London Transports (by Maeve Binchy)

(Amazon UK link)

'London Transports' is a collection of short stories by Maeve Binchy, set in London. I like Maeve Binchy's novels, on the whole, but have not been so taken with her short stories. Still, I found this volume in a charity shop and thought it worth reading.

I enjoyed some of these stories. But many of them seemed almost unfinished, with no real resolution or conclusion. I assume that was deliberate: the author left the reader to decide on their own conclusions. I prefer closure, or at least some clear indication of where a story is going.

Having said that, there are likeable and believable characters in these stories. There are some interesting ideas, too. But - especially in the earlier stories - I found most of them rather frustrating.

Perhaps I should re-read them again in another ten years, and see if I 'get' them rather better.

Note: This collection is also published as 'Victoria Line, Central Line', with the stories in a slightly different order.