I didn't read this one as part of Book Club, but it has a book club in it! Well, a "literary society" to be exact. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2008) has been on my TBR for a long time, and I specifically put off watching the film until I had read the novel.
So, this year on our Mexico vacation, I took this book and two others and made a concerted effort to get them all done while relaxing on the beach or by the pool. And I did!
I was not aware this book was written in letter-style before I started it, so that was a unexpected surprise. But, I think the authors did a decent job. Unlike This is How You Lose the Time War, there were no connecting chapters between the characters' letters, it was just one letter into the next. So, at times, it was a little hard to follow. Especially, if one was unintentionally skipping over the dates of the letter each time which allow for helpful tracking of events.
The main character, Juliet Ashton, could be read as annoying to some, but I found her often self-deprecating view of her success as accurate and realistic. She just wants to write something important and profound but is lauded for her success of comedic columns about life during World War II. She also gets embroiled in a love-plot with a very persistent American in which she constantly blows off his proposals of marriage (good for her!) and falls in love with a much better match.
The inhabitants of the island of Guernsey are loving, guarded, ridiculous, brave, and did the best they could during the German occupation. Throughout Juliet's research into the island and its struggles, there is a mini where-is-she mystery plotline centered around the tenacious Elizabeth McKenna. As everything unfolds, both Juliet and the reader realize how influential and heartbreaking Elizabeth's presence and story is to the heart of Guernsey.
Aaaannndddd, because I finally read the book - I also watched the movie adaptation!
I quite liked it, but they did speed up the timeline a little bit more for the film than in the book which is ok, but then the love story with Juliet and Dawsey felt more rushed. It was a much slower burn in the novel and it was very will they/won't they. The film made it work decently though.
Like often in films, there were characters from the book that were not included and some of these omissions greatly changed the way certain storylines played out. Again, this mostly involved a big change to the love story of Juliet and Dawsey. I could go into these changes in depth, but I will stick to saying that the removal of the concentration camp survivor Remy Giraud is the main reason I feel that Juliet and Dawsey seemed so rushed. Her omission also greatly changed the perception of Elizabeth McKenna's bravery and humanity which is the main story that drew Juliet to the island. But, I digress.
Glen Powell as the pushy American suitor Markham V. Reynolds worked so well. He played the role as I would have imagined because he was dashing and debonair, yet you could feel dissatisfied for Juliet every time she wanted to prioritize her writing. His proposal in the film is much more significant than in the book, and I think their mutual agreement to not marry is done well. Book Markham is much more aggressive with his courtship. Powell gave it flair but also did the character justice.
Lily James as Juliet Ashton was an alright choice. She did the self-deprecating part of Juliet right, but she played into the kind of awkward, writer girl trope which I didn't get from book Juliet. The first rumoured Juliet was supposed to be Kate Winslet I guess, and that would have made for a different kind of portrayal for sure.
I love reading books and then viewing their adaptations for accuracy, feel, characters, plot, theme, and enjoyability. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society film from 2018 does a good job, even with the minor hang-ups that I mentioned, and it was enjoyable to see the characters come to life on screen.
