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43rd out of 233 books
—
257 voters
Tara Road
by
Maeve Binchy
Ria lived on Tara Road in Dublin with her dashing husband, Danny, and their two children. She fully believed she was happily married, right up until the day Danny told her he was leaving her to be with his young, pregnant girlfriend. By a chance phone call, Ria meets Marilyn, a woman from New England unable to come to terms with her only son's death and now separated from...more
Paperback, 656 pages
Published
May 29th 2007
by Dell
(first published 1999)
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My mom and sister and I refer to this as the "smell the milk" book. Sometimes you open the fridge and wonder what that horrible smell is, and you open the milk bottle and nearly pass out. But it's so bad someone else HAS to experience it to, so you ask whoever's nearby to smell the milk, too.
I picked this book up in a grocery store in Shannon, Ireland. I was hoping for a fun, light read during my vacation. It *was* fun and sort of light, but not in the way I expected.
I've truly enjoyed some of M...more
I picked this book up in a grocery store in Shannon, Ireland. I was hoping for a fun, light read during my vacation. It *was* fun and sort of light, but not in the way I expected.
I've truly enjoyed some of M...more
Binchy is one of my favorite authors and I think this is my favorite of her books. Great for a vacation read. She always wraps her stories up in nice little bows at the end, which may not generally be what would happen in reality, but I think that's why I like it - she's good at reminding people that things always work out in the end. Also, she has really strong female characters, or ones who start out weak but find strength, usually through other great women characters, which is always somethin...more
Aug 22, 2008
Suzanne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
summer-read,
irish-writing
My favorite Maeve Binchy story.
Maeve Binchy is a master story teller. Never more so then in this story.
When reading this novel I found myself captivated by Danny's charms not unlike the other women in this story.
Ria started out as a "weak" woman in my opinion. She wanted to be everything to everyone. Her desire to make Danny so happy and raise her family the way her mother thought she should, falter when Hillary (her sister) would complain and be the peace maker to her thousands of friends made her be someone that I felt woul...more
When reading this novel I found myself captivated by Danny's charms not unlike the other women in this story.
Ria started out as a "weak" woman in my opinion. She wanted to be everything to everyone. Her desire to make Danny so happy and raise her family the way her mother thought she should, falter when Hillary (her sister) would complain and be the peace maker to her thousands of friends made her be someone that I felt woul...more
I agreed to read Tara Road simply because the binding of the novel looked worn. I thought to myself, "how terrible of a book could it be if others had loved it with marked creases." As soon as I picked it up, part of me began regretting the decision. I could not find any redeeming qualities.
The novel begins with Ria, a young Irish girl talking to her sister about love and relationships. This, I imagine is used as a backdrop to illustrate the naivete of Ria (short for Maria) in the land of love....more
The novel begins with Ria, a young Irish girl talking to her sister about love and relationships. This, I imagine is used as a backdrop to illustrate the naivete of Ria (short for Maria) in the land of love....more
There was a time in my life I would have turned away from a book because of it's size. This one would have gotten passed because of this size. I'm glad I didn't pass it up.
Maria (Ria) is a very unselfish woman living in Ireland on Tera Road. Her life fell into her hands by the luck of her husband, Danny, and his real estate working with Barney McCarthey. This is a tale of many lies revolving around these men, with wives who turn a cheek to their indiscretions.
Ria is very social and her friends...more
Maria (Ria) is a very unselfish woman living in Ireland on Tera Road. Her life fell into her hands by the luck of her husband, Danny, and his real estate working with Barney McCarthey. This is a tale of many lies revolving around these men, with wives who turn a cheek to their indiscretions.
Ria is very social and her friends...more
Aug 01, 2007
Sondang
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
myfavouriteofalltimes
I also love this book.
Binchy wrote the character so well.
And though I already forgot -maybe Danny- the name of the good looking guy who was not a good husband at the end, I still remember how beautifully Binchy wrote the changing in his character.
Well, maybe not changing. Maybe it's more like the showing of his true self.
This story touched my young heart :p
I guess the movie The Holiday (starring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law etc) kinda inspired by this movie. I mean, the changing place situation, not t...more
Binchy wrote the character so well.
And though I already forgot -maybe Danny- the name of the good looking guy who was not a good husband at the end, I still remember how beautifully Binchy wrote the changing in his character.
