However, where in other novels Binchy is fully able to fill her usual 700+ page count with ease, in Echoes it seems that for every page of plot there was an accompanying page of filler. Where many authors struggle to tie everything together, Binchy has an almost Dickensian talent of making everything connect and tie-up naturally. Binchy is at her absolute best when she is juggling several plots. Of course the plot involving Clare and David is actually only one storyline in this vast 737-page novel which spans the entirety of the 50s and the early 60s in Castlebay. You can already guess where this is going, yes, this is Maeve Binchy's Romeo and Juliet. The Powers are 'to the manor born', David is off at boarding school for the early parts of the novel but eventually follows in his father's footsteps by studying medicine. The O'Briens run the local shop, they're working class and Clare is only able to further her education by being gifted and winning scholarships. The story revolves around Clare O'Brien and David Power, the offspring of two vastly different families in the seaside town of Castlebay in the 1950s. (Reviews, July 24, 2006.) (Dec.In Echoes Binchy proves that she truly is a master storyteller but blistering sentimentality and her penchant for verbosity turn some sections of the novel into a test of stamina. This is a rare case: the book itself is superb, but the audio production surpasses it. Additional background music augments the many perilous predicaments Aza finds herself in, as well as providing a backdrop to the fairy-tale romance that develops between her and Prince Ijori. In a chance meeting, the treacherous new queen, whose abrasive voice has a Valley Girlesque quality, discovers Aza's talent and blackmails the girl into secretly providing her voice for all of the queen's public singing. Homely Aza, abandoned at birth, not only sings like a lark, she can throw her voice and mimic others, a skill she calls illusing. Composer Todd Hobin has set Levine's lyrics to music Naughton does a terrific job as maid Aza, the narrator, a demanding role that requires near-operatic talents. Levine's enchanting, intelligent fairy tale, set in a kingdom devoted to singing, lends itself well to full-cast production this one features 32 voices.

Echoes binchy novel