Victoria line, Central line (by Maeve Binchy)

(Amazon UK link)

I read the first two books in my Maeve Binchy ‘Three bestsellers in one volume’ in October and November. I wasn't too keen on 'Dublin 4', a series of four novellas, which I read in September. However I very much liked 'The Lilac Bus', which I read in November. I have just finished the third book in this large volume: ‘Victoria line, Central line’. I last read this in 2001, and all I recalled about it was that it was a collection of short stories, some of them a bit inconclusive.

My memory is accurate. Maeve Binchy wrote some wonderful novels, with thoughtful descriptions and believable, flawed characters. The characters in her short stories are good too; I could relate to several of them. And the first couple of stories did seem to have an ending. 

There’s Amy, for instance, married to Ed, finally getting to meet his beloved big sister Bella. She’s very nervous about this. Bella more-or-less brought Ed up, and he writes to her every month, wanting her approval. The story involves Amy’s preparation, and a potential disaster when the train she’s on breaks down.  This first story ends very neatly, in my opinion. 

The second story is entirely different, about a couple who are planning something unexpected which they hope will spice up their marriage… that, too, has a satisfactory conclusion. But then there’s a story about Vera who’s rather a snob; it’s a good character study, but doesn’t really have much story at all. 

The themes are widespread, some of them potentially shocking, and not ‘family friendly’, although Maeve Binchy never makes the mistake of including details about what goes on in intimate situations. But there’s a lot of jumping in and out of bed, promiscuity, an unwanted pregnancy and a great many women going to bed with men who are married to someone else. 

The stories are all set in London, in different places that have stations on the Underground. Many of the characters use the Underground to travel, or meet in stations. But since I don’t really know London they didn’t mean anything to me; it felt just like a device to give unrelated titles to each of the short stories rather than finding more relevant ones. 

The writing is excellent, as I expect with Maeve Binchy; the people mostly three-dimensional, although for a book first published in 1983 some of the morals and ethics are rather shocking. Quite apart from the secret relationships and adultery, people think nothing of telling lies to each other, to their bosses, and sometimes to themselves. In a few stories this leads to trouble, but one story involves a shop-lifter who is entirely successful… 

One or two of the stories are a little chilling, as controlling personalities are cleverly revealed and the main characters fall under their overt charm. And others disturbing, with flagrant rule-breaking or dishonesty. It feels a bit as if the author was experimenting with different storylines and people, and the style of writing doesn’t quite work with the actions of the characters.

Books of short stories can be unsatisfying when they’re all about different people, and I mostly just read one or two at a time rather than several at once. 

I don’t know that I’d recommend this, particularly, but if you’re a fan of Maeve Binchy, or want some short stories to dip into, it’s not a bad book.

Review copyright 2023 Sue's Book Reviews