I don't often like books written in letter form; they're usually lacking any real substance, and they seem like an easy way for a person with little talent to be able to write a story. However, I wasn't more than a few pages into The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society when I was already telling co-workers that they had to read this new book.
The main character, Juliet, has a love for books and an endearing charm and wit that quickly draws in a reader. The story mostly consists of the post-WWII correspondence between Juliet and a literay society from Guernsey, her publisher, and a few friends. Some of the letters are short and direct; others are more rambling, with the details, description, and dialogue more reminiscient of a novel. All of them are useful in revealing character or driving plot.
Though I can think of a few reasons - laugh-out-loud humor, wonderful characters, great writing, classic book discussion - I can't exactly explain why I liked this book so much. I guess it's just a well-written, light-hearted book, injected with humor , biblophilia, and quirky characters; it's a wonderful lazy-day read, and who doesn't need one of those now and then?
