The Woman on the Bus

by Pauline McLynn

It's a typical Tuesday evening in Kilbrody. Cathy Long is on her way to collect her drunken father from the pub. Ozzy O'Reilly is in the graveyard, watching the Dublin bus through his binoculars. Charlie Finn is pulling pints, when suddenly it hits he's bored. And that's when the woman from the bus walks through his door and drinks herself into oblivion. Now the whole village wants to know, who is the woman on the bus? The question is, will she tell them?

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

406 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 7, 2004

About the author

Pauline McLynn (born 11 July 1962) is an Irish actress, comedienne and author, best known for playing Mrs Doyle on the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. McLynn was born in Sligo but grew up in Galway. She studied History of Art and Modern English at Trinity College, Dublin. She was heavily involved in Trinity's Dublin University Players (college drama society). She is married to the producer and agent Richard Cook. She supports both Aston Villa and Bohemian F.C.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this Irish family drama and would urge people wanting to read this to do so via audio.
It is narrated by Pauline McLynn and not only has she a fabulous voice but as the author she puts all her feeling into the spoken words.
The skill is not necessarily in the story itself but in the way her characters interact and their various viewpoints that move the story along.
Her writing reminds me of Maeve Binchy whom I love so if you're a fan of hers you will love this too.
It made me laugh and smile and though horrible things happened to some of the characters this is a 'feel good' book.

[Peggy Morley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this my first audio book

[CK]

Didn't finish this book

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed this week. Wish I could live in that pub with Ruth and Charlie and enjoy the Irish countryside

[Elayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst away there was much opportunity to read - the TV programmes weren’t very good in Scotland. So I am now doing well on both my Summer Race statistics - in the … group in GoodReads and also my annual target of 100 books and titles by A-Z. I read 14 books! One thing I did was a: read some of the books left by previous inhabitants of the flats we rented, and b: buy some charity books. This menat I experienced some new writers and genres.
Here is just the review of one - more will follow of course…
Book 1: The Woman on the Bus by Pauline McLynn.
I give this 4 stars. Especially for holiday reading.
It is set in an Irish village without the cutesy overtones of set piece characters and language. Thus people speak, mostly, without the accent we have come to expect of an Irish novel.
A strange woman arrives on a bus and the lives of many of the villagers change as interacts with them. Slowly, as she remembers why she was on the bus, her thinking and behaviours evolve and she realises that her old life no longer appeals.
We also gain gentle insights into alcoholism - and the general over-use of alcohol - which is a constant theme of Irish life (the statistics of our own local Irish population support this here in North London - illness and premature death and related problems are common).
Other emotional and familial issues are also explored through storylines that are interwoven.
Is the ending a cliché? And do we expect it? Does it matter?

[Floyd Pepper]

..ne volim knjigu ostaviti nepročitanu..uvijek smatram da se možda u nekom zakutku krije nešto vrijedno...ili se barem odužiti autoru tako da ću je cijelu pročitati,kad se već on potrudio napisati je...ali ova me izmorila...zaspao bih vec nakon nekoliko redaka...a inače znam probdjeti uz dobru knjigu do jutra i krvavih očiju ići na posao...ne..žena iz autobusa i ja se nismo našli...stavljam je na policu sa bookmarkom negdje na pola...možda jednom...ali sumnjam....preporučujem je kao pomoć kod nesanice...za nuspojave obratite se autoru ili izdavaču.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've wanted to read one of Pauline McLynn's books for a while, and I decided on The Woman on the Bus because the audiobook is narrated by the author.

The storyline is quite straightforward, although it took me a while to get all the characters straight in my head. Once I got into it, I found myself invested in the characters and their stories.

The mystery kept me listening, and I wanted to find out what was going on, what had happened to Ruth for her to end up drunk on the bus and getting off in Kilbrody, and how things were going to end up.

There were times when I felt that the characters' motivations and actions/speech were a little strange, and I felt like I'd missed something, even after backtracking a bit to make sure I hadn't.

It also sometimes felt unclear whether Ruth has memory loss - at one point she doesn't seem to know things about herself. It becomes obvious why she would have forgotten/repressed events leading up to her getting on the bus, but not that she would have forgotten aspects of her own personality.

Overall this was a great listen - I loved the cosy village vibes, and it was enjoyable to get to know all the characters. The audiobook being narrated by the author was a massive bonus, because she read the story with such warmth and brought the characters to life so well.

[Carolyn James · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a total snooze. If I had to summarize this in one word it would be: disjointed. The book is about a woman who drunkenly shows up in a small town and wakes up not knowing why she is there. It then becomes obvious she's been through some trauma in her life and the fresh start/small town living will make her whole and happy again.

I didn't like the book because it seems so vague of timelines. People seem to be fast friends in mere days and it is really unclear how much the main character forgets about her life or how much is just slowly being revealed to the reader. Overall it has a tired formulaic plot, which I can forgive if the characters and story is written well, but it's not: 2 stars.

[Catsalive · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining tale set in the small town of Kilbrody, Co. Clare, Ireland. Ruth gets off a bus in a drunken stupor & ends up in Finn's, a local pub. She wakes in terror two days later, with no idea where she is & in the hangover horrors. She has been very lucky to have ended up with Charlie Finn who has looked after this stranger with care & compassion.

I enjoyed this drama - full of drinking (well, it is set in a pub), alcoholics, current & recovering, family life & coming of age. Some of the internal dialogues were very amusing, as each character built up an enormous head of steam from imagined conversations, only to fizzle when real life didn't deliver the expected.

