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The Glass Lake
Night after night the beautiful woman walked beside the serene waters of Lough Glass. Until the day she disappeared, leaving only a boat drifting upside down on the unfathomable lake that gave the town its name. Ravishing Helen McMahon, the Dubliner with film-star looks and unfulfilled dreams, never belonged in Lough Glass, not the way her genial pharmacist-husband Martin belonged, or their spirited daughter Kit. Suddenly, she is gone and Kit is haunted by the memory of her mother, seen through a window, alone at the kitchen table, tears streaming down her face. Now Kit, too, has secrets: of the night she discovered a letter on Martin’s pillow and burned it, unopened. The night her mother was lost. The night everything changed forever…
704 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Maeve Binchy
242 books4,666 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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October 4, 2017
The glass Lake, Maeve Binchy
The Glass Lake is a novel by Maeve Binchy. Similar to other Binchy novels, this book is set in a rural Irish village in the 1950s, as well as London. It is notable as the last of Binchy's novels to be set in the 1950s. The story focuses on Kit McMahon and her relationship with her mother with the story spanning about a decade. Binchy explores the roles of women in Irish society, inconstant lovers, and uses an operatic plot to hold a reader's attention.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: بیستم ماه جولای سال 2011 میلادی
عنوان: دریاچه شیشه ای؛ نویسنده: مائیو بنچی؛ مترجم: قدسی گلریز؛ تهران، نشر روزگار، 1377؛ در 3 جلد؛ در 1268 ص؛ شابک دوره: 9646675255؛ چاپ چهارم 1379؛ چاپ دیگر (ششم) سه جلد در یک مجلد؛ تهران، روزگار، 1381؛ در 984 ص؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان ایرلندی - مادران و دختران - قرن 20 م
مترجم: محمد دانیالی؛ تهران، سمیر، 1391، در 568 ص، شابک: 9789642201891؛
داستان زنی ست به نام هلن که در جوانی عاشق مردی به نام لوئیس که مردی مسئولیت ناپذیر است و حاضر به ازدواج نیست، میشود. از دیگر سو مردی به نام مارتین دیوانه وار هلن را دوست میدارد، اما هلن علاقه ای به او نشان نمیدهد. بالاخره اصرارهای مارتین نتیجه میدهد، اما هلن با او شرطی بسته است: «در زندگی ما هیچ عشقی وجود نخواهد داشت.»؛ حاصل چندین سال زندگی هلن و مارتین یک دختر و یک پسر است. حالا که دختر مارتین نسبتا بزرگ شده، هلن نتیجه میگیرد که میتواند خانواده اش را رها کند. یک شب ناپدید و خبر خودکشی هلن در روزنامه ی محلی منتشر میشود. دختر مارتین نامه ای را در اتاق مادرش پیدا میکند که خطاب به مارتین نوشته شده است و بدون خواندن نامه بلافاصله اقدام به سوزاندن نامه میکند از بیم اینکه اجازه ی دفن جسد مادرش در گورستان مسیحی داده نشود. جستجو برای یافتن جسد بی نتیجه است. اما هلن زنده است و.... ا. شربیانی
The Glass Lake is a novel by Maeve Binchy. Similar to other Binchy novels, this book is set in a rural Irish village in the 1950s, as well as London. It is notable as the last of Binchy's novels to be set in the 1950s. The story focuses on Kit McMahon and her relationship with her mother with the story spanning about a decade. Binchy explores the roles of women in Irish society, inconstant lovers, and uses an operatic plot to hold a reader's attention.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: بیستم ماه جولای سال 2011 میلادی
عنوان: دریاچه شیشه ای؛ نویسنده: مائیو بنچی؛ مترجم: قدسی گلریز؛ تهران، نشر روزگار، 1377؛ در 3 جلد؛ در 1268 ص؛ شابک دوره: 9646675255؛ چاپ چهارم 1379؛ چاپ دیگر (ششم) سه جلد در یک مجلد؛ تهران، روزگار، 1381؛ در 984 ص؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان ایرلندی - مادران و دختران - قرن 20 م
مترجم: محمد دانیالی؛ تهران، سمیر، 1391، در 568 ص، شابک: 9789642201891؛
داستان زنی ست به نام هلن که در جوانی عاشق مردی به نام لوئیس که مردی مسئولیت ناپذیر است و حاضر به ازدواج نیست، میشود. از دیگر سو مردی به نام مارتین دیوانه وار هلن را دوست میدارد، اما هلن علاقه ای به او نشان نمیدهد. بالاخره اصرارهای مارتین نتیجه میدهد، اما هلن با او شرطی بسته است: «در زندگی ما هیچ عشقی وجود نخواهد داشت.»؛ حاصل چندین سال زندگی هلن و مارتین یک دختر و یک پسر است. حالا که دختر مارتین نسبتا بزرگ شده، هلن نتیجه میگیرد که میتواند خانواده اش را رها کند. یک شب ناپدید و خبر خودکشی هلن در روزنامه ی محلی منتشر میشود. دختر مارتین نامه ای را در اتاق مادرش پیدا میکند که خطاب به مارتین نوشته شده است و بدون خواندن نامه بلافاصله اقدام به سوزاندن نامه میکند از بیم اینکه اجازه ی دفن جسد مادرش در گورستان مسیحی داده نشود. جستجو برای یافتن جسد بی نتیجه است. اما هلن زنده است و.... ا. شربیانی
August 8, 2011
2.5/3 stars
Well, this should at least serve as an admonition to all women on how a MAN should never ever be the fulcrum around which a woman's life rotates, making him the centre of her universe.
The story - my first Maeve Binchy book ever - is set in the 50s and revolves around the lives of various families in the small village of Lough Glass, Ireland, during a span of about 10 years. Among this rather extensive set of characters, stars Helen McMahon alias Lena Gray, a desperate woman whose actions, bad judgement and wrong choices in life reverberate throughout the existence of so many people, and with rather unsettling outcomes.
It is basically a book which deals with the concept of MISTAKE and how your actions may or may not reflect on other people's lives and with which consequences.
This, per se, is a rather interesting theme to be treated in a novel, if not for the fact the the gloomy approach and the disastrous ways in which the characters messed up their lives didn't make this book relaxing or enjoyable at any time. It would be actually pretty safe to say that this book is exhausting, emotionally and physically. First, it is well above 700 pages and the action is so slow at times that I felt like I was trying to slowly make my way through quicksand. You won't fall asleep, I swear, and you won't be bored by long descriptions about the nuances of color of the lake in November or on the types of plants growing around it, but you will feel the progress of narration so slow and uneventful, so much so that, if not for one cardinal point which I will explain below, it would have been enough to make me shut the book at page 50.
Helen/Lena.
She is, without a doubt, the most conflicted character of the book. Throughout the story I couldn't help but despise her for her weaknesses and for what she brought upon herself and her family because of her stupidity but, at the same time, I couldn't help but admire her.
And this is where some things about her actually don't add up. I was baffled by how she seems to be two persons. First we meet a ghost of a woman who once was, then we meet the monster who did what no woman on her right mind would ever do and, then we meet the stakhanovist working woman and eventually the remorseful mother. So, what's it going to be? Who is Lena? How can a woman who seems to be able to organize everybody's lives so perfectly and be the catalyst to their happiness, simultaneously be a wreck and helpless about her own life? How can she live her life almost as vegetable for 12 years and then, because of/thanks to a man, run away and become an entrepreneur and go on as if her past never happened? How am I supposed to feel sympathy for a woman who abandoned her children (and let's not forget that even if she makes contact with Kit, she never does with Emmet)? I just can't. I can admire her qualities and her skills for building a career for herself out of nothing, but I cannot justify or forget her horrible actions and selfishness. As you sow, so you shall reap. I think Helen/Lena even collected too much for what she did.
And last but not least, the reasons for Lena's love for Louis were extra feeble, if not inexistent. WHY does she love him? Because he's good-looking? Hardly. You can't base your love on appearances, take a look at the celebrities. That is left unanswered.
Amazingly enough, very few of the rest of the characters were likable. Even Kit, Lena's daughter, makes an enormous mistake early in the book which changes everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. Clio, Emmet, Martin, Ivy, Kevin... they all love in the wrong way, forcing love on the one hand, or confusing it with lust on the other. This book is en emotional disaster, slowly developing in front of your eyes.
