On Green Dolphin Street |
 |
 click here for more details, find new or used items |
Sebastian Faulks
|
|
Pages: 352 (Paperback)
ISBN: 009927583X
Pub: Vintage
Pub date: 2002-05-27
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 48530
Editorial Review:
Fans will recognise Sebastian Faulks' focus on characterisation, historical context and the emotional power of his narrative in his new novel, "On Green Dolphin Street". Yet, in tone and setting, the story of one woman's attempt to face down death in the Cold War years marks a new departure for this bestselling novelist.
It's 1959 and the presidential battle between Kennedy and Nixon is heating up. Just as the country stands between two men so does Mary van der Linden, the wife of a British embassy employee in Washington and lover of political newspaper reporter Frank Renzo. All three are damaged by their experiences of war; death and decay are everywhere: through the men's memory of war, Mary's dying mother, van der Linden's declining health and the readers' knowledge that in only a few short years Kennedy will be dead and Nixon disgraced.
Previously, Faulks has described in bloody detail the horrors of the trenches and the brutality of the battlefield. Here he comments on the hollowness and politics of war and the human cost. With the personal mirroring the political so closely, the inevitability of the doomed love affair at the centre of the novel hardly inspires one to great heights of empathy. Consequently, the characters' fervour often falls flat:
"He raked his fingers through her hair, down to the skull, as his body filled hers. All the way, he thought, I will go all the way, till I find her; and with her head between his hands he too let out a cry, because he felt pity for her soul."
Faulks, whose previous novels have included bestsellers Birdsong and Charlotte Gray, has the capacity to sweep his readers up in his historical sagas and excels in his unflinching treatment of war. Unfortunately, the switch here from the battlefield to the political arena is not as compelling and, considering he is writing about one of the most exhilarating periods in US history and its most exciting city--New York (something Douglas Kennedy captured far more successfully in The Pursuit of Happiness), On Green Dolphin Street simply does not leap to the same heights as his earlier novels. --Alex Freeman
Reader Reviews:
Behind the Diplomatic Glamour (0/0 people found this helpful)
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.
There might be a good book in here somewhere (0/0 people found this helpful)
At times this book is well written, erudite, and insightful, mainly when Faulks is dealing with war, school, nature, and how children smell. Unfortunately, these are brief episodes. Too brief when set against the turgid prose, the butterfly plotting and the countless behavioural oddities of the characters.
A large part of the book focusses on the character a of Mary who, married to a diplomat, encounters what might be fairly thought to be many emotional upheavals (death, serious illness, financial problems, more death, love, family breakup, disgrace etc. etc.) with a quite dissociated demeanour. This may be an intended reflection of her character but the rote approach to characterisation (check out the passages about clothes - writing about women by numbers or what!) suggests otherwise. Other characters seem similarly flat.
The candid and lucid examination of the emotional mechanics of infidelity is about the only part of the characterisation that rings true. It is unedifying but has the tang of believability.
The plot leaps about from affair to addiction to politics to war to diplomacy. I was constantly expecting some unifying theme or revelation. Alas it was not to be and the book fizzled out in bathos. Possibly the most stupid ending since Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Very disappointing (0/0 people found this helpful)
Like many other reviewers on here, I thought 'Birdsong' had some merit with its brilliantly researched and vividly painted WW1 setting, though I was left with the impression that he's probably a better journalist (his original trade) than he is a novelist.
I found this one a trial though. I have a personal policy of never allowing myself to leave a book unfinished. From time to time, I get to the final page and regret my Virgoan self-discipline. The historical context in this one is of minor interest to most people, unlike WW1 which seems to fascinate us more as the years go by and as family research leads more of us to want to understand the experience of our near ancestors. The story, such as it is, is painfully slow and less 'subtle' than downright dull. The dialogue is unnatural in the extreme, and his writing style is unnecessarily tortuous; I yearned for a noun that was not qualified by at least one superfluous adjective.
Read 'Birdsong'; don't let your Virgoan self-discipline get the better of you on this one, though.
Beautiful (0/0 people found this helpful)
I read On Green Dolphin Street having only read Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks before. I found his writing truly beautiful and he fully immersed me in his fictional world. I had a lot of empathy with the characters and the book was very atmospheric.
I would strongly recommend this book to any open minded person. Everyone I have lent the book to has enjoyed it thoroughly and for different reasons.
A good holiday book but not remarkable (0/0 people found this helpful)
I picked up this book at the station shop when in a rush for something to read on a long train journey. I picked it out because I had recently read and enjoyed Birdsong (by the same author). Having read several of Faulks' books it seems that they run to a formula, troubled relationships with particular historical events used as the back-drop, in this case the Kennedy/Nixon 1960 presidential election (amongst others).
Overall the book is entertaining and has enough depth to keep you interested, however it does not have anything particularly profound to say on any of the subjects it addresses. Although the setting is vivid the story itself has a somewhat "generic" feel about it.
Similar Products
The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives
The Vintage Book of War Stories
Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback