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The Return Journey: Stories
In this extraordinary collection of stories, the New York Times-bestselling author of Evening Class and This Year it Will Be Different once again reveals her incomparable understanding of matters of the heart. In The Return Journey, Maeve Binchy brings us sons and lovers, daughters and strangers, husbands and wives in their infinite variety--powerfully compelling stories of love, loss, revelation, and reconciliation.
A secretary's silent passion for her boss meets the acid test on a business trip....A man and a woman's mutual disdain at first sight shows how deceptive appearances can be....An insecure wife clings to the illusion of order, only to discover chaos at the hands of a house sitter who opens the wrong doors....A pair of star-crossed travelers take each other's bags, and then learn that when you unlock a stranger's suitcase, you enter a stranger's life. In their company are many more, whose poignant, ironic, often humorous stories--unforgettable slices of life--make up The Return Journey, a spellbinding trip into the human heart.
Maeve Binchy was born and educated in Dublin. She is the author of the bestselling books Evening Class, This Year It Will Be Different, The Glass Lake, The Copper Beech, The Lilac Bus, Circle of Friends, Silver Wedding, Firefly Summer, Echoes, Light a Penny Candle, and London Transports, three volumes of short stories, two plays, and a teleplay that won three awards at the Prague Film Festival. She has been writing for The Irish Times since 1969 and lives with her husband, Gordon Snell, in Dublin.
From the Hardcover edition.
A secretary's silent passion for her boss meets the acid test on a business trip....A man and a woman's mutual disdain at first sight shows how deceptive appearances can be....An insecure wife clings to the illusion of order, only to discover chaos at the hands of a house sitter who opens the wrong doors....A pair of star-crossed travelers take each other's bags, and then learn that when you unlock a stranger's suitcase, you enter a stranger's life. In their company are many more, whose poignant, ironic, often humorous stories--unforgettable slices of life--make up The Return Journey, a spellbinding trip into the human heart.
Maeve Binchy was born and educated in Dublin. She is the author of the bestselling books Evening Class, This Year It Will Be Different, The Glass Lake, The Copper Beech, The Lilac Bus, Circle of Friends, Silver Wedding, Firefly Summer, Echoes, Light a Penny Candle, and London Transports, three volumes of short stories, two plays, and a teleplay that won three awards at the Prague Film Festival. She has been writing for The Irish Times since 1969 and lives with her husband, Gordon Snell, in Dublin.
From the Hardcover edition.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Maeve Binchy
240 books4,699 followersMaeve Binchy was born on 28 May 1940 in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland, the eldest child of four. Her parents were very positive and provided her with a happy childhood. Although she described herself as an overweight child, her parents' attitude gave her the confidence to accept herself for who she was.
She studied at University College Dublin and was a teacher for a while. She also loved traveling, and this was how she found her niche as a writer. She liked going to different places, such as a Kibbutz in Israel, and she worked in a camp in the United States. While she was away, she sent letters home to her parents. They were so impressed with these chatty letters from all over the world that they decided to send them to a newspaper. After these letters were published, Maeve left teaching and became a journalist.
Maeve married Gordon Snell, writer and editor of children's books. When they were struggling financially, Light a Penny Candle was published, which made her an overnight success. Many of her books, such as Echoes, are set in the past in Ireland. Some of her later novels, such as Evening Class, take place in more modern times. Her books often deal with people who are young, fall in love, have families, and deal with relationship or family problems. The main characters are people whom readers can empathise with.
She passed away on 30 July 2012, at the age of 72.
Her cousin Dan Binchy is also a published writer, as is her nephew Chris Binchy.
She studied at University College Dublin and was a teacher for a while. She also loved traveling, and this was how she found her niche as a writer. She liked going to different places, such as a Kibbutz in Israel, and she worked in a camp in the United States. While she was away, she sent letters home to her parents. They were so impressed with these chatty letters from all over the world that they decided to send them to a newspaper. After these letters were published, Maeve left teaching and became a journalist.
Maeve married Gordon Snell, writer and editor of children's books. When they were struggling financially, Light a Penny Candle was published, which made her an overnight success. Many of her books, such as Echoes, are set in the past in Ireland. Some of her later novels, such as Evening Class, take place in more modern times. Her books often deal with people who are young, fall in love, have families, and deal with relationship or family problems. The main characters are people whom readers can empathise with.