The only ONE character whom I found remotely likable, Sister Madeleine, makes a mistake, gets taken out of the book in 2 pages, never to return again. We never discover her past, her background. A bit wasted, if you ask me.
Finally, Kit and Stevie. That relationship smells like a week old dead fish. Kit the virtuous manages to reform the village rake? Mh. Sorry, but life taught me that a leopard cannot change its spots. There might be exceptions but I thought it was all very abrupt, there was not enough development of the matter to justify such undying love on both parts.
Ah, did I mention that the story is incredibly predictable?
On to the good parts:
I am still marveling at the writer's ability to write a 700 page book with no descriptions. THIS is the reason why, earlier on, I said you won't fall asleep. This book is 80% dialogue, no tedious long paragraphs about the crickets or whatever. And it totally works. I was there, in Lough Glass, with the characters, taking walks around the lake or on the streets of Dublin, picturing everything. Picturing something the author actually barely describes. So either I have a fervent imagination or there must be some skill on the author's part.
And to conclude, this book gets 2 1/2, barely 3 stars from me because of my involvement in the story. Even though I hated half the characters, thought the plot was predictable and the image of woman portrayed in these pages is so terribly wrong on so many levels, I could not close the book and set it aside. The plot is engaging and once I read the last page, I really felt emotionally drained. That alone must count for something.
Thanks to Maja and Flannery for suggesting this as my first Maeve Binchy book. Now I know you hate me. :D
Well, this should at least serve as an admonition to all women on how a MAN should never ever be the fulcrum around which a woman's life rotates, making him the centre of her universe.
The story - my first Maeve Binchy book ever - is set in the 50s and revolves around the lives of various families in the small village of Lough Glass, Ireland, during a span of about 10 years. Among this rather extensive set of characters, stars Helen McMahon alias Lena Gray, a desperate woman whose actions, bad judgement and wrong choices in life reverberate throughout the existence of so many people, and with rather unsettling outcomes.
It is basically a book which deals with the concept of MISTAKE and how your actions may or may not reflect on other people's lives and with which consequences.
This, per se, is a rather interesting theme to be treated in a novel, if not for the fact the the gloomy approach and the disastrous ways in which the characters messed up their lives didn't make this book relaxing or enjoyable at any time. It would be actually pretty safe to say that this book is exhausting, emotionally and physically. First, it is well above 700 pages and the action is so slow at times that I felt like I was trying to slowly make my way through quicksand. You won't fall asleep, I swear, and you won't be bored by long descriptions about the nuances of color of the lake in November or on the types of plants growing around it, but you will feel the progress of narration so slow and uneventful, so much so that, if not for one cardinal point which I will explain below, it would have been enough to make me shut the book at page 50.
Helen/Lena.
She is, without a doubt, the most conflicted character of the book. Throughout the story I couldn't help but despise her for her weaknesses and for what she brought upon herself and her family because of her stupidity but, at the same time, I couldn't help but admire her.
And this is where some things about her actually don't add up. I was baffled by how she seems to be two persons. First we meet a ghost of a woman who once was, then we meet the monster who did what no woman on her right mind would ever do and, then we meet the stakhanovist working woman and eventually the remorseful mother. So, what's it going to be? Who is Lena? How can a woman who seems to be able to organize everybody's lives so perfectly and be the catalyst to their happiness, simultaneously be a wreck and helpless about her own life? How can she live her life almost as vegetable for 12 years and then, because of/thanks to a man, run away and become an entrepreneur and go on as if her past never happened? How am I supposed to feel sympathy for a woman who abandoned her children (and let's not forget that even if she makes contact with Kit, she never does with Emmet)? I just can't. I can admire her qualities and her skills for building a career for herself out of nothing, but I cannot justify or forget her horrible actions and selfishness. As you sow, so you shall reap. I think Helen/Lena even collected too much for what she did.
And last but not least, the reasons for Lena's love for Louis were extra feeble, if not inexistent. WHY does she love him? Because he's good-looking? Hardly. You can't base your love on appearances, take a look at the celebrities. That is left unanswered.
Amazingly enough, very few of the rest of the characters were likable. Even Kit, Lena's daughter, makes an enormous mistake early in the book which changes everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. Clio, Emmet, Martin, Ivy, Kevin... they all love in the wrong way, forcing love on the one hand, or confusing it with lust on the other. This book is en emotional disaster, slowly developing in front of your eyes.
The only ONE character whom I found remotely likable, Sister Madeleine, makes a mistake, gets taken out of the book in 2 pages, never to return again. We never discover her past, her background. A bit wasted, if you ask me.
Finally, Kit and Stevie. That relationship smells like a week old dead fish. Kit the virtuous manages to reform the village rake? Mh. Sorry, but life taught me that a leopard cannot change its spots. There might be exceptions but I thought it was all very abrupt, there was not enough development of the matter to justify such undying love on both parts.
Ah, did I mention that the story is incredibly predictable?
On to the good parts:
I am still marveling at the writer's ability to write a 700 page book with no descriptions. THIS is the reason why, earlier on, I said you won't fall asleep. This book is 80% dialogue, no tedious long paragraphs about the crickets or whatever. And it totally works. I was there, in Lough Glass, with the characters, taking walks around the lake or on the streets of Dublin, picturing everything. Picturing something the author actually barely describes. So either I have a fervent imagination or there must be some skill on the author's part.
And to conclude, this book gets 2 1/2, barely 3 stars from me because of my involvement in the story. Even though I hated half the characters, thought the plot was predictable and the image of woman portrayed in these pages is so terribly wrong on so many levels, I could not close the book and set it aside. The plot is engaging and once I read the last page, I really felt emotionally drained. That alone must count for something.
Thanks to Maja and Flannery for suggesting this as my first Maeve Binchy book. Now I know you hate me. :D
December 19, 2020
This is the second Binchy book I read after her "Quentins" which turned out to be just perfect..this one is the same, perfect...good enough to make yu read two days straight to finish it..
October 11, 2012
I... have no clue how to start writing this review. This is the story of lives, lives affected by secrets and lies and choices made by a handful of people. We watch as the consequences of those choices shape the lives of so many people over a span of about ten years. Naturally for a story that has to span that amount of time, it took some time also to get into it. It took at least 100 pages (which isn't much considering how long it is) and a couple hundred more before I absolutely could not put it down.
I thought this was an incredible concept, because it's so real. This is a book about real life - with some dramatization, obviously. This is not a story about horrible events that are tied up in a pretty little bow in the matter of a few days, weeks, months. No, this is about the effects over years, because that's how long choices affect people - years, lifetimes even.
At first I was not fond of the writing style, broken up into sometimes tiny segments of certain povs. Those povs could be main characters or characters only mentioned a few times in the story. But as the book progressed, I came to realize just how essential that was for the purpose that Binchy was trying to accomplish. I realized how brilliant it was, that every single part, no matter how inconsequential each piece seemed at the time, was crucial to the entire story. If you skip those seemingly small bits, you will miss out on the ultimate point of the story and only see it in a shallow, maybe even dull form.
Beyond the theme of choices and consequences, Binchy also explores different types of romances. I stress the word romance, because it is made clear in this book that romance does not mean love. There were only a couple of romance plot lines that are considered true love. Then Binchy also explores the love/relationship between parent and child. She really does span most every type of relationship in this novel - brilliantly. The length was most definitely needed to do that, and while it was imposing and daunting when I opened the book to the first page, as I finished reading the last I knew that if it was any shorter it would not have been as meaningful. Which it was. It left me thinking well into the night. I finished at 1AM this morning and could not get to sleep at least until 3 because I could not stop thinking about all that had happened.
There are some characters that I can gush over. I could gush for days about how much I love Stevie Sullivan, but I shall spare you and wait until I see the person who recommended this book to me to do that. I could gush over how much I want to give Emmet McMahon the biggest hug in the world. I could go on and on about how much I admire Kit McMahon and how she handled her life after making one of the worst mistakes anyone could make - burning a letter of explanation that her mother left to her father after she left him. I admire her adult decisions and how those decisions affected so many people in a good way, which in my eyes was an unconscious atonement for her burning the letter.
An atonement very similar to that of her mother, Lena Gray, who spent her life after leaving her children changing so many people's lives for the better that it was sometimes too easy to overlook the fact that she left her children in the first place. There are times when it is very easy to despise Lena, but it is very easy to love her too. She's a character who placed her heart in the wrong hands, and she paid the ultimate price for it. Her's is truly a tragic tale, and that is because it was her own fault and she knew that.
