The Greengage Summer

by Rumer Godden
The Greengage Summer
book data
69 ratings, 3.91 average rating, 9 reviews (more data...)
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published
December 1995 by Pan Books

binding
Paperback, 192 pages

isbn
033032778X   (isbn13: 9780330327787)

description
On and off, all that hot French August, we made ourselves ill from eating the greengages.... The faded elegance of Les Oeillets, with its bullet-scarr...more






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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 88)



Denis
Denis rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
11/20/08

Another of Godden's deceitfully simple novels. Wonderfully written, perfectly evocative, and filled with tenderness. Godden knows about childhood and knows how to write about it.
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Amy
Amy rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
08/10/07

bookshelves: summerreading2007
Read in August, 2007
I read this book in high school and recently reread it. I remember it being very visual and intoxicating with its descriptions of the French countryside told from a teenagers point of view. Even thoughthe book takes place in the 1950s, it is still very readable and it is easy to picture the vivid characters romping around a old hotel in the middle of the summer. There is mystery, intrigue, love, coming-of-age, and glorious descriptions of food and excitement that comes from a summer of nothing t...more
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Mary Frances
Mary Frances rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
08/07/08

Read in January, 1975
Another interesting Godden book- was made into a movie in the early 70's though I have never found it. An interesting fact about this book is that Godden's sister, also a writer, also wrote about this summer in one of her own books. This is a story about two girls visiting France with their mother, who is ill, and experiencing (for the older girl) first love. The younger girl is the interested and confused observer to the people and events.
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Elizabeth
bookshelves: childrensbooks, fiction, francebooks
Read in May, 2007
I wanted to see if Rumer Godden was as good as I remembered her. Her stuff is kindof creepy (I'm really not reading this much, but I was sick and the book was a super-fast read). Godden's stories seem to be about children peeking into an adult's world and observing their weakness of character. She seems to like creating female characters that are aging beauties, not very nice, and desperate for a man (see Peacock Spring).
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Preeta
Preeta rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
05/24/07

recommends it for: people overwhelmed by bad news every day
Everything I said about An Episode of Sparrows applies here to. One of the characters is a little gay (that word is never used, but you'll see) boy called Wilmouse. He designs clothes and saves up all his money to buy a silk muff.
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Dottie
I think this was one of the earliest I read of Godden's and I loved it and revisited it at least once -- she is one of my authorial obssessions, I confess.
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Meredith
Meredith rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
03/10/08

Read in January, 1981
This is a beautiful book, and, oddly enough, a mystery. A girl grows up and learns about life and love in a foreign land.
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TMJ
TMJ rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
03/28/08

bookshelves: older-teens
Classic coming of age story for teens. Set in France.
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Melissa
Melissa added it
09/01/08

A wonderful coming of age tale.
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Gail
Gail rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
12/01/08


Janette
Janette rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
11/30/08


Wendy
Wendy rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
11/27/08


Vickie
Vickie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
11/19/08


Maryka
Maryka rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
11/16/08

bookshelves: fiction

Maureen E
Maureen added it
11/04/08

bookshelves: classics

Caroline
Caroline added it
10/31/08


Katie
Katie marked it as to-read
10/27/08

bookshelves: to-read

Stephanie
Stephanie marked it as to-read
10/24/08

bookshelves: to-read

Elise
Elise rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/23/08



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The Greengage Summer (Paperback)
The Greengage Summer (Hardcover)
The Greengage Summer (Paperback)
The Greengage Summer (Folio Edition)
The Greengage Summer (Plus S.)