nice old ladies, and featuring stock characters such as "Comfortable old lady who smells like violets," "Troubled young boy who will probably run away, thus becoming the catalyst to resolve the troubles of his father, who is..." "Bitter middle aged widower who just needs a little lovin'," and "Beautiful woman who provides said lovin'."
Well, I...more
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Read in January, 2002
Still one of my favourite books. Best written book ever. Okey, I love Maeve Binchy, but this book is smashing. I love it from the first until the last page.
You'll love all the characters, especially the friendship between Benny and Eve. And eventhough you loathes Nan's behavior, somehow you'll understand her. You'll fall in love very quickly at Jack Folley, and as soon as that you'll find yourself annoyed by his taken-for-granted-act- to our lovable Benny.
As other's Maeve writing, it's all d...more
You'll love all the characters, especially the friendship between Benny and Eve. And eventhough you loathes Nan's behavior, somehow you'll understand her. You'll fall in love very quickly at Jack Folley, and as soon as that you'll find yourself annoyed by his taken-for-granted-act- to our lovable Benny.
As other's Maeve writing, it's all d...more
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3 comments
It's been 10 years since the first time I read this book, and it's still my absolute favourite.
Circle of Friends is a novel that follows the lives of childhood friends, Benny Hogan and Eve Malone, growing up in the quiet Irish village of Knockglen. As the girls grow into college-aged women, they head off to Dublin, making new friends and entering into new relationships, but never truly leaving Knockglen - or each other - behind.
The novel explores human relationships with humour ...more
Circle of Friends is a novel that follows the lives of childhood friends, Benny Hogan and Eve Malone, growing up in the quiet Irish village of Knockglen. As the girls grow into college-aged women, they head off to Dublin, making new friends and entering into new relationships, but never truly leaving Knockglen - or each other - behind.
The novel explores human relationships with humour ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 1998
recommends it for:
All
I read this book after seeing the movie and as much as I love the movie, I love the book even more. The book has a few more major characters and plot developments that are note even touched in the movie. I have read many books by Maeve Binchy and Circle of Friends seems like her best developed story. The rest start to seem a little too much like romance novels for my taste (not that romance novels aren't good when you want one!) This story follows Benny Hogan and her friend Eve as they head ...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Sara by:
Jen Pawlowski
The best part about this book was the characters and how well they are portrayed. Everyone had thier own distinct personality and thier personality shown through as if Binchy were writing about people she's known her whole life.
I personally found the storyline a little slow for my liking, and it took me a long time to get through this book. However, it was well written and I enjoyed it. The character of Nan fascinated me the most. I've known girls like her, so poise and perfect in every way...more
I personally found the storyline a little slow for my liking, and it took me a long time to get through this book. However, it was well written and I enjoyed it. The character of Nan fascinated me the most. I've known girls like her, so poise and perfect in every way...more
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2 comments
I think this is one of Maeve Binchy's early books. I know her writing has improved since this was published.
She's formulaic, but you know what to expect sort of. Relaxing reads usually.
She's formulaic, but you know what to expect sort of. Relaxing reads usually.
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Love Maeve Binchy. Easy reads. Happy endings!
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Read in May, 2007
recommended to Annalisa by:
bookclub
While a little long and at times confusing with the massive array of characters, the storyline was interesting.
Two Irish Catholic friends head off to school in Dublin in the '50s. Eve is an orphan bitter with the Protestant family who disowned her mother and Benny is a heavy-set only child with over-protective parents who make her come home every night instead of integrating herself in college life. Naturally she falls for the catch of their class, Jack, and has to overcome her insecurities ...more
Two Irish Catholic friends head off to school in Dublin in the '50s. Eve is an orphan bitter with the Protestant family who disowned her mother and Benny is a heavy-set only child with over-protective parents who make her come home every night instead of integrating herself in college life. Naturally she falls for the catch of their class, Jack, and has to overcome her insecurities ...more
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Read in October, 2007
Lindsey, who recommended Maeve Binchy to me in the first place, says that this is her favorite Binchy novel by far. It's my favorite so far as well. I loved the character of Benny and wanted her to come off the pages and be my friend. She was an underdog, kind and good, much more likable than most of Binchy's characters. What I think really made this novel work was MOTIVES. Each character had strong, complex, and realistic motives that determined their actions. This is also a contrast to m...more
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I love this book. Circle of Friends takes place in Ireland back in the...50's I believe. Benny Hogan grows up in a small Irish Catholic town of Knockglen, feeling suffocated by her parents over protective ways as she grows up (she is an only child). Her best friend, Eve Malone lives with the nuns in the convent after the early deaths of her parents. She has a quick, hot temper and holds resentment towards the rich Westward family, her Mother's family - who disowned her Mother and have never ackn...more
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As always, Binchy turns out another great story. Eve and Bennie are friends since grade school. The story takes you from there to their college years. Eve’s mother was a rich lady whose family lives in the largest house in the small town. The family wants nothing to do with Eve even after her mother and father die. The father was a handy man who obviously did not have the respect from his in-laws. Therefore, Eve is raised by the nuns of the town. She is a small, petite girl with a strong...more
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Read in August, 2005
Although the story started slowly and took its time to grab me, once it did, a few chapters down the way, I couldn't stop reading. As far as the story goes, it's a fairly simple and straightforward one: it's about a group of friends and their friendship, loves and all the happenings in their lives. It's a heart-warming novel with believable characters with whom we can easily identify, despite the story happening in the '50s, if I'm not mistaken.
