Book - Circle of Friends (1995) Discussion

[–] noracharles05 21 years ago

(Major spoilers below.)

It's good...good enough, in fact, that the ending (more bittersweet than in the film, or so I've heard) didn't bother me. Ordinarily I hate ambivalent or sad endings. But this one, for whatever reason, seemed right.

There are punctuation errors in the edition I've got (rare use of commas...got on my nerves) and the occasional mistake (the word "alternatively" where "alternately" would have been appropriate, things like that). But I'm just being anal. Overall it was a sweet story, and not unrealistic. I really want to see the film now.

Here's my question - does Benny ever end up with Jack, or are they really finished, for good? In the book there's some sentence mentioning that it's "too soon", which makes me think (hope) that maybe eventually Jack and Benny do end up together, and she doesn't have to constantly wonder about him.

Nothing makes one so vain as being told one is a sinner! -VG

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[–] Astrophel 20 years ago

I loved the book!

But i loved the ending much more then the movie ending, you were right when you described it as bittersweet.

I thought from the book that it implied that Bernedette was going to end up with Bill, didn't the book mention her snuggling up to him, and how Jack was on the outside, but that she invited him to join the group or something?

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[–] jtste1 20 years ago

I read the book a year or 2 ago and have been anxious to watch the film ever since. I really liked the film (just finished watching it) and they missed a lot out but i think that they had to do it or else it would have ended up like an epic (like Harry Potter).

Until i watched it i couldn't picture Minnie Driver as Benny but after seeing it i think she did a great job. And i loved Eve and Jack but i pictured Nan much blonder.

And yes, in the book i don't remember benny and jack together in the end but i did like that in the movie.

--It's funny that people pay $5 for evian, but i guess it is NAIVE spelt backwards!--

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[–] starshine93078 17 years ago

I totally agree with you about Nan; I remember in the book they said she looked like Grace Kelly.

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[–] paintbrush_2003 20 years ago

Warning--some possible *spoilers* below (book and movie)
I read the book years after seeing the movie. I have to admit, I like the book a lot more than I remember liking the movie. The movie seemed very muddled to me. Now that I've read the book, some parts of the movie make more sense.
Anyway, the book seems to be a lot more about Benny finding her own voice and learning to stand up for herself. In the book, it's implied that Jack was, is, and always will be a playboy like his father, and Benny isn't going to change herself just to stay with him. There's a lot written about the way Jack's mother makes her home and herself perfect in order to keep Jack's father, and Benny realizes she would have to do the same--and doesn't want to. The movie seemed to be more of a straight forward love story. In the movie, as I remember it, Nan seduces Jack only once. In the book, Nan and Jack go off to use Eve's cottage several times and while Jack feels a little bit guilty, he goes along with it. Nan is pretty heartless in the book by bringing not one but two lovers to Eve's cottage and ends up calling Eve provencial for even thinking there might be something wrong with Nan bringing lovers to Eve's cottage without permission.

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[–] 20 years ago

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[–] leeny994 19 years ago

The book is WONDERFUL. I did not like the direction that the movie went in. It lost something.... despite the great acting.

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[–] katedodonnell 19 years ago

the book is brilliant. seriously, i loved the film the first few times i watched it, but now am totally unsatisfied with it. i read the book first (because you always should) and i miss clodagh and fonzie and even silly rosemary ryan. sean and carmel, the whole sean walsh/mrs healy thing...mr flood and the nuns in his tree...the gorgeous kit and eve friendship and mother francis and heather westward and peggy pine and "the baddy" mother clare.
andrew davies, though a great writer, i think focused on the politics of the catholic church too much. maeve binchy is more of a light read, not trying to make waves or anything, it's more of a social commentary than anything theological.
huff.

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[–] sarahcusack 19 years ago

i read the book after seeing the movie .... loved the movie sooo much that i was disapointed that the characters were a little different ie jack being a playboy and that the ending was different. i fell in love with the movie from the very beginning and reading the book almost made it seem less magical for me although i'm sure it would be different if i had read the book first ... i'm just a sucker for a happy ending!

sarah
"those are my thoughts not yours" ~dave hunter

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[–] pomelo 19 years ago

I love the book, and found the film a bit disappointing. I liked the ending of the book, and found the film a bit too neat.

