Megha's Reviews > The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by
Dear Mary Ann Shaffer,
I recently read your book 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'. It brought a few questions to my mind.
Juliet writes in one of her letters:
"Dear Sidney,
What an inspired present you sent kit - red satin tap shoes covered with sequins"
Didn't Sidney know what present he had sent?
If you had to resort to sentences like these to speak what you wanted to, didn't you realize that the letter format and your writing didn't go well together?
Learning from your bad example, I will quit trying to be fancy, stop this letter here and write a regular review.
A Reader.
** Spoiler Alert **
Novel written in epistolary format. Set in post WWII England.1946.
Juliet is a 30-something writer living in London. (She is like this perfect human being who is universally loved. The only people who dislike even the smallest thing about her are the evil people). One day she receives a letter from a man living on Guernsey islands who found her address on a second hand book he had. Soon Juliet is exchanging letters with the members of Guernsey literary society and people talk about what books they like and why. Then suddenly everyone forgets about the books and Guernsey people start sharing their most intimate experiences from the time during the world war with Juliet, who is only a stranger. A few weeks later Juliet goes to the Guernsey islands to meet and interview these people. Of course everyone there just loves her (except the evil woman). She stays there for a few months and decides to adopt a four year old orphan girl she met there. The girl of course loves Juliet more than the people who have raised her. And then Juliet marries a pig farmer and settles down on the Guernsey islands.
So much for the ridiculous plot. (I should have just known better, just look at the cheesy title.)
It shouldn't be difficult for a decent writer to develop good characters when using a letter format, since each character gets his/her own voice. However, all the characters in this book seem to talk in exactly the same manner. Be it an accomplished writer from the city of London or farmers from a remote island, their letters sound just the same. Irrespective of whether the letters are being written to a close friend or to a complete stranger. Almost all of the characters have only a single trait. For some of the characters I can't recall even a single distinct characteristic.
Mary Ann tries to have everything in one book. She has grazed the surface of numerous topics like books, world war, art, nature love, bucolic life, friendship, love, homosexuality, religion and so on. None of these get more than a superficial treatment. Stories about Nazi occupation of Guernsey don't tell you anything real about the war. They just revolve around this saint of a woman who died during the war while trying to show-off her heroism. To add to this drama, halfway through the book Mary Ann shifted the focus to Juliet trying to decide between different love interests (too many people love her, you know). Why is this book being marketed a historical novel?
Another one of those recent successful books that everyone is raving about. I don't get it.
by
![1727205](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p2/1727205.jpg)
Dear Mary Ann Shaffer,
I recently read your book 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'. It brought a few questions to my mind.
Juliet writes in one of her letters:
"Dear Sidney,
What an inspired present you sent kit - red satin tap shoes covered with sequins"
Didn't Sidney know what present he had sent?
If you had to resort to sentences like these to speak what you wanted to, didn't you realize that the letter format and your writing didn't go well together?
Learning from your bad example, I will quit trying to be fancy, stop this letter here and write a regular review.
A Reader.
** Spoiler Alert **
Novel written in epistolary format. Set in post WWII England.1946.
Juliet is a 30-something writer living in London. (She is like this perfect human being who is universally loved. The only people who dislike even the smallest thing about her are the evil people). One day she receives a letter from a man living on Guernsey islands who found her address on a second hand book he had. Soon Juliet is exchanging letters with the members of Guernsey literary society and people talk about what books they like and why. Then suddenly everyone forgets about the books and Guernsey people start sharing their most intimate experiences from the time during the world war with Juliet, who is only a stranger. A few weeks later Juliet goes to the Guernsey islands to meet and interview these people. Of course everyone there just loves her (except the evil woman). She stays there for a few months and decides to adopt a four year old orphan girl she met there. The girl of course loves Juliet more than the people who have raised her. And then Juliet marries a pig farmer and settles down on the Guernsey islands.
So much for the ridiculous plot. (I should have just known better, just look at the cheesy title.)
It shouldn't be difficult for a decent writer to develop good characters when using a letter format, since each character gets his/her own voice. However, all the characters in this book seem to talk in exactly the same manner. Be it an accomplished writer from the city of London or farmers from a remote island, their letters sound just the same. Irrespective of whether the letters are being written to a close friend or to a complete stranger. Almost all of the characters have only a single trait. For some of the characters I can't recall even a single distinct characteristic.
Mary Ann tries to have everything in one book. She has grazed the surface of numerous topics like books, world war, art, nature love, bucolic life, friendship, love, homosexuality, religion and so on. None of these get more than a superficial treatment. Stories about Nazi occupation of Guernsey don't tell you anything real about the war. They just revolve around this saint of a woman who died during the war while trying to show-off her heroism. To add to this drama, halfway through the book Mary Ann shifted the focus to Juliet trying to decide between different love interests (too many people love her, you know). Why is this book being marketed a historical novel?
Another one of those recent successful books that everyone is raving about. I don't get it.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 2009
–
Finished Reading
March 8, 2009
– Shelved
April 23, 2011
– Shelved as:
reviews
May 9, 2013
– Shelved as:
in-goodreaders-we-trust
Comments Showing 1-50 of 230 (230 new)
message 1:
by
Laura
(new)
Jul 22, 2009 05:50PM
![Laura Goldblum](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
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![Allison](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1597175459p1/2188689.jpg)
![Carla](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Allison](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1597175459p1/2188689.jpg)
![Christine](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
"What an inspired present you sent kit - red satin tap shoes covered with sequins"
Didn't Sidney know what present he had sent?
If you had to resort to sentences like these to speak what you wanted to, didn't you realize that the letter format and your writing didn't go well together?"
