| Title | : | Quentins |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0752849522 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780752849522 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 403 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2002 |
Ella Brady thinks so. She wants to film a documentary about Quentins that will capture the spirit of Dublin from the 1970s to the present day. And Quentins has a thousand stories to tell: tales of love, of betrayal, of revenge; of times when it looked ready for success and times when it seemed as if it must close in failure. But as Ella uncovers more of what has gone on at Quentins, she begins to wonder whether some secrets should be kept that way...
With Quentins, Maeve Binchy follows her bestselling Scarlet Feather with a new book that delivers the hallmark storytelling that has kept millions of her readers happy for more than twenty years.
Quentins Reviews
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I have mixed feelings about this one. There is a huge array of characters here, most of which are terrific. Unfortunately, though, the one whose story frames the rest is a complete nit. If only we could avoid her, this book would be beautiful!
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No one writes like Maeve Binchy. I love her ability to weave so many different characters together. I especially enjoyed this one because we get to revisit characters from her previous books. I highly recommend reading
Evening Class and
Scarlet Feather before reading this one. -
This was very good. Binchy did a great job of showcasing a lot of characters in this one which pop up in further books (see Evening Class and Heart and Soul). I honestly don't have anything to say except I really loved every character in this one and just tolerated the so-called lead, Ella Brady. If you want to read this in order of her other books though, you should read "Evening Class" first and then "Quentins" next. A lot of the readers may recall "Quentins" for being referenced in other books and now we get a look at the people who have come to that restaurant in Dublin and the owner of the place along with the people who run it.
"Quentins" follows Ella Brady who is in a really bad romance with a married man. The only thing is that Ella doesn't realize it. When the man in question apparently takes his own life, Ella is left bereft. Her friends get her involved with filming a documentary about Quentins and then the book follows the short stories of the people who have come to that place over the decades until the present (2002). The book jumps around a lot though because it seems that there are a lot of people who want something that Ella may have that her married boyfriend left behind.
I have to say that I wanted to shake Ella at times. She kept trying to argue with anyone about her relationship with Don Richardson. I know that a ton of readers were turned off by Ella and didn't like her, but I have read enough Binchy books before and she has had previous characters who had affairs and just didn't care if anyone else got hurt. To me, Ella was a bit sad all in all because she and her family in this case got used and she was too dumb to see it until she had to have her nose rubbed in it.
The main reason why I loved this one was because of other people. We get the stories of Patrick and Brenda Brennan who run Quentins. We hear how they met and the dreams that they slowly let go of in order to run the place. We also follow Patrick's brother, Blouse and how he made himself indispensable to them and Quentins. We even get the story of Quentin (yep a real person) and others. Some stories may resonate with you more than others. We also follow up with some people from prior books. We follow Tom and Cathy from "Scarlet Feather" and Signoria and Aidan from "Evening Class".
The ending though felt a bit off in my opinion. I thought the ending was a bit much and just kind of rolled my eyes. Still enjoyed this though.
Here are my ratings of the stories in this collection.
Quentin's Story (5 stars)-We find out about the owner of Quentins and his life. This one was definitely bittersweet.
Brenda's Decision (5 stars)-Brenda became one of my favorite characters in the last bit of Binchy's stories. This one focuses on Brenda when she was younger and how she came to know Signora and what led to her being able to read lips. We also get to see how she re-meets Patrick in this story.
Blouse Brennan (5 stars)-Patrick's younger brother. I wanted to hug him through this whole story.
Longings (5 stars)-Back to Brenda again. She's now married to Patrick and we find out the marital issues that are arising with her not being able to get pregnant. We get to see her pain at seeing others around her with having children. Combine that with Patrick and Brenda running Quentins and with Patrick wondering who are they doing things for if they don't have children.
The Short Fuse (4.5 stars)-Story follows a father and son who meet at Quentins. The father has a realization about his reputation and what if anything he wants to change about himself.
Serious Celebration (5 stars)-I loved this story following a young woman whose family celebrated her. The first restaurant in this story treated them terribly, but you can see how this links back to Patrick and Brenda a little bit too which I thought was nice.
Change of Heart (4 stars)-A man who dines at Quentins who changes his mind about something that shows his true character. A good solid story.