Small town life, both comic & serious, Irish style.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really get what the author was trying to create but things just became unrealistic. For example a woman gets off a bus, drinks all night in a strange pub in a strange town, and then sleeps for two full days in the owners bed and then lo and behold is left to run the pub herself a day later. By the way the woman is a complete stranger. While the story line was OK the unbelievable characters took the gloss from it. The fact too that there were happy endings for EVERYONE almost made it into a Brady Bunch storyline. Despite all that I still thought it was an OK book - just.

[Helen G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly thoughtful book that explores the strength of relationships and the traumas and heartbreaks faced in life. The only downside might be that ‘everything’ works out for almost all of the characters after some ups and downs - and sometimes that isn’t always the way in real life.
The author captured the pain, angst and the trauma of loosing loved ones with compassion while they help to explain the journey each character was on.
Worth a read.

“They had to remain selfish to get through. They say by the bedside waiting for the sky to fall in and their world to be torn asunder.”

[Sobee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friends and I recently started a book club, and this was the first book that was chosen. At first I was convinced this wouldn’t be my cup of tea as it’s not my usual style of book, I was proven wrong. I absolutely loved it!! The main cast had unique storylines and the side characters were well developed. The book covers darker topics in a tasteful and realistic way. Those who find this book boring just don’t understand how to slow down and enjoy the journey. The book felt very human but in the best way possible 5/5

[Pat Osment · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved everything about this book especially the Irish humour.It is quite obvious that the author is a comedian.
The wonderful mix of characters and how their lives intertwine with the pub being the centre of the plot is brilliant.
As well as humour there is sadness,regret and a mystery of how and why the woman got on the bus in the first place.

[Senioreuge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Pauline McGlynn I read. I think I read it with Mrs Doyles voice in my head. It was a clever written book with a few reasonable turns and twists and of course lots of humour, woth the read.

[Karen Osment · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book at all and couldn't wait until it was over. I skim read the last half as just wanted to finish it. I so nearly gave up a few times and once I got to the end with no satisfaction I wish I had!

[Mrs Christina Linda Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled reading this book. I've not finished it because I just can't bring myself to spend anymore time on it. Nothing has really gripped me I'm afraid and it doesn't appear to be going anywhere

[Caroline Sugden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely gentle book. set in the West coast of Ireland and a story of a small town and a blow in. real characters, and a nice romance. not pappy x

[Sue Galloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, light reading . Set in ireland, strange woman appears in town and through her and Charlie the landlord, we meet and find out the stories of the rest of townsfolk. Some pairing off. Love story.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, light and easy reading. Touches on the Irish town and its mentalities perfectly

[Julie Ayres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly easy to read. Slow in the middle, Bit predictable but nice enough to persevere with.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book; I just expected more from it really.

[Aylya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved happy-ending fairytales, and this book can be described as a modern fairytale hence I loved it so much :)

[Brian Gowthorpe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good effort.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Julie Coles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chic lit with a few serious topics thrown in which are never fully explored and everyone gets to live happily ever after.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the many characters all connecting in various ways through this small town.

[David Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something endearing laid back about the Irish. This is my observation have read the work of several Irish novelists, and one not challenged by Pauline McLynn’s charming and very funny look at rural Irish life.

Probably better known for her portrayal of Mrs Dyle on the comedy Father Ted, she is carving out a parallel career as an author. I read her first novel “Something for the Weekend” several years ago and must admit that I had kind of forgotten about her as an author. Silly me. Now that I have “rediscovered” her work I will make a point of getting my hands on her other novels.

The woman on the bus of the title arrives in the village of Kilbrody on quiet summer’s evening, drinking herself into oblivion at the local pub. Who is she and why is she there? Very soon the woman on the bus is the only subject of interest to the people of Kilbrody.

But they are not the only one’s asking questions about her past. It seems she is as much a mystery to herself as she is to those who have come to her rescue.

A very funny book with some charming characters - the alcoholic famer on the verge of losing his family and the tee-total publican with a chequered past. With romance blossoming and rivalries coming to a head, The Woman on the Bus is a treat, a light-hearted look at rural Ireland but with a string message about families and the importance of relationships.

[Marjory · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Woman on the Bus, Pauline McLynn evokes the fuchsia scented sultry summer vibes that many of us remember from summer holidays spent in the South West of Ireland. Then she blows the lid off picture postcard Ireland and digs into the real lives of those who live there year round. A page-turning, distracting read that lands on just the right side of twee. It also touches on some darker subject matter (CW below).

I read The Woman on the Bus when it was first released and some of the scenes and characters have stayed with me since.

This is one of my Best Reads for Distraction in Lockdown.

CW: Alcohol abuse; cancer

[Ru Viljoen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is targeted at the same people who enjoy sex and the city. I did not like the banter of witty flirts amid the challenges and tragedies of modern life according to women who think of men as accessories which exclusively validate the worth of the prize holder. I was imagining the author wanting me to appreciate the humour and intelligence of her sentences all the time. I hate to sound too paranoid, but the book had a distinct emotional neediness.

The heroine was also raped by an ex-boyfriend and she never even thought to go to the police. The author does not seem to consider that an appropriate response which the absolutely sane, regular, you and me heroine would have thought of.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I am a MASSIVE Pauline McLynn (she played Mrs Doyle in Father Ted and is in 'Jam and Jerusalem'!) and this was the first book of hers I read! I just absolutely loved it and nearly broke my neck trying to get my hands on the rest of her books after reading this one! The women on the bus remains my favourite book though! It is set in a small village and shows the events that occur after a strange women stumbles off a bus in the village, I loved it cause I love village life and love how it protrayed it so well! It was an excellant spring read!!