The Welsh Girl: Amazon.co.uk: Peter Ho Davies: Books

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Product Description

David Mitchell
'A memorable writer of sinewy intelligence and rare grace' --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

'A beautifully crafted, lyrical novel'

(Maggie O'Farrell, Observer Books of the Year )

'Moving, memorable and beautifully written'

(Jessica Mann, Sunday Telegraph )

'Deeply felt and vividly imagined'

(Lionel Shriver, Daily Telegraph )

'Fresh and engaging . . . Some sentences and passages are crafted so beautifully and seemingly effortlessly that it provokes envy.'

(David Cornett, Sunday Express )

'Quietly powerful . . . a fine piece of work'

(Stephen Knight, Times Literary Supplement )

'His prose and the evocation of time and place are almost always of the highest order…he approaches the Second World War with a fresh and contemporary style, a gift that he shares with Kazuo Ishiguro'

(Russell Celyn Jones, The Times )

'A scintillating instance of fictional imagination applied to history'

(Richard Eder, New York Times )

'Impressive . . . a compelling story in itself, but Davies’s special skill lies in integrating conflicts that drive the narrative at a more intense level'

(Richard Gwyn, Independent ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

38 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

3.3 out of 5 stars (38 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well written novel - but lacks wow, 28 April 2008

By	Mister Hobgoblin (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Welsh Girl (Paperback)

The Welsh Girl is an odd compendium of different stories. Firstly, we have the intriguingly named Rotheram, a German �migr� who is working for the British army in 1944, trying to work out whether Rudolph Hess is fit to be tried.

Then we have the story of Esther Williams, the Welsh Girl of the title, as she adapts to the arrival of evacuees and her own little bundle of joy, whilst she deals with the loss of her mother and various friends.

And then there is the story of Karsten, a German prisoner of war.

The three stories overlap only tangentially, due to collocation in a Welsh speaking village. They have common themes, though, in exploring concepts of loss, shame, guilt, nationalist patriotism, freedom and, perhaps, hope. The stories are competently told - although there does seem to be some needless fuzziness over whether and when Karsten learns Esther's name. They have some complexity but are told in perfectly lucid fashion. The language feels plain, but probably isn't.

The characterization is strong. The key characters have depths of feeling and insecurity that are graphically communicated. This depth of character extends even to careful, albeit brief, depiction of some of the bit part players: Jack the barman, Jim the evacuee; the Major; Hess and all. The imagery of the Welsh countryside is also strong, with the fields and the slate mine adding a contrast of textures.

In terms of style, there is a good balance between the serious themes and the humour provided by Harry and Mary, a couple of radio entertainers who are broadcasting from the relative safety of Wales. This is welcome relief in what might, otherwise, be a rather intense work. There are also some metaphors that would probably dazzle if one thought about them for long enough - the instinct of sheep to remain within their territory is perhaps laid on a bit too thick, but is effective nonetheless.

But the Achilles heel of the novel is that it feels a little too clinical. Like the stylized travel poster cover, the novel feels just a bit sterile. There isn't quite enough emotion to draw the reader into any of the characters and the direction of the story lines is rather predictable. The reader has a role of impartial observer rather than feeling involved in the process. The final epilogue is too long and would have detracted from any emotional crescendo at the end of the final chapter - had there really been a crescendo.

The Welsh Girl is a well written novel of substance, but it does seem to lack the wow factor that could have made it a great.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I tried to love it....., 1 April 2008

By	K. L. Oliver "Kristie" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Welsh Girl (Paperback)

I had very high hopes for this book, so I suppose I was destined for disappointment. As others have said, it plods at first and I had to persevere beyond the first third of the book. However, as the story of Esther and those around her developed, it became far more readable.

It is a beautifully written novel, by an author with obvious talent. However, in addition to the slow start, I felt that the Rotherham / Hess storyline wasn't threaded in well at all, and although an intrigueing subject, it was almost like reading a second book whose pages had become interspersed with the main storyline. I just don't see what it added.

