Book: Maeve Binchy: Victoria Line, Central Line
- Published: 1978, 1980
A collection of short stories which are tied in some way to the London Underground, or the theme of travel in general. Most are about anxious middle-class couples and single women, and how their perceptions of the world clash with reality.
Binchy enjoys role reversals (or at least changes of POV) and twist endings, which work pretty well in the limited time we have with these characters. The stories are pretty consistently funny, even when they take on dark topics. One element that appears often is the power of the socially skilled to subtly manipulate others.
This was a delight to read after having DNF'd a romance novel that I was just not enjoying at all. I've since found a copy of her debut novel, Light a Penny Candle, and I'll keep an eye out for her other books.