And on that note, there are quite a few characters who I would like nothing more than too punch them in the face . There are the shallow people, the snooty people, the people who can't see beyond their mirror. There were also the side characters who were lovely and interesting and I wanted nothing but the best for them, . It would be easy to say that every type of person is represented somehow in this book, but of course that is not true as much as it isn't possible.
I think this book will haunt me for years to come. Though half way through I couldn't see myself giving it more than 4 stars, I give it 5 now because of that fact alone - it will haunt me in the best way possible. The end made me yearn to see these characters again. I hope that I'll be able to find it at my local book store and sit it on my book shelf so I can return to Lough Glass as often as I want.
I thought this was an incredible concept, because it's so real. This is a book about real life - with some dramatization, obviously. This is not a story about horrible events that are tied up in a pretty little bow in the matter of a few days, weeks, months. No, this is about the effects over years, because that's how long choices affect people - years, lifetimes even.
At first I was not fond of the writing style, broken up into sometimes tiny segments of certain povs. Those povs could be main characters or characters only mentioned a few times in the story. But as the book progressed, I came to realize just how essential that was for the purpose that Binchy was trying to accomplish. I realized how brilliant it was, that every single part, no matter how inconsequential each piece seemed at the time, was crucial to the entire story. If you skip those seemingly small bits, you will miss out on the ultimate point of the story and only see it in a shallow, maybe even dull form.
Beyond the theme of choices and consequences, Binchy also explores different types of romances. I stress the word romance, because it is made clear in this book that romance does not mean love. There were only a couple of romance plot lines that are considered true love. Then Binchy also explores the love/relationship between parent and child. She really does span most every type of relationship in this novel - brilliantly. The length was most definitely needed to do that, and while it was imposing and daunting when I opened the book to the first page, as I finished reading the last I knew that if it was any shorter it would not have been as meaningful. Which it was. It left me thinking well into the night. I finished at 1AM this morning and could not get to sleep at least until 3 because I could not stop thinking about all that had happened.
There are some characters that I can gush over. I could gush for days about how much I love Stevie Sullivan, but I shall spare you and wait until I see the person who recommended this book to me to do that. I could gush over how much I want to give Emmet McMahon the biggest hug in the world. I could go on and on about how much I admire Kit McMahon and how she handled her life after making one of the worst mistakes anyone could make - burning a letter of explanation that her mother left to her father after she left him. I admire her adult decisions and how those decisions affected so many people in a good way, which in my eyes was an unconscious atonement for her burning the letter.
An atonement very similar to that of her mother, Lena Gray, who spent her life after leaving her children changing so many people's lives for the better that it was sometimes too easy to overlook the fact that she left her children in the first place. There are times when it is very easy to despise Lena, but it is very easy to love her too. She's a character who placed her heart in the wrong hands, and she paid the ultimate price for it. Her's is truly a tragic tale, and that is because it was her own fault and she knew that.
And on that note, there are quite a few characters who I would like nothing more than too punch them in the face . There are the shallow people, the snooty people, the people who can't see beyond their mirror. There were also the side characters who were lovely and interesting and I wanted nothing but the best for them, . It would be easy to say that every type of person is represented somehow in this book, but of course that is not true as much as it isn't possible.
I think this book will haunt me for years to come. Though half way through I couldn't see myself giving it more than 4 stars, I give it 5 now because of that fact alone - it will haunt me in the best way possible. The end made me yearn to see these characters again. I hope that I'll be able to find it at my local book store and sit it on my book shelf so I can return to Lough Glass as often as I want.
May 17, 2009
I love me some Maeve Binchy. When I read her books, I want to be Irish, own a pub, and live in a tiny town. I can hardly read one of her books without developing a fierce hankering for corned beef and cabbage.
In typical Binchy style - we're immediately drawn into the life of a simple family in a largely nondescript - yet still engaging - town. In this book, a mother struggles continuing life in her family and she makes a choice that changes her husband, children, and self forever. A simple choice has dramatic ramifications that no one could have predicted. (Uhhh, that sounds pretty much like the unhelpful little description on the back of every book. Sorry! I don't want to spoil anything.)
If you're looking for a rainy day, light read that will have you contemplating how you would chose to escape your own life...dig in!
In typical Binchy style - we're immediately drawn into the life of a simple family in a largely nondescript - yet still engaging - town. In this book, a mother struggles continuing life in her family and she makes a choice that changes her husband, children, and self forever. A simple choice has dramatic ramifications that no one could have predicted. (Uhhh, that sounds pretty much like the unhelpful little description on the back of every book. Sorry! I don't want to spoil anything.)
If you're looking for a rainy day, light read that will have you contemplating how you would chose to escape your own life...dig in!
December 7, 2023
3.75 stars
Lovely, heartwarming story in the usual Maeve Binchy-style.
Set in the 1950s in London and Ireland, following the lives of a mother and daughter through thick and thin.
Lovely, heartwarming story in the usual Maeve Binchy-style.
Set in the 1950s in London and Ireland, following the lives of a mother and daughter through thick and thin.
December 18, 2022
Wow. It’s been awhile since I’ve even tried a Maeve Binchy novel. They never used to match my mood, but now, a family saga / small town read, particularly set in Europe, seems just the right fit. My first by this author and won’t be my last!
This is that big fat book that you want to be stuck inside of forever; you don’t want it to ever end. From the blurb here, it seemed like it might be a family drama with a bit of magical realism. There was no magical realism at all. This should have been a disappointment, but it wasn’t.
Very hard to describe without throwing spoilers. This is basically the story of a mother and her daughter. One of their lives takes an unexpected and significant turn towards the beginning and the rest of the novel deals with the aftermath.
That may not sound too enticing, but trust me, it is. You’ll get to know the main characters so well (and for the most part, you’ll really enjoy them). There is a former nun in here who plays a minor but major role, if that makes any sense. She really became so close to my heart. She loves animals and people but chooses to live mostly by herself. The people (and animals) wind up coming to her when they are in trouble, because they know she will help whenever she can, she’ll give good advice and will keep confidences to herself.
I feel like I’m rambling. I wish I had read this with a group. There is SO much to discuss in here. So many “What would you do if … ?” type questions. I loved and then later kind of loathed the same character. I almost bagged the book bc this person’s decision irked me so much. I’m so glad I stayed with it, though, because by the middle or so, it just made more sense. And she tied up most of the loose ends by the end, which is a bonus in my opinion. The ending seemed a little rushed to me, but considering it was a 750-pp book….you know. It had to end sometime! I just didn’t want it to, ever. I really wish she had written a sequel, because one of the characters…….I want to see their life about 5-10 years down the road.
A highly recommended, semi-comfort, semi-family drama kind of read. And definitely an author for me to revisit. She knows how to create real people, and the pages just keep turning. A book to get totally lost in. Usually long books should be cut, I want to be done a good while before it’s over. This one was just the opposite. How many bricks can you say that about?!
This is that big fat book that you want to be stuck inside of forever; you don’t want it to ever end. From the blurb here, it seemed like it might be a family drama with a bit of magical realism. There was no magical realism at all. This should have been a disappointment, but it wasn’t.
Very hard to describe without throwing spoilers. This is basically the story of a mother and her daughter. One of their lives takes an unexpected and significant turn towards the beginning and the rest of the novel deals with the aftermath.
That may not sound too enticing, but trust me, it is. You’ll get to know the main characters so well (and for the most part, you’ll really enjoy them). There is a former nun in here who plays a minor but major role, if that makes any sense. She really became so close to my heart. She loves animals and people but chooses to live mostly by herself. The people (and animals) wind up coming to her when they are in trouble, because they know she will help whenever she can, she’ll give good advice and will keep confidences to herself.
I feel like I’m rambling. I wish I had read this with a group. There is SO much to discuss in here. So many “What would you do if … ?” type questions. I loved and then later kind of loathed the same character. I almost bagged the book bc this person’s decision irked me so much. I’m so glad I stayed with it, though, because by the middle or so, it just made more sense. And she tied up most of the loose ends by the end, which is a bonus in my opinion. The ending seemed a little rushed to me, but considering it was a 750-pp book….you know. It had to end sometime! I just didn’t want it to, ever. I really wish she had written a sequel, because one of the characters…….I want to see their life about 5-10 years down the road.
