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The Builders
Original short fiction by a beloved best-selling author on her best topic relationships. Charming novella from a masterful writer on the power of family secrets. Nan Ryan lives by herself at 14 Chestnut Road. When builders arrive to fix a deserted house next door, everyone expects the worst. But when the handsome workman looks to Nan to help unravel the mystery of the previous residents' disappearance, a strange relationship develops. With family dynamics and crooked developers in the wings, things are about to get very messy...
93 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
158 people are currently reading
1757 people want to read
About the author
Maeve Binchy
258 books5,024 followersAnne 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
February 3, 2014
The first thing to say is that all royalties from this book go to support a hospice in Dublin.
I enjoyed this novelette by Maeve Binchy. It contained all her usual style and flair, but in a much more compact form. There appears to be an editing issue early on, which surprised me but didn't spoil the book. Her characters, as always, draw you right in alongside them. Maeve Binchy writes with wit and compassion. Bearing in mind that this is a short read, it has all the ingredients needed for compelling reading, and left me feeling satisfied. A lunch of a book, rather than a main meal, but well worth the reading.
I will miss Maeve Binchy. A talented author, I have, I think, all of her books.
I enjoyed this novelette by Maeve Binchy. It contained all her usual style and flair, but in a much more compact form. There appears to be an editing issue early on, which surprised me but didn't spoil the book. Her characters, as always, draw you right in alongside them. Maeve Binchy writes with wit and compassion. Bearing in mind that this is a short read, it has all the ingredients needed for compelling reading, and left me feeling satisfied. A lunch of a book, rather than a main meal, but well worth the reading.
I will miss Maeve Binchy. A talented author, I have, I think, all of her books.
January 27, 2021
Nothing by rights that is this short & concise should be so emotional, so sweet, so melancholy, so poignant, so funny, and so powerful...but here is Maeve Binchy, once again showing she can do in 80 short pages what some people strive to do in 800 pages.
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September 1, 2021Charming novella, I enjoyed it! Hilariously, the blurb on the back is for a different book. Not in the sense that it misunderstands the story, in the sense that it mentions completely different characters and plot.
July 15, 2024
Bhain mé an-sult as an leabhar seo. Ceann bunaithe ar dhaoine. Ar ghnáthdhaoine. Ar a mothúcháin agus ar a saolta nach bhfuil aon rud as an ngnáth ag tarlú iontu. Ach thaithin an príomhphlota go mór liom. Leabhar ficsin atá i gceist leis seo ach d’fhéadfadh sé a bheith fíor. Mhothaigh sé mar sin.
Níor tharla mórán sa leabhar seo ach ag an am céanna, tharla.
Níor tharla mórán sa leabhar seo ach ag an am céanna, tharla.
April 29, 2025
Lovely short story about a family all getting a second chance
March 8, 2019
Part of the Open Door Series, Series Three
The Open Door series, an adult literacy series of novellas by well-known Irish authors, was launched in the mid-1990s by Irish publisher New Island and author Patricia Scanlan. - Wikipedia
Here is a list of all of the novells to-date.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Do...
The Open Door series, an adult literacy series of novellas by well-known Irish authors, was launched in the mid-1990s by Irish publisher New Island and author Patricia Scanlan. - Wikipedia
Here is a list of all of the novells to-date.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Do...
March 20, 2020
Having read many of Binchy’s earlier novels, I wondered what I would find in what looked to be a short story, where she didn’t have the luxury of many pages to weave her tale. She didn’t need it. Binchy tells the story of a housing contractor who visits the neighbor lady to the house he’s working on, and they develop a relationship. You meet the lady’s family and understand her story, and there is a plot tying the families together. While the basic story seemed quite similar to bits of others of Binchy’s novels, this worked well as a complete, stand-alone story. I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the way that Binchy told this story in a very simple manner, without much flowery language. I didn’t realize until after I finished that this was written for an Irish literacy project, providing stories by Irish authors to help people learn to read. Wonderful idea, and well done.
November 11, 2025
This is a small drama with quite a number of characters, mostly Nell’s family , but also some characters who have multiple relationships. The novella is an odd form- more than a short story but too short to be considered a full novel. There is not much time (or pages) to have an extensive plot but some stories only require this short form. This is a family and friends story and the end seems inevitable, with a few bumps of course but the stage is a home and will presides over convention. Compact and companionable- a study in efficiency from the author’s perspective.
