Reading Journal

Finished "Whitethorn Woods"
Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is straight up classic Binchy: ordinary characters in situations so contrived that you have to believe them. The back cover (of this edition) declares that the characters are "passionately opinionated men and women drawn into a timely conflict between the traditions of the past and the promises of the future." Personally, I'm inclined to disagree with that description. There are, indeed, passionately opinionated people, but the narrative follows mostly the lives of those in the book who are not. I found myself caring for the characters more than the resolution of what happens to St. Ann's Well.

The short story included in the paperback edition was so-so. It's been about a decade since I've read any of Binchy's short stories, so I can't make any comparisons there. It seemed as though she wanted or intended it to be a part of the novel, but couldn't find a way to make it fit.




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Started Arthur Miller's "The Crucible."  Seemed appropriate after having recently finished "The Scarlet Letter."

Reading Journal

I finished "Scarlet Letter."  It's been a while since I've read it, although I remembered most of the big plot points.  But, let's face it, there really isn't much plot to remember.  This is one of those books that's all about the narrative, and I liked it. 

So I started up the last Maeve Binchy book I picked up, "Whitehorn Woods."  Although I plan on reading while at the gym this evening, I'm currently not very far into it right now.  But, so far, it's been classic Binchy, which means it's spectacular.