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    Chestnut Street
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    Chestnut Street
    Unavailable
    Chestnut Street
    Audiobook12 hours

    Chestnut Street

    Written by Maeve Binchy

    Narrated by Sile Bermingham

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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 it in a drawer; "for the future," she would say. The future is now.

    Across town from St. Jarlath's Crescent, featured in Minding Frankie, is Chestnut Street, where neighbors come and go. Behind their closed doors we encounter very different people with different life circumstances, occupations, and sensibilities. Some of the unforgettable characters lovingly brought to life by Binchy are Bucket Maguire, the window cleaner, who must do more than he bargained for to protect his son; Nessa Byrne, whose aunt visits from  America every summer and turns the house-and Nessa's world-upside down; Lilian, the generous girl with the big heart and a fiancé whom no one approves of; Melly, whose gossip about the neighbors helps Madame Magic, a self-styled fortune-teller, get everyone on the right track; Dolly, who discovers more about her perfect mother than she ever wanted to know; and Molly, who learns the cure for sleeplessness from her pen pal from Chicago . . .

    Chestnut Street is written with the humor and understanding that are earmarks of Maeve Binchy's extraordinary work and, once again, she warms our hearts with her storytelling.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 22, 2014
    ISBN9780804165082
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Chestnut Street

    3.5/5

    129 ratings17 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 4/5
      More like a 3 stars, but for nostalgia's sake I had to give it a 4.
    • 3/5
      Not her best work, not by a long shot, but still some sweet stories and flashes of humor here. Several would have made interesting longer works.
    • 2/5
      It was OK. just goes to show you that one's perception of life behind closed doors is only part of the story.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book! If you have been a fan of Ms. Binchy, be sure not to miss this, her last book. I am not fond of books of short stories so it was the love of the author's previous works that caused me to read this. I loved it. Ms. Binchy's storytelling talent came through in each and every story. Each story is about one of the residents of Chestnut Street. Her ability to develop the characters in just a few pages is amazing. I read this at night, for several nights. I actually saved the last two stories for the next night because I didn't want the book to end. What a shame that she passed away in 2012.
    • 4/5
      I hadn't read a Maeve Binchy book in quite awhile. I had read that this book was compiled after her death and was taken from notes/stories that she had been writing over the years and just put away in a drawer for future reference. They have taken these notes and turned them into a lovely anthology -- each chapter being about someone who lives on Chestnut Street in Dublin. I loved the characters; and even though each chapter was short, the characters were fleshed out so much that i felt I really knew each one. A delightful book.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Great stories full of warmth, compassion and love. Well read.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 3/5
      I almost gave this a So-So but that’s probably just because I am not really a fan of short stories. These were interesting and a few of them left me wondering what happened next so that’s a good sign. I did like the way all the stories revolved around the one street. Maeve Binchy was a remarkable story teller.
    • 3/5
      I loved everything Maeve Binchy ever wrote, this book simply fell flat for me. I found the stories a bit repetitive.
    • 4/5
      Audiobook read by Sale Bermingham3.5***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 ReactionsBinchy 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 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.
    • 3/5
      Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors. She is an excellent storyteller and her characters are always interesting and believable. Just wish the publisher would have said this was a collection of short stories since it is and not a novel.
    • 4/5
      An endearing walk along Chestnut St Dublin with a look into the lives of every resident in every house.
    • 2/5
      Disappointing.

      It was more a collection of VERY short stories... not a fan.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      audio4 ★collection of charming Chestnut St. snapshots in true Maeve Binchy style
    • 5/5
      The day Maeve Binchy past away, was a sad day for the literary world, and especially her fans. So when I saw Chestnut Street was being re-released, I had to review it. Giving it a 5 star review really is a no brainer for a Binchy fan like myself.Chestnut Street is a series of short stories, each about a different resident of the street. With Maeve’s trademark humor and attention to detail, we enter each residents life, there trauma’s, excitements, fear, etc.Each story, like it’s subject, is completely different. The characters are so well-developed that you will think of them as your own neighbours. With the humor I can guarantee a giggle or two. Although fictional, Maeve had a skill for showing us the real world in Ireland, the customs, the people’s character’s and the amazing landscape.There isn’t really much more I can say, as I feel a Maeve Binchy book really needs no introduction. If you’re already a fan, then this is definitely a book for you. If not, hmm, well then Chestnut Street is the perfect introduction to the Binchy world. Enjoy. NB I received this book free for an honest review