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This Year Will Be Different and Other Stories
- A Christmas Treasury
- Narrated by: Fionnula Flanagan
- Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 12-15-99
- Language: English
- Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio
Regular price: $15.39
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The Mountainview School in working-class Dublin boasts a brightly festooned room brimming with paper flowers and Renaissance posters. There, in an evening class, "An Introduction to Italian," come Aiden Dunne, the supervisor, Signora, the professoressa, and 30 or so students, whose hopes and dreams are bound up in the Tuesday and Thursday lessons.
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4 out of 5 stars
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1 out of 5 stars
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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.
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What Just Happened?
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Another Hit on My List
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In a small Greek island village, a group of travelers from around the world and the local residents they encounter are brought together in unexpected ways when sudden tragedy strikes. In her inimitable style, Maeve Binchy shares with readers the lives of these strangers, learning their hopes, dreams, and fears as they move forward, forever changed by their experience.
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I did not want it to end!
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A Few of the Girls
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 70
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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A Few of the Girls is a glorious collection of the very best of her short story writing, stories that were written over the decades - some published in magazines, others for friends as gifts, many for charity benefits. The stories are all filled with the signature warmth and humor that have always been an essential part of Maeve's appeal.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Narrated with a lisp?
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A place you will never forget. Rosamunde Pilcher's Scotland...where the fields flourish with greenery, the bills bloom with purple, and the lochs glitter with the bright blue of the sky. A time you will never forget. September...when the heather is in full flower, the first chill of autumn cools the air, and the countryside stirs with the hunt, balls, dinner parties, and dance. Rosamunde Pilcher's September...a story of homecomings and heartbreaks, friendships, betrayals, forgiveness, and love.
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4 out of 5 stars
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An old and much loved favorite
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Lough Glass is at the heart and soul of the namesake town clinging to its shore. They say that if you go out on St. Agnes' Eve and look into the lake at sunset you can see your future. But beneath its serene surface, the lake harbors secrets as dark and unfathomable as the beautiful woman who walks beside its waters.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great book, bad recording
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A Week in Winter
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,340
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Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the windswept Atlantic Ocean and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, everyone thinks she is crazy. Helped by Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the house) and Orla, her niece (a whiz at business), Chicky is finally ready to welcome the first guests to Stone House’s big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated elegant bedrooms.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Didn't want it to end.....
- By Vicki Unger on 02-26-13
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Light a Penny Candle
- By: Maeve Binchy
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- Abridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 51
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 36
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Story4 out of 5 stars 35
World War II had begun, and London was being bombed. Most parents were sending their children to live with relatives in the countryside for safety's sake. But shy, delicate Elizabeth didn't have anyone nearby. Instead, she would have to go far away, to Ireland, to stay with an old classmate of her mother's - whom Elizabeth hadn't even met. Accustomed to a life of unspoken rules and quiet discipline, Elizabeth wasn't prepared for the large, boisterous O'Connor family.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good Adaptation, poor sound quality
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Maeve's Times
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- By: Maeve Binchy
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- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
From the royal wedding to boring airplane companions, Samuel Beckett to Margaret Thatcher, "senior moments" to life as a waitress, Maeve's Times gives us wonderful insight into a changing Ireland as it celebrates the work of one of our best-loved writers in all its diversity - revealing her characteristic directness, laugh-out-loud humor, and unswerving gaze into the true heart of a matter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A glimpse into the writer's memory.....
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Tara Road
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- By: Maeve Binchy
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- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,160
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 609
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 615
When two unhappy women switch homes for the summer, there are extraordinary consequences, and each learns that the other has a deep secret that can never be revealed. At the end of the summer, when the women at last meet face-to-face, they find that they have become, firmly and forever, good friends.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Material good - quality, not-so-much
- By B. W. on 09-05-08
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The Shell Seekers
- By: Rosamunde Pilcher
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,172
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,094
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,092
At the end of a long and useful life, Penelope Keeling's prized possession is The Shell Seekers, painted by her father and symbolizing her unconventional life, from bohemian childhood to wartime romance. When her grown children learn their grandfather's work is now worth a fortune, each has an idea as to what Penelope should do. But as she recalls the passions, tragedies, and secrets of her life, she knows there is only one answer...and it lies in her heart.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Narrator Speed
- By TB on 01-18-18
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The Copper Beech
- By: Maeve Binchy
- Narrated by: Fionnula Flanagan
- Length: 3 hrs
- Abridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 32
Carved in the trunk of the mighty copper beech tree that embraces the schoolyard in Shancarrig are declarations of love, hope, and identity - the youthful dreams of the children who studied there. Now grown, yet shaped by their years in the schoolhouse, they lead different lives. The Copper Beech is about 8 of these dreamers. From Ryan's Hotel to Barna Woods, where the gypsies came each year, from Nellie Dunn's sweet shop to Father Gunn's church, the tenor of life in Shancarrig is outwardly placid and uneventful. Some, like Nessa Ryan, in search of passion, would say deadly dull. But behind the calm exterior, serenity fades into unexpected drama: Maddy Ross has a secret love; Eddie Barton, a surprising friendship; the Darcy's, the glamorous newcomers, find a curious partner in poor Maura Brennan. The Dunnes, Kelly's, Leo Murphy, and Dr. Jim's all have their own extraordinary stories to tell...brought to life by Maeve Binchy's sure touch.