A highly recommended, semi-comfort, semi-family drama kind of read. And definitely an author for me to revisit. She knows how to create real people, and the pages just keep turning. A book to get totally lost in. Usually long books should be cut, I want to be done a good while before it’s over. This one was just the opposite. How many bricks can you say that about?!
April 2, 2016
I read this many years ago, I will endeavour to read it again this year. This was a haunting tale of a woman deeply unhappy and a poor husband left to pick up the pieces for the rest of his family. One of the first Maeve's books I read.
I really do enjoy re-reading these books as it brings back memories from my teenage years and it's nice to rekindle the memories of my first 'grown up' books I tackled. I love revisiting them for this reason, but mostly as I simply adore this author's work!
I really do enjoy re-reading these books as it brings back memories from my teenage years and it's nice to rekindle the memories of my first 'grown up' books I tackled. I love revisiting them for this reason, but mostly as I simply adore this author's work!
June 3, 2019
3 Stars - Good book
This book is quintessentially cozy to me. I wanted it to be a cool fall day, so I could curl up with this book and a pot of tea in a big, comfy chair. I felt as if I lived alongside the characters.
Other reviews are out there that do a better job at describing this book than I can so I’ll let you read their reviews.
Do I recommend this one? Yes, I think I do.
This book is quintessentially cozy to me. I wanted it to be a cool fall day, so I could curl up with this book and a pot of tea in a big, comfy chair. I felt as if I lived alongside the characters.
Other reviews are out there that do a better job at describing this book than I can so I’ll let you read their reviews.
Do I recommend this one? Yes, I think I do.
March 25, 2012
This is one of my all-time favourite books - I think partly because of how it got me through what could have been an awful travel day. I picked it up as bulk paperback at the Ottawa airport just before Christmas in, I think, 1995. I had never heard of Maeve Binchy, but it was a fat novel and I was pretty sure it was going to be a long day, as I was flying back to visit my family in northern BC, and it was one of those awful Canadian winters. My plane ended up having to detour through Toronto, then once we made it across Canada, we were stranded in Vancouver overnight. As a struggling student, I had no money for a hotel, so I spent the night in the airport café, smoking, eating bags of chips - completely absorbed in this novel. When we finally left Vancouver, we couldn't land in my hometown, but ended up flying into Prince Rupert, and being bussed for 2.5 hours (finally!) to my hometown.
It should have been terrible, but I just luxuriated in this novel. It was a like a day out of time. I reached the final pages just as I reached the outskirts of town, and was astonished to believe that I had hardly noticed all the inconveniences of the trip. I've come back to this novel again and again over the years. I love the interesting but imperfect characters, the story line that splits into two locations (Lough Glass and London) and then meanders together again, and most of all, Helen. I know Kit is the heroine, but Helen is a fascinating character - a rare woman who owns her choices and (I think) in the end, would have done it all over again.
It should have been terrible, but I just luxuriated in this novel. It was a like a day out of time. I reached the final pages just as I reached the outskirts of town, and was astonished to believe that I had hardly noticed all the inconveniences of the trip. I've come back to this novel again and again over the years. I love the interesting but imperfect characters, the story line that splits into two locations (Lough Glass and London) and then meanders together again, and most of all, Helen. I know Kit is the heroine, but Helen is a fascinating character - a rare woman who owns her choices and (I think) in the end, would have done it all over again.
January 29, 2015
The two stars in not an indication that Ms. Binchy was a bad writer...that just is not the case. Ms. Binchy could develop characters better than any writer of contemporary romance fiction & the way she introduced a ton of characters to the reader, and keep them all straight is pure alchemy. No, I just plain did not care for any of the characters in this entire 700 page novel. I especially detested the weak & pathetic main female protagonist. The story line just seemed to plod along & I was happy to finally read the final page of this most depressing book.
November 4, 2012
i have read this book more than once,it is probably my favourite.everytime i read it, i feel like i am living in this village, i'm going to school with the kids, i search for helen in the lake. and then i somehow transfer to the big city, and i live next door to lina and lewis. i go to work with them, i write letters to kit, i organize this dance-event. the characters are very "alive", vivid,very colourful, not plain, not shallow. a bit self-centered or obnoxious, maybe...I feel lina as a different woman than helen, as if i am reading about two different women. Not that i agree with what she did, but it is given so nicely and naturally ,that i can relate to her. The only thing that bothered me was the ending. not the plot, because frankly, that was the only way it could be resolved, but the fact that it seemed a bit hasty, as if binchy was trying to wrap it up, to get it over with. after such a wonderful and detailed description through all the rest of the book, the end was very fast and incomplete, i'd say. Nevertheless, a great book.
December 21, 2009
I LOVED this book. It was so engrossing and enthralling and all those over adjectives that start with e. The main character was so relatable, and I especially enjoyed her tumultuous friendship with Clio - it was so realistic.
But really, I just love how Binchy writes. The way she skips from scene to scene keeps you interested.
And, SUCH satisfying ending.
All in all, a book I will revisit time and time again, despite its 700+ page count :)
But really, I just love how Binchy writes. The way she skips from scene to scene keeps you interested.
And, SUCH satisfying ending.
All in all, a book I will revisit time and time again, despite its 700+ page count :)
September 30, 2021
3,5 Sterne
Bin hin-und hergerissen. Es las sich gut weg, ich war auch oft richtig nah dran an den Figuren, man lernt sie im Laufe der Handlung halt auch gut kennen. Aber die Autorin ist sehr detailverliebt und oft verlor sich die Story in Nebensächlichkeiten. Und ich hatte mir mehr irische Atmosphäre gewünscht, so war es "nur" ein gutes Gesellschaftsporträit der 1950er Jahre.
Bin hin-und hergerissen. Es las sich gut weg, ich war auch oft richtig nah dran an den Figuren, man lernt sie im Laufe der Handlung halt auch gut kennen. Aber die Autorin ist sehr detailverliebt und oft verlor sich die Story in Nebensächlichkeiten. Und ich hatte mir mehr irische Atmosphäre gewünscht, so war es "nur" ein gutes Gesellschaftsporträit der 1950er Jahre.
August 22, 2022
Read in 2001 and my first Binchy novel. I was engrossed. Different cover. A lilac coloured one. Small town Irish life. I haven't read all her novels but the ones I have were great. Marian Keyes is similar except more contemporary. The only novel I liked a little less from those I've held was Tara Road.
May 30, 2015
Maeve Binchy is a wonderful story teller. This is along complicated family tale. Her characters are so real that you can reach out and touch them. I recommend Maeve Binchy to whomever wants to be lost in a book.
July 8, 2019
Τι ωραία ιστορία! - Απλή, γρήγορη γραφή με διαλόγους και ρυθμό που δεν κουράζει ούτε σε αποσπά από το κλίμα. Οι χαρακτήρες των ηρώων διαφαίνονται μέσω της πλοκής χωρίς περιττές περιγραφές και επαναλήψεις. Δανείστηκα το βιβλίο τυχαία- δεν είχα ξανακούσει τη συγγραφεα- πολύ καλή!
November 17, 2016
چون این جا تفکیکی برای دوجلد وجود ندارد،ریویو را سه قسمت می کنم.مقدمه،ریویوی جلد یک و ریویوی جلد دو.
مقدمه
مدتها بود گودریدز درست برایم باز نمی شد و خیلی از این بابت ناراحت بودم.امشب هم بدون این که امید خاصی داشته باشم بازش کردم و خدا را شکر این بار سالم بود!و چه وقت خوبی.وقتی که هنوز یک ساعت از تمام شدن جلد دوی دریاچه ی شیشه ای نمی گذرد و خیلی حرف راجع بهش دارم.
هنوز باورم نمی شود نزدیک هزارصفحه ی این کتاب دوجلدی را خواندم و تمام کردم.خیلی سریع نبود،ولی حین خواندن گاهی که نگاهم به شماره صفحه می افتاد تعجب می کردم که چقدر پیش رفته ام.حساب صفحه ها را از دست می دادم و فقط جلو می رفتم تا ببینم چه می شود و چه می شود.و این روان بودن کتاب قطعا هنر نویسنده است که طوری مرا در زندگی شخصیت ها درگیر می کرد که کنار گذاشتن کتاب کار سختی می شد.البته این حس را بیشتر در جلد دو داشتم،اشتیاقم برای جلد یک به این شدت نبود.
از ترجمه ی عالی کتاب هم نمی شود گذشت.به قدری روان و خوب ترجمه شده که انگار از اول به همین زبان بوده!دست مترجم درد نکند.
