Reviews with content warning for War - Il Club del libro e della torta di bucce di patata di Guernsey

I started this as an audiobook but switched to paperback. The whole book is written in letters which didn't work for me as an audiobook. I enjoyed this book more then I thought I would initially; I think the author did a good job telling the story as she did with letters written back and forth between different characters.

Content Warnings

ambaright's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I found this book through a “blind date with a book” and quickly was surprised and happy by the letter format and the characters of the book. I’ve always been a reader, so by learning this fictional story of a literary society during German occupation and the effect of the occupation on Guernsey Island. I loved all of the characters, but I especially love the references to classic literature and the comparison between the ending couple and Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

Content Warnings

katharina_s's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

sarabeswick's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

aharv9's review against another edition

Go to review page

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Written as a series of letters between several individuals.

Content Warnings

isobelline's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I can see a lot of people falling in love with this book. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
Things I liked:
- the descriptions of Guernsey, its nature and the daily life of its inhabitants
- the premise. The idea of a book club on a secluded island during World War II is a really interesting concept!
- the side-characters. They were rather charming and I wish the book was about them and not about Juliet.
Now, let's move on to the things that I didn't like:
- the format. I feel that ultimately the epistolary format is a hinderance to this narrative. It can work in a lot of other cases, but this one probably should have been told straight. Also, the epistolary format could have been a great tool for character development, it could be used to give each character a unique and distinct voice. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. All letters were written in the same kind of tone with the same type of humor, almost all of them expressed the same sentiments. A real missed opportunity, in my opinion.
- the protagonist. Oh, Juliet. You know, she is a lot like Mrs. Maisel. At times, she is incredibly funny and charming. At other times, she is insufferable. Despite what some might say, at several moments I found her to be rather close-minded and self-absorbed. She couldn't possibly think that other people might have opinions that are different from hers. That other people might not like the things that she likes, or not care about the things that she cares about. I should also point out that Juliet and Elizabeth are basically the same character; they have the same personality traits, the react to things similarly, have the same attitudes, etc. That made it really hard for me to care about Elizabeth (and this book really wanted me to!) because I was really not on board the Juliet-train.
- the lack of realism. Characters in this book are surprisingly happy for people who have just witnessed the horrors of World War II and the German Occupation. They're way too accepting for people from the 1940s, they're just too damn nice. I would have loved to see a greater diversity of opinions and attitudes when it comes to characters.
Entering spoiler territory:

The Oscar Wilde letters storyline was when this novel really jumped the shark for me. That just came out of nowhere and led nowhere, was completely unnecessary and random. Also, why would they give Isola a book on phrenology??? You know, a pseudoscience that was used by THE NAZIS??? The ones that occupied Guernsey??? That was so goddamn weird.

Content Warnings

laurataylor's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Content Warnings

More...