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5 out of 5 stars
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SLOW
- By Brenda on 08-26-16
-
Minding Frankie
- By: Maeve Binchy
- Narrated by: Sile Bermingham
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 631
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 409
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 401
When Noel learns that his terminally ill former flame is pregnant with his child, he agrees to take guardianship of the baby girl once she's born. But as a single father battling demons of his own, Noel can't do it alone.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Top Notch Binchy
- By Carolyn on 03-06-11
Publisher's Summary
The stories in this completely unabridged production powerfully portray many lives - step-families grappling with exes, long-married couples faced with in-law problems, a wandering husband choosing between "the other women" and his wife, a child caught in grown-up tugs-of-war - during the one holiday when feelings cannot be easily hidden. The time of year may be magical, but the situations she describes are universal. And Maeve Binchy's writing, combined with Fionnula Flanagan's storytelling ability, makes us care about each one in this extraordinary collection - on the night before Christmas, or anywhere, any time of the year.
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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3 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars7
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4 Stars14
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3 Stars6
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2 Stars7
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1 Stars10
Performance
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3 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars5
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4 Stars4
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3 Stars5
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2 Stars4
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1 Stars6
Story
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3.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars8
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4 Stars8
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3 Stars4
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2 Stars1
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1 Stars4
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Andrea
- Burlingame, CA, USA
- 12-03-06
Easy Christmas Entertainment
Each of the short stories have a bit of a lesson to them, and you'll find the same charming kind of characters that appear in so many of Maeve Binchy's books. Not everything is perfectly heartwarming, but that makes it more realistic.
I just wish this one were available with higher audio quality - it's only available in audio formats 1 and 2, and thus a little scratchy-sounding for those of us who use format 4. I burned cds of this to listen to in my car on a long roadtrip and it sounded horrid.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Heather Burwell
- 02-04-11
Great Stories and Narrator Lost in Bad Recording
I absolutely adore the stories and bought this so I could listen while I baked or traveled. Fionnula is a great narrator that brings life to the story but the recording sound/engineering itself is quite horrible. It sounds like it was recorded using tin cans. It is hollow, fuzzy, and muffled. I am very disappointed in the recording.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sharon
- 10-30-11
Quality of Sound
was disappointed in the quality of sound, it was scratchy and noisy which took away from the stories...
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Tiffany
- San Diego, CA, United States
- 01-03-14
Kind of depressing but insightful
This is also a Christmas book for those of you who may not have noticed.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Hettie
- nacogdoches, TX, United States
- 02-02-12
VERY POOR QUALITY!!!
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Usually, I love Maeve Binchy, especially the lovely, lilting, Irish accents! This one is recorded with terrible sound quality, though. I couldn't even listen to it! I could barely understand it! It might have been a 4 or 5 star experience if it had been a tolerable recording!
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mmm
- Colorado
- 01-08-18
sounds like it was recorded in a phone booth
through a tin can but otherwise I love this author's works just wish the recordings were a bit better
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Linda Clare Morton
- 12-16-15
Don't waste your money!
Going ask for a refund. The audio is terrible quality and there is no excuse for that these days.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Katharine Hansen
- Kettle Falls, WA, US
- 12-04-15
Poor Audio Quality
Any additional comments?
This is the first Audible book I've encountered with inferior audio quality. The narrator's voice is muffled, as though she's recording with a blanket over hear head. "S" sounds are especially sibilant and hissy. When music plays between stories, static can be heard. Voiceovers on top of the music cannot be understood. Really hard to listen to . Glad it's short.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- DDD
- 09-29-15
Awful sound quality.
I couldn't hear everything and had I known it was so bad I wouldn't have purchased it. It's a pity because these are wonderful stories and the narrator is equally wonderful, but the sound quality is just terrible.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan Jan Springer
- Sparks Nevada 89436
- 09-14-14
POOR RECORDING
What would have made This Year Will Be Different and Other Stories better?
A better recording, the story was garbled, hard to hear and understand. The reader's brogue was too hard to understand. very unenjoyable and quit after 45 minutes of strenuous listening.
What do you think your next listen will be?
Not sure as I LOVE to read Maeve Binchy's books
Would you be willing to try another one of Fionnula Flanagan’s performances?
NO
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- amanda
- 12-10-13
Do not buy this the sound quality is appalling
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Rerecording the sound quality is truly awful and detracts from the stories which are charming
What will your next listen be?
Pass
How could the performance have been better?
Rerecording
What character would you cut from This Year Will Be Different and Other Stories?
None
Any additional comments?
Good stories spoiled by the sound quality