When I was growing up and being taught the gentle art of thank you notes, it was always considered polite to actually mention what the gift was in the body of the note.
So, to take exception to this aspect of the letter seems a little bizarre to me.
Notwithstanding my enjoyment of the book, I could actually feel the change in pace and somewhat style when Annie Barrows took over.
This book hit the right notes for me, hilariously funny in places, emotional where appropriate, warm and a darned good yarn.
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
"What an inspired present you sent kit - red satin tap shoes covered with sequins"
Didn't Sidney know what ..."
I just happened to pick these lines as an example. I am sure it won't be difficult to find several other instances where letters seem to be speaking to the reader of the book rather than the recipient of the letter.
![Sonia](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1286936582p1/4104081.jpg)
![Meridyforgot](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
I disagree with your statement about how this book is not about the real war. WWII affected many different people in many different ways. Real people suffered real hardships because of the war. Not just the people in concentration camps and on the battlefield. To belittle their suffering because someone suffered greater is insensitive. We all suffer, I should like to think we can all get some measure of understanding for what we live through. I was so happy to get of glimpse of what it may have been like for different types of people during the war. I liked that there were many different experiences crammed into this novel. When people write letters they can write about whatever they want. They write glimpses into their lives. I felt the subjects in the letters were for the most part natural. This book is not trying to give a full view on all topics, but different glimpses from many people, therefore you get many subjects. And frankly, I wouldn't want to read about about years worth of suffering on a battlefield or in a concentration camp. Very important to know, but painful to read in novel form. I enjoyed this book because it was meaningful without being so incredibly heavy.
Of course so many people in this book love Juliet. Do you exchange letters with people who hate you? I hope not. And the people who didn't like her were not evil. Did they kill anyone? No. In fact the fire warden who disliked Juliet so much had some good things to say about her. Evil? Hardly.
![Tintin](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1281003287p1/4097024.jpg)
And yes, the totally phony way they explain events int the letters (just like your example) ticked me off too.
I totally agree about the characters sounding alike in their letters. The letters just about ruined it for me.
![Bridget](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
Bridget, you can see comment #7 for my answer.
![Mystique](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1289230703p1/763249.jpg)
Your review is eloquent and accurate and you can't be held accountable for the fact that the author is no longer with us. Perhaps she was a perfectly winning person, but her book left much to be desired.
Many people tried to convince me that this book was wonderful and I simply must read it. I beg to differ and in the future, I may just refer them to your review, rather than argue why.
![Heather](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1445036892p1/2144055.jpg)
![Veronica](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1245687842p1/2153853.jpg)
![Jeanette](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1193718208p1/341499.jpg)
![Veronica](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1245687842p1/2153853.jpg)
Incidentally, Rémy is a very odd forename for a French woman. It's a boy's name, and although I suppose it's theoretically possible for a woman to be called Rémy, it just doesn't happen. I saw this as another example of poor research, although perhaps I was missing something.
![Silvia Iskandar](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Silvia Iskandar](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Rock Angel](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1340336897p1/3979450.jpg)
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/10...
I always reverted back to non-fiction no matter how hard I try to enjoy literary work. Take a look at Norfolk or Pitcairn Islands if you're into island cultures.
![Karen](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1365845066p1/6842656.jpg)
![Wanda](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1264964033p1/3229870.jpg)
![Karen](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1365845066p1/6842656.jpg)
![Diane](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
Karen, you probably wanted to aim your remark at me, and not Wanda.
To answer your question, I am not really trying to say anything to either of the two authors. That was just a silly imitation of the book's epistolary format.
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
Yes, absurd is right.
I just looked up your review for this book. I agree with everything you say there.
![Wanda](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1264964033p1/3229870.jpg)
![Naomi](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
You are welcome Naomi.
And thanks for the 100th vote! That's a first for me.
![Maggie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1310121596p1/5757023.jpg)
2. Juliet is not a perfect human being, her faults are often brought up in the novel.
3. The reason the island people share with Juliet is because she is a writer and they want their story told. They also know she is trustworthy.
4. It is not a ridiculous plot. It takes forever for Juliet's and Dawsey's relationship to form, not love at first sight and love and kisses from then on.
Kit did not like Juliet at first, if you recall, but Juliet is patient and earns her love.
I thought every character had great development. Without looking at who was writing I found it very easy to tell who was writing. For example, Isola's way of writng was different from Sydney's. I wouldn't say that everyone writes exactly the same way, as you did.
Why shouldn't Elizabeth's heroism be bragged about? That was the whole reason of Juliet's writing! It was necessary to the plot and for other character development. And without Juliet's 'love interests' what else would the novel have? You need a varitey of topics for a good story. Homosexuality wasn't the focus of the book, is was meant for humor and to add to Sydney's character.
Not well written? Not well written? That's crazy. This book was wonderful, and I'm sorry that you didn't enjoy it for what it was. It was mean to be taken as a heart-warming story about a young female author and her adventure with the people of Guernsey. I'm sorry you didn't like it.
![Clare](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1334884787p1/8903141.jpg)
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
I am glad that you enjoyed it, Maggie. This book simply isn't my cup of tea. It was a bad decision on my part to read it at all.
![Aaron Hanson](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1366613607p1/555180.jpg)
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
All thanks to Goodreads' notification system which sometimes actually works.
![Moira](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1256449807p1/1630617.jpg)
Probably only for the negative kind of comments!
![Keenaburt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1561522280p1/8767387.jpg)
![Megha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361664925p1/1727205.jpg)
The letter is just a childish imitation of the epistolary format of the novel. It is not really meant for the author and there is nothing personal about it.