Brown Paper Cover (3 stars)-Not bad. This was just fairly short compared to the other stories. Two people in this one who read manuals about the opposite sex who happen to meet up at Quentins.
The Special Sale (4 stars)-Pretty much looking at the day after Christmas and how Quentins operates on that day and the customers who come there to dine.
Starters (4 stars)-Sad story I thought about the father of Quentin (who owns the restaurant) in this one.
The Independent Streak (5 stars)-Thought this was a beautiful short story about a group of women who take matters into their hands when it comes to celebrations.
The Mollusks (3.5 stars)-This is not a bad story, just felt a bit thrown in there. This is about a party that is getting thrown at Quentins.
Carissima (5 stars)-This follows Nora or Signora from "Evening Class." I thought this was a great look at her family who treats her pretty badly and how she is about to get locked into something that would have repercussions for her and Aidan.
Homecoming (5 stars)-And we return to Quentin. -
To be honest, I can't believe I even finished this book. The plot and sub plots were merely ok. Elle, the protagonist, drove me crazy! She was such a baby! She just whined and cried until she got what she wanted. And for her to think that her "love" was still in love with her was just a sad joke. If he loved her so much why did he up and leave taking every bit of money leaving her penniless?
I have decided that I have so many books that if I don't like a book by page150-200 I am giving up on it even though I feel a huge amount of guilt about not following through on things. By the end of this book I was speed reading just to be finished. If a book makes me feel like that then I should have given up on it a long time ago. I have too many good books to waste my time on the bad ones. 2 stars and that is generous! -
I can’t say I’m finished with Maeve’s books. The characters are ones you don’t want to miss out on at all as they become a part of your life, or at least the kinship on the pages does.
The cross over from other stories add to the richness; not only of this one story, but the collective whole that the author has created.
I do sound like the crazy book lady when I say, yet again, I would like to revisit these books. The richness in the storytelling builds to such satisfying reading that it draws you back in. And I say this after more than ten years.
Such lasting and impactful impressions. I could by way off base as I say ten years, but I am in my mid forties and I feel I read this (and others) as a young adolescent. There you have it.
These are the ones that mum has, and I can’t even recall if I borrowed hers - I would say so and I know they still reside on the shelves up there, north of Sydney. -
I’ve read other Maeve Binchy books and enjoyed them, so I kept giving this book chances to redeem itself; it never did. The story revolves around Ella Brady, a seemingly intelligent young woman with certain standards and values, who in chapter two starts doing stupid and illogical things. It was incredibly annoying. For example (spoiler alert), she sees nothing wrong with having an affair with a married man (after lambasting her friend for a similar indiscretion) and lying to her parents about it, yet is so honorable that, even after this man absconds with millions of dollars of investors’ money (ruining her father’s career and forcing her parents to move into the little garden house in the backyard so they can rent out their own house), changes his name and flees the country with his wife and children, she refuses to turn into the police the computer (which undoubtedly has all the evidence needed to prove his crimes) he inadvertently left in her apartment, because that’s not what a loyal friend would do. Feeling sorry for her, a filmmaker friend invites her to help him make a documentary. Of course, Ella ends up being the person to fly to New York to represent the project in their quest for a funding grant, and planning the entire film. Come on, this is a woman with a degree in science and limited teaching experience who knows nothing of filmmaking and has spectacularly poor judgment, yet they entrust the future of this endeavor to her? Since the film will be about the lives of the customers that eat at the Dublin restaurant, Quentins, interspersed throughout the book are sections about those folks. Unfortunately, all this does is muddy the waters as you try to remember who’s who and how they fit in. Also, nearly every character that has occurred in other Binchy books is here in some shape or form, and it’s nearly impossible to keep track of this cast of thousands. I found myself flipping back and forth, trying to identify just who this person was again, until I just gave up and skipped over those parts. I found myself skimming over the last three pages of the book because, at this point, I really didn’t care what happened to these people. Really, what this seemed like to me was someone else trying to write a “Maeve Binchy” book, and trying too hard to incorporate every character she’s written about. Like I said before, I usually like this author and I’ll give her another shot, but I can’t recommend this book.
