The Copper Beech (Mass Market Paperback)

by Maeve Binchy (Author) "Father Gunn knew that their housekeeper Mrs. Kennedy could have done it all much better than he would do it..." (more)
Key Phrases: gate lodge, pen friend, copper beech, Father Gunn, Father Barry, Jims Blake (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Binchy ( Circle of Friends ; The Lilac Bus ) is a consummate storyteller with a unique ability to draw readers into her tales of Irish life. Here again she mines sources rich in plot and character to produce a captivating narrative. The eponymous copper beech is a huge tree that shades the tiny schoolhouse in the village of Shancarrig. For generations, graduating pupils have carved their initials on the massive trunk, and the book examines what has become of some of them. Though each of the 10 chapters offers the perspective of a single character, Binchy adroitly indicates the ways in which their lives intersect. Thus, the allegedly stolen jewels that are discovered and stolen again in one early chapter become significant in later chapters. Long after two adulterous characters sneak into a Dublin hotel, it emerges that they were spotted by a small soul from Shancarrig, who passes on the information--with unforeseen consequences. A priest's dalliance with the sweet young schoolteacher is shown to have been been suspected by others in the village. The result is a charming and compelling series of interlocking stories about ordinary people who are given dimension through Binchy's empathetic insight. While this book is more fragmentary in structure than some of her previous novels, it should leave Binchy's fans wholly satisfied. BOMC main selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"The Copper Beech  finds author Maeve Binchy at her Irish storytelling  best!" -- The Plain Dealer  (cleveland ).

"The Copper  Beech is as soothing as a cup of tea."  --People.

"Binchy makes you laugh, cry, and care. Her warmth and  sympathy render the daily struggles of ordinary  people heroic and turn storytelling into art."  -- San Francisco Chronicle. -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dell; Reprint. edition (October 2, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440213290
• ISBN-13: 978-0440213291
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,518 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Warm and cozy, just add a cup of tea., July 24, 2001

By	Denise Bentley "Kelsana" (The California Redwoods) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

That is what a Binchy novel is like to me. Hers are books I enjoy for the places she idyllically paints and the characters she puts forth to become a part of her homespun landscapes. Set in Ireland, the copper beech is a formidable an aging tree in front of the Shancarrig schoolhouse. Carved into it's bark are the hopes and dreams, stories and well wishes of many a heart, heavy as well as happy, that has passed beneath it's massive branches.

The book is written in a way so as to introduce each character and his personal view of Shancarrig and the people in it. This technique allows the lives of the characters to mesh unequivocally making this story so enjoyable. You will meet them all. The scoundrels as well as the lovelorn, those searching for passion, and those who have taken a bite from the apple of life only to be dealt a blow that redirects them to an unprecedented ending.

I enjoyed the style of this book as much as the characters and the storylines. Once you read a Binchy novel you can count on craving another, and there is no doubt that each one is it's own singular pleasure. Kelsana 7/24/01

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Colorful Read, December 10, 1999

By	Bunnee (Southern California) - See all my reviews

I'm not a Maeve Binchy fan or anything but this book was good enough to keep me up late at nite reading it. I love all her characters in the book. They're all so colorful. You have to read it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not my favorite Binchy, July 9, 2001

By	K. Melissa Galyon "melreads" (Rockwall, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors. To me, her writing is like a mini-vacation from home, and Ireland is definitely a place I'd like to visit. In addition to seeing the sights of her towns and villages, we meet the people, too. And in Binchy's stories, there is all sorts of action: adventure, love, deception, children, marriage, murder and more.

In The Copper Beech, Binchy has given us tastes of the lives of the villagers in Shancarrig, Ireland. Four schoolchildren and the people around them tell their stories, each with their own chapter. There were some chapters I loved, some I drudged through and for that, I would say this isn't my favorite Binchy. But it's still a delight to read and savor!