Annotated List of Important Books in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Jane Austen
- Pride and Prejudice. Isola plans on speaking about it at a meeting but her goat eats her notes (p. 234).
Emily Bronte
- Wuthering Heights. One of Isola’s favorite books. She talks about Anne and Charlotte Bronte as well but doesn’t mention specific titles (p. 53).
Thomas Carlyle
- Past and Present. The first book that Will Thisbee enjoys helps him “get a grip on Faith.” (p. 101).
Geoffrey Chaucer
- The Canterbury Tales. Sidney’s favorite favorite book; the topic of a Society meeting (p. 243).
Charles Dickens
- The Pickwick Papers. Amelia’s favorite – it lifts her spirits during the Occupation (p. 50).
Charles Lamb
- Selected Essays of Elia. Dawsey has Juliet’s old copy; reason for his first letter to her (p. 9).
- More Essays of Elia and Selected Letters. Juliet sends to Dawsey (p. 11).
Wilfred Owen
- The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen. Owen’s poetry helps Clovis Fossey to describe his experiences in WWI (p. 72).
Rainer Maria Rilke
- Collected poetry (exact title not specified). A gift from Christian to Elizabet6h, with the inscription, “For Elizabeth, who turns darkness into light.” (p. 259).
Seneca
- Letters of Seneca. John Booker writes that Seneca and the Society keep him from being a drunk (p. 88).
William Shakespeare
- Selections from Shakespeare. Eben Ramsey’s favorite book. He quotes Shakespeare when talking about the German troops landing on Guernsey (p. 63).
Oscar Wilde
– An important author in the book—he writes a series of letters to Isola’s grandmother—but none of his works are specifically mentioned.