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My first ever Binchy novel...I think I'm in love....I thought it would be a bit of a light read when i started the ebook, bt it had me hooked till the last page...
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3.5 stars
Quentins feels like a reunion. Tom, Cathy, Maud, and Simon from
Scarlet Feather, Nora from
Evening Class, Ria and Colm from
Tara Road - just to name a few examples.
Unfortunately, I have a problem with the entire premise of the narrative and the restaurant itself. I can understand a benevolent rich man funding an earnest young man in his dream to travel or supporting a couple who dream of running a restaurant - but funding a restaurant for the young man to open which he lets another couple run while he uses the profits to travel? That is one convoluted plot device to ensure everyone gets what they want.
The crime drama aspect of the narrative is incredibly similar to the crime portions of
Tara Road. When you add in the expected infidelity, the return of previous characters, and the familiar plot points,
Quentins starts to feel like a copy and paste repeat of several of Binchy's former works. So while I found this to be a bit repetitive, I did enjoy getting to know more about Brenda and Patrick while checking in on some of the more familiar characters.
Review originally posted
here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
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This book is all about the daily life of a restaurant, “Quentin”, about its staff and customers. And… well… it was an "utterly boring read". A guy in his late 70’s, single/divorced, living alone would certainly enjoy this read. I can't believe, I even finished this book. :/
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I can not believe I finished this book. The sub plots were okay, but the main plot was almost unbearable. Ella, the main character is a disgrace to all women. She proved herself to be a weak, vulnerable character, and everyone babied her when she finally got what she deserved. I screamed in frustration every time she pulled the "He still loves me" stunt. Come on! He fled the country with every penny of savings your family and friends had, Yeah. He still loves you, and he's SO worth waiting for. The only reason I kept reading was because the cover of the book was so cute. Well, whoever said "You can't judge a book by it's cover" wasn't too far off.
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3.5***
From the book jacket: Is it possible to tell the story of a generation and a city through the history of a restaurant? Ella Brady thinks so. She wants to film a documentary about Quentins that will capture the spirit of Dublin from the 1970s to the present day. After all, the restaurant … has a thousand stories to tell: tales of love, and betrayal, of revenge; of times when it looked ready for success and of times when it seemed as if it must close in failure.
My reactions
I came late to the Binchy fan club, but better late than never. I really like her style of every-day drama – the kinds of ups and downs we all experience in life. Reading a Binchy novel is a bit like visiting with old friends. Many of her books feature the same ensemble cast of characters, but they don’t have to be read in any particular order.
In this story Ella Brady takes the central role, supported by Brenda and Patrick who run Quentins, her best friend Deirdre, her parents Tom and Barbara, and filmmakers Nick and Sandy. I loved Maude and Simon, who’s grandparents hire Ella to tutor them in math; every scene they are in made me chuckle.
The main plot focuses on Ella and her lover, Don Richardson – a snake if ever there was one. I confess that I was very frustrated with Ella and wanted to slap her silly more than once. Deirdre was the epitome of a supportive friend, never judging or chastising, but simply being there for Ella through all her bad choices and delusional thinking re this “great love.” Made me doubly glad for the many other stories being highlighted for inclusion in the documentary, which gave me a break from this relationship.
I definitely got the feeling of being in Dublin during this period: the economic struggles which led many Irish to seek employment elsewhere, or had them working multiple small jobs to make ends meet. -
Another wonderful novel by the Queen of Irish fiction!
Quentins is regarded as a posh, pricy restaurant; the kind of place you go to celebrate and impress. There are many tales to tell, and Ella Brady has plans to do just that but when she begins to delve into the lives of those connected and something momentous happens to herself, she wonders about the wisdom of it all.
