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Nights of Rain and Stars (Tape) | 
 enlarge | Author: Maeve Binchy
Creator: Kate Binchy
Publisher: Orion
Category: Book
List Price: £13.99
Buy New: £0.48
You Save: £13.51 (97%)
New (13) Used (13) from £0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 66578
Format: Audiobook
Media: Audio Cassette
Number Of Items: 4
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 5.3 x 4.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 0752867504
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780752867502
ASIN: 0752867504
Publication Date: August 25, 2004
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new copies, with fast U.K. delivery. Delivering to Europe in 3-7 workings days. Delivering to U.S.A. in 7-12 working days. delivering rest of the world in 3 to 6 weeks
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| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
 Mediocre at best. November 7, 2008
In fact, to call this book `mediocre' is probably being somewhat generous. My wife has long been a fan of this author and looks forward to reading her books. Until this one, that it. The plot makes little sense; the characters are wooden to the point of requiring a coat of varnish, and the dialogue unbelievably trite, repetitive and simplistic, apparently written for a child with the attention span of a goldfish. Quite apart from the laboured writing, there are logical inconsistencies within the plot that make the whole thing look careless, as if it was knocked together over a wet long weekend. It's frankly difficult to believe that this was written by the same person who produced such classics as `The Lilac Bus'. Either the author has gone very dramatically off the boil, or somebody else actually wrote it. But whatever the reason, try to avoid this book.
Very Disappointing July 31, 2008
I can hardly believe this book was written by the same author who gave us such absorbing stories as Circle of Friends and Light a Penny Candle. The characters and their conversations were just not credible in this day and age. Had I read it at home, instead of on holiday, I doubt I would've finished it.
If Maeve Binchy hadn't already been a bestselling author I doubt this book would even have been published.
 Favourite Maeve Binchy novel March 3, 2008
I've read most of Maeve Binchy's books. This one is one of my favourites, in part because there's no unease halfway through the book where a couple who has been happily married suddenly grows tired of each other (which seems to happen a lot in other MB novels).
Admittedly there are no great twists or surprises (and the Shane character is woefuly one-dimensional) but the characters are well fleshed-out and easy to distunguish and as a reader I cared what happened to them.
A pleasant and easy read.
Away from Home You Still Carry Home in Your Heart January 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Maeve Binchy did it again for me. I always take her books on holidays and I end up reading her on the beach. This time I read her instead of sightseeing in Manchester - I could not wait until the summer.
This book takes you to Greece, a small town by the sea which is suddenly wrecked by a tragedy. A group of people from various countries witness the boat go up in flames at sea from a distance. The tragic view triggers memories and new decisions - some will return home, some will try to mend severed family ties, there will be a lot of tears and some smiles in the end. After the nights of rain and stars the new day will break and nothing will be as it used to before.
Obligatory reading for anyone who likes Maeve Binchy and a perfect introduction to all those unhappy souls who have never heard of her before!
Multinational Twists on The Bridge of San Luis Rey October 5, 2007
If you are looking for a classic Maeve Binchy novel about modern times and problems in Dublin, Nights of Rain and Stars will be a disappointment. The Irish connection is there, but it's weaker than the Greek connection. I listened to the Audio CD version and found that the dramatic reading by Ms. Terry Donnelly took an average (at best) novel and made it reasonably entertaining. This is not a book you want to read. Listen to the recording instead. Trust me on that.
As the book opens a small group of travelers find themselves at a hilltop taverna in Aghia Anna, Greece run by an older man, Andreas who pines for his missing son, Adonas. As they overlook the sea, all are aghast as a tourist boat burns with grisly results. All of the tourists think, what if? They had earlier been out on that boat. The shared reaction to the tragedy causes them to cling to one another and to re-examine their lives. A powerful chain of circumstances is set off when Andreas insists that they each call their loved ones to let them know that they are safe so the news reports won't be frightening.
The diners are the beautiful, famous Elsa from Germany who is fleeing from a lover who has disappointed her; Fiona, an Irish nurse who has cast off her job to be with the man of her dreams, Shane; Shane, an Irish caricature of the unfeeling brute of a young man who is only interested in himself and wants no responsibilities; David, a gentle young Englishman who wants to escape from running the family business; and Thomas, a divorced American professor who wants to give his young son, Bill, space to get used to his new step-father, Andy.
The characters are all quite shallow and follow trite formulas in the plot that keep them from being objective about themselves.
Ms. Binchy introduces one interesting character though, the Irishwoman Vonnie, who has lived in Aghia Anna for over 30 years and has a secret past full of despair and disappointment. Vonnie gives the other characters frequent pieces of her mind that help set them onto the right paths for each of them. The message seems to be that without a guide in our life, we will make quite a mess of our loving relations.
If you don't mind superficial characters and a mostly trite story, you'll certainly feel happy with how the characters go about improving their lives. If you also use the book to inspire yourself to think about what you need to change about your life, you will gain more benefit.
I found that Ms. Donnelly's reading made the thin characters come to life through their varying, well-produced accents and different speaking cadences. The only weakness in her reading is that occasionally she uses her lovely Irish accent for someone who isn't Irish, such as David.
If you are like me, you'll be yearning for another Tara Road after reading this book. The trend of disappointing stories since that one continues.
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