Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 1144
 Forgot it was Fiction March 12, 2010
Kathryn Lopez
Simply put, this book combined wit, pain, suspense, history, and romance into one beautiful read. I am a fan of historical fiction and The Guernsey...provided some of the most fun and fascinating read about post WWII life on the British Channel Island of Guernsey [as well as London]. I wasn't even aware Guernsey was occupied by German forces especially for 5 years! Thank you to the authors for creating this beautiful story that won't be forgotten!
Unadulterated Pleasure, Spiced with Wisdom and Wit! March 11, 2010
Daniel Murphy (Redmond, OR USA)
I'm a family physician, and sometimes my patients recommend books for me to read. Only once have they NAGGED me to read a book, and Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was that book. I'm grateful to my patients for having been persistent.
Let me pick the low-hanging fruit: The writing is exceptionally good-humored, wickedly witty, deeply engaging, all without sinking into cloying sentimentality. As historical fiction, it is rich and often surprising.
What sets this book apart from all the other books that have the above qualities? This, I think: it is hard to think of a recent book that is so able to look brutality directly in the eye, yet maintain a determined and grounded optimism about human nature. Some books push readers down into the cesspool of human depravity, and never let them up for air. Others chirp away with relentless cheer, bubbling about making lemons into lemonade, and thoroughly convinced that you really can make a sow's ear into a silk purse. Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society does not sidestep evil, but neither does it quail or moan before it. It simply feels good, from time to time, to revel in the better aspects of human nature: courage, integrity, humor, and the capacity to love. This book allows that, and does it with a surplus of dignity, as well as a dearth of sentimentality.
Is this book the literary equivalent of a chic flick? A qualified yes. If you are so deeply masculine that you can't tolerate Pride and Prejudice or Austen's other masterpieces, maybe you should pick up a Clancy or Clancy/clone shoot 'em up, and read some guy stuff instead. Me? Though a confirmed proud owner of a Y chromosome, I love Austen (and the Bronte sisters), and if all chick lit was like this novel (or Austen's, or the Bronte's), more than half my literary diet would consist of it.
The letter format, in some books, can be annoying. Not this one. You won't even notice. My patients....they were right. "You gotta read this one" they said. They were spot on.
So utterly charming. Why did it have to end? March 10, 2010
C. McCarroll (Washington, DC)
I can't recommend this book enough. You will fall in love with each and every character. Each with a unique voice. All charming. Do not think twice about reading this book. Just do it.
 Liked it! March 10, 2010
Sandra D. Hughes
I couldn't imagine liking a book that only contained letters. After reading a couple of chapters, I was hooked.
Chuckle out loud! March 10, 2010
country lover (NY)
What a wonderful story. I thought it might be strange to read a book that was all in the form of letters, but the story unfolds and the characters are so well developed that you feel like they are real. The writing is witty, makes you chuckle to yourself. At the same time, there are serious topics undertaken and a historical story told. Wonderful, must read!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 1144
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