Quentins has been mentioned in previous novels by this author, so it was a delight to get to know more about the staff and customers. However, there is so much more to this story than only the restaurant; as will every other Maeve Binchy novel, there is a plethora of amazing characters to get to know and the beautiful writing makes it all so easy. With characters from previous novels popping up, the enjoyment was increased and I couldn’t find fault even if I wanted to. It’s notable that all of this author’s books have been given new covers but, personally, I much prefer the original ones. The stories, however, remain as all-consuming as ever and are of the highest calibre. Another novel which easily earns all five shining stars. -
Wonderful characters and Maeve Binchy’s inimitable storytelling talent. thank you meave to introduce our food to all people around the world ///"I ll make sure Patrick has something from our poor imitation of Moroccan cuisine when you come, " she promised . " we do a nice orange and cinnamon salad with a chicken tajine, but it's not quite exotic enough" . "Probably quite exotic enough for Dublin " Quentin laughed ."you have been away for a long time " she said. She talked to Patrick about it that night."you should have said a couscous" he complained ."he'd know we were trying at least" ." He's not coming home to examine the food"brenda said. " what for then ?"."i don't know " she didn't know , it seemed too odd to say she thought he was coming home to say goodbye///
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Have you ever been to the mall just to people watch or sit at the park and wonder about that lady or man's life? Miss Maeve has perfected this into her writing style. Her imagination is so innocent yet real life like money laundering and getting pregnant and baby stealing always work their way in and sometimes the problem doesn't get solved but the main character always faces the challenge of life with dignity.....
I have a sweet spot for Maeve Binchy (can't you tell?) and her wonderful storytelling about ordinary people with real life problems. While I give it a 5 star and believe she is a 5 star I can see where anyone would not like her style or would be "bored" with the characters.
For me, Binchy weaves endless tales in Dublin and people's lives crisscrossing without ever realizing it. Kinda like a 6 degrees of separation. This is a story about a boring and perfect little girl named Ella Brady and how nothing eventful ever happens to her until she is a grown woman and meets the love of her life, Don Richardson, financier, married man with two children. That's the beginning and end of her normal peaceful life.
Binchy, for me, is the essential writer. Take a town you know and someone who wouldn't matter just because of no real hardships in life and give them a story worth cheering them on about..... Fabulous -
Just finished reading this for the nth time. This is one of the books I take off my shelf and dust off every couple of years. I always considered this book as the sequel from Scarlett Feather which I also reread every couple of years for the same reason.
Rereading them is like meeting old friends and though we talked about the same old familiar things, we still found them funny, adorable or sad. We would laughed at the same jokes, shook our heads at the same stupid stories and moaned at the same people. I take them out everytime I feel the world is getting too much and I need somewhere to hide and someone to restore my strength. I always close the book with a smile on my face albeit with glassy eyes and the thought, "ok, life is good". :)
Many people don't like the way the book was written because it feels fleeting. Somehow I find it pleasing and love all the little stories surrounding the main storyline. It feels somewhat like my favourite movie, Love, Actually.
MB has a way of writing that I can only describe as peaceful and witty. I have never found any other author who write like her. When I read her books, I read it with irish accent in my head sometimes. Just feel oddly peaceful when I read her words. -
(2.5 stars) This month's challenge was to read something 'light and fluffy' by an author you haven't read before. Maeve Binchy's Quentins fit the bill on every level. 'Light and Fluffy' is not my usual genre, nor will it become so, but I sort of enjoyed my fictional visit to Dublin through Binchy's eyes. It passed the time during a few long flights and long layovers this summer.
Ella is the perfect child, teenager and adult. She has every career option open to her. She is liked and admired by everyone. She falls for a married man and has a passionate yet doomed relationship with him until he dumps her. While grieving the loss of his love, she waffles between jobs, becoming an expert in everything she tries. As a film maker, she pitches the story of Dublin's favourite neighbourhood restaurant, Quentins, and is awarded sponsorship for the film. She goes on to delve into the lives and loves of those who frequent the restaurant and those who are employed there. Her previous lover returns on the scene and everyone awaits Ella's reaction. Suspense ensues. -
Another fab book from Maeve Binchy. If you love Maeve then you'll love this - it has stories from EVERYONE in Dublin (lol) including loads of characters from other books. It's maybe a bit disjointed but it's split into different parts so you can know who's speaking.
Yes, it's a bit dated and Maeve had several themes she liked to do in every book so it is pretty repetitive but I don't care about that. Pure comfort read. -
I have had this book on my shelf for many years, but with Reading Ireland in March and my Alphabet Challenge needing a "Q" book, this seemed to fit the bill. Many readers were very disillusioned with this story due to Ella, one of the main characters. She was a woman in love, blind to the clues and information about the man she loved. I thought she was a nitwit. She seemed to be a smart woman in some areas, but in her personal life, she gave women a bad name. Having said that, the story about Quentins was delightful.
