Books 2014 - The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden

[byslantedlight]

On and off, all that hot French August, we made ourselves ill from eating the greengages... The faded elegance of Les Oeillets, with its bullet-scarred staircase and serene garden bounded by high walls; Eliot, the charming Englishman who became the children's guardian while their mother lay il in hospital; sophisticated Madame Zizi, hotel patronne, and Eliot's devoted lover; 16 year old Joss, the oldest Grey girl, suddenly, achingly beautiful. And the Marne river flowing silent and slow beyond them all... They would merge together in a god-green summer of discovery, until the fruit rotted on the trees and the co seeped into their bones... The Greengage Summer is Rumer Godden's tense, evocative portrait of love and deceit in the Champagne country of the Marne...

This was another read that wasn't quite comfortable, but it was utterly unlike Swimming Home. The story was told through the eyes of 14 year old Cecilia, and it caught at just that way of seeing the world, when you're suddenly seeing so much, and yet in hindsight were missing even more because your eyes are still too young... Every now and then Cecil would say something that was all about the world, the kind of thing that makes you pause and think yes, but it was all still part of the story rather than something separate and worthy. And you could feel the hotel and France all around you, hear it and smell it and practically run your fingers along it (and perhaps want to wash them afterwards... *g*)

Again, not entirely what I was expecting from a holiday-book, but I enjoyed reading it just the same... I must read more Rumer Godden - my mum had The Dollshouse which I loved, and Kingfishers Catch Fire, which I know I read, but can't remember now. I'm sure I've read other stories too - Little Plum, Miss Flower and Miss Happiness are so familiar to me, perhaps I borrowed them from the library. Nice to rediscover authors!


Key West, USA - The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon
Nice, France - Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
France - The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden

Comments

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

I had really fond memories of reading Miss Happiness and Miss Flower as a kid, and then really enjoyed getting a lovely copy of it and reading it to my girl. I don't think I ever read anything else by her though which is strange because I always think oh yes, Rumer Godden, one of my favourite authors!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I have stronger memories of Little Plum, for some reason, but I know what you mean - I feel like I must have read so much more Rumer Godden than I actually have. There are other authors like that too - Iris Murdoch, for instance, and Daphne DuMaurier... And yet today when I was in Waterstones I couldn't find a single thing that I wanted to buy, either...

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure I read this once, very very long ago ... And Miss Flower and Miss Happiness too - I remember them with such a positive feeling, and yet I don't have clear memories of them :-(((

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

They do evoke positive feelings, don't they - I have stronger memories of Little Plum, for some reason, but yes...