She passed away on 30 July 2012, at the age of 72.
Her cousin Dan Binchy is also a published writer, as is her nephew Chris Binchy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 584 reviews
November 23, 2023
She didn't want to make excuses for the life they led in a small country town whee John worked happily on a farm and Mary was a dressmaker. (PG 117)
This book was a set of short stories based on everyday people. A couple were funny like the one where the suitcases were swapped and the man and woman learned a lot from one another by being nosy. Another was about a wannabe affair out of boredom that took a hilarious twist before it could begin. Binchy manages to give us these little tales of life like she really knew these people.
It wasn't her best work but it was still enjoyable and fun to read something calm in the midst of all the crazy.
I always recommend her to anyone and everyone. I love her writing style and her emotional intelligence while writing. R.I.P
This book was a set of short stories based on everyday people. A couple were funny like the one where the suitcases were swapped and the man and woman learned a lot from one another by being nosy. Another was about a wannabe affair out of boredom that took a hilarious twist before it could begin. Binchy manages to give us these little tales of life like she really knew these people.
It wasn't her best work but it was still enjoyable and fun to read something calm in the midst of all the crazy.
I always recommend her to anyone and everyone. I love her writing style and her emotional intelligence while writing. R.I.P
August 26, 2020
Not too much to say. Binchy does a great job with her short stories. The only reason why I gave this 4 stars is that it feels like the collection just ends a bit abruptly.
The Return Journey (3 stars)-Not bad, but it's just letters going back and forth between a mother and daughter. There's a lot of things said and left unsaid.
The Wrong Suitcase (4 stars)-I loved this one and it's a story following a man and woman who accidentally get each other's suitcases which leads to them finding out about each other in ways that they never thought of. I did like that this doesn't end in like a romantic pairing but just general amazement what a pain in the butt these two people really are when you have a stranger diving into their lives.
Miss Vogel's Vaction (5 stars)-One of my favorite stories in this collection. We follow Miss Vogel who many would say did not have a great life. She is left unmarried and pushed out of her father's business. However, we get to see how Miss Vogel changes and gets a new job and eventually gets to explore New York City.
The Home Sitter (5 stars)-Another one that was really good. Told via the point of view of a wife of a college lecturer who realizes this may be her last chance to save her marriage. Enter the home sitter. I liked the ending to this one since it was a surprise to me and I liked what it meant.
Package Tour (3 stars)-Kind of boring. Not bad. But not really great just looking at two people who meet and really like each other but who decide to not continue on due to how they choose to travel. I just rolled my eyes a lot.
The Apprenticeship (4.5 stars)-Thought this was great with us following a young woman named Florrie and her best friend Ruby and how they go about changing their futures with trying to be the young woman that wealthy men will want to marry one day.
The Business Trip (5 stars)-So so good. A secretary who has pined (I loved that word) after her boss for years who finally gets to see the real him on a business trip.
The Crossing (4 stars)-Thought this was good. Two women who are going through some things with regards to their families who have a talk with each other as they take a cruise to Liverpool.
The Women in Hats (3.5 stars)-This one was a bit odd because it somehow touched upon people's prejudices towards women who are not thin. Also be aware of some slurs towards a gay character in this one.
Excitement (5 stars)-An affair gone wrong. I laughed through this whole thing. Such a mess.
Holiday Weather-(4.5 stars)-Another story of an affair where the woman takes a hard look at the man she is with.
Victor and St. Valentine-(3.5 stars)-Not a bad story. Just following a character named Victor and how St. Valentine's Day plays into his life and those around him. I recall reading this for the first time years ago and thought it was just an okay story but was weird to come in after the two stories focusing on affairs.
Cross Lines-(5 stars)-Two people who are off on different paths in their personal and professional lives who meet on a plane. I really enjoyed this one and the ending which gives you a hint at what is next for both of them.
A Holiday with Your Father-(3 stars)-This was a sad story to end on I thought. Pretty much a daughter trying to push her father to do more things and go on vacation and her realization that her father was scared to change his life at all. I thought it was sad with the daughter in this story realizing that her father just felt safer planning things he will never do.