اما مثل هرکتاب طولانی دیگری این کتاب هم گاهی دچار اطناب و زیاده گویی می شد و فقط برای این که بفهمم"بعد"چی می شود پیش می رفتم.
جلد یک:
اول از همه باید بگویم به نظر من این کتاب،کت��ب مستقلی است.یعنی داستان را به سرانجام خوبی می رساند و شما را حیران باقی نمی گذارد.ولی اگر دوست دارید بیشتر با شخصیت ها همراه شوید و بیشتر از زندگی شان بدانید می توانید جلد دو را هم بخوانید.و برای همین ریویویش هم مستقل است چون داستان جلد دو دنباله اش است و آنجا داستان روند دیگری طی می کند و فقط چند نکته ی جدید از قصه ی قبلی می گوید و تقریبا گره گشایی هایش کامل است.
بهترین توصیف برای این کتاب از نظر من"رویای آمریکایی"است!چون نمی خواهم داستان را لو بدهم،سربسته می گویم که همه ی ما امید زندگی بهتر را داریم و بعضی وقت ها به تغییر فکر می کنیم اما گاهی آنقدر در زندگی امروزمان غرق می شویم-که این به خودی خود بد نیست-یا شرایطمان نسبتا خوب است یا امکان تغییر نداریم که کم کم "تغییر" را فراموش می کنیم.این کتاب،رویایی را به تصویر می کشد.رویای زندگی بهتر.یقینا زندگی جدید هرآدم،خوبی ها و بدی هایی دارد.اما موضوع این است که معمولا خوبی های زندگی جدید بر بدی هایش غلبه کرده که به خاطر آن چیزهایی را رها می کنیم. گاهی چیزهایی که رها می کنیم چندان مهم نیستند اما گاهی،مهمترین های زندگی مان این میان فدا می شوند.و این وقتی اتفاق می افتد که یا زندگی جدید خیلی فریبنده باشد یا زندگی قبلی بسیاروحشتناک.قشنگی قصه ی جلد یک دریاچه ی شیشه ای در این است که شخصیت هایش اهل افسوس و حسرت خوردن نیستند.زندگی جدید را با همه ی خوبی ها و بدی هایش می پذیرند و فقط برای بهتر شدنش تلاش می کنند.هیچ جای قصه کسی رسما از کاری که قبلا کرده ابراز پشیمانی نمی کند،همه آدم های محکمی هستند که عواقب تصمیم های حتی غلطشان را می پذیرند و این موضوع برای من بسیارجذاب بود.چون به شخصیت های غرغرو و ناشکری عادت کرده بودم که وقتی به بزرگترین آرزوهایشان هم دست می یافتند با گزاره ی بسیارمسخره ی "چیزی که فکرش را می کردم نبود" همه خوبی ها را نادیده می گرفتند و مدام سعی در بدترکردن شرایط داشتند.اما دریاچه ی شیشه ای آدمهایی را به ما نشان می دهد که پای حرف هایشان می ایستند و در بدترین شرایط هم افسوس گذشته ی دردناکشان را نمی خورند چون می دانند "حال" هرچه باشد از گذشته شان بهتر است.
از این جهت به رویای آمریکایی تعبیرش کردم که این عبارت حداقل از نظر من،یعنی رفتن و تلاش برای ساختن زندگی بهتر که گاهی با موفقیت و گاهی با شکست روبرو می شود.بعضی ها،به رویای قدیمی شان احترام می گذارند،می مانند و شرایط را می پذیرند.اما بعضی ها با فراموش کردن بدی های زندگی قبلی یکسره ناله می کنند و تمام خوبی های زندگی جدید را نادیده می گیرند.در دریاچه ی شیشه ای،خبری از افراد دسته ی دوم نیست.
این برداشت من از محتوای کتاب بود.به طور کلی در مورد این جلد،شخصیت پردازی ها هم شخصیت های اصلی و هم فرعی فوق العاده است اما گره داستان را از دو زاویه می توان بررسی کرد:از منظری،بسیارقوی عمل کرده و واقعا خواننده را در تعلیق نگه می دارد.اما از طرفی خواننده اگر حتی یک کتاب دیگر با این سبک و سیاق-رمان های عامه پسند طولانی با گره افکنی های بسیار-خوانده باشد واقعیت را حدس می زند و تحمل صفحات طولانی تعمیق گره و گره گشایی برایش سخت می شود.
یک سری ایرادات منطقی هم مثل کار پیدا کردن به سادگی آب خوردن و خانه گرفتن بدون مدارک قانونی و...وجود دارد که من خیلی روی این موارد و تطبیق داستان با واقعیت حساسم اما عموما در رمان های عامه پسند اینها ایرادات بزرگی محسوب نمی شوند.
جملات آغازین کتاب خیلی خوب نوشته شده و واقعا خواننده را به خواندن بقیه کتاب وامی دارد:
"کیت مک ماهون همیشه فکر کرده بود پاپ اعظم در مراسم ازدواج پدر و مادرش حضور داشته است . در خانه آنها عکسی از او بود که گویی به پاپ دیگری تعلق داشت به یک آدم بی روح . زیر عکس نوشته ای به چشم می خورد که ثابت می کرد مارتین مک ماهون و هلن هیلی در مقابل پاهای پاپ بر زمین زانو زده بودند . هرگز به ذهن کیت خطور نکرده بود که در عکسهای عروسی به دنبال تصویری از پاپ بگردد . به هر حال این یکی از عکسهای وحشتناکی بود که عده ای را با کت و شلوار و کلاه در یک ردیف منظم نشان می داد . اصلا اگر کیت درست فکر می کرد متوجه می شد که پاپ پیش از گرفتن آن عکس دان لوگر را با قایق پستی به مقصد رم ترک کرده بود.
به همین دلیل وقتی مادر برنارد توضیح داد که پاپ هرگز نمی تواند حوزه حکمرانی خود را ترک کند و حتی در مواقع بروز جنگ قادر به ترک واتیکان نیست کیت متحیر شد."
جلد دوم
خب در این جلد ویژگی مثبت جلد اول-رضایت از زندگی-خیلی کمرنگ می شود که البته شخصیتها درموردش حق دارند و عذرشان پذیرفته است.سن شخصیت ها بالا رفته و طب��ا جذابتر شدند.
در این جلد هم شخصیت پردازی جذابترین و بهترین بخش است هرچند که اتفاقات هم خیلی منطقی تر و پخته تر می افتند و کلا نسبت به جلد یک کتاب قوی تر و بهتری است.جلد یک همانطور که داستان اقتضا می کند،خیلی جاها غمگین و افسرده است و فضای دلچسبی ندارد اما این جلد با فراز و فرودهای شیرینش و اتفاقات جذابی که می افتد یک فضای شاد و پرهیجان به وجود می آورد.
بعضی ها در مورد هرکتابی می گویند:"قضاوت خیلی سخت بود که بگی تقصیر این بود یا اون"یا "شخصیتا خاکستری بودن،خوب و بد نداشتن"می توانم این نوید را بهتان بدهم که اینجا خبری از این قضیه نیست!شخصیت اصلی یعنی کیت تنها یک اشتباه در طول عمرش انجام می دهد و حتی حین همان اشتباه با وجودی که از دستش حرص می خوریم باز هم شخصیت کاملا سفیدی است.در این جلد دوست داشتنی بودن و جذابیت کیت به اوج می رسد و من هم مثل پسرهای دور و برش عاشقش شده بودم!کیت واقعا شخصیت عالی و دوست داشتنی ای است.ولی البته که شخصیت موردعلاقه ی من در کل کتاب لنا بود و نه کیت.
در کل کتاب کلایو مزخرف ترین و به دردنخورترین شخصیت است.من به اینجور آدمها می گویم خوشگل بی مغز.کلایو جز زیبایی هیچ چیز دیگری ندارد و کاری جز حرص دادن کیت-و خواننده- بلد نیست.اگر سرش به سنگ می خورد خیلی خوشحال می شدم.و قطعا،من حاضر نیستم همچین دوستی را تحمل کنم!
پایانبندی علی رغم تکان دهندگی ��ش کمی ضعیف است...انگار نویسنده نمی دانسته داستان را چطور جمع کند.با کمی فکر،می شد برای این رمان درخشان پایان بسیار بهتری رقم زد.حیف.
