I read Circle of Friends during my first year of college, which was in keeping with what the book characters were experiencing at the time. There were a lot of similarities in my own little Circle of Friends and this book hit me like a ton of school books. Benny's tears and triumphs, glowing young men and women that lose their lustre and MB's trademark sense of humour are what make this book fantastic. This was the book that got me hooked on MB. I will remain a loyal fan of her writing forever!