Monday, September 7, 2009

The Guernsey Literary: Through Page 102

So how are you guys liking the book so far? Although it took me a bit to really get into it/ established with the characters/scene, I like how it's slowly developing. It's all unfolding through these characters' letters so I'm not exactly being gripped and shocked and thrown for loops here. To me, the story feels more like it's on a slow simmer - for now anyway - and I'm patiently waiting for it to come to a boil.

Here are some of my thoughts on the first third of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:

- I love the language used in these letters. It's pure poetry! Imagine receiving one in the mail? Makes me wish we still took that much care in the words we chose. Mayhaps I shall commence writing as such to my dear pen pal? I think she'd love it so!

- I wonder how fast these letters got to their destination. I know it's a work of fiction, but it perplexes me when I see several letters sent back and forth within the same day! I set the scene so far back I imagined horses being involved (or perhaps carrier pigeons?), but the real question is why is the USPS so stinking slow? Also, I like how they have no qualms about sending off letters with just one word. (God forbid I receive a one-word text.) It's like old-school instant messenger...minus the instant.

- Speaking of the back and forth, even though the language is a bit more "proper" than the butchered Americanism of today, they're so witty. What makes it even better (for me) is the unexpected humor I stumble upon in these letters.

- The overall theme here: books, the love we have for them and their power to comfort. The opening quote still remains in my head: I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.

How many times haven't I started a book only to realize once I'm knee-deep in it, that I'm reading exactly what I need to read at that moment in my life, stumbling into answers I never thought to find then and there? And if not answers, then just soothing words that make me feel less alone in my troubles.

Growing up, I always kept a book underneath my pillow. I'd read myself to sleep in the dark, using the hallway light to make out the words. And if I had no books within reach, I'd read the backs of my mom's hairspray bottles on the dresser by my bed. I really just wanted to devour every sentence there was.

(P.S. I loved Juliet's reason for breaking off her engagement with her fiancé, by the way. That, I thought, was the best insight to her character.)

- Another quote that stuck out: When my son, Ian, died at El Alamein - side by side with Eli's father, John - visitors offering their condolences, thinking to comfort me, said "Life goes on." What nonsense, I thought, of course it doesn't. It's death that goes on; Ian is dead now and will be dead tomorrow and next year and forever. There's no end to that. But perhaps there will be an end to the sorrow of it.

- So far my favorite character is Juliet herself and though I've yet to meet her, I've taken quite a liking to Elizabeth. I hope she's found soon so that I may read her letters too.

Feel free to comment on the beginning portion of the book or add your link if you've written a post about it (as long as there are no spoilers)!



  1. This will be a long comment. :)

    I too, found the first 25 pages or so difficult to get into - I think its because there is no introduction so you don't know who is who - or what is going on. After you puzzle that out - things get moving.

    The postal service is not the only "messenger" service in the book - it uses telegrams, hotel messengers/bell boys and I suspect jsut plain business messengers. Here in the USA we used to have postal delivery twice a day - so a letter could be answered within a day with the post. The story is set in 1948-ish so there are lots of cars and delivery trucks to be had - I doubt horses where around much downtown in English cities at that time. They may have been in Guernsey itself. The book speaks of the "daily mail boat" to the Island.

    I too read everything that wasn't nailed down when I was growing up. If it was nailed down, I read the part I could see.

    I highlighted the prose that struck me - and I think I even gasped outloud when I read the "Life goes on" quote.

    I like Juliet. I liked what she said on page 25, "Remember the night last year when you met my train to tell me my home had been boomed flat? You thought I was laughing in hysteria? I wasn't -- it was in irony - if I had let Rob store all my books in the basement, I'd still have them, every one." Her books were her most important possession.

    On page 65, I found the letter from the "holier than thou" Adelaide Addison (Miss) a telling character sketch for how busy bodies interfere with things - no wonder she was still (Miss).

    Lastly I found it amusing when Isolda makes an exiler to "restore manly ardor" - it made me wonder how far back in time, ED has been a "problem" - its not a Viagra-era thing. Actually fertility rites and cures go back to nearly the begininngs of mankind. I chuckled too, at Isolda's choice of firestarting paper - "the tide tables, the Book of Revelations, and the story of Job".


  2. Yup! I was a bit disoriented in the beginning because you're just throw into the middle of it all. Characters are fully formed and you just have to try and piece it together with the little bits and clues you're fed along the way, but it's coming together now.

    On the train ride this morning I finally read what you'd mentioned about the speed of daily mail boats and "aeroplanes." But thanks so much for giving me a better frame of reference. I'm clearly not a history buff at all!

    And Adelaide is getting on my nerves! I'd've smacked her too. Maybe that's why I like Elizabeth so much. She stands her ground and holds her own quite nicely. Plus, she just sounds plain fun and doesn't care what others may say. A free spirit, if you will :)

    That quote on page 25 made me smile for some weird reason. I mean imagine losing all your loved possessions like she did? Or maybe it was just the poignancy of the sentence that struck a chord. I can't imagine having to live through what those residents did.

    Was that the bit you highlighted in your book?

  3. I posted my review over at my blog:

  4. And I actually JUST finished leaving you a response. Thanks for linking up! I enjoyed your thoughts on the first part of the book :)

  5. Yes, that was one of the quotes I highlighted.

    I highlighted a paragraph on page 142 - I am almost certain you can guess which one.


