I had read a couple of Maeve Binchy books prior to Evening Class and thought they were only so-so. This is the one that got me hooked on the author. whose stories are almost all set in Ireland. Characters to whom we are introduced in this book weave in and out of her next half dozen or so, some only in passing, others with more depth. It's not impossible to read the others out of order or by themselves and still understand what's happening, but I recommend it. Evening Class itself brings together what can only be called a motley crew of the founder, teacher, and students of an adult education class in Italian, pulled together a bit hastily. Each chapter gives us the back story of a student or two who have come to this school--not quite what it used to be, in a deteriorating area of the city--and we begin to see how they all come together as a cohesive group. They learn more about one another as we do, although the reader is the only one who has enough information to know how it all fits together. I found it quite enjoyable, as I did most of the rest of her ensuing works. I was sad to hear that Ms. Binchy passed away a few years ago. Read more
This is an enjoyable novel by Binchy. Admittedly I am a fan of her work overall and have read most of her novels so I may be more generous with the scoring on her books than others. Really this one was somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Binchy has a cozy, easy writing style and is good at telling a story. Her novels often center around relationships and careers and are always involving characters from her native Ireland. She can create good characters, though they are sometimes uneven. This book is what I would describe as "later Binchy." Early Binchy often were tales that took place in small Irish towns of the 1950's and 1960's. Later Binchy novels usually take place in Dublin and have characters that show up for cameos in different novels. They also are often a group of inter-linked stories rather than one narrative tale. This novel takes place in Ireland of the 90's and is set mostly in a poor neighborhood of Dublin. It is a group of stories, told from the different POV's of people associated with an Evening Class in Italian speaking. Each story is like a mini-Binchy novel and many elements that appear in early novels appear again in these stories. There are cheating husbands and wives (like in all of her novels). Handsome rakes that end up to be no good cheaters (...like in almost all of her novels). A woman who saves the people ripped off by her husband's business (like in Tara Road). A eerily accurate fortune teller shows up (like in Glass Lake, Tara Road, and possibly more). The high class Dublin restaurant Quentins shows up again in this one. Signora and Aidan, the two main characters, make their first appearance in this novel. They also become Binchy staples and appear in many of her later novels. Some story ends are not wrapped up, some characters are great and some are flat. This book also has a weakness that shows up in many of Binchy's more modern novels, in that she has trouble writing realistic "modern" female characters. They often come across as what a sheltered middle-aged or older person thinks young women are like these days. However, if you are a fan of Binchy in general you will like this book and it keeps you interested throughout. Read more
I loved this book, as I do all of Maeve Binchy books. Nora (who calls herslef Signora) lived in Italy for many years, so she could be closer to her lover, Mario. When Mario is killed, his wife and family request Signora return to her native Ireland. She does, and meets Aiden Dunn, who is trying to start an evening class in his beloved Italian language. Signora eagerly agrees to teach it, and a motley collection of people join up, each with his or her own reasons. Signora assigns them all new names in Italian. Bill, a banker (called Guglielmo) and his airhead girlfriend Lizzie (Elizabetta) take the course to hopefully become a banker in Italy. Connie (called Constanza) is going through a public breakup, and wants to take Italian in the hopes that her first boyfriend is in the class. She is extremely wealthy. Laddy (Lorenzo) is a simple man with learning challenges, who works as a hotel porter. He finds a great deal of money a wealthy Italian family drop, and he tracks them down and returns it. He believes they invite him to spend time in Italy. Lou (Luigi) is a gangster, who is instructed to take the class and finds himself enjoying it greatly. Fiona doesn't take the class, but is figured highly in the story. Her boyfriend, Barry (Bartolomeo) is in the class. The class plans a trip to Italy as a group. Hearing everyone's story, and seeing how they all interrelate, is wonderful. It's a great book, I've read it several times. Read more
Loved this book from beginning to end! Each person was alive and I feel like I knew each one. I got involved with their wishes and desires, and with their fears. Read more
