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20th out of 21 books
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The Return Journey
by
Maeve Binchy
In this extraordinary collection of stories, the New York Times-bestselling author of Evening Class and This Year It Will Be Different once again reveals her incomparable understanding of matters of the heart. In The Return Journey, Maeve Binchy brings us sons and lovers, daughters and strangers, husbands and wives in their infinite variety--powerfully compelling stories o...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
September 4th 2007
by Dell
(first published 1996)
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I have read a number of Maeve Binchy stories, both novels and short stories in collections. This was the first collection I had read of just her work. At first I was confused not realizing that these were not one cohesive story. I like seeing how characters develop over a longer period, not that some of these stories didn’t traverse months or more. The Return Journey walked the reader through the lives of many people sometimes their interaction was indirect and accidental, sometimes it involves ...more
I love reading books such as this book, because its actually not a boring book as others. It has different interesting stories. I read a story called The Return Journey and it's about Freda who is from Ireland her father married her mother in Dunglass; it is a village but they had the biggest house there. Her father was a two man; one man sober and another man drunk. Freda’s mother name is Annabel, she was tall and straight and she walked as if she owned Dunglass. Freda was sent to a boarding s...more
Maeve Binchy can infuriate me sometimes. It's like she has a contract for 3 books, and the first is well thought out with an interesting story and characters you can relate to and sympathize with, unique in all aspects and with some twists and turns you don't expect. But maybe that first book takes a lot of time to write, so she contractually has to write 2 more, and they are hurriedly written with no core, characters and stories that are boring and really normal and nothing exciting, so when yo...more
If it was a possibility to have no stars I would choose that for this book. This is shocking for me because I am an easy read. I am not a critic of books and I am a fan of Maeve.
This book starts with a prologue that is a series of letters from a Mother to her Daughter and back. I was intrigued and excited to find out more about this relationship in the rest of the book. Um, NO! I was also antsy to hear about the rest of the characters in the book. The biggest problem I had was every c...more
This book starts with a prologue that is a series of letters from a Mother to her Daughter and back. I was intrigued and excited to find out more about this relationship in the rest of the book. Um, NO! I was also antsy to hear about the rest of the characters in the book. The biggest problem I had was every c...more
Présentation de l'éditeur
Lors d'un voyage initiatique en Irlande sur les traces d'un passé occulté par sa mère, Gina pressent qu'elle va devoir lutter contre le poids de l'hérédité. Annie et Allan ne se connaissent pas encore, mais ils vont devoir se battre pour retrouver leurs valises échangées par erreur dans un aéroport londonien... Jeunes filles en pleurs, maîtresses de maison débordées et sans joie, banlieusards exténués, des personnages bigarrés se croisent dans ces Histoires de renc...more
Lors d'un voyage initiatique en Irlande sur les traces d'un passé occulté par sa mère, Gina pressent qu'elle va devoir lutter contre le poids de l'hérédité. Annie et Allan ne se connaissent pas encore, mais ils vont devoir se battre pour retrouver leurs valises échangées par erreur dans un aéroport londonien... Jeunes filles en pleurs, maîtresses de maison débordées et sans joie, banlieusards exténués, des personnages bigarrés se croisent dans ces Histoires de renc...more
The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy
I wanted to read something romantic and soppy and light hearted so my Mum recommended this, but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. The writing is excellent, but some of the characters got on my nerves completely! Most of the women I wanted to shake and tell them to get a grip and to stop being so meek. All the women had dark curly hair as well, and several names crossed over from different stories which made it a bit confusing. There were a f...more
I wanted to read something romantic and soppy and light hearted so my Mum recommended this, but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. The writing is excellent, but some of the characters got on my nerves completely! Most of the women I wanted to shake and tell them to get a grip and to stop being so meek. All the women had dark curly hair as well, and several names crossed over from different stories which made it a bit confusing. There were a f...more
This book was just as engaging as all the other Maeve Binchy books that I've read. I enjoyed listening to this one, my first audio book by this author, because it is a collection of short stories. I could almost listen to an entire story on my way to work. not only are these stories entertaining, they are very insightful and though provoking. I also enjoyed the narrator, Ms. Fionnula Flanagan. It didn't seem like someone reading but rather telling a story. Ms. Flanagan won an Emmy for her r...more
(Genre:Fiction/Short Stories) This is a collection of short stories and therefore a little difficult to give an accurate rating to it. There were some stories that I really liked (4 stars) and felt that the writing was very well done. However there was also a story that I didn't really care for, and a few that were in between. So 3 is my middle ground. The author chose to write a fair amount of infidelity (or plans of infidelity) into several of the stories and that got a little old, although mo...more
Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors and continues to be. Normally her stories include many unique characters who are interrelated to each other. In this case, each chapter is an unique story, all of the stories have to do with vacations and in them you feel like you're getting a quick peek at people's lives. This book reminds me a lot of real life, you may meet someone and get to know their present and past, but you might never know what happened next and you move on. This is a light read...more
One of the things I like about Maeve Binchy is her quirkiness. In her novels, she usually has time to work the quirkiness out so readers are not left with a strange feeling of incompleteness. I enjoyed this collection of short stories, but found that the quirkiness kind of overwhelmed the story. In their own way, the stories were spare, but the spareness combined with the quirkiness left me feeling a bit odd. I enjoyed the short stories, because they are different and I was so relieved to get ou...more
A collection of short stories is often a mixture of good and mediocre, and this is just that. I had higher hopes because I love Binchy's "Circle of Friends" (the book only--the movie was hideous, except for always delightful MInnie Driver). Most of the characters, no matter what the story, were cynical and/or shallow. And, after reading so many stories in a row, a definite pattern was evident--disappointment for the characters, most often. Binchy has a fabulous way with words and t...more
I really liked this one. It was perfect to take on the plane with me when Tyson and I went to Vegas. Short stories that caught my interest then ended with me wondering what happens next. I don't think all stories need to have the ending told to you. There were some of these that I wanted to know more, but that is all in my mind.
