Chestnut Street

You know, the hero really didn't redeem himself here. Yes he's a musician and yes he's out of control but he kept talking about how he wanted his wife back without really showing that he wanted her back. He treated her like garbage and it was a hard read to see her falling for his wiles. The real romance that I wanted to see more of was between Tom and Lina.
They married in haste and then they fell out. He insulted her and when she moved out he installed a singer as his mistress in their house. Now she wants a child and he admits he wants one too to secure his inheritance. It's a mess and the relationship didn't feel quiite enough for me.

I wanted to like it but I felt like the relationship wasn't enough for the main story.

aeve Binchy’s Chestnut Street is marvelous. It was a real treat to hear Sile Bermingham read the stories some finished and some not. This reader managed Irish accents beautifully. Ms. Bermingham had me catching the way the Irish speak the end of the sentence and love the lilt of it. Maeve Binchy passed away in July 2012. I am so glad that her stories in this audio version were published.

I have enjoyed Maeve Binchy’s books so much that I did not want her to die! Her writing is so full of emotional depth and the characters are live forever in my memory. I do not like short stories generally because I tend to get hooked on a character and then get mad at the author when the story is over. But Maeve linked the characters together with a show more street. They all lived on Chestnut Street. That meant that they could reappear in later stories. I love that.

The scope of Chestnut Street is amazing. She writes of a girl being jealous of her beautiful and pleasing mother who later learns a lesson and is much wiser and accepting of her mother later. She writes of people who act with good heartedness, of the extremely poor, the rejects of society, the parents learning to loosen the parental bonds so that their children can grow up free and not dependent. She writes of what is like to be fat, to have a low level of self-respect, extra martial affairs, of children of the divorced, of taxi drivers and birthday parties. She writes of people living fake lives and those who are true to themselves and others. She did this with beauty and the talent of a true Irish story teller.

I heartedly recommend this audio version of Chestnut to all who love stories. show less

This is a collection of short stories put together posthumously, and some of them feel a tad unfinished. The one thread is that all the main characters either live (or grew up in) a residential street known as Chestnut Street. The characters are lightly sketched, yet it’s a testament to the Maeve Binchy’s rich world that she peopled an entire street with folk who don’t appear in any of her novels. Each has a story; many of them have secrets.

All the stories are about relationships of one kind or another. Each of the characters is different, and even with the limitations of a short story, I had a general feel for each one, whether likeable or not.

It’s not necessarily a book I would read again, nor one I’d recommend as a show more starting point to this author’s work. But if you have liked her novels, and would like a final glimpse into her fictional world, this is a pleasant and, in places, moving collection. show less

With Binchy's trademark style we are able to dip into the lives of people who live all along Chestnut Street. There is a couple that has put off marriage for years, another group of three women who decide to rent a house together so they can afford to live in that area. We see the world and an affair unfold through the eyes of a taxi driver and see a young girl in jealous awe of her glamorous mother. Each story is a little glimpse into their lives, but Binchy always manages to make her characters unforgettable. It's not my favorite of her books, but for me she will always be a wonderful comfort read.

While, I liked each of these mini stories in this large collection called Chestnut Street, I would not call this one of my favorite reads. I picked up this book and put it back down for over a month, but I finally finished it. Although the stories were well written, I think I would have enjoyed it more if each of the stories didn’t have such an abrupt ending. It made it harder for me to attach myself to the next mini story because as soon as it had started, it was already ending. I’ll have to look and see if I can find any longer stories by Binchy because I’m sure I would enjoy one that was a bit longer.

Chestnut Street, where neighbours come and go. Behind their closed doors we encounter very different people with different life circumstances, occupations, and sensibilities. Some of the unforgettable characters are brought to life by Maeve Binchy. My favourite character to read about was always the underdog in the story such as Bucket Maguire, the window cleaner, who must do more than he bargained for to protect his son. Then there is Nessa Byrne, whose aunt visits from America every summer and turns the house—and Nessa’s world—upside down. As a reader, you can resonate with Lilian, the generous girl with the big heart and a fiancé whom no one approves of, or Melly, whose gossip about the neighbours helps Madame Magic, a show more self-styled fortune-teller, get everyone on the right track.

Chestnut Street is written with the humour and understanding that are synonymous of Maeve Binchy’s writing and, once again, she warms the readers heart with her storytelling. show less

Audiobook read by Sale Bermingham
3.5***

From the book jacket: Maeve Binchy imagined a street in Dublin with many characters coming and going, and every once in a while she would write about one of these people. She would then put the story in a drawer, “for the future,” she would say. (This collection of short stories was published after Binchy’s death.)

My Reactions
Binchy does a great job of giving us a picture of a neighborhood. Characters come in contact with one another, interact, leave, and return. They support one another, fight, make-up, deride, and defend in turns. They witness one another’s triumphs and defeats. But always there is a sense of community, of a shared culture and similar experiences. Binchy’s characters show more seem like real people; I recognize many of them though I live in Wisconsin and this is set in Dublin.

Sale Bermingham does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She really brought these characters to life. show less