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[–] Sunflower007 19 years ago

~ I just finished reading. The novel was great and beautifully written. But I love the movie more.

*~~*

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[–] Heavy_underground 19 years ago

I really have no idea how you all can like the book more.
i mean honestly, i thought it was disappointing. Maybe just maybe like a chance in a million that i feel this way because i saw the movie first.

but come on, they made jack foley seem like such a butt in the book.
and the only reason i like this story at all is because the cute guy falls for the chubby girl! which is cool because im chubby ( lol).

but nooooo, in the book he turns out to be a jerk. So its like, come on one for the chubs team and then you go and take it away.

plus in the movie it was really more nan's fault for the whole thing with jack and they get back together at the end.

i dunno thats just my opinion that the movie was much sweeter.

- what are you doing?...memorizing me by heart?
- No, I already know you by heart

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[–] harrietta_moonriver 19 years ago

I reckon the ending in the film was the perfect ending for the film, and in the book, the ending was perfect for that. They were both actually quite different, and I respect each ending individually.

"Eliza! Where the devil are my slippers?"

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[–] katedodonnell 19 years ago

i don't think jack is a jerk. he's a womanizer, like his father. but he's a funny and lovely person. just a lot of work. and jeez! the book has a way happier ending! benny has a million friends, all who accept her as she is, she has the freedom she always wished for, she is smart, she can have her pick of any of the guys in her group (well, bill or that nick guy and i'm sure others) and she doesn't have to worry all the time about pleasing jack. she comes out of it all so much better.

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[–] nw_sea1 18 years ago

>>But come on, they made jack foley seem like such a butt in the book.
and the only reason i like this story at all is because the cute guy falls for the chubby girl! which is cool because im chubby ( lol).

but nooooo, in the book he turns out to be a jerk. So its like, come on one for the chubs team and then you go and take it away.

plus in the movie it was really more nan's fault for the whole thing with jack and they get back together at the end. <<<

Well, there are guys that are playboys...no matter who they're with, fat or thin, beautiful or plain, they'll always want someone else as well. And in the book, she had several guys interested in her, including at the end Bill Dunne who she also seemed to be getting interested in herself. I don't think he was supposed to be as handsome as Jack, but I don't think he was supposed to be ugly or awful either.

If you get a chance you might want to look at the book again...I've always thought it was more empowering for "big" women than the movie. And I say this as a very "big" woman.

Check out the part of the book that deals with the dance. In the book, though there are a couple instances where Benny is a wallflower sitting at the table alone, more often she is dancing with one boy or another, and at the end of the evening there are two boys asking her for a date, and this is before Jack asks her the next day. There are scenes where guys remark how attractive she looks. Even though they may be admiring one part of her body only, well, that's teenaged boys for you.

While in the movie, at the same dance, she's a total wallflower until 1. Aidan dances with her because he's too shy to ask Eve and wants Benny's advice about the situation; and 2. Finally Jack rescues her from wallflowerdom, at which point she almost breaks into tears and is able to save herself with a joke at the last minute. (Nothing empowering to chubby girls there.) There's nothing showing guys admiring her or anyone else dancing with her except Aidan & Jack. If I remember correctly weren't there even a couple guys laughing at her?

She actually has several choices of boys in the book, though she has eyes only for Jack. There was a guy named Nick at the dance that seemed really persistent. Also it's very clear that Jack cares for her, but he is unable to be faithful to her as he would probably be unable to be faithful to anyone, even Nan. (As his father before him was probably unable to be totally faithful to his wife, no matter how beautiful and thin she was and no matter how hard she worked to keep up her looks as she got older.) For instance, in the book when Jack's making love to Nan, there were times when he wished he was with Benny instead.

There was also nothing in the movie to show her rapport with various boys who were her friends even if not her boyfriends...they liked her personality a lot, and while she felt she had to be always "on" and that people only liked her becuase she had a great sense of humor, is that really any worse than people only liking someone because they're beautiful? And sometimes a friendship can develop into something else.

