Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Folio Society (2000), Hardcover, 170 pages
Description
A sixteen-year-old girl captures the dangerous attention of an older man in this New York Times-bestselling novel by the author of Black Narcissus. Soon after the end of the terrible Great War, Mrs. Grey brings her five young children to the French countryside for the summer in hopes of instilling in them a sense of history and humility. But when she is struck down by a sudden illness and hospitalized, the siblings are left to fend for themselves at the lovely, bullet-scarred hotel Les Oeillets, under the suspicious, watchful eyes of its owner, Mademoiselle Zizi. The young ones find a willing guide, companion, and protector in charming Englishman Eliot, a longtime resident at Les Oeillets and Mlle. Zizi's apparent paramour. But as these warm days of freedom, discovery, and adolescent adventure unfold, Eliot's interest becomes more and more focused on the eldest of the Grey children, sixteen-year-old daughter Joss. The older man's obsession with the innocent, alluring, heartbreakingly beautiful woman-child soon threatens to overstep all bounds of propriety. And as Eliot's fascination increases, so does the jealousy of his disrespected lover, adding fuel to a dangerously smoldering fire that could erupt into unexpected violence at any moment. Told from the point of view of Cecil, Joss's sharp-eyed younger sister, The Greengage Summer is a beautiful, poignant, darkly tinged coming-of-age story rich in the sights, smells, and sounds of France's breathtaking Champagne country. It remains one of the crowning literary achievements of Rumer Godden, acclaimed author of beloved classics Black Narcissus, The River, and In This House of Brede.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
With The Greengage Summer I have once again lost my heart to Rumer Godden. Aimed at a younger audience this book is in no way written down for children, rather it stretches the mind as it delivers a story both extremely atmospheric and, at times unsettling. Forever encapsulated in a green and
With their father gone for years on a scientific expedition, their mother decides the Grey family needs a vacation and despite the tut-tutting of her brother William, packs the family off to France. She books them into a hotel called Les Oeillets at Vieux-Moutiers and fully intends on educating her five children by touring the battlefields of France. Unfortunately, a horsefly bite turns septic and the mother is promptly packed off to hospital for the duration of their stay. Although they are taken under the wing of a mysterious guest called Elliot, they are basically left to fend for themselves. What follows is an evocative story of innocence lost as the children tramp about the French countryside and learn more about the other guests and workers at the hotel.
The five Grey children are Joss, Cecil, Hester, Willmouse and Vicky. Joss is sixteen and just learning the power of her sexuality, but has no idea of what this means or how to use it. The masculinity of her name aside, Cecil, the story’s narrator, spends much of her time wavering between jealousy of her sister and wanting to protect her. At thirteen her emotions are constantly bubbling to the surface. There are three year gaps between each child since “three years is about the length of Father’s expeditions”. Each of the children is a distinct individual, and although the French characters at time verge on stereotyping, they still are interesting and engaging.
The Greengage Summer is a book that had I read when younger would probably have long held a place on my shelves as a favorite. Even at my advanced age this is wonderful read. Rumer Godden has the impressive ability of capturing the essence of childhood and transferring it to the pages and I found the Grey children very charming to read about.
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golden world, The Greengage Summer is a coming-of-age story with both heart and soul.With their father gone for years on a scientific expedition, their mother decides the Grey family needs a vacation and despite the tut-tutting of her brother William, packs the family off to France. She books them into a hotel called Les Oeillets at Vieux-Moutiers and fully intends on educating her five children by touring the battlefields of France. Unfortunately, a horsefly bite turns septic and the mother is promptly packed off to hospital for the duration of their stay. Although they are taken under the wing of a mysterious guest called Elliot, they are basically left to fend for themselves. What follows is an evocative story of innocence lost as the children tramp about the French countryside and learn more about the other guests and workers at the hotel.
The five Grey children are Joss, Cecil, Hester, Willmouse and Vicky. Joss is sixteen and just learning the power of her sexuality, but has no idea of what this means or how to use it. The masculinity of her name aside, Cecil, the story’s narrator, spends much of her time wavering between jealousy of her sister and wanting to protect her. At thirteen her emotions are constantly bubbling to the surface. There are three year gaps between each child since “three years is about the length of Father’s expeditions”. Each of the children is a distinct individual, and although the French characters at time verge on stereotyping, they still are interesting and engaging.
The Greengage Summer is a book that had I read when younger would probably have long held a place on my shelves as a favorite. Even at my advanced age this is wonderful read. Rumer Godden has the impressive ability of capturing the essence of childhood and transferring it to the pages and I found the Grey children very charming to read about.
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LibraryThing member Lidbud
The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
I have owned this book for quite a few years and picked it up, as I felt that my reading was a little bit stalled, and I needed something that would be a quick read. I am very glad that this was the book that I chose.
The story concerns the five Grey Children, who
This is a very well written book, and one that I can highly recommend to anyone who enjoys coming of age fiction.
I have owned this book for quite a few years and picked it up, as I felt that my reading was a little bit stalled, and I needed something that would be a quick read. I am very glad that this was the book that I chose.
