Silver Wedding

by Maeve Binchy

There was never any question that Deirdre and Desmond Doyle would celebrate a gala twenty-fifth anniversary. Naturally, their daughter Anna, would plan their grand affair. Of all three Doyle children, Anna knew exactly what their mother wished—even as she lived her own secret life. Will Brendan, the rebellious son, even bother to return to London? Will Helen, the hapless would-be nun, embarrass them all? This is Deirdre’s day, a triumph for a woman obsessed with keeping up appearances, her silvery revenge after “marrying down” twenty-five years ago. She’s determined to show them the maid of honor, still unmarried, still gorgeous, now a successful London business woman…the best man, once Desmond’s close friend, now his boss…their reluctant priest, who harbors his own guilty secret.

As family and friends gather, a lifetime of lies takes its toll. But what begins as a family charade brings with it the transforming power of love—and truth.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Ireland, Romance, Contemporary, Irish Literature, Womens Fiction

389 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Anne Maeve Binchy Snell was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker. Her novels were characterised by a sympathetic and often humorous portrayal of small-town life in Ireland, and surprise endings. Her novels, which were translated into 37 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her death at age 73, announced by Vincent Browne on Irish television late on 30 July 2012, was mourned as the death of one of Ireland's best-loved and most recognisable writers.
She appeared in the US market, featuring on The New York Times Best Seller list and in Oprah's Book Club. Recognised for her "total absence of malice" and generosity to other writers, she finished third in a 2000 poll for World Book Day, ahead of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Stephen King.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read a Maeve, I feel I have come home. This ended up being a re-read, a fact which I realised about an hour into the audio version. This does not matter, I love Maeve and I love how she tells us her stories of families, relationships, and the human condition. It was a pleasure to experience again, and what skilled hands the narration is in; Maeve’s niece Kate Binchy. I feel she could be one of the best narrators I have had the pleasure of listening to. I coined this cool phrase during my updates here on GR. This is pure unadulterated Maeve. And it is.

The book is presented in the clean straight forward no-nonsense way that I have come to expect in these lovely heart-warming novels, this is perhaps as I see the author’s writing. Straight up characters with no pretence (at least in the presentation to the reader) and the facts laid bare. I think this novel made me think about these feelings as the central gathering of the characters are related to a Silver Wedding celebration of two people that lacked any real gumption, their lives slid by in tones of grey, with a lot of disappointment, lack of expectation and a touch of lethargy thrown in.

Eldest child Anna is responsible for drawing the major players together, including bridal party, relations, and the priest.

Deidre and Desmond (even to me their names lack colour!) try and keep up pretences, they could have been in love once, but now we see the only thing they are doing is the appearance of a happy family. Deidre is such a frustrating sad character. All actions in her life are to ‘appear’ ok on the outside. What do the neighbours, the relatives, her mother’s bridge club friends think? Such an unhappy existence. Desmond has an appallingly miserable job, even going ‘out’ to work for a year while having been displaced from a job he clearly hates. After all, what would the neighbours think?

So much desperation to keep up with the Jones’s and an imaginary air and grace that as we all know does not exist on closer inspection. Deidre’s tale is the saddest of all.

The ensemble cast were all interesting and life crept up on many of them the way we would hope, love, jealousy and insecurities all balancing out in the end. Fashion in the 1980’s is interesting to me also!

Their children are facing their own battles; whether it be leaving to obtain peace from this façade in the Irish farm with the shunned Uncle, the daughter attempting to find solace as a nun, and the oldest more ‘worldly’ daughter receiving her own lessons in love and fidelity.

It was neat, but in this neatness is a certain safety and familiarity. An easy read and one that I listened to with joy.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an author I have ever ever read much from. It is lighter fiction than I normally read but a friend whose reading opinions I respect is very fond of this author and so I thought I would give it a go.