It is worth a read as it's clear some love it. I just wished I had gone into blind, as it wasn't the groundbeaker I was expecting.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well written novel of substance, 26 Aug 2007

By	Mister Hobgoblin (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Welsh Girl (Hardcover)

The Welsh Girl is an odd compendium of different stories. Firstly, we have the intriguingly named Rotheram, a German �migr� who is working for the British army in 1944, trying to work out whether Rudolph Hess is fit to be tried.

Then we have the story of Esther Williams, the Welsh Girl of the title, as she adapts to the arrival of evacuees and her own little bundle of joy, whilst she deals with the loss of her mother and various friends.

And then there is the story of Karsten, a German prisoner of war.

The three stories overlap only tangentially, due to collocation in a Welsh speaking village. They have common themes, though, in exploring concepts of loss, shame, guilt, nationalist patriotism, freedom and, perhaps, hope. The stories are competently told - although there does seem to be some needless fuzziness over whether and when Karsten learns Esther's name. They have some complexity but are told in perfectly lucid fashion. The language feels plain, but probably isn't.

The characterization is strong. The key characters have depths of feeling and insecurity that are graphically communicated. This depth of character extends even to careful, albeit brief, depiction of some of the bit part players: Jack the barman, Jim the evacuee; the Major; Hess and all. The imagery of the Welsh countryside is also strong, with the fields and the slate mine adding a contrast of textures.

In terms of style, there is a good balance between the serious themes and the humour provided by Harry and Mary, a couple of radio entertainers who are broadcasting from the relative safety of Wales. This is welcome relief in what might, otherwise, be a rather intense work. There are also some metaphors that would probably dazzle if one thought about them for long enough - the instinct of sheep to remain within their territory is perhaps laid on a bit too thick, but is effective nonetheless.

But the Achilles heel of the novel is that it feels a little too clinical. Like the stylized travel poster cover, the novel feels just a bit sterile. There isn't quite enough emotion to draw the reader into any of the characters and the direction of the story lines is rather predictable. The reader has a role of impartial observer rather than feeling involved in the process. The final epilogue is too long and would have detracted from any emotional crescendo at the end of the final chapter - had there really been a crescendo.

The Welsh Girl is a well written novel of substance, but it does seem to lack the wow factor that could have made it a great.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Stays with you
You know how it is. Sometimes you read a novel when you are not really in the right frame of mind for it. This was the case with me and The Welsh Girl. Read more

Published 1 month ago by William

4.0 out of 5 stars A perspective on war and its casualties
Our fascination with the Second World War and in particular the Nazi regime, seems endless. It also seems that every slant, every fact, every possible point of view must surely... Read more

Published 6 months ago by B. Richmond-O'Neill

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing...
I wanted to like this book, but the truth is, it just bored me. I couldn't see the point of it. It didn't seem to be about anything. Read more

Published 7 months ago by C. Ball

4.0 out of 5 stars One of those all-nighter reads.
One of those gems, heard about it through the Richard and Judy bookclub, something I tried to steer clear of initially! Read more

Published 8 months ago by soffitta1

4.0 out of 5 stars Patriotism and Identity
Be prepared for a slow read and you won't be disappointed. The prose is, at times, quite beautiful and Peter Ho Davies has a style all of his own. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Lotus Eater

1.0 out of 5 stars It is a poor read where facts have gone out of the window.
Having read the critics about this book,I bought it.What a disappointment,it dragged on,it repeated itself over and over again. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Helen Lore Zetter

1.0 out of 5 stars Richard and Judy clouded my judgement!
It sounded so good when they discussed it - but actually this novel is confused and confusing, without a central character with whom the reader can empathise. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Mrs. Helen S. Wilkinson

3.0 out of 5 stars Something my mum didn't enjoy...
...but I thought it was quite enjoyable. Nothing earth-shattering but it did keep my interest all the way through. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Muppet

1.0 out of 5 stars A bit of a mish mash
This book was recommended to me but I found it very disappointing! It reads like some of the detective series on TV - five or six subplots with little initial connection - you... Read more

Published 11 months ago by Geoffrey H. Dalton

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant read
This was a nice pleasant read, but that's it..... just nice. I liked the characters and it was nice to read the effects of WW2 from another perspective. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Wren

› See all 38 customer reviews...

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