Customer Reviews

On Green Dolphin Street

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

In limpid, beautiful English Faulks describes the sights and events in a number of cities (New York, Washington, London, Moscow, Saigon) through the eyes of, and as a mirror for, the feelings of his protagonists, principally his heroine Mary van der Linden. The theme of the atmosphere of a place reflecting the passions of the observer has not been done as well since Elizabeth Bowen, and the reader (well, this one, at any rate) is drawn in to and overwhelmed by the emotional conflicts of the characters. The writing, characterisation, dialogue, plot (and its resolution) make this a fit successor to Faulks's previous novels. I am not sorry to have to disagree with some of the previous reviewers!

I cannot believe the negative reviews this wonderful book has received. Perhaps I lack background, as this is the first Faulks novel I have read, but I thought it was wonderful. Evocative of the era, full of texture and vivid descriptive prose; I could intimately feel the cold air of Moscow, the cosy claustrophobia of Cold War America, the homely comforts of England... A fantastic read.

I for one would LOVE to see a film of this novel, if anyone wants to make it! So long it was exactly as the book, changing nothing (especially the wistful ending), and it would be a classic in the traditional 'French' film genre, IMHO.

Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed books like 'Chocolat', 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' and 'The Unfortunates', a real asset to the modern fiction lover's bookcase.

This book marks a departure for Faulks from his last two novels in the French triology which were so sucessful in stirring empathy in the reader. "On Green Dolphin Street" sees Faulks tackle a love story set against the political race for the US presidency between Kennedy and Nixon.

Many of Faulks' usual ingredients are present in this book: focus on a love story, intense characterisations and well researched historical details. The problem with the book was the historical context he has chosen: Faulks fails to recreate the sense of change which the US was undergoing in the late fifties/early sixties and he relies too heaviliy on the poignancy which the reader's hindsight brings to the fate of Kennedy and Nixon. The fact that Faulks harks back to WW2 and Vietnam in the recollections of the two male lead characters suggests that even he knew that political battles are no real substtiute for physical warfare as a setting for a love story.

I finished the book not caring about the fate of any of the three main characters, largely as a result of the curiously dispassionate description of their feelings.

Faulks does succeed in depicting well New York of the era and the description of Mary's reactions to the death of her mother were very moving - and if only for that reason it is worth a read.

'Birdsong' was a magnificent book and it was always going to be difficult to maintain that standard of writing. So it wasn't a surprise that 'Charlotte Gray' fell well short of that marvellous read. But 'On Green Dolphin Street' - the tale of a Cold War love triangle - has to be Sebastian Faulks' most disappointing book.

I was never happy with the novel from the outset. Even the characters' names made me cringe and Faulks never manages to paint his subjects convincingly enough.

Yes, there is plenty of detail, but there is too much in the wrong places. I got tired of reading about the minutiae of Mary's clothing, for example.

The plot was thin and the actions of the characters completely unconvincing. One minute Mary is expressing her deep love for her broken, alcoholic husband, for her dear children and for her bereaved father; the next, she is prepared to abandon them to live on the other side of the world with reporter Frank. I know it is not unheard of for people to leave their spouses and family in this way, but Faulks never expresses this in a convincing way. In the context of the story, it is a highly unlikely choice Mary makes.

But then, Mary's love for Frank is wholly unconvincing. The moment of truth, when the pair realise they are madly in love, is the low point of the novel - as implausible as it gets. Every time she uttered a "my love" to wooden Frank, I squirmed with embarrassment.

So, sadly the book is a big disappointment. I just hope Faulks can get back on form with his next work.

I am an avid reader and this is one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure to read. I found it gripping from beginning to end. It's funny, sad, heartwrenching and completely believable. Buy this book and read it, really take it in, and you will not regret it.

Against the backdrop of the 1960 Presidential election, fought by John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon, a weary English mother embarks upon a clandestine affair with a newspaper reporter covering the election battle. This is really all there is to the story, but Faulks writes so visually and with such a Fleming-esque attention to detail, that the reader is inescapably drawn into the world of dinner parties, cocktails and the various characters' internal struggles and desires. Taking one character at a time, the writer casts an eye over their past lives; never judging but observing and highlighting the passions and fears that gripped many in America during the post-McCarthy fallout.

As well-crafted as Birdsong, as powerful as The Girl at the Lion d'Or, and as thoughtful as Charlotte Gray, this superb novel shows a writer at the height of his not inconsiderable powers.

I'm a great fan of Sebastian Faulks and I wouldn't compare OGDS with his novels depicting wartime, but take it on its own merits. The backdrop is the glamourous life of the diplomatic service in 1959/60, at the time of the forthcoming Kennedy/Nixon election. The main characters, Mary van der Linden and her husband, Charlie, working at the British Embassy in Washington, seem to have it all: two lovely children, family happiness and a continuing round of parties - the good life. Then along came Frank Renzo, a seasoned American journalist. The story moves between Washington, New York and London, where Mary's parents live. In telling the story, the author touches on a number of important subjects, including the problems faced by men returned from war having seen things men shouldn't have to see, yet expected to pick-up and carry-on with life as normal. The emotional scars, however, are always near the surface - even 15 years down the line. The 'good' wife, who had always been snow white, but who found herself drifting. I was surprised and quite impressed that a man could offer such insight into a woman's feelings regarding an illicit love affair. Not only regarding the love affair, but also the Mother-Daughter relationship when faced with the mother's imminent death due to terminal illness, and the subsequent dynamics of her relationship with her father. Then there was Mary's 'mission of mercy' visit to Moscow! I was really gripped by the description of Communist Moscow at that time - its sinister environment, and the coldness of a Moscow winter could almost be felt. Different from his other books, but I'm glad I didn't miss it.

This book has far too much description and political comment, and I found myself skipping over large chunks to get to the ending. I didn't like either Mary or Frank, I have to admit, which as they're two of the main characters is rather a shame! However, I absolutely loved Charlie and the changes he goes through and wished there could be more about him. He's worth a novel of his own!

I really liked this book. The interfaces between fiction and history is very interesting. The way he intermingles the novel's characters and the political scenery of the 1960 presidential campaign, with so many backstage documentary information is brilliant. You read a novel at the same time as a research of a certain period.

I find that Sebastian Faulks' books alway remind me of a film version of historical events, rather than giving an impression of "that's what it must have been like." And just like a glossy film by someone like Anthony Minghella, his books are enjoyable but not quite as profound as they think they are. Everthing is here for a snapshot of the sixties: jazz, cocktails, Jackie-dresses, sexy housewives, world-weary hacks... It's gorgeous, but it's a pastiche.