The Return Journey (3 stars)-Not bad, but it's just letters going back and forth between a mother and daughter. There's a lot of things said and left unsaid.
The Wrong Suitcase (4 stars)-I loved this one and it's a story following a man and woman who accidentally get each other's suitcases which leads to them finding out about each other in ways that they never thought of. I did like that this doesn't end in like a romantic pairing but just general amazement what a pain in the butt these two people really are when you have a stranger diving into their lives.
Miss Vogel's Vaction (5 stars)-One of my favorite stories in this collection. We follow Miss Vogel who many would say did not have a great life. She is left unmarried and pushed out of her father's business. However, we get to see how Miss Vogel changes and gets a new job and eventually gets to explore New York City.
The Home Sitter (5 stars)-Another one that was really good. Told via the point of view of a wife of a college lecturer who realizes this may be her last chance to save her marriage. Enter the home sitter. I liked the ending to this one since it was a surprise to me and I liked what it meant.
Package Tour (3 stars)-Kind of boring. Not bad. But not really great just looking at two people who meet and really like each other but who decide to not continue on due to how they choose to travel. I just rolled my eyes a lot.
The Apprenticeship (4.5 stars)-Thought this was great with us following a young woman named Florrie and her best friend Ruby and how they go about changing their futures with trying to be the young woman that wealthy men will want to marry one day.
The Business Trip (5 stars)-So so good. A secretary who has pined (I loved that word) after her boss for years who finally gets to see the real him on a business trip.
The Crossing (4 stars)-Thought this was good. Two women who are going through some things with regards to their families who have a talk with each other as they take a cruise to Liverpool.
The Women in Hats (3.5 stars)-This one was a bit odd because it somehow touched upon people's prejudices towards women who are not thin. Also be aware of some slurs towards a gay character in this one.
Excitement (5 stars)-An affair gone wrong. I laughed through this whole thing. Such a mess.
Holiday Weather-(4.5 stars)-Another story of an affair where the woman takes a hard look at the man she is with.
Victor and St. Valentine-(3.5 stars)-Not a bad story. Just following a character named Victor and how St. Valentine's Day plays into his life and those around him. I recall reading this for the first time years ago and thought it was just an okay story but was weird to come in after the two stories focusing on affairs.
Cross Lines-(5 stars)-Two people who are off on different paths in their personal and professional lives who meet on a plane. I really enjoyed this one and the ending which gives you a hint at what is next for both of them.
A Holiday with Your Father-(3 stars)-This was a sad story to end on I thought. Pretty much a daughter trying to push her father to do more things and go on vacation and her realization that her father was scared to change his life at all. I thought it was sad with the daughter in this story realizing that her father just felt safer planning things he will never do.
September 12, 2019
My mother wanted me to read Maeve Binchy: The Biography. She had bought it and knew I would be interested. And reading that book made me want to revisit Binchy's work. Many many years have passed since I have read anything by Binchy, so I planned to head to the library asap and get a few.
Turns out I only had to look on Mom's bookshelves. She is like many of us: once she finds an author she likes, she grabs anything she sees by them at the library sale shelves. She got quite a few at one of the Buck-A-Bag days. This doesn't mean that she has read them all yet, she hasn't. But they are here waiting patiently and that is fine with her.
I chose The Return Journey to begin with since it is a collection of short stories and I felt would be the perfect antidote to the somewhat depressing non-fiction book I was reading at the time. And it was. The book captured me so completely that I spent more time with it than the non-fiction. Oops.
The funny thing was that Mother said I gave her this book but I don't remember that and I didn't remember any of the stories in it. Oops again!
The fourteen stories in this book are all about important moments in the various character's lives. They make decisions that will change their own lives and those of other people. Or they realize who they are and what they really want from life and how to go about getting it. I had a few favorites, such as The Home Sitter, The Women In Hats, and Holiday Weather, but I liked all of the selections very much.
Coming fresh from reading a biography of the author, I could see more in these stories than I would have otherwise. Some of the characters had her own tendency to be a bit overly curious about other people's lives (but always with good intentions), and her standards of ideal behavior for men in real life were evident throughout all the stories.