Initially, I did find it very patchy reading I found the first main character, Anna difficult to bond with, because she was so very emotionally awkward and repressed, she redeemed herself tidily however and I became quite fond of her as well as several other characters. One of my favourite characters/stories was that of Brenden, Anna's brother and my absolute least favourite was Helen, their train wreck of a sister. I found Helen to be entirely unconvincing and her back story did nothing to redeem the situation. Reading her I just could not believe no one had ever taken her in for psychiatric assessment. Eventually, I had to skip most of her story because I disliked reading it so much, however, that did not in any way make the story difficult to follow, so that was ok.

It took me a rather long time to cotton on to the fact that mostly, each chapter is dedicated to a different character all of which come together at the end of the story, for the sliver wedding of the title. So, in a way, it is almost like reading a series of short stories.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a classic Maeve Binchy - a story told from several people’s viewpoints. It was a rather sad story of a celebration of a 25th wedding anniversary culminating after revelations of years of secrets and ensuing unhappiness - between friends, between parents and children, between siblings, between husbands and wives.

Not my favourite Maeve Binchy, but since she passed away several years ago and the books I haven’t read of hers are now necessarily limited, I’ll take whatever I can get! 3.5★

[Kylie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book dull and boring.

Maeve Binchy is not an author I would normally choose to read, but I was given a box full of her books for free. So thought I would give one a go. Silver Wedding being the smallest amongst the box, seemed like a good one to start on.

The book had no life, the characters were dull, Her characters seemed to be portrayed a lot older then their actual ages, she describes characters in their mid 40s like they are in the 60s or 70s, like retirees.

I gave up on this book, didn't want to waste any more of time on it, when there are 1000's more great books out there to read.


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[Robin Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter focuses on a different character, with the last chapter bringing them all together for a silver wedding anniversary celebration. It was almost more like a series of related short stories than one novel. I love a good character story, and in that Binchy definitely delivered.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters of this story all put forth one view of their lives to others around them ... as you read each chapter based on a different character, you find out the real story. In the end you get the feeling that many of them are beginning to realize that "projecting the right image" isn't as important as living a life you can be happy with and in.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok, not her best work. most of the characters not very likable, started out well but grew more boring toward the end. I was not invested enough to care what happened anyway.

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silver Wedding follows the silver wedding anniversary of Deirdre and Desmond Doyle. All of the characters in this story are linked to them some way. I liked some of the characters and despised others. And the ending did not really work, you have to pretty much just guess what is going to come next.

The book is broken up looking at Deirdre and Desmond's three children (Anna, Brendan and Helen). Then we go into Desmond. After him we follow Father Hurley (he married Desmond and Deirdre). Then we follow Maureen and Frank (maid of honor and best man at Desmond and Deirdre's wedding) and finally Deirdre. The last portion is on the silver wedding celebration itself.

So my favorite character chapters were definitely Anna, Desmond, Father Hurley, and Maureen.

Anna is the eldest of the children and you get to read about her romance that is not everything she hopes it to be. But a chance ride with a long time customer she knows opens her eyes to her parents and to her own relationship. A few times I was surprised by things Anna was hiding from her parents, but this book takes place during the 1980s, so I had to recall a few times that things today would not be acceptable to people back then.

Desmond we get to see how tired he is by what his life has become. He works at a store that his best friend runs (Frank) and realizes that he is going to keep getting shuffled around and is trying to figure out what his dream is. He's a really good guy, and when you read the parts with Deirdre you wonder at how they work as a husband/wife.

Father Hurley we find out is puzzled about being asked to be there to officiate between Desmond and Deirdre, and even hints at knowing why the two of them had a rushed wedding (rhymes with wegancy). But he is pretty content and happy with his family and his nephew Gregory. But this whole chapter was a cautionary tale against staying silent when you know someone has done something wrong. I really did want to follow up with Father Hurley and see what happened to him and his family.

Maureen is a successful business woman who has the wind knocked out of her when she realizes her mother who she has long admired, was not who she thought she was. I didn't really care for Maureen when we get to the silvery wedding portion because she seemed hell-bent on trying to tempt Frank away from his wife. We find out these two used to date, but Maureen dumped him due to her mother's influence.