I think that's how Maeve Binchy grabs us: she c...more
I think that's how Maeve Binchy grabs us: she c...more
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Read in January, 1995
I just wanted to add this, my first official book review, because this book was the reason I became a reader as an adult. When I first moved out on my own, I found myself out to dinner usually by myself.. all alone.. poor me. So, I decided reading a book while eating out looked less pathetic. I picked up this book at a half-priced bookstore (poor and lonely!) and actually ended up loving it!!! So, not only did I feel better about my table for one, I actually realized that I enjoyed reading. ...more
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2 comments
Read in December, 2000
recommended to Julie by:
Kim
I read this over my winter break, in December 2000. I couldn't put it down! It sucks you right in, and you get to know the characters so well that they practically become real people to you. A couple of my friends have read the book as well, and when we discuss the book we talk about Benny and Eve as if they're people we know. I must say though, I was so mad at the way the book ended that I threw it across the room and cried on my bed for ten minutes when I was done. Yikes. Still, I've mellowed ...more
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This is one of my favorite Binchy novels. I was very disappointed in the movie, as it had a very different feel from the book. Although I felt the actors were right for their roles, the movie lacked the sweetness and innocence of the book.
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Read in January, 1988
I love Maeve Binchy and this was the first of her books I read. A wonderful coming-of-age story set in Ireland with characters you want to know. Despite the charm of Minnie Driver and Chris O'Donnell, the movie doesn't begin to be as good as the book.
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Brilliant book. What I love about Maeve Binchy is that she has complete sense of the small towns of Ireland. Here earlier books take place in the 50s and 60s and each character is flawed in only the way that humans can be. Circle of Friends takes you along with three women as they struggle with family, small town living, love, and growing up. There's heartache and hope in the book and the end is a bit bittersweet, but delightful.
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I really enjoyed this novel. Binchy writes wonderful Irish characters in their traditional settings. Every character had a role, and I never minded jumping around from one to the next. Of course, Benny, our protagonist, was genuinely big-hearted, and her sidekick, Eve, was fiercely loyal to her. (By the way, others may not agree that Benny WAS the protagonist...Eve was just as central to the novel's actions.) It's hard to write a review as so much happened in the 565 page book. I couldn't wai...more
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Read in January, 1995
This is one of my all time favorite books. I read it while I was in high school and fell in love with it. Throughout the book, Benny is trying to gain independence and freedom. During that journey she finds out not only who she is, but who her friends are as well. I love how Benny goes through the novel with grace and dignity while trying to be there for her family, but now lose herself.
My favorite part of the book is the ending. The movie's ending and the book's ending doesn't exactly m...more
My favorite part of the book is the ending. The movie's ending and the book's ending doesn't exactly m...more
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Read in April, 1995
The first time I read this book, I was about 13. And for a few minutes after reading it, I thought about never reading another book. Well, not until I was famous at least. I was sure, that at some point, a reporter would ask me, "What was the last book you read?"
I'm not sure what I thought I was going to be famous for, or why I was sure that the reporter would DEFINITELY ask me this question... but I did. And I wanted my answer to be Circle of Friends.
I then realized that ...more
I'm not sure what I thought I was going to be famous for, or why I was sure that the reporter would DEFINITELY ask me this question... but I did. And I wanted my answer to be Circle of Friends.
I then realized that ...more
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