Read: May 16 - May 26 Format: Trade Paperback 416 pages
Source: My own shelves - ARC
Subject: War, occupation, love affair,
Category: Love and Marriage: a lifetime commitment - can't live without romance
Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI, BOYS
Stars: ★½
This book is a story of the German occupation of the Island of Guernsey and the relationship of one of the islanders with a German officer. There isn't much more than that to be said about the premise of this book, IMO.
Vivienne de la Mare is a middle aged wife/mother who is left on Guernsey with her two daughters and her aging mother-in-law at the start of WWII. Indecisive as to whether to leave for the British main island or stay, her decisions throughout are not too well throughout or are too compulsive. Vivienne's very passive personality and voice in the book doesn't lead to much activity to hold the reader. The love affair that develops between Vivienne and Gunther (a German officer) seems to be more an accident than passion.
I really had a hard time with this book. I like stories that have a bit more action and here Vivienne was constantly trying to re-think or analyze her feelings and I couldn't hang with her. 150 pages in and still nothing had happened - it's nice to have character development but there has to be action to go along with it. Others have raved about this book so I guess it just shows not every book is right for everyone.
3 comments:
Sorry to see you didn't like this book. I'm really looking forward to reading it, but I really hope something happens in it. I don't mind quiet books to a certain extent, though. I'll get your review linked on War Through the Generations.
Oh, rats! I was hoping this would be one of those "unputdownable" books. I plan on starting it next but not with as much anticipation as before. Sorry it didn't work for you.
I am a huge fan of historical novels about World War 2 so this was the perfect read for me. I liked it so much because it was a unique story I hadn't heard before. Even though I usually like books to be specifically about the holocaust, in this novel it was more of a background, but it worked. I loved all the characters and I found myself getting really into the story, and almost getting angry at the characters sometimes.
Post a Comment