Nights of Rain and Stars
by Maeve Binchy
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.01 You Save: $25.94 (100%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Nights of Rain and Stars
Book Review: Ugh
Summary: 1 Stars
I received this book after failing to respond to my book club in time, but I thought I'd give it a shot. It was a waste of time.
It started off well enough, and I initially liked Ms. Binchy's writing style, so I kept going. There were several flaws, however:
1. The characters (save Vonni) seemed to be cardboard cutouts. If they were any more one-dimensional, they'd be a dot.
2. The end result was too predictable. If about a third of the way through you couldn't figure out exactly where each character was going to end up, you weren't trying.
3. The dialogue. Who talks like that? Specifically, the American man and the German woman's dialogue sounded like they were speaking two centuries ago. I haven't read dialogue that bad since I tried reading a Left Behind book.
I'm tempted to give Ms. Binchy another shot. She seems to have many devoted readers, and they too have expressed their disappointment with this novel. I sincerely hope that this book was not representative of the rest of her work.
Book Review: Superficial but entertaining
Summary: 3 Stars
This was a light, enjoyable read; it would have been perfect for a long plane ride. I did think that it was missing the depth of character development, intrigue, plot twists, and Maeve Binchy's unique gift of making you feel really involved with the characters. In her earlier books, I have always been thoroughly intrigued by the characters and when the book was over, missed them and wondered what would become of them. I didn't feel this way after this book; it seemed like everything was tied up nice and neatly at the end and as if she rushed to finish. I also found the relationship between Elsa and Thomas didn't ring true for me; aside from the lightning speed of it, it was as if Ms. Binchy was trying to force some kind of love relationship to happen in this book and those were the two most convenient. Overall, superficial and enjoyable but not engaging. I have found this to be true with every book since "Tara Road", which I consider to be her last really good one, albeit not in the same league as "Circle of Friends", "Light a Penny Candle" or "The Glass Lake".Book Review: Rushed to publish?
Summary: 3 Stars
I've been a big fan of Maeve Binchy's for a long time and have read everything she's published in book form. And I admit to being puzzled. "Nights of Rain and Stars" has many of the elements of Binchy's best, but it seems stripped of description and rushed, even choppy, the language at times being extremely simplistic.
Despite these problems, I still wanted to read and find out what happened to the characters (I was especially drawn to David) but I couldn't help but wonder if she was writing under a tight deadline and had to 'hurry' to the end. I'm wondering how her editor allowed this to happen (or caused it?). Where are the lovely descriptive passages that really allowed us to be IN her other books, like Circle of Friends, Evening Class or Firefly Summer? Stripped and minimalistic.
Again, despite these problems, the book is more alive than many of Binchy's contemporaries' books. I just hope that with the next novel, Binchy will give it the time and love she gave her previous works.
Book Review: Depth of Characters, and Unveiling Backstories
Summary: 5 Stars
The alchoholic character is true to many I have know through AA associations - it does miss out on there being a sponsor-type or stand-in, although Andreas might have been. Other bits of lives are verities, and the heartbroken Andreas is the catalyst to the strangers' lives becoming intertwined. Having an all-wise Vonni is the one oh-too-convenient character, yet her flaws are also nearly fatal to her.
This is a book for those who enjoyed "Enchanted April", and deserving of a movie, itself.
Of course, a yahoo from Alabama will be disappointed there are no priests and leprechauns from Blarney, but the characters speak appropriately for their varied origins, although I don't think my cargo shorts are so laughable, nor would I ask a woman I had kissed in a bedroom if it were "gross", especially if she spoke German. Oh, well, this is an Irish writer - the rest was true to my years living among the "Continental natives" and the ex-pats.
Book Review: Romantic and Fanciful Tale of Friendship and Family
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading the other reviews, it seems I fall under the "never read Maeve Binchy before and just loved this book" category rather than "devoted fan and hated it". Maybe I'm biased because I've always wanted to visit Greece, but the imagery and the characters were very absorbing. The initial meeting of the main characters led me to believe they were all unflawed, other than the villainous Shane. However, as the book progresses, more revealing information is divulged including insights into their home lives, and a plausible friendship arises between all of the characters, both native and tourists. All of their flaws and problems are revealed and eventually addressed in a very tidy fashion.
It's a romantic, fanciful, short story (a day's read) of friendship and family. I really enjoyed the book and was reluctant to put it down. In fact, if she writes about any of these characters again, I will not hesitate to read it.