Friday, August 14, 2015
Wartime Poster
Today I found this picture of an old wartime poster. I think it's a good way of understanding how difficult life in Europe during WWII was for people.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Finished!
A few weeks ago, I finished reading the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (but haven't posted until now due to an unusual amount of business).
I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. There was only one thing that I didn't enjoy -- and that was the ending. I'll try to explain it to you in a way that makes sense.
After a long period of conversing with the Islanders and learning about their Society, Juliet decides to visit Guernsey to begin writing a book about their story. Upon arrival on the Island, she is greeted very warmly by all the people that she had written; Dawsey, Isola, Eben, and more; and is welcomed to stay in the old cottage of Elizabeth (a woman who was taken by the Germans during the war and has not been seen since). There, she begins her book.
Not long after she arrives in Guernsey, Markham V. Reynolds (whom I despise) visits her and tries to get her to marry him. Just like I thought she should, Juliet declines and lets Mark steam off in a fit of rage, never to be seen again.
Soon after, the Islanders receive a letter from a French woman by the name of Remy Giraud, explaining that she was a prisoner in a concentration camp when she met Elizabeth, who was murdered after standing up for another woman (who was beaten by German soldiers because she was menstruating). Remy describes Elizabeth as a brave, heroic woman and says that Elizabeth's stories of beautiful Guernsey kept her going through the dark times. Dawsey and Amelia Maugery decide to bring Remy to Guernsey so that she can recover from her time at the camps on the Island. Once she arrives, Dawsey begins to spend a lot of time with her and takes care of her. This, oddly enough, makes Juliet somewhat jealous, and she begins to realize that she is in love with Dawsey.
Now here's the part that I don't like: at the very end, Isola tells Juliet about how Dawsey (sort of weirdly) has many pictures of Juliet and Kit in his home. This makes Juliet realize that Dawsey loves her back, so she immediately goes to where he is and asks him to marry her. He says yes, and the book ends.
Now, I'm not sure what other readers thought about this ending, but I thought it was sort of a cop out. The book ends so suddenly and quickly, and this thing that the reader has predicted would happen throughout the entire story (Juliet and Dawsey being together) finally happens in barely over a page. I would have written it differently, but that's just my opinion.
Despite the disappointingly quick ending, I enjoyed the book very much. If I had to rate it based on all the other books I have read over the years, I would probably have to give it a 7/10 (which is a pretty good rating for me, since I am a pretty harsh critic). I am honestly glad that this book was required for me to read for Academic Challenge, because otherwise, I don't think I would have had the opportunity to enjoy it.
I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. There was only one thing that I didn't enjoy -- and that was the ending. I'll try to explain it to you in a way that makes sense.
After a long period of conversing with the Islanders and learning about their Society, Juliet decides to visit Guernsey to begin writing a book about their story. Upon arrival on the Island, she is greeted very warmly by all the people that she had written; Dawsey, Isola, Eben, and more; and is welcomed to stay in the old cottage of Elizabeth (a woman who was taken by the Germans during the war and has not been seen since). There, she begins her book.
Not long after she arrives in Guernsey, Markham V. Reynolds (whom I despise) visits her and tries to get her to marry him. Just like I thought she should, Juliet declines and lets Mark steam off in a fit of rage, never to be seen again.
Soon after, the Islanders receive a letter from a French woman by the name of Remy Giraud, explaining that she was a prisoner in a concentration camp when she met Elizabeth, who was murdered after standing up for another woman (who was beaten by German soldiers because she was menstruating). Remy describes Elizabeth as a brave, heroic woman and says that Elizabeth's stories of beautiful Guernsey kept her going through the dark times. Dawsey and Amelia Maugery decide to bring Remy to Guernsey so that she can recover from her time at the camps on the Island. Once she arrives, Dawsey begins to spend a lot of time with her and takes care of her. This, oddly enough, makes Juliet somewhat jealous, and she begins to realize that she is in love with Dawsey.
Now here's the part that I don't like: at the very end, Isola tells Juliet about how Dawsey (sort of weirdly) has many pictures of Juliet and Kit in his home. This makes Juliet realize that Dawsey loves her back, so she immediately goes to where he is and asks him to marry her. He says yes, and the book ends.
Now, I'm not sure what other readers thought about this ending, but I thought it was sort of a cop out. The book ends so suddenly and quickly, and this thing that the reader has predicted would happen throughout the entire story (Juliet and Dawsey being together) finally happens in barely over a page. I would have written it differently, but that's just my opinion.
Despite the disappointingly quick ending, I enjoyed the book very much. If I had to rate it based on all the other books I have read over the years, I would probably have to give it a 7/10 (which is a pretty good rating for me, since I am a pretty harsh critic). I am honestly glad that this book was required for me to read for Academic Challenge, because otherwise, I don't think I would have had the opportunity to enjoy it.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Approaching the Middle of the Book
I've now read to about the 107th page out of a total of 274.
