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.
Friday, July 17, 2015
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.
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