May 23, 2024
short and sweet little novella
February 27, 2020
Short but really sweet! A lovely story of the trials and misunderstandings of ordinary family life. There is conflict within Nan's family between her children and their respective partners. Jo has a "perfect life" at least on the surface. Bobby her son seems to be commitment-phobic and Pat is constantly worried about the dangers of life to the extent that she is not actually living hers to the full and is letting her appearance become untidy. Nan lives alone and waits for their visits only to feel that when they do come it is to talk at her rather than to her, she feels that they simply do not hear what she has to say or that they consider it to be totally unimportant. Then the house next door goes on the market and the builders move in to renovate it. Nan meets Derek Doyle the owner of the builders business and he becomes a regular visitor and companion for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. As Nan comes to realise that her opinions do actually count and that she is not just there to be talked at the family gets a bit of a shakeup and they are all the better for it.
August 5, 2020
short story. I love the way MB can turn the tables on her characters. and i love her strong women.
and i love how her characters show up in other stories!!
and i love how her characters show up in other stories!!
June 25, 2012
This book is part of a series that was started in Ireland to promote adult literacy. The project was to commission famous Irish authors to write novellas that are divided into chapters, feature low-level vocabulary, and are 10,000 words or fewer ALL WHILE maintaining a meaningful storyline and well-developed characters. A bit of a tall order. The proceeds went to a charity of the author's choosing. I read this one because it was an author I recognized, at least by name. The book was a quick read (like, thirty minutes quick), but worth the time. It's impressive to see what an author can do, even under these constraints. The story is not complicated, but it is definitely meaningful and pleasant. Great airplane reading.
December 3, 2016
Everything Binchy writes is well crafted and enjoyable. I suppose what intrigued me about this story is that I didn't have the ending figured out until the end. Binchy has a way---a unique ability---to make ordinary, mundane events into commonalities that unite, define, and empower its characters. In this story, the characters, who caused pain and suffering, are forgotten and fade into the background as their victims became aware of how irrelevant those characters that conflicted pain are to their lives. Rather, an important lesson, I think.
July 14, 2016
I love Maeve Binchy
This is another wonderful story from one of my favorite authors. Her stories are engaging and fun and always have a lesson in them. Love Maeve Binchy!
This is another wonderful story from one of my favorite authors. Her stories are engaging and fun and always have a lesson in them. Love Maeve Binchy!
December 11, 2022
Another ODS read, I'm loving this series of novella's as theyre easy reading and allow you to discover new authors. The Open Doors Series is all by Irish authors.
Nan Ryan lives by herself at Number 14 Chestnut Road. When it's heard that the builders are coming to work on the deserted house next door, she starts to wonder who her new neighbours might be. She does not wish to bother the builders but she also wants some company.
Nan's children, Jo, Bobby and Pat pop into see her but only ever when they need or want something, Nan wants some excitement and she gets it when the foreman and owner of the building company, Derek Doyle comes knocking at her door. She quickly forms a friendship and gets the company she so desires.
Nan's children all have all have their own issues, its a family in conflict. Jo has a "perfect life" at least on the surface, is her husband all that he seems to be? Bobby, Nan's only son seems to be commitment-phobic. Then there's Pat who is constantly worried about the dangers of life to the extent that she is not actually living hers to the full and is letting her appearance become untidy.
Another great addition to the ODS and another great little novella read. Nan is a real loveable character but you can help feel for her and cheer her when she gains confidence and starts to change her ways and challenge those that attempt to prevent her from changing.
Nan Ryan lives by herself at Number 14 Chestnut Road. When it's heard that the builders are coming to work on the deserted house next door, she starts to wonder who her new neighbours might be. She does not wish to bother the builders but she also wants some company.
Nan's children, Jo, Bobby and Pat pop into see her but only ever when they need or want something, Nan wants some excitement and she gets it when the foreman and owner of the building company, Derek Doyle comes knocking at her door. She quickly forms a friendship and gets the company she so desires.
Nan's children all have all have their own issues, its a family in conflict. Jo has a "perfect life" at least on the surface, is her husband all that he seems to be? Bobby, Nan's only son seems to be commitment-phobic. Then there's Pat who is constantly worried about the dangers of life to the extent that she is not actually living hers to the full and is letting her appearance become untidy.
Another great addition to the ODS and another great little novella read. Nan is a real loveable character but you can help feel for her and cheer her when she gains confidence and starts to change her ways and challenge those that attempt to prevent her from changing.