I've ordered a collection of Binchy's Irish Times articles, and I found one other book on Mom's shelves that I have started to read. Unfortunately the other two that appealed to me have such tiny print that I am still going to head down to the library soon and pick out a couple from there to continue my little Maeve Binchy revival.
Turns out I only had to look on Mom's bookshelves. She is like many of us: once she finds an author she likes, she grabs anything she sees by them at the library sale shelves. She got quite a few at one of the Buck-A-Bag days. This doesn't mean that she has read them all yet, she hasn't. But they are here waiting patiently and that is fine with her.
I chose The Return Journey to begin with since it is a collection of short stories and I felt would be the perfect antidote to the somewhat depressing non-fiction book I was reading at the time. And it was. The book captured me so completely that I spent more time with it than the non-fiction. Oops.
The funny thing was that Mother said I gave her this book but I don't remember that and I didn't remember any of the stories in it. Oops again!
The fourteen stories in this book are all about important moments in the various character's lives. They make decisions that will change their own lives and those of other people. Or they realize who they are and what they really want from life and how to go about getting it. I had a few favorites, such as The Home Sitter, The Women In Hats, and Holiday Weather, but I liked all of the selections very much.
Coming fresh from reading a biography of the author, I could see more in these stories than I would have otherwise. Some of the characters had her own tendency to be a bit overly curious about other people's lives (but always with good intentions), and her standards of ideal behavior for men in real life were evident throughout all the stories.
I've ordered a collection of Binchy's Irish Times articles, and I found one other book on Mom's shelves that I have started to read. Unfortunately the other two that appealed to me have such tiny print that I am still going to head down to the library soon and pick out a couple from there to continue my little Maeve Binchy revival.
December 21, 2019
Reading a Maeve Binchy book is like cuddling up with a fire and cup of tea! I put one of hers on my TBR list each year. She's written so many that I think I will have forgotten the first ones I read decades ago.
This is a collection of short stories about traveling, from those actually traveling, to those who housesit and work on the boats. Even though they're all about Irish or British citizens all the characters (especially the older ones) "ring true", their actions make sense to me.
Thanks to books like Olive Again and others, now when I read a short story collection, I start to think the characters are inter-related somehow, either in the same neighborhood or from other Binchy books. As one character named Mary said, there were 11 Marys in her class so maybe I'm just getting used to the Roses, Frankies and Marys in her books.
This is a collection of short stories about traveling, from those actually traveling, to those who housesit and work on the boats. Even though they're all about Irish or British citizens all the characters (especially the older ones) "ring true", their actions make sense to me.
Thanks to books like Olive Again and others, now when I read a short story collection, I start to think the characters are inter-related somehow, either in the same neighborhood or from other Binchy books. As one character named Mary said, there were 11 Marys in her class so maybe I'm just getting used to the Roses, Frankies and Marys in her books.
October 1, 2021
Am writing this years after reading.
I just remember the travelling theme. Wholesome writing. Maeve discusses real life issues, but always in a mature and safe way. She catches the nuances of life whether they be young or old, rich or poor, worldly or not. She just writes in an easy way that I have always enjoyed, and will continue on doing as I think I still have a couple more left unread.
My mum introduced me to Maeve which I’m so grateful for, and just like my father, I love our book connections. But dad wouldn’t ever read a Maeve!
I just remember the travelling theme. Wholesome writing. Maeve discusses real life issues, but always in a mature and safe way. She catches the nuances of life whether they be young or old, rich or poor, worldly or not. She just writes in an easy way that I have always enjoyed, and will continue on doing as I think I still have a couple more left unread.
My mum introduced me to Maeve which I’m so grateful for, and just like my father, I love our book connections. But dad wouldn’t ever read a Maeve!
January 23, 2022
Some lovely stories by one of my favorite writers. The characters are are not as strong as usual.
August 21, 2013
I picked this up at the library last week because it looked like a quick, easy read; in that I was not disappointed. The writing is good and each character lends something interesting to the stories.
