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The Return Journey: Stories Audiobook
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(3.00) - 2,600 listener ratings
Publisher Description
In this extraordinary collection of stories, the New York Times bestselling author of Evening Class and This Year It Will Be Different once again reveals her incomparable understanding of matters of the heart. In The Return Journey, Maeve Binchy brings us sons and lovers, daughters and strangers, husbands and wives in their infinite variety—powerfully compelling stories of love, loss, revelation, and reconciliation.
A secretary’s silent passion for her boss meets the acid test on a business trip.
A man and a woman’s mutual disdain at first sight shows how deceptive appearances can be.
An insecure wife clings to the illusion of order, only to discover chaos at the hands of a house sitter who opens the wrong doors.
A pair of star-crossed travelers take each other’s bags, and then learn that when you unlock a stranger’s suitcase, you enter a stranger’s life.
In their company are many more, whose poignant, ironic, often humorous stories—unforgettable slices of life—make up The Return Journey, a spellbinding trip into the human heart.
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"I really liked this book. It takes special talent to be able to write a short story, and all of the stories were well written. They didn't always have the wonderful off into the sunset ending, but they all seemed very real."
— Eniko (4 out of 5 stars)
The Return Journey Listener Reviews
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" Quit reading, too boring. Short short stories, not my thing. "
— Penny, 2/20/2014 -
" Was having trouble staying awake long enough to do justice to a novel so, these short stories were recommended to me. Thanks, Georgia! They did the trick! They kick-started my reading again. "
— Gibson1203, 2/18/2014 -
" A collection of short stories is often a mixture of good and mediocre, and this is just that. I had higher hopes because I love Binchy's "Circle of Friends" (the book only--the movie was hideous, except for always delightful MInnie Driver). Most of the characters, no matter what the story, were cynical and/or shallow. And, after reading so many stories in a row, a definite pattern was evident--disappointment for the characters, most often. Binchy has a fabulous way with words and that makes it still passably enjoyable. "
— Cissy, 2/13/2014 -
" Not one of her best, but well written all the same in her masterful storytelling style. This book is a collection of short vignettes whose endings sometimes leave a bit too much speculation on the part of the reader. Good entertainment, however, as all of Binchy's tales are wonderful webs of poignancy against an Irish landscape. "
— Lisa, 2/6/2014 -
" A really good collection of short stories by Maeve Binchy. "
— Louise, 2/5/2014 -
" ONE OF THE BEST COLLECTIONS OF SHORTS I HAVE COME ACORSS. "
— Sherri, 1/18/2014 -
" Charming short stories set in Ireland by Maeve Binchy. "
— Linda, 1/17/2014 -
" series of short stories with a sort of an upbeat O'Henry-type flavor to them. "
— Laura, 1/12/2014 -
" First book I have read by this author and to be honest I found it quite boring just not my cup of tea and a author that I don't think I will try again "
— Michelle, 12/31/2013 -
" If you are a Maeve Binchy fan this is a great collection of essays....its different from her usual novel but it's a great "in-between" book to pick up and just read any of the essays you like! I'm obssesssed! "
— Hillary, 12/8/2013 -
" This is a collection of short stories. I read most of them but always felt unfulfilled when each story was over. I thought the stories were more of an outline for a novel rather than short stories that could stand alone. I would read these when i was searching for something to read in between books. "
— Andi, 11/15/2013 -
" This was not one of Binchy's finest. I was so hoping that the individual stories would all come together at some point, but they never did. "
— Lanette, 9/19/2013 -
" These were great short love stories. Not the usual plot, but very very enticing. "
— Shirley, 5/27/2013 -
" Enjoyable collection that was nice to dip in and out of but I wish there was more variety in the characters names "
— Nell, 3/18/2013 -
" I really enjoyed some of the stories; some of them not as much. "
— Maria, 11/11/2012 -
" Good read as usual. I love Maeve Binchy. "
— Marie, 9/21/2012 -
" This is an easy-to-read collection of short stories. If you like Maeve Binchy you will probably like this. "
— Kari, 9/6/2012 -
" Maeve Bincht always writes a good story and this collection is no exception. "
— Rjchaussee, 8/22/2012 -
" A great collection of short stories, all about traveling. The author is very insightful about the changes and attitudes and surprises that can happen when you travel. I really enjoyed this! "