So anyway, the book always seemed to me to be more empowering to chubby girls than the movie, and to present Benny as someone slowly gaining confidence in herself, and someone who was really good at making friends once she stopped putting herself down so much. And someone who men noticed too...certainly not like they noticed Nan, but a few still noticed her.

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[–] kolohehele91 19 years ago

I read the book, the movie really irritated me. I couldnt believe that they changed the ending! Binchy should have sued!

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[–] phoenix15309 19 years ago

I love both so much. In the movie, I was rutting for them to get together--so when I read the book I was waiting for that same ending. It would be an understatement saying that I was diappointed but as a poster said above this ending is more realistic. I began to think about the book ending and I agree that Benny shouldn't have gotten back together with Jack. It wasn't as if he didn't cheat with someone else other than Nan remember that Welsh girl? In the movie, Jack only cheated with Nan (I think he was drunk? I can't remember) and he seemed to truly regret it and want to get back with Benny. I'm not saying she shouldv have taken him back (once a cheater always a cheater) but it satisfied that girly part of me that loves happy endings. For me, the book didn't ruin the movie for me I love that idea that they'll be together it gives hopes to the nonblonde petite(sp) barbie girls.

No offense to blondes
Barbies
and small framed girls

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[–] greensweater 18 years ago

. In the book, Nan and Jack go off to use Eve's cottage several times and while Jack feels a little bit guilty, he goes along with it. Nan is pretty heartless in the book by bringing not one but two lovers to Eve's cottage and ends up calling Eve provencial for even thinking there might be something wrong with Nan bringing lovers to Eve's cottage without permission.

How freaking evil. I thought Film Nan was horrible, but Book Nan takes the cake. Jack is a stupid a$$, but he's a guy, so that's somewhat predictable, I think Nan comes out looking worse because she's supposed to be Benny's friend.

What I've always wondered, was Nan always supposed to be like that? Or had her crappy personality just suddenly revealed itself when they went to college?

This is IMDB: No one is ever respectful.

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[–] thatmanstolemybag 18 years ago

Nan had been brought up by her over adoring mother to believe that she was too good for the life she was living and she could have whatever she wanted. Nan adopted this belief and it was just a fact to her. "I'm going to marry someone very rich who will take care of me". Not very independant but that's the 50s for you. If her mother had tried to instill more of a "if you work hard you can get a decent job and earn hyour own money" she may have turned out differently. Nan had little or no respect for her mother and wanted to avoid at all costs ending up in the same situation. The thought didn't enter her head that a rich man could abuse her as easily as any poor man.
Jack also was a product of his upbringing to an extent. He had the idea in his head that he could do whatever he liked because as a handsome sporty young son of a doctor he had always gotten what he wanted. But he couldn't help the fact that his parents provided for him. He did genuinely seem a bit "Who, me?" when he did something questionable. He expected to take his place up with the gang after what he did to Benny. It suggests that he doesn't realise his behaviour is unacceptable. After the Wales trip he came to sound Benny out, thinking that she knew what he'd been up. He knew he'd done wrong but his instinct told him that he would be forgiven.
I haven't seen the movie but I can't believe they get together in the end! That doesn't sound right. The point the book made was that Jack would always be the kind of man who strayed, no matter who he ended up with. And Benny was a good and honest person who deserved more. It was a story of a lovely college romance but out of all college romances how many of them last a ifetime? I think the idea that they dated for a few months is more realistic. He was her first love, possibly she was his, but what percentage of people actually end up with thier first love? Maybe in the future they could meet again and decide to make another go of it but I imagine that this would be at least a few years down the line and by this time thier personalities will have grown and matured.
Definatley the ending where she has exactly want she wanted when she was 10, her very own circle of friends, is much preferable.

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[–] neesa-melendez 18 years ago

I noticed in the book when Jacks father wanted Jack to drive him to Knockglen Jack had heard of the place. He said it was miles away. But at the dance Rosemary said Benny claimed she got her dress in "Knockflash". At the time of Jacks conversation with his father he would have no special reason to know Knockglen so I tought maybe it was near enough to Dublin that he knew of itlike Greystones or someting but then Rosemary would surely have been just as likely to know of the place as Jack. I know, I know, it's not exactly a big deal.