However, a lot of the writing is abstract, so I never really felt deeply drawn into the characters' lives. It was like a collection of character sketches, actually. I was interested enough to finish but will likely not buy the book. This is my first sample of Maeve Binchy's work, and I will say that her way of using English was pleasant and her writing flows well. A lot of the stories were sad or pensive, and I didn't like that so many characters had rather loose morals, even though I know it's probably representative of real life. I do like it that the people in the stories learned real lessons from their experiences, like the young mother ready to start an affair to have a little excitement, whose circumstances ended up giving her way too much excitement and scaring her out of it before anything happened.
However, a lot of the writing is abstract, so I never really felt deeply drawn into the characters' lives. It was like a collection of character sketches, actually. I was interested enough to finish but will likely not buy the book. This is my first sample of Maeve Binchy's work, and I will say that her way of using English was pleasant and her writing flows well. A lot of the stories were sad or pensive, and I didn't like that so many characters had rather loose morals, even though I know it's probably representative of real life. I do like it that the people in the stories learned real lessons from their experiences, like the young mother ready to start an affair to have a little excitement, whose circumstances ended up giving her way too much excitement and scaring her out of it before anything happened.
April 22, 2012
Normally I LOVE Maeve Binchy. I love the style she has of intertwining characters and stories, showing that the world is really a small place. I love her warm, friendly characters who all seem so real it makes you want to know them, to be friends with him, to be included in their circle. But this one was a disappointment. There was no intertwining of stories, no characters who at first seem random, but somehow become connected in some way later on. It is several small sections, each with its own set of characters who never meet up or connect with the next story's set of chracters. In fact, each story seems unfinished. You "meet" the character or characters, something happens to set the story in motion, and just as you get to the climax of the story where you expect the conflict to start resolving, it moves on to the next story, the characters of the last never to be heard from again. What happens to the uptight couple whose young neighbor invites herself along on their vacation as a way of avoiding her presumably abusive boyfriend? Or to the 2 people who mistakenly take eachother's bags at the airport and get a small glimpse of each other's lives? Or the people who randomly meet on their vacation and spend a lovely morning together and so obviously don't want to part but are too reserved/polite to admit feelings that most people would be shocked at in such a short time because it sounds insane? Do they end up abandoning pretenses and going for what they want? Do they return to their every day lives and regret not "seizing the day"? What are the consequenses? The world will never know...because each of their stories ends at that pivotal moment. So you don't know whether the decision they make works out or whether it leads to regret. You're left to ponder "what happened to them?" Some people might really like that. But I'm a person who likes to read to put myself in that position...to live in someone else's shoes for a while and have myself an adventure...and then return home feeling satisfied and as if I've made some new friends. I like to know what happened to the people I came to meet and care about, or loathe as the case may be. And with this book, I can only suppose. It's not for me.
August 20, 2019
I rarely read short stories, but for Maeve Binchy I will make an exception! These stories are mostly set in Dublin Ireland, like most of her books, but have unique characters and are completely independent of her Dublin series (Tara Road, Scarlet Feather, etc). Most of the tales are about 15 pages, so ideal for a quick break. Despite being so short, they are still warm and engaging and you immediately care about the people and their situations. There’s some romance, some unrequited love, some missed encounters, some family dynamics. Recommend for anyone who likes “cozy” stories!
January 4, 2010
I have read a number of Maeve Binchy stories, both novels and short stories in collections. This was the first collection I had read of just her work. At first I was confused not realizing that these were not one cohesive story. I like seeing how characters develop over a longer period, not that some of these stories didn’t traverse months or more. The Return Journey walked the reader through the lives of many people sometimes their interaction was indirect and accidental, sometimes it involves a compassionate gesture that is accepted.
One story of a housewife who retains the service of a house-sitter finds that her life is missing something, she sees a glimpse of what it could be and never quite recovers her happiness. One story of a spinster who watches other lives only to find her happiness late in life realizes just how unhappy she could have been if she had led a more “typical” life. There were too many women having affairs to really make me content, but perhaps that will make more sense to me later. One of the women really was just bored, and when she and the husband of her friends tries to add some excitement with a fling they find that the excitement of almost getting caught is more than enough.
A story of folks who think they are perfect for each other for a season only to discover that packing differences will lead them their different ways helps one to see the difficulty of finding romance in this day in age. Compatibility is a fickle thing and Ms. Binchy is all about finding the little things that make people either click or not. That makes these stories worth returning too.