March 4, 2025
Read my full review on Rosepoint Publishing.
Binchy manages to develop engaging characters and wring as much emotion from them as possible in less than one hundred pages in this novella.
Nan Ryan lives alone. Her children manage visits that are little more than welfare checks. When a crew arrives to fix up the house next door, things begin to change. The foreman of the team, Derek Doyle, pops in for tea and as a relationship develops, Nan changes her family dynamics and an interesting paradigm impacts all the characters.
And I applauded the change.
While I wasn’t too sure about the conclusion, it was a happy little ending, even if a bit fast and tidy. If you are a Binchy fan, you can read it on your commute home (unless you’re driving, of course).
Binchy manages to develop engaging characters and wring as much emotion from them as possible in less than one hundred pages in this novella.
Nan Ryan lives alone. Her children manage visits that are little more than welfare checks. When a crew arrives to fix up the house next door, things begin to change. The foreman of the team, Derek Doyle, pops in for tea and as a relationship develops, Nan changes her family dynamics and an interesting paradigm impacts all the characters.
And I applauded the change.
While I wasn’t too sure about the conclusion, it was a happy little ending, even if a bit fast and tidy. If you are a Binchy fan, you can read it on your commute home (unless you’re driving, of course).
March 27, 2024
This story was written specifically for the third of The Open Door series which was developed with the assistance of the City of DublinVocational Education Committee. All royalties from the Irish sales of the Open Door series go to a charity of the author's choice. The Builders royalties want to Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross, Dublin.
"Our" Maeve has written a charming novella about a nearly 60-year-old Nan Ryan and forty-ish Derek Doyle who meet when he is the construction contractor working on the house next door to Nan's. I don't want to get into the story because it's so short and so enjoyable to read that anyone reading this review should do just that. So much happens and several people change drastically in so short a time!
"Our" Maeve has written a charming novella about a nearly 60-year-old Nan Ryan and forty-ish Derek Doyle who meet when he is the construction contractor working on the house next door to Nan's. I don't want to get into the story because it's so short and so enjoyable to read that anyone reading this review should do just that. So much happens and several people change drastically in so short a time!
July 31, 2021
Now here’s a Maeve Binchy story which I haven’t read before! I’m delighted to have also discovered another couple of books which I’m adding to my list.
Nan Ryan lives in Chestnut Road; the house next door has been empty for a couple of years and in need of some work to make it habitable again. When the builders turn up in their van one morning, Nan holds back whilst others in the street watch and gossip. However as she gets to know one particular member of the crew, they put their heads together to try and find out what happened to the previous occupants who just disappeared one day.
The Builders is a novella-length tale written as part of the ‘Open Doors’ series mainly organised by author Patricia Scanlan to promote adult literacy and featuring the very cream of Irish writers. I’ve yet to come across one which isn’t of the highest calibre. The blurb doesn’t even touch the surface of what’s contained in this story; there is so much going on all written with the wit and warmth of an author like no other. Truly enjoyable and another five star read from my favourite author.
Nan Ryan lives in Chestnut Road; the house next door has been empty for a couple of years and in need of some work to make it habitable again. When the builders turn up in their van one morning, Nan holds back whilst others in the street watch and gossip. However as she gets to know one particular member of the crew, they put their heads together to try and find out what happened to the previous occupants who just disappeared one day.
The Builders is a novella-length tale written as part of the ‘Open Doors’ series mainly organised by author Patricia Scanlan to promote adult literacy and featuring the very cream of Irish writers. I’ve yet to come across one which isn’t of the highest calibre. The blurb doesn’t even touch the surface of what’s contained in this story; there is so much going on all written with the wit and warmth of an author like no other. Truly enjoyable and another five star read from my favourite author.
September 30, 2018
This was such a quick read at only 87 pages with a large type font. And Maeve Binchy doesn’t disappoint! I recommend this to anyone who needs a light happy read.
Nan lives in a small house on a quiet street until one day, the Builders come in to renovate the house next door. Her kids fear the neighborhood will get too noisy, or that builders will bring crime into the neighborhood, but Nan is excited to see what new neighbors the long abandoned house will bring!
Nan lives in a small house on a quiet street until one day, the Builders come in to renovate the house next door. Her kids fear the neighborhood will get too noisy, or that builders will bring crime into the neighborhood, but Nan is excited to see what new neighbors the long abandoned house will bring!
