Echoes

Echoes

I've read almost all of Binchey's novels and this is one of her best. She is very skilled at creating numerous characters and somehow managing to intertwine their stories. This is evident here, with the main characters being Claire and David who are from the same town of Castlebay but from distinctly different upbringings. To put it simply, Claire was raised poor to a family that works round the clock in their little shop, and David comes from money with a doctor as a father. They discover love while in college, as Claire is very bright and won several scholarships to school and David is studying to be a doctor. When Claire discovers she is pregnant, their lives change forever. They believe love will overcome everything in their way, which is a great concept but idealistic. The reality is that being married with a newborn baby can be mundane and demanding. Good read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

very disappointing

I am a big fan of Maeve Binchy and have never been so disappointed. It was a nice read until the end. I do recommend her other novels, and that this one is skipped.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite some tim

    This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite some time. The synopsis on the back of the book really drew me in, and thats why I originally bought it. I have never read anything else by the author, but I definitely will now! I really enjoyed Binchy's writing style: so simplistic, yet so detailed. That might sound a bit odd, but her she didn't use overly big words to try to make the story more elegant or classy; she simply wrote her story and it came across beautifully. I really enjoyed the main characters, Clare and David. Clare was a sympathetic character and I felt for her struggles. She was such a sweet girl who wanted more out of her simple life than just getting married off. She worked so hard to get her scholarships and become an independent woman. David, on the other hand, didn't have to work too hard to earn his way to university. He came from an affluent family of the town doctor. Yet he didn't come across as being snobbish or entitled. He enjoyed what he had, but still made the most out of his life. I also really enjoyed the two personalities of Clare and David.
        I was a little disappointed with the ending, however. There isn't a clear ending of what happens in the lives of Clare or David. There are some hints throughout the last third of the book, but I was still unsure of what happened. I can probably guess at the ending, but sometimes I like being more certain as to what occurred. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to read more from Maeve Binchy!

Echoes of Better Bunchy Books Past

I enjoyed this book right up to the end, which ruined the entire book for me. As usual, Binchy's characters include a kindly doctor, his spoiled but dutiful son, mothers who just don't understand, a girl from the shops, rival girls from the gentry, happy useful priests, useless priests, people who aren't doing their duty - etc. There is a not terribly well-developed storyline about the doctor's wife and the shopgirl - did the wife try to cheat the girl or was it an oversight, and what were her reasons for not saying, oops, I forgot to pay you?

The book all swirls to the end of the book, so I won't give away anything else. However, I will say that at the end of the book, I just felt really sad about the poor, crappy lives we all have to live.

Thought Provoking

I found it hard to get into Echoes at first, but once I got past the first section I couldn't put it down! The characters were very relatable and I found that I was able to empathize with them easily, especially the main character, Clare. I thought it was a great story until I got to about the last 100 pgs; I was expecting more of a love story that ended happily, and less of a story that ended in a broken home. I liked the story but I just kept wishing that David would have been able to control himself a little bit more, and that Clare could have controlled herself a little less. I was also really sad about the death at the end. Though the ending could have been a little happier I thought that overall it was a good read. I would definitely pick up Binchey again; she is a woman with great insight into the human condition.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Favorite

I first read this book several years ago, and have now read it 5 or 6 times. It is an absolute favorite. Maeve Binchy always creates fascinating characters, but Claire O'Brien is my favorite. She is unique for her awkwardness and honesty. She is a scholar but she is so fun to read about. Part of the beauty of this book is that Binchy dares to give it a somewhat less than happy ending. Besides Claire, there are so many great, rich characters in this book. I have read every Binchy book, and this is my favorite.

First time Maeve Binchy reader.

It is the first time I have ever read a book by this author. I personally believe that the writing was excellent, but the ending of the story ruined it for me. I believe that David should have suffered at least a little for his betrayal and that Clare should have a little more spunk.

Not the Best Binchy Novel

This is my third Binchy novel. After enjoying Tara Road and The Glass lake, this one was a bit disappointing. The ending really bothered me. I felt nothing was resolved. Skip this one and move on to other Binchy's. I do love her style.

Maeve's best

I thought this was Maeve's best book yet. I have ready many of her novels and though have not loved all of them, I loved this novel as much as Circle of Friends. I couldn't put the book down and it kept me intrigued until the end (regardless you are left to guess the outcome)

Rich Binchy Fare

This may be the last Maeve Binchy book I've read. Like all the other ones (Evening Class, Glass Lake, Copper Beech, etc) she did a great job creating real although not always sympathetic characters. This book adds yet another dimension to Irish life that Binchy excels at describing, drawing readers into the hearts and souls of the characters. I wished it did not end....

Echoes- Twists and turns of Fate

I read Echoes recently during the summer. I must say that although this was not one of Ms. Binchy's best works it certainly was one that held my attention once I got into it. It did have a slow start in the beginning but captivated me once the story was in full swing. Clare O'brien though not always a tower of absolute strength in matters of the heart was a character that one could learn some valuable lessons from. This a book that would recommend reading as well as some of Ms. Binchy's other works,London Transports, Tara Road.

TAKE ECHOES OFF THE MARKET!!!!!!

This is my first book by Maeve Binchy, and there is no way in haydes would I recomend it. If I could have given it a zero star I would've. First,Clare has absolutely no spine. She allowed David to walk all over her, when she could have had another man who would have treated her better. Second, when they tell each other of their love, they couldn't have done it in a more boring fashion. Last, but not least, the story of Clare's teacher, just does not have anything to do with the rest of the book. If I had known how bad this book was, I would not have bought it, now, I'm wishing that someone will just take it away from me. All in all this book gets a two-thumbs down.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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