Well, maybe not changing. Maybe it's more like the showing of his true self.
This story touched my young heart :p
I guess the movie The Holiday (starring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law etc) kinda inspired by this movie. I mean, the changing place situation, not t...more
Jun 11, 2008
Jeanie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Jeanie by:
Emmy
Shelves:
popular-fiction
Easy, light-hearted, Summer read. Kinda reminded me of the TV show Desperate Housewives. It's the story of women and their relationships (good & bad) with each other, the men in their lives, and the facade of the "Cinderella life" or "Keeping up with the Joneses."
This author also wrote Circle of Friends which was also a movie. Her books are consistent and good. They dive deep into the minds of women and what they're really thinking & what they really want or think they should want. :-)
This author also wrote Circle of Friends which was also a movie. Her books are consistent and good. They dive deep into the minds of women and what they're really thinking & what they really want or think they should want. :-)
This book came to me in such an unusual way that it is impossible to judge its contents without noting the story. I was riding the subway to work in NYC when I was in my early twenties, when a little, old, Chinese man tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up from my book and he asked me, in broken English, if I liked to read. I was taken aback by not only being touched by a stranger on the train, a no-no for regular NYC commuters, but by his seemingly random question. I gave him a quick nod and tu...more
It has been quite some time since I have read a Maeve Binchy book, but I remembered her wonderful Irish stories about human relationships and emotions and the realm of goodness and the sorrow of misunderstandings. I also remembered I should have a box of tissues close by and sure enough Tara Road proved true to form.
Ria Johnson a somewhat awkward and insecure young secretary meets incredibly handsome Danny Lynch at work and they fall in love and move into their dream house on Tara Road and have...more
Ria Johnson a somewhat awkward and insecure young secretary meets incredibly handsome Danny Lynch at work and they fall in love and move into their dream house on Tara Road and have...more
If I could, I would give it a 3.5 stars. I liked some of the themes presented in this book: abuse, friendship, commitment, love, children. I did not like the soap opera type of story. My husband asked what I was reading and I told him confidently that it would fit right in as a Lifetime movie. I don't normally read that type of literature (or watch Lifetime movies, well, except perhaps at Christmastime!). I was drawn, however, to Binchy's writing. She writes very well and the story lines are com...more
Tara Road is an excellent read on how a marriage can fall apart when one isn't paying attention to whom the center of your relationship SHOULD be..your spouse. Kids, home, and friends are all integral parts of our lives, but our spouse should be our number one priority.
In Tara Road, Ria Lynch is a woman who means well and does well by her children and friends, but doesn't pay attention to the big picture and her whole life falls apart when her husband, Danny, divulges his identity as a runaroun...more
In Tara Road, Ria Lynch is a woman who means well and does well by her children and friends, but doesn't pay attention to the big picture and her whole life falls apart when her husband, Danny, divulges his identity as a runaroun...more
With each new book, Maeve Binchy continues a remarkable progression of sales and audience growth, reaching fans of all ages and backgrounds with her matchless wit, warmth, and sheer storytelling magic. Tara Road, her first full-length novel sinceThe Glass Lake, again shows her incomparable understanding of the human heart in the tale of two women, one from Ireland, one from America, who switch lives, and in doing so learn much about each other, as well as much about themselves. Ria lived on Tara...more
Encore un livre qui m'a tenue éveillée tard et même toute la nuit.
Voici le résumé que donne Amazon France :
Elles ne se sont jamais rencontrées. Elles n'ont pratiquement rien en commun. Leurs existences vont pourtant se trouver inextricablement liées. Difficile d'imaginer vies plus différentes que celles de Ria Lynch et de Marilyn Vine. Femme au foyer, Ria habite une somptueuse résidence dans Tara Road, l'une des plus belles rues de Dublin. Marilyn, elle, demeure dans une petite ville de Nouvelle...more
Voici le résumé que donne Amazon France :
Elles ne se sont jamais rencontrées. Elles n'ont pratiquement rien en commun. Leurs existences vont pourtant se trouver inextricablement liées. Difficile d'imaginer vies plus différentes que celles de Ria Lynch et de Marilyn Vine. Femme au foyer, Ria habite une somptueuse résidence dans Tara Road, l'une des plus belles rues de Dublin. Marilyn, elle, demeure dans une petite ville de Nouvelle...more
Another book from Birchy. So you know it's going to be long and pointless, but easy. God, books like these make me dislike the Irish so much! Or it makes me want to go over there and give them a good kick in the ass, especially the women, seem so weak! Anyway, girl pretty much marries the first guy she dates. She has a very small life with her friends and kids and mother and small jobs, but she seems to get a long okay. Her husband works for some real estate company for some large and in charge...more
My first introduction to he writing of Maeve Binchy was her novel Circle of Friends, after which I read The Glass Lake. When I saw that Tara Road was chosen as an Oprah selection, I thought it would be even better.
