Greenwillow
by B. J. Chute
On This Page
Description
In Greenwillow, B.J. Chute has woven a tale of loyalty, love and humor into a timeless classic. Set in the whimsical town of Greenwillow, Chute's characters are eccentric and irresistible-there is sweet Dorie who bakes bilberry tarts and dreams of a happy ending; the cow that kneels down at Christmas; two Reverends battling over good and evil-and Gideon, who loves the land with a passion we can only envy. Chute has an extraordinary gift for using words in an usual way that lends character to show more her descriptions and gives her writing an entirely unique voice. Her language is lyrical and utterly delightful. Perhaps B.J. Chute's best-known novel, a critic described Greenwillow as "a deeply moving, gently humorous and serenely wise story of young love and self-discovery." Greenwillow was brought to the Broadway stage in 1960, starring Anthony Perkins, with book by Lesser Samuels and Frank Loesser, and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. A bit of trivia. Anthony Perkins was simultaneously filming Alfred Hitchcock's classic shocker Psycho while rehearsing Greenwillow. Over the years, Perkins, in interviews, always said that his stand-in was used in the filming of the infamous shower scene, because he was rehearsing a Broadway show. Greenwillow was that show. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Greenwillow is a gentle, fable-like story that was originally published in 1956. It was brought to Broadway, starring Anthony Perkins in 1960. Although a quiet read, it has stood the test of time. The story follows the romance of Gideon Briggs, a young farmer and Dorrie, the orphan girl he loves.
Gideon is living under a curse. His father is a wandering man, never staying in one place very long. He left his wife and family to travel, coming home every few years for a short visit. As the eldest, Gidon knows that he too, will become a wandering man and so he has vowed to never fall in love or get married as he doesn’t want to desert a wife and family in the future.
This sentimental tale unfolds with gentle whimsey, humor and touches of show more magical realism. It is filled with lovely descriptions of both nature and food. Lyrical and timeless, the small country village of Greenwillow is well worth a visit. show less
Gideon is living under a curse. His father is a wandering man, never staying in one place very long. He left his wife and family to travel, coming home every few years for a short visit. As the eldest, Gidon knows that he too, will become a wandering man and so he has vowed to never fall in love or get married as he doesn’t want to desert a wife and family in the future.
This sentimental tale unfolds with gentle whimsey, humor and touches of show more magical realism. It is filled with lovely descriptions of both nature and food. Lyrical and timeless, the small country village of Greenwillow is well worth a visit. show less
A sweet story nicely written.
Chosen as one of the best novels of the 1950s by Orville Prescott, who in my opinion should have known better.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Comfort Reads
221 works; 41 members
Favourite Books
1,817 works; 316 members
National Book Award Finalists - Fiction
377 works; 12 members
Talk Discussions
Past Discussions
[Greenwillow] in Virago Modern Classics (September 2014)
Author Information
14+ Works 173 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1956
- People/Characters
- Dorrie; Gideon Briggs; Reverend Lapp; Reverend Birdsong; Gramma Briggs; Micah Briggs (show all 11); Sheby Briggs; Martha Briggs; Amos Briggs; Jabez Briggs; Miss Maidy
- Important places
- Greenwillow
- Related movies
- It was made into a Broadway musical in 1960.
- Dedication
- For MY MOTHER
- First words
- Long ago, centuries perhaps, the village of Greenwillow had been stood in the corner and forgotten. A river ran through it....
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 111
- Popularity
- 292,007
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 12