January 3, 2023
Incorrect synopsis but good short story nonetheless. It has been so long since I read chick lit that I never notice the comfort that it gives. It is a so-so book that is good for passing time. The family dynamics must be typical for people living in western countries. The animosity between family members sure is the trope for western culture in movies and books.
November 26, 2023
A great short book. Really warm. There are 5 main characters over under 10,000 words but all are well drawn. I read the English and the Irish language edition so I will review it in Irish as well. There only seems to be one book here for the Irish and English editions so I will review both here.
The book in Irish is great. Suitable for non fluent learners. As is the audiobook. The narrator does a great job conveying the emotion in Irish. and speaking clearly.
The book in Irish is great. Suitable for non fluent learners. As is the audiobook. The narrator does a great job conveying the emotion in Irish. and speaking clearly.
April 7, 2021
Delightful Story
Cleverly written with well defined characters. Classic Maeve Binchy. When I read her very first novel I was hooked. She’s my favorite writer and I’m so sad that she’s no longer here to entertain us. I consider Tara Road to be her masterpiece, and loved that the characters appeared in later novels. Her subtle humor always amuses me greatly.
Cleverly written with well defined characters. Classic Maeve Binchy. When I read her very first novel I was hooked. She’s my favorite writer and I’m so sad that she’s no longer here to entertain us. I consider Tara Road to be her masterpiece, and loved that the characters appeared in later novels. Her subtle humor always amuses me greatly.
January 2, 2023
Love Maeve Binchy books!
Nan has been living her life based on her family’s needs. Having gone to work to support them after their father left then retired, they expect her to always be available for them. When she starts having a life and setting boundaries what will happen? When starts asking if them,how will they react? What about the friendly yet mysterious builder next door?
Nan has been living her life based on her family’s needs. Having gone to work to support them after their father left then retired, they expect her to always be available for them. When she starts having a life and setting boundaries what will happen? When starts asking if them,how will they react? What about the friendly yet mysterious builder next door?
June 1, 2023
An enjoyable entertaining story.I was.pleased to be able to finish it so quickly. It's hard to find enough time to sit down with a novel just now. However, I think it needed a bit more proof reading, I found a few grammatical errors in the typing, which spoiled the story for me a little bit, hence only 3 stars.
June 25, 2023
Oh how I love Maeve Binchy! I always with her books we’re longer. Her character development is the best. She makes me care about each character. Even the sun characters come to life on her pages. She is a masterful writer. I have fallen in love with Ireland and the people through her books. Another win in this short story from Binchey!
December 9, 2023
4 Stars
Delightful short story about a reclusive woman, suppressed by her three adult children. When construction begins on the house next door, she watches from a distance until the head of the construction crew knocks on her door. This is a coming of age story. (that is not limited to teenagers)
Delightful short story about a reclusive woman, suppressed by her three adult children. When construction begins on the house next door, she watches from a distance until the head of the construction crew knocks on her door. This is a coming of age story. (that is not limited to teenagers)
January 20, 2018
Build it they will come
Maeve Binchy 1 if my all time favorite authors.Lived how Nan seemed to Grow...get a life...a purpose...a plan..She found her worth..admitted her short comings. And then had a show down. As it were..
Maeve Binchy 1 if my all time favorite authors.Lived how Nan seemed to Grow...get a life...a purpose...a plan..She found her worth..admitted her short comings. And then had a show down. As it were..
March 1, 2019
Over too soon
There is an interesting mix of characters that are very well rounded. The story appeared to be going in one direction and then made several surprising and delightful turns. I wasn't prepared for the ending. It came all too quickly.
There is an interesting mix of characters that are very well rounded. The story appeared to be going in one direction and then made several surprising and delightful turns. I wasn't prepared for the ending. It came all too quickly.
March 11, 2019
Quick read that instantly has you enchanted with the characters.
I only wish i were as bold as Binchy's characters. Nan comes off as quiet and unassuming but soon gets everything out in the open with finesse.
I only wish i were as bold as Binchy's characters. Nan comes off as quiet and unassuming but soon gets everything out in the open with finesse.
August 4, 2019
A book that can be finished in one sitting. The blend of characters and the journey they embark upon is the crux of this story. Character development is truly what entices you in and makes you want to know th characters, in and out. A beautiful read for a laid-back afternoon
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews