Categories: book-review
Tags: book review
Date: 08 February 2012 21:56:50
Most recently I have finished this book, which I bought in Guernsey a couple of years ago when we went to Auntie Doris' wedding but had never got round to reading. I had previously heard a review on the radio when it was first published and thought it sounded good, but it's only now that I have read it, having suggested it for book group.
It is the story of Juliet, an English writer in 1946, searching for subject matter for a new book, who starts to correspond with people in Guernsey who share her love of books and through their correspondence learns about the German occupation of Guernsey during the Second World War. The book is written entirely in the form of letters between various characters. One of the newspaper reviews called it 'reminiscent of 84 Charing Cross Road and 'Allo 'Allo; from the beginning I had thought of 84 Charing Cross Road (which is also entirely in the form of letters) though I think the 'Allo 'Allo reference is a bit more tenuous! Though having said that, the character who reads head bumps is probably straight out of a sitcom, she did make me laugh. I found it charming and funny and gentle, but also shocking in the way that all of a sudden some of the atrocities of the Occupation would be revealed, it was very effective. I did think that the Guernsey characters were portrayed as a bit cliched 'simple folk with hearts of gold' kind of thing, and I always felt Juliet was more American rather than English (the author was an American; the book was completed by her niece). I also found the end a bit corny and twee, but not too over-the-top. It's not a heavy literary masterpiece or anything, it was a pretty quick read, but I did enjoy it very much - a nice light read, but with a bit of substance to it.