What do You think about The Copper Beech (2005)?
I started reading this book many months ago and had to set it aside for a while. It depressed me to hear about the life in a small Irish village, filled with prejudice, drunkenness, social climbers, temptations of the priesthood, etc. But the other day I felt I was strong enough to read it, and picked it up again, right where the bookmark was. I didn't want to review the parts that had bothered me, so I dug right in, with only 1/8 of the book to go. There were some resolutions for me on the social class ladder where FINALLY children who'd grown up together but had been separated by their different social strata, were able to socialize as friends, but kept their steps on the economic and class ladders intact. I do not doubt that the microcosm of this town is any different than that anywhere else, but it felt so stark (and maybe that was the point of her having written) that I did not enjoy it. My opinion and feelings on these subjects probably led me to overlook the good writing1
—Phyllis Gauker
While I liked some portions of this novel, I certainly didn't love it. The format, basically a series of connected novellas, was one I didn't particularly appreciate. I suppose the title was apt in that in some ways it was more about the tree than any particular person who had sat underneath its branches. It was a bit by the acclaimed but unliked by me novel Life After Life in that with each new "chapter" (novella) time was reset. Events were in some ways revisited but through the perspective of another character. As with most if not all of Ms. Binchy's books, there was a sweetness to the end but this novel was far darker in many aspects than of her books that I have read and loved previously. If you have a passionate love of both Ireland and Maeve Binchy, look into this novel. Otherwise, let it alone as there are more enjoyable books available including many written by this author. This in my opinion was not her best effort.
—Marti
The opening of this tale is big event in the little town of Shancarring, Ireland. The Bishop is coming for a special blessing of the local school. "In many ways, of course, it would have been much easier to let Mrs Kennedy (the local priests housekeeper) to take charge, to have allowed to get her machine into motion to organize." (many years ago I knew of a church that thought there was one lady who could do better than most people in the church, including the memory impaired clergyman.....they thought, jokingly, that this woman should have even done the wedding ceremonies)The school was left in charge of eveything, much to the dissaproval of the housekeeper. The story describes who was there. Then the book has chapters about 8 of these characters. One big theme is that things in any house things are not necessarily what they seems and neither are the people. The end of the book braids all the stories together. By the school there is a big, old copper beech tree. The tree is rather symbolic of the people in town and their lives.
—Diana