Since my first post, I've learned quite a lot about the plot and the characters of the book. For starters, I now know a little more about the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The Society was created as an excuse told to the German soldiers (who occupied Guernsey for a large portion of the duration of WWII) for many of the island's citizens breaking curfew after secretly eating a feast of a hidden pig prepared by Mrs. Maugery (a local woman). Fearing that their actions would soon be discovered, Mrs. Maugery and a few other Islanders frantically began purchase different books to be read among the "Literary Society" members. Soon, the organization became reality, and it ended up giving many of Guernsey's natives a chance to read classic literature, such as the works of Charles Lamb, Wilfred Owen, William Wordsworth, Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, and many more.
So far, I'm very engaged in this book. I've really enjoyed how the whole book is written in letters between characters (it makes the plot seem like it actually happened, and that I've merely stumbled upon these letters), and I've also enjoyed reading about the hardships that the people of Guernsey went through during the Second World War. It's been very interesting and very depressing, reading about the German occupation of the Island.
Throughout the book, I've developed almost personal relationships with the characters (especially Dawsey Adams, my favorite). Some of the characters I really enjoy; Mrs. Maugery, Isola Pribby, Clovis Fossey, Dawsey Adams, and most everyone from the Island. But there are some that I dislike, and I'll explain why. First, there's Adelaide Addison (who's obviously a character I'm not supposed to enjoy). Adelaide is a very judgemental, stern woman, and she's very keen on exposing different "scandals" about the characters through letters to Juliet. Also, there's Markham V. Reynolds, Junior; the American owner of the View. Although he isn't exactly a bad person from his description, I personally don't like Mark, because I think that he is somehow using Juliet to get her to join his publishing agency. Also, my mother is British, and she told me that after the war, British men didn't like American men because they always had things that the women loved - nice clothes, new shoes, money; everything. While America's economy soared after WWII, England's plummeted, and English citizens were on tight budgets for many years after. Maybe that's a reason I don't like Mark (although I admit, it's sort of unfair. He could be a nice person).
I'll post again once I've read further.
Since my first post, I've learned quite a lot about the plot and the characters of the book. For starters, I now know a little more about the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The Society was created as an excuse told to the German soldiers (who occupied Guernsey for a large portion of the duration of WWII) for many of the island's citizens breaking curfew after secretly eating a feast of a hidden pig prepared by Mrs. Maugery (a local woman). Fearing that their actions would soon be discovered, Mrs. Maugery and a few other Islanders frantically began purchase different books to be read among the "Literary Society" members. Soon, the organization became reality, and it ended up giving many of Guernsey's natives a chance to read classic literature, such as the works of Charles Lamb, Wilfred Owen, William Wordsworth, Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, and many more.
So far, I'm very engaged in this book. I've really enjoyed how the whole book is written in letters between characters (it makes the plot seem like it actually happened, and that I've merely stumbled upon these letters), and I've also enjoyed reading about the hardships that the people of Guernsey went through during the Second World War. It's been very interesting and very depressing, reading about the German occupation of the Island.
Throughout the book, I've developed almost personal relationships with the characters (especially Dawsey Adams, my favorite). Some of the characters I really enjoy; Mrs. Maugery, Isola Pribby, Clovis Fossey, Dawsey Adams, and most everyone from the Island. But there are some that I dislike, and I'll explain why. First, there's Adelaide Addison (who's obviously a character I'm not supposed to enjoy). Adelaide is a very judgemental, stern woman, and she's very keen on exposing different "scandals" about the characters through letters to Juliet. Also, there's Markham V. Reynolds, Junior; the American owner of the View. Although he isn't exactly a bad person from his description, I personally don't like Mark, because I think that he is somehow using Juliet to get her to join his publishing agency. Also, my mother is British, and she told me that after the war, British men didn't like American men because they always had things that the women loved - nice clothes, new shoes, money; everything. While America's economy soared after WWII, England's plummeted, and English citizens were on tight budgets for many years after. Maybe that's a reason I don't like Mark (although I admit, it's sort of unfair. He could be a nice person).
I'll post again once I've read further.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
A Few Pages In
I have just begun reading the book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Having only just started reading, there are only a few things I know about the book so far - first of all, the book is set in post-war England, just after the end of WWII. I also know that the book is formatted in a series of letters between the characters. The characters that I know of so far are as follows:
- Juliet Ashton - author of Izzy Bickerstaff Goes To War. Juliet lives in London and is having trouble with her next book.
- Sidney Stark - Juliet's publisher. Sidney also lives in London, England.
- Sophie Strachan (or Mrs. Alexander Strachan) - Juliet's friend (although so far, I don't know much about her.
- Dawsey Adams - a complete stranger to Juliet. Dawsey sent Juliet a letter after he found her address in a book that once belonged to her, and he contacted her asking if she could locate him more works by author Charles Lamb - who he is very fond of. Dawsey lives in the island of Guernsey of the coast of England, and he mentions the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (after which the book is named). Dawsey seems like a very important character in the story, and I'm sure that we will soon know what exactly the Society is, and why it is.
As soon as I've made more progress on the book, I will post again.
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