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Gold
Like a Welsh Amélie set in a pub, Gold is a tender, understated tale of love, loss, and growing up. It is also vintage Dan Rhodes, one of the most critically beloved novelists working today. Miyuki Woodward, lover of beer and microwaveable food, has been taking a two-week vacation—away from her companion—to the same seaside town in Wales for the last eight years. She is made to feel at home at the salty seaside pub, where Short Mr. Hughes, Tall Mr. Hughes, and Mr. Puw are happy to add her to their trivia-contest team. This year, following an impulsive artistic act involving gold spray paint, Miyuki will take part in the most turbulent events the village has seen since Tall Mr. Hughes returned from the pub toilet without remembering to button up. Gold is a bittersweet, idiosyncratic, funny affirmation of life and a touchingly satisfying story rich in pathos, insight, and asides from the best-selling author of Timoleon Vieta Come Home and Anthropology.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
9 people are currently reading
670 people want to read
About the author
Dan Rhodes
14 books198 followersIt should be noted that a recent Gallup poll revealed that there are an estimated 14,000 writers worldwide who share Rhodes’ name. He is not to be confused with the Daniel Rhodes who writes books about vampires, or the Daniel Rhodes who writes books about ceramics, or the Dan Rhodes who writes books about theology, or the Danny Rhodes who writes teenage fiction, or the character Sheriff Dan Rhodes in Bill Crider’s Western detective series, or any of the many other Dan/Daniel/Danny Rhodeses out there in bookland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
January 2, 2013
Monday is trivia/quiz night, and the gang down at Cheers the Anchor, a village pub in Wales, is getting psyched. Septic Barry and the Children from Previous Relationships don't stand a chance against the team of Hughes Puw Hughes, especially the two weeks of the year when their roster reads:
1. Tall Mr. Hughes
2. Mr. Puw
3. Short Mr. Hughes
4. Japanese Girl
The "secret" Asian in question is Miyuki, a half-Welsh/half-Japanese woman who spends two weeks a year in this quaint village as a sort of temporary declaration of independence from her significant other. She spends her time walking, brooding about her life, reading a book a day, and drinking pints of Brains Bitter. Though she's been coming to the seaside town every winter for eight years, she's never really gotten to know her drinking chums until a recent spontaneous act of public artwork, or vandalism, as the town refers to it, finds her drawing closer toCliff Clavin Tall Mr. Hughes.
This is a fun fast read, and a great way to pass a dreary winter afternoon. My only complaints? I would have liked to have spent a little more time with the colorful locals, AND - the book has such a light, breezy, comic tone that the revelation at the end came as a real kick in the crotch. I wanted to scream, "Miyuki, go back! Go back to the Anchor! You want to be where people know people are all the same. You want to be where everybody knowsyour name you as the Japanese Girl."
1. Tall Mr. Hughes
2. Mr. Puw
3. Short Mr. Hughes
4. Japanese Girl
The "secret" Asian in question is Miyuki, a half-Welsh/half-Japanese woman who spends two weeks a year in this quaint village as a sort of temporary declaration of independence from her significant other. She spends her time walking, brooding about her life, reading a book a day, and drinking pints of Brains Bitter. Though she's been coming to the seaside town every winter for eight years, she's never really gotten to know her drinking chums until a recent spontaneous act of public artwork, or vandalism, as the town refers to it, finds her drawing closer to
This is a fun fast read, and a great way to pass a dreary winter afternoon. My only complaints? I would have liked to have spent a little more time with the colorful locals, AND - the book has such a light, breezy, comic tone that the revelation at the end came as a real kick in the crotch. I wanted to scream, "Miyuki, go back! Go back to the Anchor! You want to be where people know people are all the same. You want to be where everybody knows
January 19, 2017
Holy mackerel.
April 6, 2010
I really enjoyed this book, very quirky and witty. I loved all the characters especially Miyuki, the Welsh/Japanese girl who has spent a fortnight every Winter in the same seaside town .. only 100 miles from home .. for the last eight years eating junk food, reading a book a day and drinking 'Brains' beer in The Anchor, just so that she can appreciate her love for Grindl (absence making the heart grow fonder and all that). Not much happens but I could have read about that 'not much' happening for several more chapters because I just loved the people, the place and the whimsical nature of it. It has a surprisingly sad ending but that in a way made it all the more perfect.
