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The Lilac Bus: Stories [Large Print] (Hardcover)

by Maeve Binchy (Author)

3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Price:	CDN$ 23.51 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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This item: The Lilac Bus: Stories by Maeve Binchy
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The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy
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This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy
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Product Details

Hardcover: 469 pages
Publisher: G K Hall & Co; Large type edition edition (December 1992)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0816153833
ISBN-13: 978-0816153831
Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 15.9 x 2.5 cm
Shipping Weight: 794 g

Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #928,911 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In the first eight interrelated stories of the dozen that comprise her new collection, Binchy ( Circle of Friends ) introduces eight people who travel on a lilac-colored bus from Dublin every Friday night to spend the weekend in their hometown, Rathdoon. Each of the seven passengers and the bus driver is the protagonist of an individual story; taken together, the tales have the cohesion of a novelette. Though these people have known one another for years, they are totally unaware of the compulsions, anxieties, heartaches and dreams of their fellow travelers. As is gradually revealed, everyone on the bus has a secret; thus the stories have the pull of taffy: having finished one, the reader is hooked on discovering the essence of yet another protagonist's existence. Each story delivers a kick of surprise--and often more than one--as Binchy peels back the layers of her characters' lives with empathy, compassion and not a little humor. In the process, the tales coalesce to portray the social order of Rathdoon. The last four stories are set in Dublin, with a new, equally engrossing cast. Although the pieces differ widely in social setting and circumstance, each features a woman who learns the strength of her mettle through adversity. This gallery of memorable characters again confirms Binchy as a beguiling raconteur. BOMC featured selection.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Two collections of stories, "The Lilac Bus" and "Dublin 4," make up Binchy's latest book, a showcase for her marvelous storytelling ability. "The Lilac Bus" consists of eight connected stories, each one a revealing portrait of a Dublin worker who goes home to the outlying town of Rathdoon each weekend in Tom Fitzgerald's minibus. Torn between the anonymous independence of Dublin and the claustrophobic safety of Rathdoon, many characters lead secretive double lives: Dee has a married lover, Rupert is gay, Kev is a thief. The more fully realized stories in "Dublin 4" have only their Dublin setting in common. Hard hitters dealing with alcoholism, unwed pregnancy, and an unfaithful husband are lightened by the humorous "Flat in Ringsend" about a young girl's stab at independence in her first flat. While not as completely satisfying as Binchy novels ( Circle of Friends, LJ 12/90), this is absorbing, entertaining reading with characters to care about. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/1/91.
- Patricia Ross, Westerville P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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	61% buy the item featured on this page: The Lilac Bus: Stories 3.7 out of 5 stars (15) CDN$ 23.51
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	11% buy Echoes 3.9 out of 5 stars (36) CDN$ 14.56

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.7 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Eight strangers on a bus, April 2 2002

By	Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Every Friday Tom Fitzgerald loads up his lilac-colored bus with 7 passengers that he takes from Dublin to Rathdoon. They chat amiably and harbor unspoken feelings about one another, but none of them really knows the others. Each of the passengers, and Tom himself, have secret lives which they wish to keep hidden from the others. In this book, Maeve Binchy uncovers all of these secrets and leaves us to ponder how little we really do know about those we see and chat with on a regular basis. Some of the secrets are noble, but some are not and there is a poignancy about each one. Following the "Lilac Bus" are four unrelated stories where Binchy weaves her magic with quickly sketched characters and plot. Some end a bit abruptly and leave the reader wanting more, but Binchy fans will probably want to include this in their reading.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Storytelling., Aug 22 2001

By	Robin Johnson Esak "Robin Johnson Esak" (Fredericksburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have, to my surprise, found some of Binchy's books to be a little sketchy. After reading Tara Road, I wondered if perhaps that book had been authored by a distant cousin or mayhap a complete stranger to Binchy's talent. I would not have recognized the author of that book to be the same artist who created The Lilac Bus. This is great storytelling. Each vignette represents a short period in the life of one of the characters. Since each character has their own voice in their own story and then is also "remembered" by the other characters in _their_ stories, you walk away from this novel feeling as if you had been to visit for a weekend. Many scenes are shared by the characters so you are able to experience many moments through different pairs of eyes each time for a deep, rich and very compelling experience.

This is probably my favorite Binchy novel along with Evening Class. I will hope for more like it.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Maeve leaves you hanging, and not in a good way, Mar 28 2001

By	Michelle Clancy (Dover, NH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I want to start off by saying that I have enjoyed most of Maeve's books (my favorites being Tara Road, Evening Class and The Glass Lake), but this one I did not. The book is really a collection of short stories that are woven together, but not in any meaningful sense. Each chapter relates the story of a character, but at the end of the chapter you're waiting for more, waiting to make a connection with that character, waiting for the story to start. And still, at the end of the book you're wondering what the point was. It doesn't go anywhere. She tells you about the different people, but that's it, she just describes them and their histories. There is no plot, no climax, no closure.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful series of character sketches
If you're expecting a novel like Echoes or Tara Road, don't buy this book. If, on the other hand, you admire Maeve Binchy's ability to tell you all about a character's life,... Lisez davantage

Published on May 27 2000 by Dr W. Richards

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring
This is the first Binchy book that I have read. I was very disappointed and unable to finish it. Expecting a story I got instead a bunch of character sketches, the only connection... Lisez davantage

Published on Jan 23 2000 by Sahara

5.0 out of 5 stars A Trip Across Ireland like the Lonely Planet!
A vicarious adventure riding the Lilac Bus back and forth across Ireland, only the reader gets to crawl inside the lives of each of the passengers. Lisez davantage

Published on Jan 9 2000 by Mamalinde

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but where's the excitement?
Yes, I enjoyed The Lilac Bus very much indeed, but I am only awarding it four stars because there were no murders. Lisez davantage

Published on Sep 23 1999