One story of a housewife who retains the service of a house-sitter finds that her life is missing something, she sees a glimpse of what it could be and never quite recovers her happiness. One story of a spinster who watches other lives only to find her happiness late in life realizes just how unhappy she could have been if she had led a more “typical” life. There were too many women having affairs to really make me content, but perhaps that will make more sense to me later. One of the women really was just bored, and when she and the husband of her friends tries to add some excitement with a fling they find that the excitement of almost getting caught is more than enough.
A story of folks who think they are perfect for each other for a season only to discover that packing differences will lead them their different ways helps one to see the difficulty of finding romance in this day in age. Compatibility is a fickle thing and Ms. Binchy is all about finding the little things that make people either click or not. That makes these stories worth returning too.
May 11, 2019
Adventures of the timid. Binchy does a thing where two people meet, strike up an immediate friendship, and proceed to give one another excellent advice about managing their lives. She does that here, and it is really good, pragmatic advice. Anyway, stories about middle class adults and their working class parents, with some affairs included to keep things dramatic, to amusing effect in Excitement. And no one else has done a better job of portraying just how tiring it can be to be a modern woman trying to keep everyone else happy.
Library copy
Library copy
June 19, 2017
Dit boek heb ik met als titel Verhalen uit Ierland.
March 14, 2015
The Return Journey is a collection of short stories by Maeve Binchy, stories published between 1994 and 2004 as far as I can tell. Keeping the title in mind, they are all tales about travel - people going somewhere, people returning from somewhere, people in the middle of their journey, people just trying to get started. A couple that moved me the most include "The Crossing," in which two women, strangers, chat companionably while on the ferry crossing from Ireland to Liverpool; they tell each other some important details about their family lives and struggles, offer each other (good) advice for coping with their individual situations, and then part when the ferry reaches its destination, never to know what happened in the other woman's life afterwards. And I also very much enjoyed "The Business Trip," in which a young woman who has been in (unrequited, unspoken) love with her boss for 4 years is asked to go on a business trip to London for a week with him; spending time in closer quarters than usual will give her the chance to know him better and express her love, but will she still feel the same as she learns more about him?.... As ever, Binchy has a gentle touch and a lot of compassion in these stories; they are all quite "small" stories but ones that anyone travelling can relate to, and even stay-at-homes will have experienced some of the same situations generally. A treat; I savoured each tale and will look for more of her short-form work in the future.
April 15, 2023
I think these stories were too short to allow us to luxuriate in the talent of Maeve Binchy. At times I was just really hopeful and happy for the characters and then the story ended; other times the characters just seemed bad tempered or poor decision makers, sweating the small stuff living small lives with little love. Binchy is an amazing writer and has a knack for creating characters that you would want to be in the next life. She creates wonderful lifelike communities and people making decisions or connections with others in random ways. I think the Roses in this book are significant, from the ones blooming in a well-maintained garden, to the ones in outlandish hats, to the ones carried (or not carried) by besotted men, to the two characters named Rose, these Roses abound and are all beauty and fragrance without a hint of thorns.
December 10, 2022
Het verhaal 'De vakantie van Juffrouw Vogel' is mijn favoriet
October 2, 2018
These stories were too sad.
June 21, 2021
The Return journey by Maeve Binchy is a delightful book of powerful and creative short stories of love, loss, revelation and reconciliation. All the stories centre around travel Maeve Binchy writes with warmth and humour.
December 16, 2017
What is more cozy than reading a book by Maeve Binchy?
July 19, 2023
Depressing
Maeve Binchy is one of those authors who, when she gets it right, creates memorable stories that I love and remember years later. This isn’t a good collection. Most of the stories were depressing. A disappointing read.
Maeve Binchy is one of those authors who, when she gets it right, creates memorable stories that I love and remember years later. This isn’t a good collection. Most of the stories were depressing. A disappointing read.
May 3, 2022
3 stars for this short and sweet book of short stories. The Return Journey is comprised of stories that all have to do with travel. The characters are all on ventures that will give them time to think: about their current life and changes they would like to make. Most of the stories end with a surprising little twist. Compared to some of Binchy’s other short story collections, I did not enjoy these ones as much.
