Green Dolphin Street

Loved this story! Hugged the book at the end.

GREEN DOLPHIN STREET REVIEWI first read “Green Dolphin Street” when I was about fourteen, motivated, no doubt, by the 1947 movie that featured exciting scenes of sailing, New Zealand, earthquakes, tidal waves, wild weather, natives, and swashbuckling adventure. The fact that it starred Lana Turner and Donna Reed was surely a factor because of their luminous beauty that scratched the libido of a teen aged boy.I remember the read as a good one, although, as I grind through it now, it seems stodgy, overwritten, and full of sermonizing. That’s normal for Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984) who was known to be very religious and painstakingly deliberate in her writing. The story of two siblings, an adventurer fond of drink, a rough-hewn lumber man, a glorious clipper ship with it’s heroic captain, a glorious country filled with cannibals, and romance that borders on sappy is the makeup of Goudge’s story. My copy is very old with dog-eared pages and a strong mildewy smell. Possibly that has shaped my opinion.I haven’t found much on Goudge’s background but there has been no indication that she ever visited or researched New Zealand. That makes for some question as to the authenticity of her setting. I’m a stickler for authenticity. She was, however, a prolific writer, and is still highly regarded, a standing that enhances her believability.I recommend this book for romantics who like a touch of adventure, distantly in the style of Bronte or Austen. Goudge should be admired for her strong characterizations and scenic descriptions. Some of her writing is beautifully wrought with exhilarating accounts of weather and ocean.The book is lengthy with small type, making it a drudge to read. But if historical romance is your primary reading preference, “Green Dolphin Street” might be for you.Schuyler T WallaceAuthor of TIN LIZARD TALES

I searched for this book when a thought crossed my mind, I wonder if this movie came from a book? You see, one of my most favorite movies is an old black and and white called Green Dolphin Street which won an Oscar for special effects way back when. For years, I only got see this film when it came up in rotation on TMC. And finally it became available not only on DVD but on Amazon video as well. The book is way more in depth (and the movie takes a few liberties) This is a story of two sisters and the boy they both loved, and the trials this took all three of them in and how they overcame them becoming complete persons. I don't want to give away anymore of the storyline. Read this book. It is so satisfying!

I am glad that I read this book on Kindle at the recommendation of a wise friend (retired English professor) and did not read the extensive reviews ahead of time. Please do not read any review that reveals the PLOT before you start to read this book. Allow yourself to be surprised at the unexpected twists and turns. You will find yourself saying, "Oh no!" more than once as the characters do things you would never expect to see in a more conventional novel.I almost quit reading early in the story--wondering where the author was taking us as the plot slowly developed. I am so glad I persevered. The changing locations and scenery of the story motivated me to get out my atlas and find the spots so elegantly described. You will want to travel there!The characters in the story are so well drawn that they will remind you of Charles Dickens at his best. The THEME of the story is profound, especially about the changing nature of love and the difference between immature, selfish love and mature love. Insights also abound about the nature of true versus counterfeit spirituality. After reading it on Kindle, I decided I wanted to get my own hard copy to keep and read again.

Green Dolphin Street has an epic flavor (not found in Goudge's Damerosehay series) because of its length, the distances and varied settings, the recurrent danger, and the longer time span.The underlying thesis is that "there are are more sorts of love than one." A second kind of love must be discovered by one of the central characters. I'm not sure that Goudge is right about the kinds of love, but the novel is good reading for those who enjoy her memorable characters, descriptions of beauty, and sense of underlying providence.Some of her shorter novels are better. Among them are  The Dean's Watch  and  Pilgrim's Inn (Eliots of Damerosehay, Book 2) , also known as  Herb of Grace . Both have plenty to say about love.C. S. Lewis is the author of two fine books about love:  The Four Loves  is a small, readable volume about the different kinds of love.  Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold  --one of his finest-- is a very beautiful retelling of the ancient myth of Cupid and Psyche, in simple language, with great depth of meaning.

I first read this book when I was in high school. Loved it then and loved re-reading it almost 60 years later.In the days when sailing ships still ruled the oceans, two young well-to-do sisters are both enamored with the same man, who is a bit of a ne'er-do-well and is, himself, in love with one of the sisters. He gets into a bit of trouble and must leave England for the untamed colony of New Zealand. The man never forgets his true love and after a few years in New Zealand, he writes back to England, asking the woman-he-never-forgot to join him in New Zealand as his wife. The only problem is--he gets the names mixed up and addresses the letter to the wrong sister! The sister mistakenly chosen defies her parents and makes the trip half way around the world to join the man she loves. He is horrified to see the "wrong woman" on board ship but realizes he cannot reject her and send her back to England. So he makes the best of the situation.Through earthquakes and uprisings of the aboriginal people of New Zealand, this is a sweeping story of love, hardship, redemption. It is a most enjoyable historical novel and today still reads as well as it did when first published.

Green Dolphin Street was written by a woman who originally worked as a handicrafts teacher, and seems to have had little or no love life. It was published in the 1940s and the present edition has a warning at the beginning of it: that some readers might find the descriptions of British 19th Century colonialism distasteful or depressing. Judging by other reviews, for reasons which escape me, this book seems to be read largely by women and hardly ever by men.It is, however, a brilliant, gripping novel - a tour de force of characterisation, suspense and some of the most marvellous descriptive passages I have ever read anywhere. Gouge is a fearless writer, and underlying the events of the novel are any number of thought-provoking dilemmas and paradoxes. This is not to say it is a difficult read - it is an inspiring and engrossing read, but the book can be read at a number of levels. Gouge has been compared to Jane Austen, and she certainly knows how to manipulate the expectations of the reader to get the maximum emotion and interest out of the situations she creates, just as Jane Austen does.Gouge is a Christian writer, but this shouldn't put anybody off reading this book (any more than it should put people off reading Dostoevsky, who was also a committed Christian).The mystery (on the basis of this book) is why Elizabeth Gouge is not far more famous than she is. I haven't read any of her other books yet, but I certainly intend to do so - for this one is wonderful.

A wonderful book by a wonderful author. I first read this many years ago and decided to replace my much lent out, battered old copy. I look forward to reading this beautiful tale again. On KIndle soon please along with her other books !!!!!

re- reading an old favourite, and it still tugs the heart strings.

i have read this book more than once it has been a favourite over many years. I was so pleased to be able to received it on my kindle.

An epic that takes you from the Channel to NZ and back. I loved the imagery, the character development.