Circle of Friends [Paperback]

Maeve Binchy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2007

It began with Benny Hogan and Eve Malone, growing up, inseparable, in the village of Knockglen. Benny—the only child, yearning to break free from her adoring parents...Eve—the orphaned offspring of a convent handyman and a rebellious blueblood, abandoned by her mother's wealthy family to be raised by nuns. Eve and Benny—they knew the sins and secrets behind every villager's lace curtains...except their own.

It widened at Dublin, at the university where Benny and Eve met beautiful Nan Mahlon and Jack Foley, a doctor's handsome son. But heartbreak and betrayal would bring the worlds of Knockglen and Dublin into explosive collision. Long-hidden lies would emerge to test the meaning of love and the strength of ties held within the fragile gold bands of a...Circle Of Friends.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The charm of Binchy's novels ( Silver Wedding ; Light a Penny Candle ) lies in a seductive readability that draws one through hundreds of pages as surely as a mackerel at the end of a hooked line--contrived plot thickeners and stock characters notwithstanding. In this lengthy story of a friendship and love and loss, there are no lapses or lulls. Benny, plain daughter of a merchant, and Eve, a proud orphan raised by nuns, are close friends growing up in the Irish village of Knockglen in the 1950s. When they go to university in Dublin together, their loyalty is tested by the addition of others to their circle, most notably the beautiful, mysterious Nan, an ambitious young woman determined to rise above her working-class origins. While Nan seizes opportunities, friendships and romances are kindled and damped; ugly duckling Benny becomes a swan, and true love almost conquers all. Everybody has a colorful way with words, and if the prose is sometimes careless, this is still Irish storytelling at its contemporary best; small flaws are easily overlooked in a book that is itself so generous. BOMC featured selection.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- Binchy transports readers to the village of Knockglen in Ireland to meet Benny, the only child of doting parents; Eve Malone, an orphan raised by nuns; and a host of local characters. The girls form a lasting friendship that continues when they go on to college in Dublin. There they meet beautiful Nan, who tries to hide her poor background and drunken father; Jack Foley, a doctor's son; and all their university friends. Provincial Knockglen and fast-paced Dublin become intertwined as the girls try to exist in both worlds. A wonderful, readable story of successes and disappointments, intrigues and loyalty, families and friendships, this novel demonstrates that testing values, maintaining relationships, and coming of age are universal struggles.
- Katherine Fitch, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Dell (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385341733
• ISBN-13: 978-0385341738
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.3 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maeve Binchy is the author of numerous best-selling books, including Nights of Rain and Stars, Quentins, Scarlet Feather, Circle of Friends, and Tara Road, which was an Oprah's Book Club selection. She has written for Gourmet; O, The Oprah Magazine; Modern Maturity; and Good Housekeeping, among other publications. She and her husband, Gordon Snell, live in Dalkey, Ireland, and London.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!!! A page turner from cover to cover!!!, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Circle of Friends (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked up this book because it was a choice on my summer reading list this year. I chose it because I recognized the title from a movie I owned which is actually the film version of this book. When I got the book I groaned because I realized that it was 600 pages. I figured I wasnt going to like the book because it didnt really fit my favorite genres to read, and that the story was going to be rather lumbersome and slow. Boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. Maeve Binchy perfectly captures the reader's attention from page one. Beginning w/ the start of a new friendship and taking you through all the trials and tribulations of life as a young adult. Eve and Benny are perfect for each other because one compliments the other in characteristics and personality. This story was so fabulous that I picked it up on a rainy day and finished it in three days (it was a busy time for me to be reading). I couldnt put it down. I smiled w/ the characters when they were happy, got angry when they were mad, and, yes, cried when they were sad. This story will take you up and not put you down until the very last page.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too good to miss, August 17, 2000

By 

Elizabeth (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Circle of Friends (Mass Market Paperback)

Let me begin by stating that objectively, I do not think this book is a work of "great literature". I find the writing style to be questionable at times, the moralistic attitude smothering, and am frankly rather annoyed by Binchy's one-sided approach to the Catholic-Protestant turmoil that rips at Ireland's seams.

But oh, how I love this book. I find myself picking it up over and over again. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story tracing the friendship of two fascinating girls. It pinpoints the sometimes destructive nature of love with absolute clarity. Furthermore, Binchy has breathed life into an entire town of secondary characters, creating a novel rich in stroy-telling and in life.

A caution - the movie version of the book starring Chris O'Donnell and Minnie Driver was a despicable act of butchery. The changed, Hollywoodized ending of the movie version was unforgivable. If you love this book, avoid the movie. If you loved the moive, read the book, and you'll see what audience members were missing.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My all-time favorite Binchy book!, April 30, 2001

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Circle of Friends (Mass Market Paperback)

I remember the first time I picked up this book ~~ it was my grandmother's and I was in high school. I sat down and read it and totally fell in love with Binchy's writing. In fact, I believe this book set me on the path to reading "better" books! Rereading this book again really affirms the feelings I had experienced the first time around. It is just one of my favorite books of all time!

Benny, Eve, Sean, Jack, Nan and other characters are ones that you'll never forget. If you have friends that you ran around with in college and still keep in touch with ~~ I highly recommend this book. It is a book about friendship, love, romance and dreams. Any one of any age can read this book and find the meaning of friendship in it. With Benny's relationship with Jack ~~ there's that first love and intrigue; with Benny's friendship with Eve, there's the silliness that girls share as well as their confidences, hopes and dreams ~~ as well as recovering from broken hearts and disappointment; and there's Sean, the guy everyone loves to hate. Let's not forget Jack ~~ the guy every woman longs to love ~~ only to be pulled up short by his mistakes in love. This book covers the depth of human emotions that beset all of us at one time or another!

I recommend readers picking up this book and spend a few days reading it ~~ I can guarantee that the characters with all their flaws will stay with the reader for a long time. It is a book I would read over and over ~~ it's like coming home and finding your best friend waiting for you.