یشنهاد می کنم اگر می خواهید کتاب را بخواهید از هرگونه آگاهی قبلی پرهیز کنید.یعنی نروید درموردش جستجو کنید چون خیلی از اتفاقات مهم لو داده شده و لذت غافلگیری ازتان گرفته می شود.
فکرکنم تا الان برای هیچ ریویویی اینقدر انرژی نگذاشته بودم!
[خطر لو رفتن داستان]
اگر نظرتان نسبت به زنانی که فرزندان و خانواده شان را ترک می کنند خیلی منفی است،قصه ی لنا به ما یاد می دهد زن ها هم گاهی حق رفتن دارند.واقعا لنا مقدمات کار را چیده بود:بچه ها را مستقل بار آورده بود،مارتین را آماده کرده بود و فضای خانه را هم از ابتدا طوری سروسامان داده بود که رفتنش اتفاق هولناکی قلمداد نشود.اما اشتباه محض کیت-من درمورد نامه صددرصد کیت را مقصر می دانم که بدون این که حتی خودش آن را بخواند آن بلا را سرش آورد-باعث تیره روزی شان شد.اشتباه کیت واقعا پذیرفتنی نبود و وقتی در لندن لنا را متهم می کرد خیلی از دستش حرص خوردم.
مقدمه
مدتها بود گودریدز درست برایم باز نمی شد و خیلی از این بابت ناراحت بودم.امشب هم بدون این که امید خاصی داشته باشم بازش کردم و خدا را شکر این بار سالم بود!و چه وقت خوبی.وقتی که هنوز یک ساعت از تمام شدن جلد دوی دریاچه ی شیشه ای نمی گذرد و خیلی حرف راجع بهش دارم.
هنوز باورم نمی شود نزدیک هزارصفحه ی این کتاب دوجلدی را خواندم و تمام کردم.خیلی سریع نبود،ولی حین خواندن گاهی که نگاهم به شماره صفحه می افتاد تعجب می کردم که چقدر پیش رفته ام.حساب صفحه ها را از دست می دادم و فقط جلو می رفتم تا ببینم چه می شود و چه می شود.و این روان بودن کتاب قطعا هنر نویسنده است که طوری مرا در زندگی شخصیت ها درگیر می کرد که کنار گذاشتن کتاب کار سختی می شد.البته این حس را بیشتر در جلد دو داشتم،اشتیاقم برای جلد یک به این شدت نبود.
از ترجمه ی عالی کتاب هم نمی شود گذشت.به قدری روان و خوب ترجمه شده که انگار از اول به همین زبان بوده!دست مترجم درد نکند.
اما مثل هرکتاب طولانی دیگری این کتاب هم گاهی دچار اطناب و زیاده گویی می شد و فقط برای این که بفهمم"بعد"چی می شود پیش می رفتم.
جلد یک:
اول از همه باید بگویم به نظر من این کتاب،کت��ب مستقلی است.یعنی داستان را به سرانجام خوبی می رساند و شما را حیران باقی نمی گذارد.ولی اگر دوست دارید بیشتر با شخصیت ها همراه شوید و بیشتر از زندگی شان بدانید می توانید جلد دو را هم بخوانید.و برای همین ریویویش هم مستقل است چون داستان جلد دو دنباله اش است و آنجا داستان روند دیگری طی می کند و فقط چند نکته ی جدید از قصه ی قبلی می گوید و تقریبا گره گشایی هایش کامل است.
بهترین توصیف برای این کتاب از نظر من"رویای آمریکایی"است!چون نمی خواهم داستان را لو بدهم،سربسته می گویم که همه ی ما امید زندگی بهتر را داریم و بعضی وقت ها به تغییر فکر می کنیم اما گاهی آنقدر در زندگی امروزمان غرق می شویم-که این به خودی خود بد نیست-یا شرایطمان نسبتا خوب است یا امکان تغییر نداریم که کم کم "تغییر" را فراموش می کنیم.این کتاب،رویایی را به تصویر می کشد.رویای زندگی بهتر.یقینا زندگی جدید هرآدم،خوبی ها و بدی هایی دارد.اما موضوع این است که معمولا خوبی های زندگی جدید بر بدی هایش غلبه کرده که به خاطر آن چیزهایی را رها می کنیم. گاهی چیزهایی که رها می کنیم چندان مهم نیستند اما گاهی،مهمترین های زندگی مان این میان فدا می شوند.و این وقتی اتفاق می افتد که یا زندگی جدید خیلی فریبنده باشد یا زندگی قبلی بسیاروحشتناک.قشنگی قصه ی جلد یک دریاچه ی شیشه ای در این است که شخصیت هایش اهل افسوس و حسرت خوردن نیستند.زندگی جدید را با همه ی خوبی ها و بدی هایش می پذیرند و فقط برای بهتر شدنش تلاش می کنند.هیچ جای قصه کسی رسما از کاری که قبلا کرده ابراز پشیمانی نمی کند،همه آدم های محکمی هستند که عواقب تصمیم های حتی غلطشان را می پذیرند و این موضوع برای من بسیارجذاب بود.چون به شخصیت های غرغرو و ناشکری عادت کرده بودم که وقتی به بزرگترین آرزوهایشان هم دست می یافتند با گزاره ی بسیارمسخره ی "چیزی که فکرش را می کردم نبود" همه خوبی ها را نادیده می گرفتند و مدام سعی در بدترکردن شرایط داشتند.اما دریاچه ی شیشه ای آدمهایی را به ما نشان می دهد که پای حرف هایشان می ایستند و در بدترین شرایط هم افسوس گذشته ی دردناکشان را نمی خورند چون می دانند "حال" هرچه باشد از گذشته شان بهتر است.
از این جهت به رویای آمریکایی تعبیرش کردم که این عبارت حداقل از نظر من،یعنی رفتن و تلاش برای ساختن زندگی بهتر که گاهی با موفقیت و گاهی با شکست روبرو می شود.بعضی ها،به رویای قدیمی شان احترام می گذارند،می مانند و شرایط را می پذیرند.اما بعضی ها با فراموش کردن بدی های زندگی قبلی یکسره ناله می کنند و تمام خوبی های زندگی جدید را نادیده می گیرند.در دریاچه ی شیشه ای،خبری از افراد دسته ی دوم نیست.
این برداشت من از محتوای کتاب بود.به طور کلی در مورد این جلد،شخصیت پردازی ها هم شخصیت های اصلی و هم فرعی فوق العاده است اما گره داستان را از دو زاویه می توان بررسی کرد:از منظری،بسیارقوی عمل کرده و واقعا خواننده را در تعلیق نگه می دارد.اما از طرفی خواننده اگر حتی یک کتاب دیگر با این سبک و سیاق-رمان های عامه پسند طولانی با گره افکنی های بسیار-خوانده باشد واقعیت را حدس می زند و تحمل صفحات طولانی تعمیق گره و گره گشایی برایش سخت می شود.
یک سری ایرادات منطقی هم مثل کار پیدا کردن به سادگی آب خوردن و خانه گرفتن بدون مدارک قانونی و...وجود دارد که من خیلی روی این موارد و تطبیق داستان با واقعیت حساسم اما عموما در رمان های عامه پسند اینها ایرادات بزرگی محسوب نمی شوند.
جملات آغازین کتاب خیلی خوب نوشته شده و واقعا خواننده را به خواندن بقیه کتاب وامی دارد:
"کیت مک ماهون همیشه فکر کرده بود پاپ اعظم در مراسم ازدواج پدر و مادرش حضور داشته است . در خانه آنها عکسی از او بود که گویی به پاپ دیگری تعلق داشت به یک آدم بی روح . زیر عکس نوشته ای به چشم می خورد که ثابت می کرد مارتین مک ماهون و هلن هیلی در مقابل پاهای پاپ بر زمین زانو زده بودند . هرگز به ذهن کیت خطور نکرده بود که در عکسهای عروسی به دنبال تصویری از پاپ بگردد . به هر حال این یکی از عکسهای وحشتناکی بود که عده ای را با کت و شلوار و کلاه در یک ردیف منظم نشان می داد . اصلا اگر کیت درست فکر می کرد متوجه می شد که پاپ پیش از گرفتن آن عکس دان لوگر را با قایق پستی به مقصد رم ترک کرده بود.
به همین دلیل وقتی مادر برنارد توضیح داد که پاپ هرگز نمی تواند حوزه حکمرانی خود را ترک کند و حتی در مواقع بروز جنگ قادر به ترک واتیکان نیست کیت متحیر شد."
