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    Evening Class
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    Evening Class
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    Evening Class
    Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

    Evening Class

    Written by Maeve Binchy

    Narrated by Kate Binchy

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    It was the quiet ones you had to watch. That's where the real passion was lurking.

    They came together at Mountainview College, a down-at-the-heels secondary school on the seamy side of Dublin, to take a course in Italian. It was Latin teacher Aidan Dunne's last chance to revive a failing marriage and a dead-end career. But Aidan's dream was headed for disaster until the mysterious Signora appeared, transforming a shared passion for Italy into a life-altering adventure for them all...bank clerk Bill and his dizzy fiance Lizzie: a couple headed for trouble...Kathy, a hardworking innocent propelled into adulthood in a shocking moment of truth...Connie, the gorgeous rich lady with a scandal ready to explode...glowering Lou, who joined the class as a cover for crime. And Signora, whose passionate past remained a secret as she changed all their lives forever....

    From the New York Times bestselling author of This Year It Will Be Different, The Glass Lake, and Circle of Friends, comes a novel filled with Maeve Binchy's signature warmth, wit, and sheer storytelling genius--a spellbinding tale of men and women whose quiet lives hide the most unexpected things....


    From the Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 5, 2000
    ISBN9780553750089
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Evening Class

    3.5/5

    589 ratings18 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Another great Maeve Binchy read! This was my second time reading this book and I enjoyed it even more than the first time. The characters are taking an evening course in Italian given by Signora and a teacher, Aidan, from the local high school. Each characters gets their own chapter. We learned about Aidan, Signora, Kathy, Bill, Connie, Lou, Laddie and Fiona. It was amazing how all the characters connected and how the Italian course brought them all together. Maeve is a master storyteller and her books are so interesting that they are read rather quickly. If you have never read a Binchy book, what are you waiting for? They are all very entertaining and quite humorous. I'm looking forward to my next read and I would highly recommend her books.
    • 5/5
      I first read this after visiting Ireland. It was so much fun to explore the interconnected lives of Dubliners. Years later I wondered if I would enjoy it as much. I needed a comfort read and this was perfect. Senora returns to Ireland after spending decades in Italy pinning after her married lover. Her path crosses with Aidan, a local teacher, and they start an evening class teaching locals how to speak Italian. The class includes Lou, a man on the edge of a crime ring, Laddie, a simple man who works in his nephew's hotel, Connie, a rich woman with an unhappy marriage, and so many others. We also meet Fiona, a mousy barista in a hospital, Aidan's daughters, and Tony, the local principal. BOTTOM LINE: One of my favorite Binchy novels. A great place to start if you've never tried her work.
    • 5/5
      The characters from this book pop up in later Binchy works but I still like this novel better than most of her later ones. The Evening Class referred to is for Italian. All the students, and the teacher, have unique reasons for joining the class but they are all searching for something. You can't help but get caught up in their lives. This was given to me by my husband for Christmas of 1996 so it stays in my permanent collection.
    • 4/5
      Nice read......you become involved with the characters. Light hearted and relatable
    • 3/5
      This book didn't appeal to me at first, but the more I read the more I got into the characters and how they came to know and love each other in the class.
    • 4/5
      I didn't think I really like Binchy. But after reading two books in the past month or so, I must say I'm growing fond of her folky, story telling style. The characters are quirky enough not to be too predictable and you can anticipate a happy ending with everyone getting what they deserve.
    • 4/5
      Fairly typical Maeve Binchy fare, this, although the structure is a little looser than some of her other novels. Each chapter focuses on a different character although they intermingle a little. I thought the story of the teacher and her tragic love affair in Italy was the best, though fans of Maeve Binchy will find much to enjoy in the well rounded characters and their individual stories throughout this book.
    • 4/5
      My favorite Maeve Binchy book. I read this in 3 days; I couldn't get the characters out of my head and I was captivated by the way she wove each life into the next.Reading it again, I changed to 4 stars. Still really liked it, but perhaps because it was a re-read, it was more predictable, even though it had been more than 10 years since I first read it.
    • 4/5
      This is definitely one of Maeve Binchy's best novels. An evening class for adults, they're learning Italian and learning about each other. And then the class decides to travel to Italy as a group. Some of the characters will confront their pasts, others will discover their future, and some will come to terms with their present.Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      I remember this book being a little sad and upsetting. I do not remember the first time I read this book or one of the other's written by Ms. Binchy and dealing with people in Ireland. I was engrossed by the stories, but more by the picture of the culture. I was very disappointed in the first of her books to take place elsewhere, as I think the cultural aspects of the novels are what drive the stories. Still I have read them time and again and always look at her new works to see the subjects. I almost always give them a try and am rarely disappointed by the books where she talks about what she knows.
    • 3/5
      Like most of Maeve Binchy's books I enjoyed this book very much although I'm often not keen on books set out abroad in Europe. I was a bit disappointed with the ending of this book.
    • 3/5
      My opinion on this book is mixed. The characters were interesting and the plot twisty, although predictable (sometimes I like that). I did want to finish the book on account of that, but it all seemed to focus on extra-marital sex. That's what seemed the focal point of each relationship even though some got married. I won't be reading any more of this author's work, but I can understand why others would like it.
    • 5/5
      Another great book by one of my favourite authors.
    • 5/5
      Each chapter of this story is about a different person, bringing a diverse group of people living in Dublin together in unexpected ways. At an aging local school in a run-down neighborhood, Aidan hopes his years of service will earn him the position of principal of the school. Instead, a younger man gets the job and he offers Aidan a night class of his choosing, an idea that had been tossed about over a few years but thought to be too expensive and timidly attended.

      Nora comes home from living in Italy for 26 years, after losing the love of her life. She has few needs, no money, and loads of patience. Aidan wants an Italian night class, and finds Nora, who is supremely qualified to teach it. Nora loves the idea so much, it's infectious to all. Students attend for all kinds of reasons and the reader learns who they are along the way, and why they love the class so much, even the difficult individuals. Personal pasts and relationships are revealed.

      A trip to Italy is planned when class is over and they all go. Although the very end is predictable, nothing until then is, even very near the end. It's a lovely read. I enjoyed it more than I expected I would.

      The way the book is structured adds much to the story and builds suspense. The author has a good handle on dialog and it's a big part of the book, delightfully so.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful book, about various people who attend an Italian evening class. Lots of intriguing sub-plots that gradually weave together, but the main interest is in the characterisation, which is excellent. Very enjoyable
    • 4/5
      very good; how different folks live that gather together for an 'evening class' in Italian
    • 5/5
      What ages would I recommend it too? – Sixteen and up.

      Length? – Several day’s read.

      Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

      Setting? – Ireland, 1980's.

      Written approximately? – 1996.

      Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

      Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.

      Short storyline: Each storyline begins on it's own, and comes together flawlessly at the end.

      Notes for the reader: This story covers each character's viewpoint separately. At times, it can get confusing as she flies to a characters beginnings, and then brings them up to the present, and slips into the future.
    • 5/5
      Lovely and entrancing tale of the Signora's life in Italy and then her journey and life thereafter in Ireland. A lovely book that leaves many of Maeve Binchy's other books in the shade.