I just wanted to get the ball rolling on "The Snow Goose." What did you think of it, and who do you think is the main character? Philip Rhayader, Frith or the snow goose (aka La Princesse Perdue)?
(Sorry for the delay, but the holiday weekend messed up my reading schedule!)
I enjoyed the story! And I'm glad you chose it, as I would likely have not discovered it on my own.
The evacuation of Dunkirk is so intriguing and amazing (it's the only part of "Atonement" I liked). It's worthy of this kind of mythic treatment.
Who was the main character? For me, it was Philip — because the imagery associated with him is so poignant and because his plight as a human being is really the soul of the story.
I liked it! It was a lovely story. It reminded me of an old-timey fairy tale. The modern-day backdrop of the Dunkirk evacuation was a great twist.
I'd say the main character was Philip, for the same reasons KC mentioned. It was interesting, though, that we wound up with a more intimate knowledge of Frith's thoughts and feelings than we did Philip's. Her ending was really touching.
I'm glad you both liked it! You're right, Erin, in that it also reminded me of a fairy tale. You can almost imagine Paul Gallico sitting down in an armchair and reading this story aloud...
And I liked your comment, kc, that Philip's plight is the soul behind the story. Do you think if he hadn't been so ugly, that maybe Frith might have made a different decision?
I think his looks became irrelevant at some point. Frith realized that she was dealing with a rare good soul — and nothing else mattered after that realization.
I think his appearance maybe made her love him more because it said so much about his character: that he could turn an existence that would have made most people bitter misanthropes into a life devoted to beauty and appreciation of the natural world. His "deformity" gave him a profound empathy and rendered him incapable of taking any goodness for granted.
(Sorry for the delay, but the holiday weekend messed up my reading schedule!)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the story! And I'm glad you chose it, as I would likely have not discovered it on my own.
The evacuation of Dunkirk is so intriguing and amazing (it's the only part of "Atonement" I liked). It's worthy of this kind of mythic treatment.
Who was the main character? For me, it was Philip — because the imagery associated with him is so poignant and because his plight as a human being is really the soul of the story.
I liked it! It was a lovely story. It reminded me of an old-timey fairy tale. The modern-day backdrop of the Dunkirk evacuation was a great twist.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the main character was Philip, for the same reasons KC mentioned. It was interesting, though, that we wound up with a more intimate knowledge of Frith's thoughts and feelings than we did Philip's. Her ending was really touching.
I'm glad you both liked it! You're right, Erin, in that it also reminded me of a fairy tale. You can almost imagine Paul Gallico sitting down in an armchair and reading this story aloud...
ReplyDeleteAnd I liked your comment, kc, that Philip's plight is the soul behind the story. Do you think if he hadn't been so ugly, that maybe Frith might have made a different decision?
I think his looks became irrelevant at some point. Frith realized that she was dealing with a rare good soul — and nothing else mattered after that realization.
ReplyDeleteI think his appearance maybe made her love him more because it said so much about his character: that he could turn an existence that would have made most people bitter misanthropes into a life devoted to beauty and appreciation of the natural world. His "deformity" gave him a profound empathy and rendered him incapable of taking any goodness for granted.