Green Dolphin Country (Capuchin Classics) in Retro Reads

Feb 26, 2020 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: wallowing-in-misery-and-angst, whatever, dated-social-attitudes, victorian

I read Green Dolphin Street as a group read with the Retro Reads crowd. I had such high hopes because I've loved the other two historical fiction novels I read by Elizabeth Goudge, but this one landed with kind of a thud.

Marianne and Marguerite are two sisters, daughters of a wealthy merchant, who live on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Marianne, who is five years older than Marguerite, is intelligent but mercurial, and not as conventionally lovely or as well-behaved as her young I read Green Dolphin Street as a group read with the Retro Reads crowd. I had such high hopes because I've loved the other two historical fiction novels I read by Elizabeth Goudge, but this one landed with kind of a thud.

Marianne and Marguerite are two sisters, daughters of a wealthy merchant, who live on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Marianne, who is five years older than Marguerite, is intelligent but mercurial, and not as conventionally lovely or as well-behaved as her younger sister. They both fall in love with William, who's not in their social class but is a compelling personality. They all hang out together as they grow up but, predictably, it's Marguerite that William falls in love with.

William leaves Guernsey to go to New Zealand to seek his fortune, planning to bring Marguerite there once he's settled and doing well. But he's drunk the night he writes the fateful proposal letter, and accidentally mixes up the sisters' names and asks Marianne to come to NZ to marry him. (The author claimed this part was based on a factual story.) Marianne is elated; Marguerite deeply dejected. And William, when he sees which sister shows up on the boat months later, doesn't know how to undo his mistake. This is back in Victorian days, when you just didn't do that kind of thing.

Green Dolphin Street follows their lives and adventures together. There are some harrowing times with the Maori natives, and here Goudge's normally fine sensibilities let her down. It's dated and, to say the least, racially insensitive. This book was written in 1944, and if you can't make allowances for outdated social attitudes, you'll be offended.

Between that and the Drama (with a capital D) between William and the sisters, (view spoiler), this just wasn't a book I found appealing. Elizabeth Goudge was a talented author, but I'd definitely recommend The Dean's Watch or The Scent of Water over this one.

A soft 3 stars. ...more

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May 19, 2018 CLM rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, historicalfiction, australia-new-zealand, sisters

A bestseller in its day about two sisters in love with the same man - who loves both of them. . .

here is a link to my review: http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/201... ...more

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Jan 08, 2022 Erin rated it really liked it

This year I would like to actually finish the many books I have started. This was my first. Having Covid this week, I finally took on the challenge. I’m so glad I did. This book is more like an event - 575 pages of small print following Marianne, Marguerite, and William from childhood to old age as they each grow, make mistakes, and learn that love is really giving to another and being full of humility. Wow!

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Feb 05, 2014 Carinne Gee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read-again, great-discussions, books-i-d-recommend

I've been meaning to read this one for years. It's one of my mother's favorites. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it until the end. This was a great character sketch. I loved seeing how they developed and changed over the book. Its a testimony of devotion, service, selflessness and humility. I love a book with some great redemption in the end. A wonderful read. ...more

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