The story concerns the five Grey Children, who
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travel to France on holiday with their mother. The mother thinks that the children are spoiled and wants to show them the battlefields of France to make them less selfish. As soon as they arrive their mother becomes sick, and is confined to a hospital bed, leaving the children to stay at a local hotel, largely unsupervised. They are taken under the wing of Eliot, an enigmatic Englishman who seems to live permanently at the hotel. They find summer in France to be very different to what they are used to in France, They gorge themselves on greengages from the orchard, and discover adult 'pleasures' such as drinking alcohol. The narrator of the story is thirteen year old Cecil (a girl), but it is her elder sister, Joss 'suddenly achingly beautiful' who is at the centre of the action as she attracts attention from the men at the hotel, leading to the crisis near the end of the novel.This is a very well written book, and one that I can highly recommend to anyone who enjoys coming of age fiction.
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LibraryThing member LyzzyBee
25 Dec 2010 - Secret Santa gift from LibraryThing Virago Group member Parmaviolet
A delicious coming-of-age novel. Cecil and her delightfully-drawn siblings are thrown onto their own resources when their mother falls in on the way to their holiday in France. They are awakened to the mysteries of sex
A delicious coming-of-age novel. Cecil and her delightfully-drawn siblings are thrown onto their own resources when their mother falls in on the way to their holiday in France. They are awakened to the mysteries of sex
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and adulthood by the set of characters at the hotel, some of whom - Eliot in particular - are meant to be protecting them. Hugely atmospheric and evocative of hot teenage summers and learning who to trust. Show Less
LibraryThing member annejacinta
No wonder I had fond memories of reading this novel when I was young. It has so beautifully described the atmosphere of a French residence and garden . Fascinating to read Rumer Godden's intro to this 2013 edition of her novel published in 1958. So much of it was autobiographical!
LibraryThing member lucybrown
My 5-star rating of this book, one of the golden books of my early adolescence, has more to do with how utterly enraptured I was by the novel one hazy Georgia summer than it does with literary merit, though it may have that as well. I simply was not a literary minded reader at 13. However, as a
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reader who as always appreciated a good story more than literary antics, I would say based on my over 30 year old memories of this book Ms. Godden is a hell of a storyteller whose unsentimental view of the young was engaging and liberating. It is a book that I have often thought of rereading, but am worried it would lose its glow. What A Tree Grows in Brooklyn seems to represent to many of my reading friends, The Greengage Summer was to me. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
A haunting evocation of a summer spent in France. Told by a young girl who, with her older sister and family, spend a surprisingly eventful summer in the country.
LibraryThing member lucybrown
My 5-star rating of this book, one of the golden books of my early adolescence, has more to do with how utterly enraptured I was by the novel one hazy Georgia summer than it does with literary merit, though it may have that as well. I simply was not a literary minded reader at 13. However, as a
Show More
reader who as always appreciated a good story more than literary antics, I would say based on my over 30 year old memories of this book Ms. Godden is a hell of a storyteller whose unsentimental view of the young was engaging and liberating. It is a book that I have often thought of rereading, but am worried it would lose its glow. What A Tree Grows in Brooklyn seems to represent to many of my reading friends, The Greengage Summer was to me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
I picked this up because I've liked some of Rumer Godden's juveniles. This one's a little odd, though. Reminds me a bit of the ones by Bill and Vera Cleaver - written in a more adult style, with mature ideas, absolutely no didactism, almost no humor. My copy was from a thrift store and has no
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preface. I didn't find it uplifting or interesting or anything, really. Show Less
LibraryThing member piemouth
Family of naive kids on their own in France, while their mother is in the hospital, encounter worldly people at their hotel. A coming of age story, and a coming of awareness story. The narrator is the younger sister and her voice is both that of herself looking back, and herself when young. How
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things end, and what happened to everyone, is left vague, which was tantalizing - I wanted the kid's dreams to come out right for them. Wonderful and disturbing. Show Less
LibraryThing member lucybrown
My 5-star rating of this book, one of the golden books of my early adolescence, has more to do with how utterly enraptured I was by the novel one hazy Georgia summer than it does with literary merit, though it may have that as well. I simply was not a literary minded reader at 13. However, as a
Show More
reader who as always appreciated a good story more than literary antics, I would say based on my over 30 year old memories of this book Ms. Godden is a hell of a storyteller whose unsentimental view of the young was engaging and liberating. It is a book that I have often thought of rereading, but am worried it would lose its glow. What A Tree Grows in Brooklyn seems to represent to many of my reading friends, The Greengage Summer was to me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tytania
Tremendous. I loved this book. I was so sorry when I finished it. It was an old-fashioned exciting novel. I guess it's something of a classic (1958) young adult coming-of-age novel, but I had never heard of it - I came across a mini-review, I think in the NYT, which intrigued me and lent me to
Five siblings and their mom take a trip to France, from Britain; but mom gets sick on the way and has to be hospitalized. The four sisters and one brother range in age from 16 to 4. They find themselves on their own in a hotel seemingly filled with enemies, and one ally, a mysterious American who takes responsibility for them, but hides deep dark secrets.
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borrow it.Five siblings and their mom take a trip to France, from Britain; but mom gets sick on the way and has to be hospitalized. The four sisters and one brother range in age from 16 to 4. They find themselves on their own in a hotel seemingly filled with enemies, and one ally, a mysterious American who takes responsibility for them, but hides deep dark secrets.
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Awards
Language
Original publication date
1958
Local notes
Mum is confined to bed in a small French village, and her children are left on their own in the pensione. Mainly the story of the oldest daughter's blossoming toward maturity.