Quentins has a thousand stories to tell: tales of love, of betrayal, of revenge, of times when it looked ready for success and of times when it seemed as if it must close in failure. I loved meeting all the characters that had stories to tell. We learn about the founding of the restaurant, which has a story behind it, the development and changes that take place and the possible making of a documentary about how it played a part in the changing culture and lives of the people. It isn’t the main characters that make this story work, but the side characters (there are many) and the setting of contemporary Dublin, that allows the reader to enjoy this book without worrying about the Ella Brady love story and debacle.
I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for a good story without a lot of heavy elements. It is beautifully written as Maeve Binchy does a wonderful job with prose, some wit and a lot of angst. I am going to read more by this talented author. -
This is my first Maeve Binchy book and I was pretty pleased for the most part. I was finally drawn to her because of my affinity for all things Irish.
There are enough stories and fully-fleshed out characters to keep one entertained throughout. However, the main character, Ella, does such a disservice to womankind as I have ever met in literature. Trust me though, the larger story that unfolds (most of which she doesn't appear in) is a real gem. I definitely would read another Binchy book that stays away from such off-putting characters. -
Lovely story as usual from Maeve Binchy, always a good feel factor.
Ella Brady is the perfect child, no bother to her parents, until she meets Don Richardson, who takes her and everyone else he is in contact with for a ride. -
Always a pleasure to catch up on another one of Maeve Binchy’s books. They’re always filled with warmth and drama and endearing characters.
Quentins was charming and a joy to listen to. Excellently narrated by Maeve Binchy’s cousin, Kate Binchy, she draws the listener in with her tone of voice, a great match for these types of books/stories - pleasantly old fashioned.
Past characters reappear in this story as does Quentins, the restaurant, as it happens it is the focal point in this tale. It also revolves around Ella Brady who wants to produce a documentary about the well known Dublin restaurant, however, there are many characters, new and old, who have their own personal stories though, “Ella wonders if some stories should not be told….”
An interesting and entertaining read.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #24 - A book set in a restaurant -
Is it possible to tell the story of a generation and a city through the history of a restaurant? Ella Brady thinks so. She wants to film a documentary abuot Quentins that will capture the spirit of Dublin from the 1970s to the present day. After all the restaurant saw the people of a city become more confident in everything from their lifestyles to the food that they chose to eat. And Quentins has a thousand stories to tell: tales of love, of betrayal, of revenge, of times when it looked ready for success and of times when it seemed as if it must close in failure. Quentins is presided over by the apparently unflappable Patrick & Brenda Brennan, whose efforts have made the place a legend in the life of Dubliners and visitors alike. But even the Brennans have a story and a problem that is hidden from the public gaze. As Ella uncovers more and more of what has gone on at Quentins, she begins to question the wisdom of capturing it all in a documentary. Are there some stories that are too sacred to be told, some secrets that must be kept? By getting to know the people that pass through the doors of Quentins, Ella has finally gotten to know herself.
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Set in contemporary Dublin, Quentins tells the story of Ella Brady, a young woman who has fallen for The Wrong Man. The tale is both universal and timeless, but this time around there is the added elements of tax fraud, hiding out in Spain and The Mystery of the Laptop Computer. While great parts of this book are highly improbable, unrealistic and unnecessary, this book was a really great read. It isn’t the main characters that make it work, but the side characters (there are many, and some from Binchy’s previous work) and the setting are so much fun that you don’t care about the goofy tax fraud business.
I’ve never really gotten into the idea that summer reading should always be light and fun, but this book seems to sort of fit that bill. I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for a good story without a lot of heavy elements or objectionable material.
While this book is set in contemporary Dublin, it is a little on the quaint side. Dublin today is multi-ethnic melting pot, warts and all. To read about both Dubliners and immigrants both, I would recommend The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle. -
At first I did not like Quentins. The characters didn't seem to have much depth and the story was a little boring. I have a really hard time relating to main characters that enter into extramarital affairs. Maybe that was my main issue. But then around page 150 it picked up and I started to love/hate characters where appropriate :-) I finally began to like and care about the main character, Ella, whom I hated at the beginning of the novel.
