It may sound a bit strange, but Sebastian Faulks
is one of those authors whose name I instantly recognise, but if you'd asked me to name one of their books I would have failed. That has changed though as if I look on my bookshelf now I can find four of his books. It was this realisation that made me think that it was about time to pick one up and actually read it.
is one of those authors whose name I instantly recognise, but if you'd asked me to name one of their books I would have failed. That has changed though as if I look on my bookshelf now I can find four of his books. It was this realisation that made me think that it was about time to pick one up and actually read it.On Green Dolphin Street was the one that ended up on top of the pile and I have to say that it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, especially when I consider that it only cost 79p from a local charity shop.
was the one that ended up on top of the pile and I have to say that it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, especially when I consider that it only cost 79p from a local charity shop.The main character through out the book is Mary van der Linden, a British woman, living in Washington in 1959 with her husband Charlie who works at the British Embassy. The setting of Cold War America is one that I was totally unfamiliar with and the backdrop of the presidential election added an extra dimension to things.
Life in Washington starts as in typical Embassy wife fashion with parties and jazz yet things take a darker twist as Charlie slums deeper into his alcoholism and Mary meets New York based journalist Frank Renzo. Mary starts an affair with Frank and as a result some of the action moves to New York as she starts frequent trips to be with him. Meanwhile, Charlie starts on a downwards spiral.
Family issues take Mary back to London, meaning that she can be briefly be reunited with her children who have been sent to boarding school in England. Charlie's work takes him to Moscow and Mary ends up having to follow him to rescue him after a severe breakdown.
I won't spoil the ending of the book, but Mary and Frank are both faced by deep questions about what to do for the best and reading it made me wonder what I might have done in a similar situation.
There are three more Faulks books on the shelf and I'm certainly looking forward to picking up the next one.
I love charity shop books. It often means I read things that I wouldn’t usually. My local PDSA charity shop has a 10p bargain bucket outside the shop and I am only buying books from there what new things I can read!
I totally agree with you Auntie Doris – I hardly buy new books these days and instead everything comes from either charity shops or family and friends. It means I certainly read a much wider range of things than I did before.
I was really lucky when I was a student as I lived above a charity shop at the time. They kept me in a constant supply of books – especially Agatha Christie books at 25p each!
I’ve only read a couple of SF’s books, On Green Dolphin Street being one of them. (Charlotte Gray was the other). I loved it and discovered that there were plans to make a film version which were then shelved for some reason. Pity.