Maeve Binchy always does a wonderful job of getting you into a person's life. And these short stories gave me quick glances. Like a drive by look into their ...more
Maeve Binchy always does a wonderful job of getting you into a person's life. And these short stories gave me quick glances. Like a drive by look into their ...more
Mary
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes short stories
Recommended to Mary by:
I usually like Maeve Binchy
This is a collection of short stories in which Maeve Binchy introduces us to sons, brothers, fathers, mothers, sisters and lovers. She looks at the relationships and the affect of love on her characters. I have to say that although I usually love Maeve Binchy as an author and am definitely willing to give anything she has written a fighting chance to take me away; I found this particular book lacking in parts.
I had read this book before several years ago and of course had forgotten what it was ...more
I had read this book before several years ago and of course had forgotten what it was ...more
I am not usually a fan of short stories, but when they are as well-written and absorbing as these are, I can't resist them. Maeve Binchy has an amazing ability to quickly sketch characters and situations and pull the reader into her world. Like her novels, these stories have a generally downbeat feel to them, but overall the stories were fascinating, three-dimensional portraits of real people and real situations. An excellent, quick read.
I'm not a big fan of short stories, but I'm a big fan of Maeve Binchy. I like her kind of standard storylines--quirky character making self-discoveries, chance meetings or opportunities to look into other people's lives. There tend to be a lot of people either contemplating or involved in extramarital affairs--a lot of people disgruntled with their lives and looking for a little thrill. Quick-reading. Enjoyable.
This is an older publication but if you want a fast read of short stories this might be for you. Maeve Binchy has the knack of observing the very ordinary circumstances that everyone can be in and imagining so much more about what is really happening. Often sad & sometimes frustrating, these tales question what are our motives and what is life really all about.
I normally read Maeve Binchy when I feel the need for some comfort reading, but I was disappointed with this one as so many of the stories were a bit cheesy and predictable.
I think it would be good when you're ill or after you've just had a baby, when you want something you can pick up and put down without losing the thread of the story.
I think it would be good when you're ill or after you've just had a baby, when you want something you can pick up and put down without losing the thread of the story.
This is the first book I read on my Kindle, and I think it was great for learning how to use it. I enjoyed Maeve Binchy's stories, the ones with happier, more hopeful endings the best. Each of the stories was well-written, giving us just a glimpse of the characters and a brief moment in their life. I wanted to read more of most of them.
A lovely, sensitive and well written collection of short stories. As the title implies, each story is about some type of journey. (In fact, "The Return Journey" is the first short story in the book.) Binchy's ability to tap into the very heart and soul of ordinary people make her an extraordinary writer. She, and these stories, are a treasure!
My wife was reading this, and I picked it up and ended up reading it. A collection of brief short stories.. husbands, wives, friends and lovers.. kind of like air popped popcorn. Not a lot of depth or substance, but an easy quick read... if you choose this to read on a flight, it better be a pretty short flight!
Not one of her best, but well written all the same in her masterful storytelling style. This book is a collection of short vignettes whose endings sometimes leave a bit too much speculation on the part of the reader. Good entertainment, however, as all of Binchy's tales are wonderful webs of poignancy against an Irish landscape.
I picked up this book from my Mom's shelf when I ran out of something to read. Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors, but I was a little bit disappointed in these short stories. I kept hoping for more substance. I guess that I like her novels better than these short stories. Anyway, it passed the time.
This is a collection of short stories. I read most of them but always felt unfulfilled when each story was over. I thought the stories were more of an outline for a novel rather than short stories that could stand alone. I would read these when i was searching for something to read in between books.
This book was just OK. A bit dated and while some of the short stories were good, others just seemed a bit forgettable to me. Having said that, I think that I just don't like the short story genre. If I happen to like the story itself, it ends way too quickly, and if I don't like the story, why read on?
A good on-the-road read, not my favourite Binchy (and I'm a huge fan). Would recommend ahead of this any from among Circle of Friends, Firefly Summer, Evening Class, Tara Road, Scarlet Feather, Quentins, Nights of Rain and Stars… MORE http://wadadlipen.wordpress.com/2011/07/...
This book was airplane peanuts - satisfying to break the monotony of airplane travel. I enjoyed all of the stories, but I read it without thought, engulging the handful of stories like peanuts in the bag. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I need to keep it around. Donation time!
It was interesting to read a book of short stories from one of my favorite authors. I didn't think she could write a short story, her novels are so detailed and she writes such complete stories, so this was a new genre for me to see her in. She didn't disappoint, if anything, I'm even a more avid fan.
Read for a challenge ("Irish author"). Sweet short stories, ranging from horehound to fudge to cotton candy, so to speak. The best ones were the ones that had a little bit of the bitter, or the not-quite-happy ending.
I read a few books by her which were all fairly good but this one sucked. And I wasn't thrilled with how she used the same names for different stories. I wouldn't read it again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
A collection of short stories. Maeve Binchy is just an excellent writer, and I don't know why I don't read more of her books. This was a quick, easy read with great characters in each of the stories.
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Maeve Binchy was born in 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 lives in Dublin with her husband, Gordon Snell. - Fantastic Fiction
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