::: Girl Meets Boy :::
Ria is a pretty if unspectacular girl. She lives with her widowed mother and older sister, takes a secretarial course, and takes a position at a real estate agency, where she meets the gorgeous and ambitious Rosemary and the dashing Danny Lynch. In real life, Dann...more
::: Girl Meets Boy :::
Ria is a pretty if unspectacular girl. She lives with her widowed mother and older sister, takes a secretarial course, and takes a position at a real estate agency, where she meets the gorgeous and ambitious Rosemary and the dashing Danny Lynch. In real life, Dann...more
Ria lived on Tara Road in Dublin with her dashing husband, Danny, and their two children. She fully believed she was happily married, right up until the day Danny told her he was leaving her to be with his young, pregnant girlfriend. By a chance phone call, Ria meets Marilyn, a woman from New England unable to come to terms with her only son's death and now separated from her husband. The two women exchange houses for the summer with extraordinary consequences. Drawn into lifestyles vastly diffe...more
This was my first Maeve Binchy and it will not be my last. The story starts with Ria, living in Dublin and married to the charismatic Danny Linch. She believes nothing could be better about her life except to have a third child until the time comes to discuss this possibility with her happily married husband. Only to discover he is having a third child with another woman! Ria’s life is turned inside out and upside down and so are the lives of her young son Brian and 15 year old Annie. Just when...more
The first part of "Tara Road", which is a bit slow, tells the story of Ria Lynch, her marriage to Danny Lynch, and her life with him and their two children as they buy a house and renovate it on Tara Road. It also tells the stories of Ria's friends, especially Rosemary Ryan, not quite the friend she appears to be; Gertie, a battered wife who is so used to living a lie that she actually believes it; and Colm, who is struggling to run a restaurant while dealing with his sister's problems.
"Tara Ro...more
"Tara Ro...more
I have to admit, as a book snob, I kind of look down on authors who are wildly popular. But I had heard of Binchy and, hey, "Tara Road" was in the one-for-one paperback exchange at my library's book sale, so I picked it up.
I was instantly sucked in to the characters' complex relationships, their longings, divorce and romance struggles, motivations, eforts to better themselves.
The dual stories of the two divorcees on both sides of the Atlantic who exchange homes was a great plot device. I was fa...more
I was instantly sucked in to the characters' complex relationships, their longings, divorce and romance struggles, motivations, eforts to better themselves.
The dual stories of the two divorcees on both sides of the Atlantic who exchange homes was a great plot device. I was fa...more
I'm normally not a fan of light summer chick-flick novels, made for devouring in a "thoughtless" way. But this one is unlike any I've read so far.
The main characters, Ria and Marilyn are so different, but then again so alike in many ways. And the plot isn't your typical romance, it's ingenious, thoughtful, certainly plausible and, most of all, different. The women are gentle, but strong, confused, but steady, realistic, but still full of hopes and dreams. They are full of unsolvable dichotomies...more
The main characters, Ria and Marilyn are so different, but then again so alike in many ways. And the plot isn't your typical romance, it's ingenious, thoughtful, certainly plausible and, most of all, different. The women are gentle, but strong, confused, but steady, realistic, but still full of hopes and dreams. They are full of unsolvable dichotomies...more
I really liked this book. I followed the recommendations of a fellow Goodreads member. Maeve has done a good job in this book. The only thing that still bothers me is that Tara, the house, was a major character in this book, and yet we don't really get to creat an image of the house--other than the front cover. In Wuthering Heights for example, I could see the rooms the stairs, the entry hall, the kitchen. I could imagine the rooms and its windows. I could see it in the distance... Tara only had...more
This is now the second book I have read by Maeve Binchy. The first was a shortish one about a restaurant - Quentins, which one of my sisters said was very light. She was right; it was lightweight, easy to read, a simple story that reminded me of the works of Alexander McCall Smith. I figured, when I saw this one, that I'd give it a try, that perhaps a longer book would have more depth.