For the most part I enjoyed the short stories offered between the events of the main story line more than the main story line itself. But toward the end I became extremely interested in what was going to happen and COULD NOT put it down. I read the last 150 pages in 1.5 hours. And it turns out this was a GREAT book. Not one of Binchy's best, but still really, really good. -
It's a sequel to three of Maeve's books without really being a sequel at all. It also serves as a prologue to the formation of the best restaurant in Maeve Binchy's Dublin.
Pros:
True to Maeve, it was an absolute joy to read.
Cons:
I wanted less Ella, and more stories. I honestly didn't care much for any of the (new) main characters. I wanted more Brenda, I wanted more backstories, to see how Quentins affected more people. That being said, I still loved it. -
Eh, this book was alright. I'm starting to wonder if Maeve Binchy is maybe just not for me. The story was okay but very slow paced and pretty much just a community study. It's about a restaurant named Quentins and the people who own it, the people who run it, people who met there, and a documentary that a young woman named Ella wants to make about it. The majority of the book is actually about Ella, but all those other people are involved. There's a domestic suspense element to this book that was interesting, but it was more of just a constant undercurrent. I liked Derry quite a bit and that story was good, but overall this book was just meh and not very memorable. If you're a fan of Maeve Binchy, I'd give this one a shot, but if you're not I don't think this one will win you over.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
This book mostly follows Ella. She was a perfect child who never gave her parents any trouble until she's an adult and becomes involved with a man named Don Richardson. He is some sort of married businessman and he convinces her parents (and many others) to invest in different things, but he was actually swindling their money. Ella has his incriminating computer and other things so she's being followed, but then news breaks that he committed suicide. She's devastated because he left her a note that said he truly loved her and he left money in a safe to repay her parents. She debates what to do (turn in the computer, take the money, etc.). Meanwhile, we get the story of the restaurant Quentins. It's a fancy restaurant that has always been a special treat for Ella and her parents. The guy who owns it, Quentin, is a silent partner and its run by Brenda and Patrick Brennan. Quentin's never around but his dad comes frequently. He's not the nicest guy. Anyway, Ella decides she wants to do a documentary about the restaurant with her friends so she goes to America to meet a funder named Derry. He agrees to hear the pitch because he hates Ireland and thinks the documentary will expose negative aspects of Ireland, but then he realizes thats not the case but he's still very intrigued. His reasoning for hating Ireland is because thats where his drunken father is from. He's never been there and never wants to, but he and Ella start a relationship (friendly) and he decides to fund the film and go back with her. We hear a few random stories of people who have met or had significant moments at Quentins, but they're very random and don't really fit into the story. In the end, we find out Don is not actually dead and he comes back to try to get the stuff from Ella, but right after he calls her, she turns him in. She realizes he never actually loved her and thankfully she never cashed the money because that was a trap. In the very end, she and Derry say I love you.
We get a very little bit of Tom and Cathy Feather from the Scarlet Feather catering company, but to say this is a sequel involving them is NOT accurate at all. They're background characters at best. Ella's parents live on Tara Road and I don't know if any of the characters from that book are in this one or not, I'd have to refresh myself. -
I prefered her other books. I don't know why...This one just did not have any magic for me.
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2,5!
Pas mauvais, mais pas très bon non plus! -
Maeve Binchy makes you feel right at home with her books. She burrows in a softness and coziness right as the first chapter opens. But while I like this one much better than "circle of friends", I do have a hard time with Maeve Binchy's stories. For what they are, I think they are too long. I love the Irish culture that is written in and the array of characters. Except, for a novel, its much to long. For short stories, Maeve Binchy would be stellar. But its just really difficult for me to keep reading a novel with multiple stories that ends up being 400+ pages long. This is probably going to be the last Binchy novel I try. As much as I enjoy the coziness of the writing, I quickly lose interest with the characters and find myself longing to watch a docu or movie on Ireland life. Rather than dig thru the 400 pages of novel.
Plus the main character is stupid. I did not enjoy the story line of dating a married man. Not cool. I don't like to read something that makes my stomach feel queasy with disgust.