I felt sort of meh towards Brendan's whole story-line. You find out he is pretty selfish and seems to think less of his family for trying to hide things from others. I guess because I grew up in a family like that, ie you keep family business to family, don't go out running your mouth, I thought his dislike of his family was not that intriguing.

Helen's story-line was infuriating and sad at the same time. You realize that her running away to join a convent was due to an incident that occurred between her and her father's best friend Frank. Helen keeps messing up every step of the way and you realize why a nun would be tempted to smother her when you read about all of her messes she keeps getting into.

I despised Frank's whole story-line. Finding out what kind of man he is just made me ill, I think that Binchy tried to paint him as some noble guy, but based on the silver wedding chapter we know that he is going to get up to something that will involve Helen that I am sure is going to end poorly.

Deirdre you quickly find out is so worried about what others think she has become paralyzed by it. After meeting up with her widowed mother she has her eyes opened about her long held beliefs about people. But you realize that Deirdre felt and still feels forced to pretend to be happy even when she's not.

Usually Binchy is better at tying things up, but a lot of things are left at loose ends when the book finishes. I can imagine though that some people Anna and Desmond are going to be happy in the future based on decisions that they made.

A really nice look into a family. The writing was typical Binchy (not a bad thing) and the flow was actually really good. I think that Binchy lined up the stories for a reason like this and it actually works not having all of the family stories first and then others.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all Binchy's books, or at least all of them that I've read, this one is steeped in the emotions -- the blessing and the curse -- of friendship and family. The intertwined stories of Desmond and Deirdre Doyle, their three children, the man and woman who were best man and maid of honor at their wedding, and the priest who married them each illustrate different aspects of love and loss, and the lengths to which we go to preserve the happiness of those we love, even when we get it wrong.

As a side note, it called to mind The Canterbury Tales, complete with the Priest's Tale, the Merchant's Tale, the Nun's Tale, etc. (Never having read Chaucer, alas, I can't say if there are any other parallels!)

I didn't feel that it had quite the same depth as Circle of Friends, but still a diverting read with a nice mix of humor and heartache.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Each chapter of this book is written from the point of view of a different character, which is a setup I usually enjoy. Most of these characters, however, are stuck in unhappy situations and don't have the gumption to try to change them, so I found the book generally frustrating. It was like a depressing portrayal of Thoreau's famous quote: "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." One exception: I really liked the character of Desmond, a middle-aged man who eventually tires of trying to climb the ladder at a huge supermarket chain and quits that job to become co-owner of the little Pakistani market down the street from his home. Binchy could've written a much better book by letting Desmond do his thing for 200 pages instead of just a chapter.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is on of those rare books I was quite happy to be finally done with. Normally I sympathize with the characters and wish them well.. in this case, however, most of them were behaving so stupidly and were so irritating, that I'd gladly erase them myself from the surface of the fictional world :) Whenever another disaster was to fall upon another hopeless example of how not to live one's life, I was about to shout "Serves you right!".

Honestly, just how boring and irritating a book can be??

[Chris Meehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do just adore the way that Maeve Binchy can pick you up and envelop you into the lives of a bunch of people who are doing nothing except organising a 25th wedding anniversary, but in the most compulsive fashion!

[Emer Tannam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I will say that this is certainly an easy read, and there are certain expressions that the writer uses that made me nostalgic for Irish people of a certain age. “Up to high Doh” for example.

In the beginning, I thought the theme of shame and keeping up appearances was interesting, especially in the context of what Fintan O’Toole wrote about in his memoir; the shame and secrecy of Irish society.

But the book consisted of long chapters, each about a different character, which all came together in the end. But since each character had only around 40 pages dedicated to them, it was difficult to care about their fates, and they were given little development or even resolution.

Then there were plot points that were hard to believe in. When Helen thought it would be a good idea to steal a baby and give it to her father’s old friend, for example. When Mr Patel broke a wrist, resulting in Desmond taking over his shop indefinitely. Surely he would have been back to work the next day! An amorous couple is described as peeling peaches for each other in summer, and sitting on the rug in front of the fire in winter, and I just didn’t believe in it.