جلد دوم
خب در این جلد ویژگی مثبت جلد اول-رضایت از زندگی-خیلی کمرنگ می شود که البته شخصیتها درموردش حق دارند و عذرشان پذیرفته است.سن شخصیت ها بالا رفته و طب��ا جذابتر شدند.
در این جلد هم شخصیت پردازی جذابترین و بهترین بخش است هرچند که اتفاقات هم خیلی منطقی تر و پخته تر می افتند و کلا نسبت به جلد یک کتاب قوی تر و بهتری است.جلد یک همانطور که داستان اقتضا می کند،خیلی جاها غمگین و افسرده است و فضای دلچسبی ندارد اما این جلد با فراز و فرودهای شیرینش و اتفاقات جذابی که می افتد یک فضای شاد و پرهیجان به وجود می آورد.
بعضی ها در مورد هرکتابی می گویند:"قضاوت خیلی سخت بود که بگی تقصیر این بود یا اون"یا "شخصیتا خاکستری بودن،خوب و بد نداشتن"می توانم این نوید را بهتان بدهم که اینجا خبری از این قضیه نیست!شخصیت اصلی یعنی کیت تنها یک اشتباه در طول عمرش انجام می دهد و حتی حین همان اشتباه با وجودی که از دستش حرص می خوریم باز هم شخصیت کاملا سفیدی است.در این جلد دوست داشتنی بودن و جذابیت کیت به اوج می رسد و من هم مثل پسرهای دور و برش عاشقش شده بودم!کیت واقعا شخصیت عالی و دوست داشتنی ای است.ولی البته که شخصیت موردعلاقه ی من در کل کتاب لنا بود و نه کیت.
در کل کتاب کلایو مزخرف ترین و به دردنخورترین شخصیت است.من به اینجور آدمها می گویم خوشگل بی مغز.کلایو جز زیبایی هیچ چیز دیگری ندارد و کاری جز حرص دادن کیت-و خواننده- بلد نیست.اگر سرش به سنگ می خورد خیلی خوشحال می شدم.و قطعا،من حاضر نیستم همچین دوستی را تحمل کنم!
پایانبندی علی رغم تکان دهندگی ��ش کمی ضعیف است...انگار نویسنده نمی دانسته داستان را چطور جمع کند.با کمی فکر،می شد برای این رمان درخشان پایان بسیار بهتری رقم زد.حیف.
یشنهاد می کنم اگر می خواهید کتاب را بخواهید از هرگونه آگاهی قبلی پرهیز کنید.یعنی نروید درموردش جستجو کنید چون خیلی از اتفاقات مهم لو داده شده و لذت غافلگیری ازتان گرفته می شود.
فکرکنم تا الان برای هیچ ریویویی اینقدر انرژی نگذاشته بودم!
[خطر لو رفتن داستان]
اگر نظرتان نسبت به زنانی که فرزندان و خانواده شان را ترک می کنند خیلی منفی است،قصه ی لنا به ما یاد می دهد زن ها هم گاهی حق رفتن دارند.واقعا لنا مقدمات کار را چیده بود:بچه ها را مستقل بار آورده بود،مارتین را آماده کرده بود و فضای خانه را هم از ابتدا طوری سروسامان داده بود که رفتنش اتفاق هولناکی قلمداد نشود.اما اشتباه محض کیت-من درمورد نامه صددرصد کیت را مقصر می دانم که بدون این که حتی خودش آن را بخواند آن بلا را سرش آورد-باعث تیره روزی شان شد.اشتباه کیت واقعا پذیرفتنی نبود و وقتی در لندن لنا را متهم می کرد خیلی از دستش حرص خوردم.
April 8, 2008
WOW! ok so I really liked the beginning of this book. it was haunting & mysterious. and then i HATED one of the main characters. and i couldn't get over what an idiot she was. but i finished it. and it was only ok. and i don't recommend it to anyone! the only thing i liked about this book is that this horrible woman leaves her husband & family to be with another man... and it all falls apart with man #2. basically she gets what she deserves and regrets being an idiot. that was a TINY bit satisfying.
September 22, 2014
I first read this book in the early 2000s and haven't been able to stop reading it. I read it in full at least once a year but routinely just go back to read specific chapters all the time. I find I've gotten different things out of the book each time I read it. This title will remain on my shelf for years to come.
March 25, 2020
Review to follow
January 2, 2018
1ο βιβλιο για το '18 κ μπορω να πω οτι το λατρεψα!!! ☺
April 16, 2020
Het is dat ik geen 3,5 ster kan geven, anders had ik dat gedaan. In dit geval heb ik het naar boven afgerond. Wat ik leuk vind aan het verhaal is dat het over een langere tijd afspeelt. Zo is een van de hoofdpersonen, Kit, nog een tiener aan het begin van het verhaal en al een jonge vrouw op het einde. Ook vind ik de tijd waarin het verhaal zich afspeelt interessant. De Tweede Wereldoorlog is inmiddels voorbij, maar vergeleken met de huidige tijd is alles nog vrij ouderwets en vooral in Ierland zijn er voor vrouwen weinig kansen dan een goede man trouwen. In dat opzicht heeft Lena, de moeder van Kit, best wel lef. Een minpuntje vind ik dat het verhaal soms wat triest is. Nu horen minder leuke dingen ook bij het leven en in dat opzicht is dit verhaal wel realistisch. Toch voel ik wel wat medelijden voor Lena en op het laatst ook voor Kit. Mijn indruk is dat in de latere boeken van Maeve Binchy de algehele sfeer toch wat optimistischer is dan in haar eerdere werk. Maar wellicht komt dat ook wel doordat Maeve Binchy toen nog jonger was en de maatschappij ook anders was. Desondanks heb ik wel van het boek genoten. Al had ik liever iets kortere hoofdstukken gehad. Het gehele boek bestaat uit maar tien hoofdstukken, terwijl het wel 770 blz. dik is. Nu moest ik regelmatig ergens in een hoofdstuk stoppen en daar hou ik niet van.
October 18, 2016
Kit McMahon is a young girl living in the small village of Lough Glass, where everyone knows each other. She is believed to live a charmed life - has a doting mother and father, a brother she gets on well with, many friends (including the shallow but vivacious Clio Kelly). One night Kit's mother Helen goes out walking and never comes back - after months of searching, a body is found and Kit mourns the mother she has lost. At the same time we start following the story of Lena Gray in London, an up-and-coming businesswoman who loves Louis Gray with an intense and dangerous passion. The lives of Lena and Kit eventually collide with explosive results, leaving Kit considering hard the very nature of love.
Maeve Binchy novels are a gem whenever I need to reignite my passion for reading. They are long and rambling and gentle - incredibly cosy reads that require little true attention and merely pull the reader in for a time to the lives of these smalltown Irish folk. I adore them. That being said, The Glass Lake is a curious example - it's probably the Binchy I have read the most, and yet, after this read, I'm wondering exactly why this would be...
The main reason for this is that the central premise - which I gobbled up with delight as a youngster, and found extremely credible - is actually pretty far-fetched. I mean, Binchy sets it up pretty well and it does come as a result of some fairly disastrous decisions that seem almost reasonable, but, on this occasion, I found myself wondering how this central premise could possibly have ACTUALLY happened. I think I am looking at the novel from a) more modern eyes and b) the perspective of someone who has no real experience of Catholic religious beliefs. Possibly others would find the premise easier to swallow.
On top of this, there are some really horrible characters in this novel. Kit herself is fine - she's energetic and decisive and has a strong moral compass. The cast surrounding her are less sympathetic for the reader - we have a love rat, a doormat, a stuck-up so-called best friend *sighs* Just thinking about them makes me both frustrated and angry! I wanted to shake them and tell them to sort their lives out.
There was also an inadvised subplot involving a character called Sister Madeleine, which seemed to sit uneasily alongside the rest of the novel and could have been excised to make this a more streamlined tale.
So why did I read it so compulsively? Literally gulping it down? Because of Maeve Binchy's warmth. Her writing is exquisite in terms of carrying a reader along - beautifully simple and direct prose that wraps me like a warm blanket in front of a roaring fire. I think in all seriousness that, with Binchy's hand on the pen, I would quite happily read a shopping list she'd written! There is just something about her novels that make me smile - reading for the pure sake of enjoyment (which is something that occasionally becomes a little tough as a reviewer).
