Nights of Rain and Stars
by Maeve Binchy
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Book Reviews of Nights of Rain and Stars
Book Review: Unimpressive
Summary: 2 Stars
I have never read a Maeve Binchy book before and I had not read any reviews of this one before I read it. I was unimpressed with this novel. It was mildly entertaining and written well-enough to pass a few hours. But I found nothing outstanding about it. I thought the premise of four international tourists meeting on a Greek Isle intriguing. However, they lose their nationalities quickly. For awhile I had to search back in the book to remember what nationality each was supposed to represent. They all spoke with an Irish/English flavor. Also, culturally they seemed to meld into a sameness...there was no evidence of cultural differences that are evident in real life when one interacts with others from other countries. Also, I did not find the relationship interactions to be believable. There is a contrived and Pollyanna flavor to the group's dynamic together. For instance, I foresaw Thomas and Elsa getting together only because of literary devices that made it obvious Ms. Binchy was forcing them in that direction, not because it was an obvious outflow of the relationship as described by Ms. Binchy.
Frankly, I would normally not choose to read another Maeve Binchy book after this experience. However, other reviewer's comments suggest to me that she does have other books that are worthwhile reads.
Book Review: Disappointing. Really Disappointing.
Summary: 1 Stars
Nights of Rain and Stars is a literary boondoggle, in which a two week vacation in Greece obviously formed the setting for her new book (OK, I'm being a little mean, but this book is a serious let-down). The main characters--who, if you are a Binchy fan, you will recognize as the archetypical Glamourous Blonde Who Is Secretly Disappointed in Love, a Sensitive Young Man Estranged From His Parents, the Courtly Older Scholar, and the Sweet Young Irish Colleen Who Dates the Wrong Men--are all shown how to right the wrongs in their respective situations by the Wise Irish Expatriate Lady.
Part of the charm of Binchy's work, especially her early novels, is the richness of the Irish communities and the loveable, or at least empathetic, humanity of her characters. In NOR&S, the Greek village is composed entirely of stereotypes, and the characters are unlikeable and self-absorbed. Most of the novel is taken up with their dwelling on their own lives at length, which is not interesting at all.
However, I was extremely amused at the number of times Binchy managed to work the Greek word for watermelon--one of the vocabulary words she picked up on her vacation, perhaps?--into the story.
Book Review: Not up to her usual standards
Summary: 3 Stars
Maeve Binchy is an extraordinary story-teller, but unfortunately, in this book, she is merely ordinary. The plot centers around a group of people who have come to a Greek island for various reasons, mostly to avoid a bad situation at home. While they are there, a tragic fire occurs on a tourist boat, and the separate people are drawn together by their common witness of the unhappy scene. One character is fleeing from a divorce, another one has left a cheating boyfriend, yet another one is avoiding taking over his father's business and the last one is running away with her boyfriend in spite of the disapproval of her parents. An older woman named Vonni becomes a counselor to them all, although she is not wise about her own life and situation. A recurring theme is broken relationships within the family and the possiblity of healing those relationships. Despite the author's best efforts, I never felt really involved in these characters' lives or their problems. The relationships between them formed too quickly and too superficially to have the life-changing impact that they were supposed to have. It's a pleasant read, but not nearly as absorbing of most of her other works.Book Review: Charming
Summary: 4 Stars
I suppose that one could refer to this book in patronising terms by calling it a "nice" little book, but it is just that, a really pleasant,easy read.
A group of travellers meets at a hillside tavern on a small Greek island. To their horror and that of the locals, they witness a terrible accident when a tourist boat, down below them in the harbour, catches fire with the loss of many lives, both local and tourists. As they are too far away to be of any help on the beach, they bond together and begin telling their personal stories as to why they are there at this moment. The group consists of Elsa, a beuutiful, German tv presenter, running away from a suffocating relationship with a demanding lover/boss, David, a quiet Englishman rebelling against his overbearing parents, Thomas, an American adademic on sabbatical, and Fiona, a young Irish nurse who is accompanied by her violent boyfriend. The tavern owner befriends them all and introduces them to a local Irishwoman Vonni, who has lived in the village for many years.
M/s Binchy weaves their stories together in an easy and interesting manner, just right for a charming and non-demanding read.
Book Review: I'm confused
Summary: 1 Stars
Maybe I read a different book from the other 5-star reviewers. I've been a die-hard Maeve Binchy fan for at least 15 years. I order her books from amazonUK so that I can get them the minute they're published instead of having to wait for them to be released in the U.S. I think her books set in the 50s and 60s are the best. She seems to be drawing much more on personal experiences in those, and they ring more true. Her newer ones, particularly Evening Class and Scarlet Feather, are also good. I thought her last one, Quentins, was kind of weak, but it was still Maeve. But this one? Didn't even sound like her to me. The characters were one-dimensional and seemed cobbled together from other characters she's written previously, and better. The plot, what there was of it, was unbelievably predictable. Where was the trademark Binchy humour? Where was the Irish poignancy? The characters in Nights of Rain and Stars were unlikeable. The only one I was remotely interested in was David. It pains me to write something negative about my favorite author. But I had to rererereread Light a Penny Candle to get rid of the bad taste of this book.