And the book hasn’t aged that well, I’d say. A 34 year old woman describes herself as being past it, and says that a big wedding would be embarrassing, considering her age. Then there’s the fact that one character is a priest and one wants to be a nun.


So I gave Maeve Binchy a chance, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting her.

[Allie MacPhail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Given to me by a friend i read this to make her happy. It sucked. The whole book is comprised of standalone chapters and characters that intersect briefly at the end. There are brazen attempts for major life changes for the characters but so unbelievable that my eyes kept rolling ! I will still be friends with the woman who lent me this book but will be more careful with books I accept!

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

People absolutely fascinate me; that's one reason I love my work as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. And it's not just their stories which interest me, though that's part of it. It's also the small things we do that set us apart. I love it when I know a friend so well that I can tell in advance what will make him laugh or how she will react in a given situation. As I read Maeve Binchy's "silver Wedding," I found myself thinking that what sets her writing apart is exactly this: her characters are so complete that we come to know those little things that set them apart from all the rest. And therein lies the fascination.

Summarizing the plot won't really provide the motivation for you to choose this book. Basically, the framework of the novel is that a couple is celebrating their 25th anniversary and a big party is planned. Each chapter focuses on a different person who will attend the party: the couple's three children, the maid of honor, the best man, and the priest who said the wedding. The final chapter deals with the celebration itself.

Now I know that doesn't sound like much. But let me assure you: this is a book you won't soon forget. Its strength is not in its plot; rather, it stems from Binchy's incredible ability to portray this family and their close friends. We see how certain beliefs and practices shape each of the people we meet. This is a family where image is viewed as extremely important and where certain events are considered "off limits" to the world. And we see how that plays out in each of their lives. We also see how outsiders,, such as the priest and the friends, impact those roles.

I'm not doing the best job of reviewing this one, I know. Suffice it to say that if you care about what makes people tick, if you long to understand yourself and those around you just a bit better, then you owe it to yourself to pick up this gem of a book. It's definitely one of Binchy's best. And, given the quality of her work, that's really saying something.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desmond and Deirdre Doyle are approaching their Silver wedding anniversary. Anna, their oldest, believes that there needs to be a big party to celebrate the occasion - but knows she'll be the one to do all the work to plan it. Helen is living in a convent and Brendan is on a farm off in the wilds of Ireland. Also invited are Maureen Barry, who had been Maid of Honor, Frank Quigley who was Best Man and Father James Hurley who had been the officiating priest. It seems everyone has secrets that must be kept from the others for the sake of keeping up appearances. Will they all show up on the special day?
Talk about disfunctional family! Yet I find myself also thinking Typical Binchy. Unlike the other books of hers I've read, this one is set in England instead of Ireland. In this one, each character has a chapter which develops their past and the receipt of the invitation to the party. The book ends with the final chapter being the party. I wasn't sure what to expect with the party, but was satisifed with the way it all pulled together.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were a 'real' book reviewer I would be able to say what about the author's technique made this book (in my opinion) so far superior to the last one I read, by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I can't. I don't even know. All I know is that these people felt like real people to me, whereas Barbara's didn't. I cared about each one of them and genuinely loved getting to know them. If there were a sequel to this book I would read it. In this book every character gets a chapter to him/herself and as they all approach the silver wedding celebration we see into their hearts and lives and, as it progresses, we 'meet' each character through the internal life of the preceding one - we see the mother through the eyes of two daughters and a son before we actually get to her chapter. It piles on, one richness after another until by the end I rejoiced in their triumphs and grieve for their sorrows as if they were indeed neighbors and friends of mine. I never feel this in Ms Bradford's books. I highly recommend Ms Binchy's tales - each and every one of them.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out terribly....I just didn't buy into the whole premise. I may be a child of the eighties, but this just read wrong for me. The use of language, the bizarre importance given over to a 25th wedding anniversary. The kids, 23 being the oldest one, were also bizarre. Anna spoke like she was in her thirties, Helen like she was 13 and Brendan, no idea what was going on there. Deirdre & Desmond sounded like they were hitting 60. Just bizarre. The book did improve with Father Hurley's back story, and Frank's, but come on, who invited a priest over from Dublin for a wedding anniversary when they have a next to no contact with him in the meantime. Being from Ireland myself, I just didn't recognise this importance given to the celebration. Don't think I will be indulging in any more blue rinse lit for a long long time!