I would urge people with the desire to read something gentle, but with incisive observations on human nature, to pick up a Maeve Binchy novel. The Glass Lake is not her best, but is still a fine example.
Maeve Binchy novels are a gem whenever I need to reignite my passion for reading. They are long and rambling and gentle - incredibly cosy reads that require little true attention and merely pull the reader in for a time to the lives of these smalltown Irish folk. I adore them. That being said, The Glass Lake is a curious example - it's probably the Binchy I have read the most, and yet, after this read, I'm wondering exactly why this would be...
The main reason for this is that the central premise - which I gobbled up with delight as a youngster, and found extremely credible - is actually pretty far-fetched. I mean, Binchy sets it up pretty well and it does come as a result of some fairly disastrous decisions that seem almost reasonable, but, on this occasion, I found myself wondering how this central premise could possibly have ACTUALLY happened. I think I am looking at the novel from a) more modern eyes and b) the perspective of someone who has no real experience of Catholic religious beliefs. Possibly others would find the premise easier to swallow.
On top of this, there are some really horrible characters in this novel. Kit herself is fine - she's energetic and decisive and has a strong moral compass. The cast surrounding her are less sympathetic for the reader - we have a love rat, a doormat, a stuck-up so-called best friend *sighs* Just thinking about them makes me both frustrated and angry! I wanted to shake them and tell them to sort their lives out.
There was also an inadvised subplot involving a character called Sister Madeleine, which seemed to sit uneasily alongside the rest of the novel and could have been excised to make this a more streamlined tale.
So why did I read it so compulsively? Literally gulping it down? Because of Maeve Binchy's warmth. Her writing is exquisite in terms of carrying a reader along - beautifully simple and direct prose that wraps me like a warm blanket in front of a roaring fire. I think in all seriousness that, with Binchy's hand on the pen, I would quite happily read a shopping list she'd written! There is just something about her novels that make me smile - reading for the pure sake of enjoyment (which is something that occasionally becomes a little tough as a reviewer).
I would urge people with the desire to read something gentle, but with incisive observations on human nature, to pick up a Maeve Binchy novel. The Glass Lake is not her best, but is still a fine example.
September 25, 2010
This book is about different types of people loving others. There was tragedy and sadness from unrequited loves.
A loves B. B loves C. C loves others. The first 400 pages were sad and a little tedious to get through. The last 350 pages were wonderful! One georgeous man was shallow and evil, always having short-term love affairs. Another gorgeous man was wild with women when young, but was faithful and good when he finally ended up with the right woman.
DATA:
Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: none. Setting: prior to 1995 in Lough Glass and Dublin, Ireland, and London, England. Copyright: 1995. Genre: relationships fiction.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
It was a good reminder of how loving the wrong person can ruin one's life. Lena was a doormat for Louis. Doing everything for him including pretending not to be angry when he would go off with other women. Her only goal was that he would come back to her later. Then, her daughter Kit fell in love with Stevie, who appeared to be similar to Louis. He had many affairs before he ended up with Kit, but, he was not like Louis which made for an interesting comparison. I loved the why and how Kit first asked out Stevie. She did it as a favor to someone else. I enjoyed how she was trying to flirt with him, feeling that he would see through her phony attempts, yet she was surprised that he liked what she thought of as "fake flirting". I loved their relationship, which began after page 440.
An interesting side story was Sister Madeleine, who lived in a hut as a hermit. Most of the local people would visit her for advice. Her guiding views of life were "to do the right thing" and that meant "to do what hurt nobody". People would tell her their secrets and she never revealed those secrets. She had an interesting way of talking so as to give good advice yet not reveal secrets from others.
Even though Lena was a doormat to Louis, I loved seeing her competent, smart business woman side. I loved how she talked Jessie into hiring her and then grew the business into something much larger and very successful, all the while giving credit to others. She made everyone else look great. She never took any credit for things, but it was understood that she was the reason behind the company's success. It was a wonderful talent which I think many people could benefit from if they could do something similar in the "real world".
As I mentioned, the first half of the book was a little hard to get through, but I'm definitely glad I read it. I know I will think of things from the book from time to time. I would have liked to have seen more from the point of view of Louis.
A loves B. B loves C. C loves others. The first 400 pages were sad and a little tedious to get through. The last 350 pages were wonderful! One georgeous man was shallow and evil, always having short-term love affairs. Another gorgeous man was wild with women when young, but was faithful and good when he finally ended up with the right woman.
DATA:
Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: none. Setting: prior to 1995 in Lough Glass and Dublin, Ireland, and London, England. Copyright: 1995. Genre: relationships fiction.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
It was a good reminder of how loving the wrong person can ruin one's life. Lena was a doormat for Louis. Doing everything for him including pretending not to be angry when he would go off with other women. Her only goal was that he would come back to her later. Then, her daughter Kit fell in love with Stevie, who appeared to be similar to Louis. He had many affairs before he ended up with Kit, but, he was not like Louis which made for an interesting comparison. I loved the why and how Kit first asked out Stevie. She did it as a favor to someone else. I enjoyed how she was trying to flirt with him, feeling that he would see through her phony attempts, yet she was surprised that he liked what she thought of as "fake flirting". I loved their relationship, which began after page 440.
An interesting side story was Sister Madeleine, who lived in a hut as a hermit. Most of the local people would visit her for advice. Her guiding views of life were "to do the right thing" and that meant "to do what hurt nobody". People would tell her their secrets and she never revealed those secrets. She had an interesting way of talking so as to give good advice yet not reveal secrets from others.
Even though Lena was a doormat to Louis, I loved seeing her competent, smart business woman side. I loved how she talked Jessie into hiring her and then grew the business into something much larger and very successful, all the while giving credit to others. She made everyone else look great. She never took any credit for things, but it was understood that she was the reason behind the company's success. It was a wonderful talent which I think many people could benefit from if they could do something similar in the "real world".
As I mentioned, the first half of the book was a little hard to get through, but I'm definitely glad I read it. I know I will think of things from the book from time to time. I would have liked to have seen more from the point of view of Louis.
May 25, 2017
This is one of my favorite books, one I can reread over and over. It's set in a small town in Ireland in the 1950s, where Helen MacMahon's daughter Kit struggles with Helen's decision to marry the safe-and-secure man she doesn't love (Kit's father) and what happens when Helen decides that safe decision is killing her spirit. (I'm trying not to spoil!)
We then get to watch Kit grow up, move on, fall in love, struggle with how to stay friends with someone she's outgrown, come to terms with family secrets, as well as grapple with the changing role of women in Irish society and the social ferment of the '60s.
It's delicious and lovely. The language is very very simple and tell-don't-show, but it works in this context; the description of the town makes me want to move there. What sets it apart from some of Binchy's other novels—which I've read and enjoyed, but not loved like I love this one—is the relationships. The family relationships, the friend relationships, the romances: it's all just finely-drawn and perceptive in a quietly lovely way.
We then get to watch Kit grow up, move on, fall in love, struggle with how to stay friends with someone she's outgrown, come to terms with family secrets, as well as grapple with the changing role of women in Irish society and the social ferment of the '60s.
It's delicious and lovely. The language is very very simple and tell-don't-show, but it works in this context; the description of the town makes me want to move there. What sets it apart from some of Binchy's other novels—which I've read and enjoyed, but not loved like I love this one—is the relationships. The family relationships, the friend relationships, the romances: it's all just finely-drawn and perceptive in a quietly lovely way.
August 12, 2018
Maeve Binchy has written another winner about a family in Lough Glass, Ireland. Binchy's characters are always a strong point of her novels. By the end of the book, you are believing that they are real people. Book is a bit long but the pages are flying fast as you can't get enough of the story. The ending was sad and a surprise to me. I'm looking forward to my next Binchy book. I would recommend her books to those who love to read about Ireland.
November 30, 2020
Yes, it's a bit melodramatic and probably not very realistic. Or I don't know, could things really happen the way they do in this book? Maybe? Maybe, in a previous life, I lived in a small Irish village in the 50s. Because these books, no matter how simple or silly, seem like home to me. Is that weird? It's weird, I think.
May 2, 2018
What a long and winding road! The people were better than the typical Binchy characters, and the fights and friendship between Clio and Kit was authentic indeed. Dear Lena. Awful Louis. And a moral: never choose a lover above your children...
November 3, 2018
What a story!!!!! I would like to start over and read it again!
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