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A Week in Winter
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I've read a lot of Maeve Binchy books, so I'm used to her style. In previous books, I've loved the chapters about each character, and then how they converge later in the book - I wouldn't call it a signature move on her part, other authors do this too, but she pulls it off with warmth and depth. You really feel like you're part of the little town. I also love how some of the characters re-appear from book to book. What sometimes can bother me about her style is it goes very fast - at least in the beginning. For example, when one character (I won't say names yet as this discussion is just starting and I don't want to ruin it!) is pregnant - at the top of the page it talks about the pregnancy, seemingly maybe 1st or 2nd trimester, then BAM! Baby is born a couple of paragraphs later. I feel a little bit more rushed than in her earlier books. But, maybe this will slow down as the house is finished & guests start to book rooms. I have to trust in Binchy -- she was a beautiful storyteller, I've loved everything I've read by her so far!
I agree to that point. And thanks for letting me know that is how all of her books are written!
Michelle wrote: "I've read a lot of Maeve Binchy books, so I'm used to her style. In previous books, I've loved the chapters about each character, and then how they converge later in the book - I wouldn't call it ..."Michelle .. exactly what I like about Binchy's books. You get to know the story from various characters' perspectives and you get to know the characters as well.
I really enjoyed this book by Maeve Binchy, which I read when it first came out. I would have loved being a guest at Stone House and birdwatching the local hotspots. It was nice to have references from other books sprinkled into the storyline, like dining at Quentins. I heartily miss Maeve Binchy but look forward to her earlier books that I have yet to read.
Her books are wonderful. They draw you in and make you feel like you know the characters, like you live in these small Irish towns with them. And then sometimes those characters pop back up (like Ania in this book, she was in..... Minding Frankie, I think?), so it's like they're still there, chugging along. I love it. :) My only complaint about this book so far is that it moves really fast and now I'm half-way through the book, and feel like it just started!
So I've just finished up Anders' chapter. Is anyone else wondering if there will be some sort of plot twist or something big that happens at Stone House? Or will each character just have their own sort of quiet transformation from their week's vacation?
I gave up on this one. I agree it does move fast, it was talking about Chicky being in New York and then the next page, 20 years have passed. I was still visualizing a different time. It was a bit confusing, they mentioned a cell phone and I was thinking they didn't have cell phones back then, but realized they had jumped forward in time again.
Michelle wrote: "Her books are wonderful. They draw you in and make you feel like you know the characters, like you live in these small Irish towns with them. And then sometimes those characters pop back up (like..."I just finished the chapter on Nell, and I think from the chapter just before that (about the couple who won the contest), I think there could be something that ties them all together. If so, it seems pretty obvious, but still lovely. We'll see how it turns out. I wonder if Nell's character will show back up -- what a sour lady thus far.
I didn't mean to quote my own post - DUH. Not familiar with Goodreads message boards, apparently. I was responding to Karly's post.
I finished the book. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending? Personally I thought it anti-climactic, but then again I guess the main storyline turned out to be ancillary to the individual characters' vignettes. They really made up the meat & potatoes of the book.
I feel the same. I thought I saw a hint of something that would have tied everybody together at the end, but it never materialized. It was like a series of short stories. I have to say, while it was a fast read and I enjoyed it, it's probably my least favorite by her.
Michelle wrote: "I didn't mean to quote my own post - DUH. Not familiar with Goodreads message boards, apparently. I was responding to Karly's post."Been there, done that .... I sometimes have to remind myself that the "reply" button I want is the one BELOW the remark I'm responding to.
I finished
. It was my first book by Maeve Binchy and I liked her style. But I felt this book was like a collection of short stories. There was no definite conclusion to the book which was a little disappointing.
As with many others in the discussion, I've read a number of Maeve Binchy books and have found her style to be generally pleasant and engaging. A Week in Winter was not however, a favorite of mine although it was by no means disagreeable. (I preferred a Circle of Friends (not the film!) and Tara Road.) In part I believe that it's not a favorite of mine because A Week in Winter felt almost like a prequel to something else, as if Ms Binchy wanted to give us a bit of the back story - nothing too deep, but enough to leave us wanting to know more about her characters - the rest of the story, so to speak. To substantiate that perspective, she appeared to have added the little bits of connectivity - familial and friendships - links between and among various characters, as well as leaving dangling threads. I think perhaps that may well be one of the reasons a number of people here feel that there was no definite conclusion. There wasn't an end... but we were certainly left wondering... did Anders leave his father's company and do what he loved? Nuala...did she visit the twins...did she come home? Did Nell - who appeared to have a mild breakthrough during her visit with Carmel - manage to forgive herself and become a kinder person? And Orla...Dublin or Stone House? The questions abound, not altogether unlike Hazel Grace's questions about An Imperial Affliction in The Fault in Our Stars, no? I did find, however, that Chicky's life in America felt rushed to move the story and was less believable in terms of character development. Why would a young woman with such pluck and determination, a woman who went against her family and the social mores of the time, spend 20 years in a boarding house, effectively biding her time so that she could do something else. Why not really live? That she became the consummate innkeeper and all around wise woman notwithstanding, that particular story line didn't ring true to me.
Still, it was a pleasant enough St. Paddy's Day read. And on the other hand, perhaps Ms Binchy did exactly what she intended to do. Perhaps she simply wanted to show us how lives intersect in passing, sometimes in random ways that leave us all better for the interaction, be it permanent or temporary.
Wasn't it her last book? Maybe she intended to do more novels about these characters. I was thinking at the end of this one, there would be an epilogue that tied up the loose ends. Maybe have them all meet at the festival they were going to have (was it the friendship festival?) and share what they've been doing with their lives. Something that would not leave us all hanging! Or maybe her point was that sometimes there are no answers in life, you never find out what happened to somebody you once knew.
I like Cecile's comment because it echoes my feelings about A Week in Winter. It is pleasant, somewhat engaging, but doesn't cohere. It does feel, as others have said, like a group of stories, or as though Binchley is simply creating story ideas. If there is a central theme, it's that the retreat brings people home to themselves, but if so, it's repeated to often to be moving or credible. It went on to long, for my taste.
Here's a message Karly sent to me to post for you guys to kick things off:
Hi everyone! I'm excited to be hosting our discussion of Maeve Binchy's A Week in Winter. This is the first Maeve Binchy book I've read, but judging by how much I'm loving her style so far, I think I might have to check out some of her other titles !
Some of us are probably just starting and some have probably already read all the way through. I'm personally about 50% done right now.
So to start us off-
I'm a fan of how Maeve gives each character their own chapter and backstory. Some books I've read can seem disjointed and confusing when written like this, but I think the author does a great job of making everything flow. Where I'm at in the book, all of the characters are still converging on Sheedy House for the start of the week. Although it's not a murder mystery, it reminds me of the diverse cast of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (such a great read!!) What do you all think of this format & do we have any favorite characters yet? Personally, I'm a fan of Rigger and Winnie.