I first became aware of Maeve Binchy in the
mid 1980s. She had published her first
novel Light a Penny Candle in 1983 and it was a huge best-seller. In libraries too demand was high for this and
for every one of her succeeding novels. Her books still remain immensely
popular, greatly loved and heavily borrowed.
I remember in early 2000 it was rumoured that she wouldn’t be writing
any more novels and I had many conversations with borrowers who were truly
saddened to think that they might not be able to enjoy further stories by their
favourite author. (In fact she relented
and from 2002 published several further novels).
What readers like most about her books are
her characters – they are people like themselves with similar hopes and
ambitions; the same disappointments and failures. They endure and enjoy life, and just get on
with it. Her novels have had a universal
appeal and have been translated into 37 languages selling over 40 million books
worldwide.
Her books are easy to read – almost like
listening to neighbours gossiping – with absorbing story-lines and are always
great page turners – often with an unexpected twist or two in the plot. Her stories are about human nature and
relationships; about families and communities; about love and support. Maeve Binchy writes about what she knows and
it shows in her stories – they are funny and warm and always compelling.
I read her last novel – Minding Frankie –
with a mixed reading group when it was first published in 2010. The group consisted of 2 men and 4 women aged
between 40 and 80 and I was surprised at the positive reaction from all of
them. Although both men stated that this
was a “woman’s book” they had both enjoyed it and discussed in some detail the
main character Noel who takes on the difficult job of bringing up his baby
daughter. They all enjoyed the story
immensely even if it was “a little sweet” to quote one of them.
What Maeve gives to her readers is an
uplifting tale of ordinary folk living in ordinary towns and she writes with
real sympathy and compassion for all of her characters, many of whom have
reappeared in later books and have become almost like friends to her
readers. Her books are heart-warming and
life-affirming and will continue to delight readers for many years to come.
D.M.
