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Loading... The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society▾Recommendations LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendations- infiniteletters recommends A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure by Marlena De Blasi
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Lovingly dedicated to my mother, Edna Fiery Morgan, and to my dear friend Julia Poppy
—M.A.S.
And to my mother, Cynthia Fiery Barrows
—A.B.  | |
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Dear Sidney,
Susan Scott is a wonder. We sold over forty copies of the book, which was very pleasant, but much more thrilling from my standpoint was the food. | |
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Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books. -- Isola Pribby [53]
Men are more interesting in books than they are in real life. --Isola Pribby Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true. --Juliet I can't think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can't talk to, or worse, someone I can't be silent with. -- Juliet [8] I think you learn more if you're laughing at the same time. -- John Booker [89] This obsession with dignity can ruin your life if you let it. -- Juliet | |
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▾References References to this work on external resources.  Wikipedia in English
None ▾LibraryThing members' description
| Book description |
From CD case: January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she'd never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis. He'd come across her name on the flyleaf of a secondhand volume by Charles Lamb. Perhaps she could tell him where he might find more books by this author.
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a unique book club formed in a unique, spur-of-the-moment way; as an alibi to protect its members from arrest by the Germans.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the Society's charming, deeply human members, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Through their letters she learns about their island, their taste in books, and the powerful, transformative impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, Juliet sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her forever.
Told with warmth and humor as a series of letters, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a celebration of finding connection in the most surprising ways. | |
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▾Book descriptions Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0385340990, Hardcover)
“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. (retrieved from Amazon Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:06:43 -0500) (see all 3 descriptions) ▾Open Shelves Classification The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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I don't quite know why it isn't. Really, it should be. I mean, even the author's name screams 'fluffy chick-lit!' from the cover. But I liked meeting the characters. Most were quirky, all were well-drawn. Some were cliched, yes, particularly the sour spinster who interferes with other people's affairs, but most were likeable and rounded enough. I liked the settings - from shattered and grim post-war London to idyllic flower-strewn Guernsey. The plot held few surprises, but it didn't need to.
I'm not sure why I have to be so moderate and faintly damning in this review, since I enjoyed reading the book very much indeed. I wanted story, and I got it. I wanted character, and I got it. I didn't want War and Peace, and I didn't get it. I recommend it, truly, I do.