May 1, 2020
Maeve Binchy was a master of the short story as demonstrated in The Return Journey, published in 1998. The collection, built loosely around travel, still reads fresh and intriguing now, fully human, with somewhat flawed characters just like us, our neighbors, family members, coworkers, landlady or boss. Many characters are looking for love, but often in the wrong places, or finding love late in life, like the apartment manager Miss Vogel in "Miss Vogel's Vacation." Binchy has a light touch with just the right sense of humor and a knack for capturing certain moments in time, like the release from daily problems while soaring high above the clouds in an airplane ("Cross Lines"), or telling personal secrets to strangers on a ferry ride, knowing one will never see them again ("The Crossing"). This book was such a treat -- like dipping into a box of chocolates where each piece was as delightful as the first one.
September 1, 2015
If I say that "The Return Journey" is typical Maeve Binchy and you don't know who Maeve Binchy is, you might decide not to read this remarkable treasury of short stories. But if you have ever experienced the wonder of Binchy's writing, you'll run right out and pick it up.
The fourteen stories which comprise this volume are quite different from one another in tone and theme. But they all have certain things in common. All deal in one way or another with travel. All show the profound understanding of humankind which is a hallmark of Binchy's writing. All are well worth reading and all are unforgettable. It's impossible to highlight a few since each and every selection deserves your attention.
If you are looking for a terrific way to end your summer reading, I can't recommend this book highly enough.
The fourteen stories which comprise this volume are quite different from one another in tone and theme. But they all have certain things in common. All deal in one way or another with travel. All show the profound understanding of humankind which is a hallmark of Binchy's writing. All are well worth reading and all are unforgettable. It's impossible to highlight a few since each and every selection deserves your attention.
If you are looking for a terrific way to end your summer reading, I can't recommend this book highly enough.
June 28, 2018
I hate short stories, so I don't know why I keep trying with them. These are all short stories about relationships, travel, etc. Each one is 20 pages or less I think, and just like with other short stories, I feel like it finally got to the point when it ended. I enjoyed some stories more than others, but overall I felt like it was a sludge to get through it. I considered DNF'ing it because even the most enjoyable stories weren't ones that I really cared about or got too invested in, but I'm terrible at DNF'ing so I didn't.
All that being said, I know this is a harsh review and if you like short stories, you might like this one. I just personally don't and there weren't any that were good enough to change my mind on that.
All that being said, I know this is a harsh review and if you like short stories, you might like this one. I just personally don't and there weren't any that were good enough to change my mind on that.
July 12, 2015
An absolutely delicious collection of short stories from Maeve Binchy.
December 28, 2018
Maeve Binchy was an absolute master at telling short stories that all link together and read as a novel. I've never seen it done better, and this book is a shining example of that art. She was also a master at making ordinary lives and ordinary places read as extraordinary. I never, ever tire of her books. There are a few on my shelves that have been read upwards of a dozen times, and I greet them like old, best friends come to spend time with me again. I can't think of anything finer to say of a remarkable writer. This world lost something very special when her gentle, lovely voice went still.
November 13, 2017
For the most part I enjoyed these travel related short stories which is why I rated them an overall score of 3 1/2 stars. If you are looking for the same interweaving tales that you get from a Maeve Binchy novel, you won’t find that in this collection. For that you either need to invest more time and read her novels or if you prefer short stories, maybe read something from Isak Dinesen instead. However this is perfect if you are looking for something light that you can read while waiting at the drs. or if you have a couple hours to spare. This is an interesting collection of vignettes, simple and relatable. In a few instances I might have have wished the story hadn’t concluded so soon but the best part about a short story is that you get just enough to get a taste.
April 17, 2021
This collection of short stories was terrific. Many different themes and lots of fun to read. I would recommend it for sure. It’s nice to be able to pick up a book and read a story here and there. I am between books at the moment so this was perfect!
June 16, 2021
As always with Maeve Bincy, she leaves you wanting more, thinking a little bit deeper and harder but most of all understanding that we are all flawed humans and most of us are just trying to do the best we can with the cards we've been dealt with
January 7, 2020
Charming short stories!
April 29, 2020
One of the best short story collections I've read. But, Maeve Binchy is also one of my absolute favorite authors. :) Her characters are always well-defined and complex. This was total enjoyment!
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