Now I'm reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's about life on the Channel Islands during WW2, as the only part of Britain to be occupied by the Germans. So far all I can say is... it's really interesting (the perfect complement to Willis' book) and it's much wittier than I expected!
It's a series of letters, in 1946, between a writer and her publisher / best friend / publicist / this Literary Society in Guernsey / and other people.
Here are a few choice witticisms:
Publisher to our heroine (re the public readings she's doing): "Having witnessed your electrifying performance of 'The Shepherd Boy Sings in the Valley of Humiliation' eighteen years ago, I know you will have every listener coiled around your little finger within moments. A hint: perhaps in this case, you should refrain from throwing the book at the audience when you finish." Her reply: "I did not throw 'The Shepherd Boy Sings in the Valley of Humiliation' at the audience. I threw it at the elocution mistress. I meant to cast it at her feet, but I missed."
The publicist to the publisher: "Don't believe the newspaper reports. Juliet was not arrested, and taken away in handcuffs. ... She did throw a teapot at Gilly Gilbert's head, but don't believe his claim that she scalded him; the tea was cold. Besides, it was more of a skim-by than a direct hit."
American guy to our heroine: "I don't suppose you have a telephone, do you?" Her reply: "I do have a telephone. It's in Oakley Street under a pile of rubble that used to be my flat. I'm only sub-letting here, and my landlady, Mrs. Olive Burns, possesses the sole telephone on the premises. If you would like to chat with her, I can give you her number."
Our heroine to her best friend: "Your questions regarding that gentlemen are very delicate, very subtle, very much like being smacked in the head with a mallet."
1 comment:
Those are great.
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