Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy

THE BOOK AND ME. Circle of Friends is one of the first English novels I have read. I borrowed it from the school library when I was in high school. Having read it before going to college has helped me a lot because it has somehow given me of glimpse of what was to expect of college life.

It sparked my interest in the country Ireland. The author, Maeve Binchy has an amazing skill in describing places. Reading the book was like having a grand tour around the town of Knockglen and the city of Dublin. 

Maeve Binchy’s edge over other authors is that her characters are very real that I even half-expected to meet them on the street or in school. The dialogues are witty and the narrative is naturally engaging.

The book had been adapted on the big screen in 1995 starring Chis O’Donnel and Minnie Driver.

SYNOPSIS. The story started with the 10th birthday party of Bernadette “Benny” Hogan, a nice but not so attractive girl. She lived a sheltered life in Knockglen with a little envy on the orphan Eve Malone, who later on became her closest friend.

Time came for her to go to the University College in Dublin, which was the beginning of the great change that was going to happen in her life. Then on, she found more friends in Jack Foley, with whom she was attracted to, very cool girl Nan Mahon, and the gang composed Aidan Lynch, Sean Walsh, etc.

A circus of events revealed what’s real about the characters. Then came love and betrayal that put their friendship to test.

Of course, there’s more to that in the novel. There are plenty of surprises that would make you ask, are the people you deal with everyday capable of doing things you least expect them to do? Can you make a person you love love you back?

READ IT. If you want a feel-good novel, this is the one for you. All you have to do is grab the book and sit a corner. You will soon find yourself strolling around Knockglen and Dublin with ease. Maeve Binchy is quite generous with pages—there’s a lot in this book—but you won’t feel pressure. The feeling that you wouldn’t wanna put it down but comes naturally.