[Clara Cadelano · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai beaucoup aimé ce livre et la manière dont les points de vue entre les personnages interagissent.
On entre dans l’intimité d’un personnage dans chaque chapitre, ce qui permet de mieux comprendre les réactions des uns et des autres au fil du livre.
Le thème traité est intéressant, la plupart des personnages font semblant d’être heureux (dans leur vie professionnelle, dans leurs relations amoureuses ou familiale, dans leur mode de vie) alors qu’ils ne le sont en réalité pas. Ils poursuivent quand même car ils pensent que c’est ce que les autres attendent d’eux. Mais qui sont les autres ? Et surtout, est-ce réellement ce qu’ils attendent ou est-ce une projection de ces propres attentes et craintes ?
Une très bonne lecture

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maeve Binchy writes of people whose lives would never touch mine. I can't decide if her writing is old-fashioned or maybe it's the topics she picks to write about. And yet, her characters have problems that I can relate to, some of them from a distance. And I can't stop reading, so eager to know how it all turns out.

In this book, people have been living lives of lies -- don't we all? -- and it all comes to a head when the silver wedding anniversary of a couple with three children is coming up. I sure hope if and when my silver wedding anniversary comes up, I've lived a better life! I've learned a lot from this novel.

[Kellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a lot of Maeve Binchy books and most of them were excellent. So when I started this one I thought it would be just like the others. Unfortunately that was not the case. The concept of each chapter representing each character was fine. The problem was there wasn't much substance and passion within the story so it made it difficult for me to come back to. And because there was a different story every chapter it was hard to stay focused on the prime storyline. I liked the chapter about Frank and Father Hurley. The last chapter which should've been the most exciting was probably the most boring. The best thing about this book wasit wasn't long.

[Debby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of Maeve Binchy's books for a long time and I believe that is because the first book I read by her was Tara Road. She has written some of my all-time favorite books.
Silver Wedding is one of her early books (#4 I think) and prior to Tara Road. It doesn't come close to it, Glass Lake Circle of Friends and others. I foundmyself getting bored by the narrative, as well as the characters. That fits the story line I guess, but I just can't say "I liked it". For me, it was truthfully, "just OK".
I think I'll go back and re-read something by her that I found amazing.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Deirdre and Desmond are planning their Silver Wedding Anniversary party. Appearances have always been extremely important to Deirdre so she strives to have everything perfect. The first eight chapters of the book are told my different members of either the family or the wedding party. It all feels like a series of vignettes even though they are tied in at the end. The last chapter is about the party itself.
I am not a fan of Maeve Binchy, but someone in my book group requested a book by her so I chose this one.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really disliked this book. Characters were not warm at all and I was unhappy that there was no resolution of substories within the actual storyline.

[Pete Partin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her style. Her characters are so rich.

[Bonnie Niu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just got so bored by the characters, especially Anna, she’s overtly awkward. What’s wrong Maeve? I saved this book from the bin anyways, nothing to complain in retrospect.

[Leanne Beadle]

Marvel Binchy has a strange way of writing. Silver Wedding is about the Silver Wedding of Deidre and Desmond Doyle. She writes in the point of view of her three children Anna, Helen and Brandon. The priest who married them. Desmond Doyle's best friend Frank who he travelled to England with from Ireland and Deidres best friend I would categorise this book as a satire.
The characters are all friends and family of the Doyle's.
The book was well written but it got a bit boring. It wasn't a book I would pick up and not be able to put down, I enjoyed it but I know Marge Binchy has written better.
I would recommend other books written by Marge Binchy but maybe not this one.

[Barbara Peters]

good characterzatiion

[LAURIE]

Written from each individuals point of view. Enlightening. Had a few good chuckles to tell Shanna about. She's one of my few quirky authors!

[Hannie]

Een keer van moeder geleend.