Product Description

America, 1959. With two young children she adores, loving parents back in London, and an admired husband, Charlie, working at the British embassy in Washington, the world seems an effervescent place of parties, jazz and family happiness to Mary van der Linden. But the Eisenhower years are ending, and 1960 brings the presidential battle between two ambitious senators: John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. But when Frank, an American newspaper reporter, enters their lives Mary embarks on a passionate affair, all the while knowing that in the end she must confront an impossible decision.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #135567 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Fans will recognise Sebastian Faulks' focus on characterisation, historical context and the emotional power of his narrative in his new novel, "On Green Dolphin Street". Yet, in tone and setting, the story of one woman's attempt to face down death in the Cold War years marks a new departure for this bestselling novelist.

It's 1959 and the presidential battle between Kennedy and Nixon is heating up. Just as the country stands between two men so does Mary van der Linden, the wife of a British embassy employee in Washington and lover of political newspaper reporter Frank Renzo. All three are damaged by their experiences of war; death and decay are everywhere: through the men's memory of war, Mary's dying mother, van der Linden's declining health and the readers' knowledge that in only a few short years Kennedy will be dead and Nixon disgraced.

Previously, Faulks has described in bloody detail the horrors of the trenches and the brutality of the battlefield. Here he comments on the hollowness and politics of war and the human cost. With the personal mirroring the political so closely, the inevitability of the doomed love affair at the centre of the novel hardly inspires one to great heights of empathy. Consequently, the characters' fervour often falls flat:

"He raked his fingers through her hair, down to the skull, as his body filled hers. All the way, he thought, I will go all the way, till I find her; and with her head between his hands he too let out a cry, because he felt pity for her soul."

Faulks, whose previous novels have included bestsellers Birdsong and Charlotte Gray, has the capacity to sweep his readers up in his historical sagas and excels in his unflinching treatment of war. Unfortunately, the switch here from the battlefield to the political arena is not as compelling and, considering he is writing about one of the most exhilarating periods in US history and its most exciting city--New York (something Douglas Kennedy captured far more successfully in The Pursuit of Happiness), On Green Dolphin Street simply does not leap to the same heights as his earlier novels. --Alex Freeman

Review
'A real page turner... superbly done... another winner', Sunday Telegraph .'Faulk's fans will not be disappointed in this suspenseful tale', The Times .'A faultless depiction of time and place... the plot performs like an elegant melody', Observer

Guardian
‘Compelling…Faulks has become an international sensation’

Customer Reviews

Beautifully written but inconsequential.
With Birdsong Sebastian Faulks created characters that we cared for deeply and a story that was believable, tense, and profoundly moving. Sadly, with his latest novel he underachieves on those scores. Mary and Frank are two dimensional charicatures about whom we cannot care, conducting a relationship which we cannot believe. The plot meanders needlesly and reaches a conclusion that is both unreal and inconsequential. So, why three stars? Because even with a product as disappointing as this, the style of writing and Faulks' use of language is utterly beautiful. In the modern novel he and Jim Crace stand above all others in demonstrating the power, gravity and beauty of the English language. Forget the story, such as it is, immerse yourself in the language and you will find that it is possible to enjoy a great author's weakest work.

what a disappointment
This highly over-rated book was one of the biggest disappointments of the year. The characters are uniformly emotion-less and they speak in unrealistic platitudes and cliches.

There is one good scene when Frank responds to Mary's oblique declaration of love, but that's it. The rest is stilted, stultifying and unengaging. The portrayal of Moscow reads as if written by an over-excited child who has just discovered this thing called Communism.

Do not bother to try to decipher the boring Mary's psychology - Faulks clearly didn't bother. her treatment of her children speaks volumes about her; she is an emotional brute.

If you've been there this will resonate strongly
The tension of whether or not to embark on an affair is beautifully captured. I found it hard to put this book down. True, it's different from 'Birdsong' but I didn't feel any need to compare and was able to fully enjoy it in its own right