  6. I have to wait until the end of the month to get hold of an audio version of this book. The only shops that sell it are the expensive ones where I wont pay the prices unless I know I REALLY want the book and have been looking everywhere with no success. So, I tried the library, but their only copy is out at the moment. It's reserved for me. Will give you my comments once I've got it and listened to it.

  7. intense guy, I know the one. Quite fitting :)

    Another question for you, are you the type that writes on the margins? I could never bring myself to write in mine. Almost feels like I'm desecrating them.

    tori.z, do let us know how it goes! We'd love to hear your thoughts too regardless of whether you liked it or not.

  8. Since I finished it and had to take it back to the library I'm relying solely on my memory for the breaks, I think I'll probably just do two reviews as it is split into two halves.
    I agree with you both about taking a bit of time to get into the story.
    I like the idea of bloggers finding their appropriate reading material like Juliet's thoughts on books homing to their pre-destined owner.

  9. I rarely "mess up" a book - especially a hardback one. So no, no margin notes, no bent pages marking the page, no even turning the book over to keep my place (it harms the spline so I was taught) - I always use a bookmark. :) OCD comes in all forms.

    This book was a little different - I'm going to give it away to my Mom to read and I wanted her to note some passages I thought were interesting / intriguing so she and I could discuss them later.

    How about you? margin scribbles? highlighting?

  10. Oh no, no dog ears, scribbles, folding or anything. If I need to make notes I write it down on my notepad- quotes, pages to refer back to, I'll even rip up pieces of papers to mark pages I want to go back to. And I usually remove the jacket because it's annoying sometimes and I don't want to mess it up.

    So we're in the same boat...heading straight to Crazy Town.

    And discussing with your mom? That sounds fun :)

  11. You two are making me feel like a bad book reader. I dog-ear pages all the time, and lay the book open to keep my page. I don't high-light or write in the margins though (well I did in paper-backs for courses in college, but don't anymore). If I want to remember a passage, I'll get one of those post-it note arrow thingies or mark it with a paperclip.

  12. Will make sure to post a review - regardless of what I think of it - once I've got it and "read" it. :)

  13. Alright, where to begin. I used to dog ear, write in margins, underline. Most of that was in college, but I still do occasionally. Most of the time I've started keeping a notebook next to me and scribbling page numbers of things I like and want to refer to. For whatever reason, I get a lot of joy when I find a book, mine or someone else's, with love shown all over it. My books might have food stains on them, pencil notes, and pieces of paper all in them with scribbles. But the one thing I don't mess with is the binding. I like to try and hold the book so that it's not folded too far back or crease the paperback bind. Weird, I know.

    Maybe it's because I'm on my third book in a month for the first time since having children, but what I love most about reading in general is the commonalities. No matter if the book is about historical, future, or present day toils, I can always find something in common with one or more characters. I feel as if they UNDERSTAND what I've experienced, or I feel that they represent a part of me I haven't yet lived out.

    Specifically with Guernsey, I feel it with Juliet. Pg 8 she writes to Sophie and talks of the lonely feeling when you're with the wrong person, someone you can't be silent with. Pg 12 she's more lighthearted with Dawsey when she says she'd rather whine than count her blessings. Obviously she's tongue in cheek, but I love that humor. Pg 15 Juliet admits to Sidney that he was right and she was wrong, and how it pains her to admit it. Hmmm. Yes. I understand. :) I know that most felt it started slowly for them, but these quick few pages captured my attention and I loved getting straight into the middle of the characters' personalities. At least in THIS book.

    One part I found interesting was her choice in recommendation letters - one good, one poor. I thought that was a clever move and I'm considering using it for the next job interview I take. How ingenious does that make her to pick someone who will point out a flaw, but with the obvious knowledge that it alone would endear you to someone? I started asking myself WHO would that "poor" rec letter come from, if I chose this method?

    My final thought - Pg 81-82 Adelaide describes the hussies in terms of silk, scents, chocolate, wine, and cigarettes. And then I thought of my college years. Aaahhh, to be a hussy again. And now I just consider myself "a tuba among the flutes." (pg 85)
    (this comment might be a post for me.)

  14. Hmmm, maybe I should start writing all over my books and then setting them loose into the world. Maybe mine look too "unread?" I know I like it when I stumble onto other people's thoughts and random scribbles.

    And you've been on a roll with book reading these days! I've been reading back to back for a couple months now and though I like the breaks in between to give my brain time to breathe, I do get antsy when I have no book/story to look forward to on my commute. I'm always afraid I'm going to end up - gasp! - bored. And that to me is a fate worse than death.

    Isn't it great when you can see yourself in any of those characters? It usually makes me love the story more when I become invested in these people.

    LOL, "how it pains her to admit it. Hmmm. Yes. I understand." I bet you do!

    And I have no idea who I'd choose for my bad recommendation, but I have a feeling that could seriously blow up in my face if I ever tried it. Not that I've done anything bad per se... ;)

    So happy to hear you're enjoying the book! Especially that you actually loved being thrown into the middle of it all from the get go. I like being introduced first and then being eased into the situation, but I think that might be an indication of our personalities too, don't you think? I think you're the jump-in-with-both-feet type of person. I've usually been the I-think-I'll-observe-from-this-corner-first-thanks type of person. (Well except for this weekend, I guess.)

  15. After I wrote that about enjoying the "jump into" approach, I pondered it as a personality quirk too. :) Yes, I agree. Maybe that's exactly what it indicates. I'm happy to hear you jumped straight into your weekend festivities. It really can liven up a day/event/moment.


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