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[–] nw_sea1 18 years ago

*********POSSIBLE SPOILERS********

>>>>I noticed in the book when Jacks father wanted Jack to drive him to Knockglen Jack had heard of the place. He said it was miles away. But at the dance Rosemary said Benny claimed she got her dress in "Knockflash". At the time of Jacks conversation with his father he would have no special reason to know Knockglen so I tought maybe it was near enough to Dublin that he knew of itlike Greystones or someting but then Rosemary would surely have been just as likely to know of the place as Jack. I know, I know, it's not exactly a big deal.>>>>

Jack had already met Benny and presumably learned the name of her town. Remember, near the beginning of the book when Benny, Eve and Nan got in the accident, which Jack's dad was also involved in. This was where Benny and Eve met Jack and his friends and Nan. Jack got to talking to Benny and Nan and took them out for a bite to eat after they were through being checked out at the hospital. He was portrayed as someone who genuinely liked women even if a playboy, and if in talking to Benny he learned the name of her hometown, he may have remembered it. Plus wasn't Aidan, Jack's friend, already interested in Eve by that time, and maybe talking about her to Jack and about the fact she was brought up in Knockglen by nuns. So Jack probably had heard the town's name a few times, while Rosemary probably only heard of it once when she asked Benny where she was from. Plus she was contemptuous of Benny, so she would probably make fun of any town that Benny came from if she hadn't heard of it before, as being a hick place with a funny name, or to misremember the name. While Jack, who already kind of liked Benny was more likely to remember her town's name.

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[–] starshine93078 17 years ago

Not exactly; Rosemary said that she couldn't remember where Benny got her "fabulous dress", but that it was some hick town named Knockflash or something like that.

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[–] naja12168-7 17 years ago

Not a fan of the book. I like the movie much better, especially the way they portrayed Jack.

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[–] ladypliff105 18 years ago

yes. i love that book. i had to read for summer readin one year for school n ever since i've loved it. i was excited to find out there was a movie and though I can't watch the movie without thinking "that didn't happen in the book" or "they should've put this part in there." i still think the movie is good as well.

Hey! It's just like Kwanzaa!

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[–] whitespirit26 16 years ago

A few people need to chill. Kol, the movie was simply being optomistic, especially considering the fact that Jack wasn't nearly as unfaithful to Benny as in the book. Nan was NOT evil, she was terrified, and she respected her mother a LOT; if you'd read the book, you'd know that.

"Book Nan takes the cake. Jack is a stupid a$$, but he's a guy, so that's somewhat predictable"

THERE'S a realistic view.

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[–] Purplepenguin8985 14 years ago

I can honestly say that I like both. But for entirely different reasons. And when I think of them they are completely different stories. With completely different characters. There is so much in the book that is left out of the film. Its not really fair to compare them.

And while I do prefer the book more. I think I'm able to appreciate the film almost as much because I stumbled upon the film first. Seeing the film made me seek out the book which added so much to the movie. The book also gave what was probably a more satisfying and realistic ending for Benny. It also allowed more character growth. The booked showed that Benny had a lot more going for her then catching the eye of Jack Foley. It also gave us a lot better understanding of the other girls, Jack, Aidan, and even Sean Walsh.

I think it kind of just depends on what kind of story you prefer. Do you prefer a quick and to the point story that is simpler and happier? Or do you prefer the longer progressing albeit more complicated but real? Maybe you are kind of like me and can take the back stories from the book and use them to enrich the happier one too. Or enjoy either depending on your mood.

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[–] jenny-williams1 9 years ago

Well I haven't read the book or seen the movie - yet. I actually checked this out because I am about to read the book and I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a movie made from the book. So now I know there is. I skimmed pretty quickly past the comments here because I don't really want any spoilers. It seems this must be one of those stories where you prefer whichever one you experienced first.

I'll be back with some thoughts, probably when I finish the book, and then I'll see if I can get the movie, and be back again with some more thoughts. It will be interesting to compare them!

I usually read thrillers and whodunnits, and find it interesting, for instance, to compare the Inspector Morse series on TV with the Colin Dexter books. This will be a bit of a departure for me :)

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