In a way it does. Certainly we get to know the main character, Ria, fairly well. And we get a pretty good sense...more
In a way it does. Certainly we get to know the main character, Ria, fairly well. And we get a pretty good sense...more
I'd have to agree with the spilt milk metaphor but go further and say it smells so bad I wouldn't ask anyone else to smell it! I just finished Whitethorn Woods and thought it was decent. Not quite literary, but fun storytelling. This book is just trashy. I avoided Binchy because I don't read pop fiction but after her death I read a nice write up and thought I might really like her and her characters. That was true for WW. The one thing I like about Binchy (in WW) --and this may betray my complet...more
I have not read a Maeve Binchy book that I have not absolutely LOVED! She is an amazing character writer. Her characters come to life so much that they feel as though they are your friends and you are part of their circle and in the story. I often have to remind myself that they are fictitious and not real! They become so much a part of you that it is very difficult to finish one of her books and have to say goodbye to them. I even find myself thinking of them and wondering how they are doing no...more
Mar 31, 2007
Katherine
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
A woman who wants a spicey page turner!
I could not put this book down!!! Literally! It is exciting from the start and twists into a disgustingly yummy tale :)
I especially like tha author's style of writing and creative mind. Everything description was so colorful and vivid in my mind almost like watching a movie :) It is more of a "soap opera" book in my way of thinking, and not so much intellectual.
I learned that the cliche "men are pigs" can be true and this book certainly fuels that notion. LOL!
I especially like tha author's style of writing and creative mind. Everything description was so colorful and vivid in my mind almost like watching a movie :) It is more of a "soap opera" book in my way of thinking, and not so much intellectual.
I learned that the cliche "men are pigs" can be true and this book certainly fuels that notion. LOL!
This is my first experience with Maeve Binchy. In fact I had never even heard of her before I picked up Tara Road. I have already bought a second book of hers to read.
One of the things I loved about this story was the fact that the characters were so well written and the pace moved so swiftly, you felt you were wrapped up in there lives. You felt them grow together and apart. You felt you were experiencing the whirlwind that was their lives along with them. You felt the heartbreak and the happi...more
One of the things I loved about this story was the fact that the characters were so well written and the pace moved so swiftly, you felt you were wrapped up in there lives. You felt them grow together and apart. You felt you were experiencing the whirlwind that was their lives along with them. You felt the heartbreak and the happi...more
OK maybe it was just my mood, but I was bored to tears ... I listened to more than half, all the while thinking "I have to stop this" but I continued hoping somehow I would even care ... I must have spent 7 hours or more listening! OMG.
I am so glad I stopped & couldn't care less what happened to thet characters. However, on a positive note, if one were really interested in Ireland, it's people and such, perhaps one could enjoy One Star's Worth here !
I am so glad I stopped & couldn't care less what happened to thet characters. However, on a positive note, if one were really interested in Ireland, it's people and such, perhaps one could enjoy One Star's Worth here !
I recently watched the movie "Tara Road", and realized that while I seemed to remember enough to say that it was pretty true to the book, I couldn't remember many details from the book at all, and felt it was time to read it. "Tara Road" is a weird mixture of a very depressing book (esp. the first half) and a perfect comfort book. But come to think of it, most of Maeve Binchy's books are that way. It's not my favourite MB, but probably in the top 5.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I can't stand her! | 32 | 262 | 06 mar. 05:45 | |
| The movie adaptation. | 9 | 72 | 31 jan. 10:59 | |
| Maeve Binchy | 8 | 41 | 06 août 03:46 |
Maeve Binchy was born in Dalkey, County Dublin and came to fame first as London Correspondent for the Irish Times. Her first novel, Light a Penny Candle, made her famous in the UK and USA. She passed away on July 30, 2012, at the age of 72.
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“I look placid, you see, that's why people think I'm fine. Inside I worry a lot.”
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20 people liked it
“She put her head down on the table and cried all the tears that she knew she should have cried in the past year and a half. But they weren't ready then, they were now.”
—
13 people liked it
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