Reviews

The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico

sarahlavender28's review against another edition

5.0

A wondrous little gem of a book. Just what I needed right now ♥️

colinlusk's review against another edition

4.0

Bought on impulse. My dad had a copy of this and another (The Small Miracle?) by the same author on his shelves when I was young but I never got around to reading it. It's a slim volume that packs a lot in: wild marshes, dubious Essex accents, care for animals, the Dunkirk evacuation, unrequited love (I'm not sure how many years have gone past - the girl's only 12 at the start of the book, so I hope the answer is "a lot") and heroism.
The goose in the name of the book brings the two main characters together and then goes on its own way as the world descends into war. I can imagine the story meaning a lot to children of that generation, but it belongs to a lost age: the way of life it describes is gone forever, and the innocence hopelessly tarnished.

grannydj's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

jahlapenos's review against another edition

3.0

While I enjoyed Gallico's writing, I don't understand the persecution of humpbacks. Why did Rhayader have to die simply to prove his humanity? I would think that was already proven. And typically stories of the "you don't know what you've got til it's gone" variety make me want to stab things. Why can't we have "I see and value what is before me" stories...isn't that a worthy thing as well? Frith's white entitlement was infuriating, and the snow goose was rather pointless.

rosie_wp's review against another edition

4.25

A beautiful little book, short but full of heart and prose, a captivating fable about love and faith. 

victoriaamalie's review against another edition

hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

preigle's review against another edition

4.0

Audiobook

christopholos's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

So I read this book when I was 10, and I remember thinking yup, cool, nifty book. Then I listened to the instrumental album by Camel, inspired by The Snow Goose, and I think over the next 20 years, I slowly pushed away the parts of the story I didn't like, and was left with a really happy story about

an old man who lives in this wild marsh, and he and this innocent girl become friends as they heal a snow goose, he unfortunately dies in the war but Frith sees the snow goose as a sign of their friendship

and it's all quite nice in the end, really.

Rereading it, it was quite a shock to read a book where Fritha seems to fall in love with Rhayader? It's not explicitly stated, so I guess I missed it when I was 10, but it's pretty clear now. That's not really on, I don't want to read about grooming in my nice marshy seaside bird rescue story. Plus, the references to the war are a bit glorified, I'm still a little torn about how much this is an anti-war book or a pro-war book, on the one hand, it shows the horrors of war, on the other hand, it seems to be saying that

Rhayader died in glory

. I dunno, didn't sit right with me, didn't sit right with me one bit.

The album ends with a reprise of the great marsh theme, and it's absolutely excellent, this book ends with

the nazis destroying Rhayader's house, and the bird sanctuary?!

which I honestly didn't remember at all. What on earth is that about!?

Sorry Paul Gallico, the start of this book is really nice, descriptions of the marsh, and the way the plot begins to progress, but heavens it loses it's way. Big thanks to Camel for writing an album where I can just forget about the needlessly sinister parts of this story.

bookymartha's review against another edition

2.5

The beginning of the book was really beautiful, with vivid descriptions of marshlands and waterfowl, and eventually also a solitary painter living in the lighthouse, painting the birds. I would've been very happy if the book was just that, but then the manic pixie dream child was introduced and it went downhill from there. I just wish that he and the child didn't fall in love, it was so very unnecessary, creepy, and paedophilic. I also hate the trope of someone seeing "past" a disability because of romantic love, when disabled people deserve to be loved as they are without someone "seeing past" their actual self.
As well as that, Gallico was not the best at writing a cockney accent, which makes sense from an American. The end of the book was just Gallico openly fantasising about war and an unsubtly sad ending. I wish it had ended like it started, on the mud flats..

endemictoearth's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75