Nose in a Book

Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

Read for: Orbis Terrarum Challenge – Ireland

Oh, how I love a good book by Maeve Binchy and this one was no exception.  Binchy writes stories about normal people going about their everyday lives.  Her stories are just so welcoming and fun to read.  This one centres around a new Heart Clinic in Dublin and the people that work their and the patients that come there.  Many of the main characters have appeared in previous novels and some old friends make small appearances as well.  But the book is still enjoyable for new Binchy readers.

The book reads almost like a collection of short stories that are all related but still has the flow of a novel.  Binchy is a master at writing about a large cast of characters.  I’ve read books before and not been able to keep track of who’s who or only being interested in a few of the characters.  But I never have a hard time keeping track of Binchy’s characters.  And I always care about all the characters individual stories. And I never feel that I need to go back and reread part of the book because I’ve forgotten what happened previously which can be a problem with some books that change perspective from character to character.

I also really love her writing style.  It’s just so laid back, without any extra fluff.  She tells you what you need to know and then gets on with the story.  It’s very easy to read.  I would give this one an 8/10.

My favoutrite Binchy books is still The Glass Lake.  What’s your favourite Binchy novel?

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Ireland, Maeve Binchy