Five Days Apart - by Chris Binchy (Paperback)

About the Book

In bestselling Irish author Chris Binchy's first U.S. publication, a lifelong Dublin friendship is strained to breaking when two young men fall in love with the same unforgettable woman. The Irish Independent Review has called Binchy's writing "wide-ranging, complex, profound, and very satisfying," and this classic tale of friendship and romance is a perfect showcase of his formidable talent.

Book Synopsis

In bestselling Irish author Chris Binchy's first U.S. publication, a lifelong Dublin friendship is strained to breaking when two young men fall in love with the same unforgettable woman. The Irish Independent Review has called Binchy's writing "wide-ranging, complex, profound, and very satisfying," and this classic tale of friendship and romance is a perfect showcase of his formidable talent.

From the Back Cover

When bright but tongue-tied David sees the magnetic Camille at a party, he plays it safe, asking his smooth and charming best friend, Alex, to make the introduction. But even though David was the first to notice Camille, it's ever-confident Alex who walks away with the girl.

Painfully aware of what he has lost through his hesitant, overcautious approach to life, David leaves home in search of a new beginning. But neither distance nor time can erase the memory of Camille. Buoyed by a fresh perspective and newfound self-assurance, David is ready to face the would-be love of his life again and finally act on his feelings. But what happens when love gets in the way of lifelong friendship?

In the tradition of Nick Hornby, Roddy Doyle, and Michael Chabon, Chris Binchy delivers a witty and wise tale of the misfortunes of bad timing and the power of love.

Review Quotes

"Binchy creates an unforgettable and troubling story about loyalty, betrayal, and the social and emotional imperatives of self-interest. . . . Binchy is a master of realistic dialog and characterization, both of which are on dazzling display in this novel. Critics often aptly compare him to Nick Hornby, though Five Days Apart also calls to mind great early social comedies by Kingsley Amis and Roger Longrigg." - Library Journal

"Binchy has a deft touch with dialogue, using it to reveal characters takling at cross-purposes, deceiving themselves as much as they do one another. . . . The novel plays with and against romantic-comedy conventions and expectations: It's clear that this triangle is an ultimately unstable structure, but Binchy keeps it precariously balanced for longer than would seem possible. And when the triangle does topple, the believably bittersweet results don't insult the reader's intelligence." - Columbus Dispatch

"Five Days Apart channels the classic John Knowles novel A Separate Peace in that it is a brutal and refreshingly honest look at friendship. . . . We all know a David, an Alex and a Camille, and we have all heard this story before. But in Binchy's world, we are forced to look at it from another place, to examine what goes into the common love triangle that floods books, movies, TV and real life. . . . Five Days Apart is a great antidote to the typical summer novel. There is no guaranteed happily ever after, and while it's an easy read, it is one that will leave you deep in thought for days." - Houston Chronicle

"Binchy writes with a slow-burning intensity about social isolation and loneliness, workplace politics, and romantic triangles." - Booklist

"Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it's a split between close male friends in their 20s. In Binchy's astutely observed American debut the pair in question is David and Alex. . . . The contrast between the two men is perceptively drawn by Binchy, who proves himself a lucid chronicler of the buddy relationship. . . ." - Publishers Weekly

"Five Days Apart succeeds for many reasons, not the least of which is the author's spot-on evocation of a specific time and place: Dublin, Ireland, in the nineties. . . . Chris Binchy has taken what might have been boilerplate and turned it into an honest and compelling portrait of contemporary friendship." - New York Journal of Books

"Binchy--a bestseller in Ireland and the nephew of beloved author Maeve Binchy--tackles the age-old issues of love, friendship, loneliness and ambition with a surprisingly nuanced hand....Where Binchy excels is his subtle commentary on this new generation, clearly stunted by an unparalleled amount of choice. The way in which David and Alex treat their freedom--and friendship--is fascinating, far beyond their conflict with Camille, and their dilemma makes this perceptive debut stand out from America's lackluster lad lit scene." - BookPage