— Cameron, 8/12/2012 -
" Light and exactly what I want to read while ill. "
— Lbaker, 7/17/2012 -
" Short Story Collection. Didn't want any of them to end, wish many were full novels. "
— Ann, 5/30/2012 -
" I'm not generally a fan of short story collections and this was no exception. I could not get into the author's style and I'm not sure I'll be picking up anything else by Binchy for a while. "
— Charity, 4/22/2012 -
" Cute short stories. "
— Barb, 4/1/2012 -
" Nice collection of short stories. Fun read. "
— Amber, 10/27/2011 -
" I liked this for light reading "
— Beckie, 9/26/2011 -
" Short vignettes about people who are leaving or returning to Ireland. Entertaining book but it is difficult to get involved with the characters as the stories are not long. "
— Carolynne, 6/24/2011 -
" i normally do not like short stories but i do like this author. each story was good ...some poignant and some funny but a worthwhile read "
— Jeanne, 5/25/2011 -
" Maeve Binchy's books are always a joy, old friends, new friends, it all ties together. One of those authors you can come back to, again and again, reread books and setting in to enjoy. "
— Sharon, 5/12/2011 -
" Short stories. I,m not really keen so really didn,t give it a fair try. "
— Dilys, 5/11/2011 -
" Quick read .A collection of short stories. "
— Jenny, 4/25/2011 -
" A nice collection of short shories. They run the gamut of happy, meloncholy, pensive, unexpected. Perfect for the flight home. "
— Sally, 4/20/2011 -
" This is the second book I have read by this Author this book is made up <br/>of a series of short stories I really enjoyed this book. I would <br/>definitely recommend. <br/> "
— Aileen, 4/20/2011 -
" I have read several of Binchy's novels. I love her settings, and the Irish characters. Visiting Ireland is on my bucket list. <br/> <br/>I don't remember this one too well, which means, to me, that it must not have been a great plot. But as I said, I enjoy the characters and settings. "
— Marna, 4/19/2011 -
" Short vignettes about people who are leaving or returning to Ireland. Entertaining book but it is difficult to get involved with the characters as the stories are not long. "
— Carolynne, 4/1/2011 -
" Read for a challenge ("Irish author"). Sweet short stories, ranging from horehound to fudge to cotton candy, so to speak. The best ones were the ones that had a little bit of the bitter, or the not-quite-happy ending. "
— Cheryl, 3/14/2011 -
" There were some interesting short stories but I really prefer to read one story all the way through as I hardly got time to know the characters before we were on to the next story. "
— Brenda, 3/5/2011 -
" The journeys, more mental than physical, were all very interesting.Love her story telling. "
— Indu, 2/28/2011 -
" I never like to read short stories and picked up this copy by mistake. I thought the stories were insipid at best. I like her novels usually, they are a good holiday read. These stories seemed almost written by amateur authors. I would not recommend this book. "
— Ellemiek, 2/26/2011
About Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy (1940–2012) was the author of numerous bestselling books, including Minding Frankie, Heart and Soul, Whitethorn Woods, and Circle of Friends, as well as Tara Road, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Book Awards in 1999 and the Irish PEN/A.T. Cross Award in 2007. In 2010 she was presented with the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bord Gáis Irish Book Awards by the then President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. She contributed to Gourmet; O, The Oprah Magazine; Modern Maturity; and Good Housekeeping, among other publications.
About Fionnula Flanagan
Fionnula Flanagan was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. From an early age she grew up speaking both English and Irish on a daily basis. Her parents weren’t native Irish speakers but wanted Fionnula and her four siblings to learn the language. Her mother used to say, “A nation without a language is a nation without a soul”. Fionnula has said she will be forever grateful to them for that. She was educated at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin and in Switzerland. She moved to Los Angeles in 1968 and lives with her husband, psychiatrist Dr. Garrett O’Connor, in Beverly Hills. Of her enormous body of work, including stage, television and film, she might be most well-known for James Joyce’s Women, in which she plays six different women who had a profound influence on James Joyce‘s life. Besides giving an award-winning performance, she also wrote, adapted and produced the piece for the stage, and subsequently as a feature film. She believes Joyce is the most important writer in the English language, most notably for Ulysses, Finnegan’s Wake and The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man.