I would say it was 'laugh out loud' but I never do that .. it was definitely 'smile out loud' though
I would say it was 'laugh out loud' but I never do that .. it was definitely 'smile out loud' though
April 28, 2018
Totalno delightful. Priča o djevojci koja svake godine uzima dvosedmični odmor od svoje veze i provodi ga čitajući knjige, pijući pivo i družeći se sa lokalcima iz puba u malom priobalnom mjestu u Velsu. Šta drugo čovjeku treba :)
July 20, 2013
I found this on the $1 cart at the fabulous Book Thug Nation (their $1 carts have a better selection than most entire bookshops) and bought it because it had a neat cover. I don't know anything about Dan Rhodes, but apparently he's a comic novelist from Edinburgh and has written a bunch of books.
So this is a very quite, slow book. It's about Miyuki, who takes a two-week vacation from her partner each year so they can prove their independence and remember why they love each other. She spends her two weeks in a small seaside town, where she mostly keeps to herself, eating strange meals (fried spaghetti sandwiches), taking walks on the bluff, and making appearances in the local bars. She has a glancing relationship with a handful of the locals, though not much more than that.
It's interesting how well you can tell someone's story based on the two weeks a year that they're not in it. We learn a lot about her partner Grindl, her history, her work, and her hopes, even though the book takes place outside of all that. We also learn a lot about the town's locals, even though Miyuki doesn't know any of them well.
It reminded me a bit of Murakami, because there is so much solitude, so much interior monologue, so much description of a person preparing meals and reading books and taking long walks alone.
I did enjoy it, but a quiet book can't have all that much drama or passion or whirl, which I guess left me feeling a bit blasé about it. Also, Dan Rhodes is supposedly this comic genius, but I didn't find it very funny.
So this is a very quite, slow book. It's about Miyuki, who takes a two-week vacation from her partner each year so they can prove their independence and remember why they love each other. She spends her two weeks in a small seaside town, where she mostly keeps to herself, eating strange meals (fried spaghetti sandwiches), taking walks on the bluff, and making appearances in the local bars. She has a glancing relationship with a handful of the locals, though not much more than that.
It's interesting how well you can tell someone's story based on the two weeks a year that they're not in it. We learn a lot about her partner Grindl, her history, her work, and her hopes, even though the book takes place outside of all that. We also learn a lot about the town's locals, even though Miyuki doesn't know any of them well.
It reminded me a bit of Murakami, because there is so much solitude, so much interior monologue, so much description of a person preparing meals and reading books and taking long walks alone.
I did enjoy it, but a quiet book can't have all that much drama or passion or whirl, which I guess left me feeling a bit blasé about it. Also, Dan Rhodes is supposedly this comic genius, but I didn't find it very funny.
September 23, 2008
I often dislike books that try to be funny - and the covers of this are adorned with comments about how hilarious this novel is. But I really enjoyed my other Rhodes read so was keen to give this a go.
And I wasn't disappointed. It was the right sort of funny for me, more a case of keen observational humour. And it was very British with it which helped. A neat little story that allowed for a true feeling of warmth for the central character, Miyuki.
It almost makes me want to go to visit Wales in the bleak midwinter!
(the curved corners on the book itself were also a delight, I wish more publishers would add little touches like that!)
And I wasn't disappointed. It was the right sort of funny for me, more a case of keen observational humour. And it was very British with it which helped. A neat little story that allowed for a true feeling of warmth for the central character, Miyuki.
It almost makes me want to go to visit Wales in the bleak midwinter!
(the curved corners on the book itself were also a delight, I wish more publishers would add little touches like that!)
May 8, 2012
Whilst helping Mark move into his new digs this past weekend, I had a chance to go through his book collection. It's always intriguing to me to see which books a person chooses to tote around with them. In perusing the collection, I happened across Gold by an author I'd never heard of before. Mark recalled reading the book whilst in hospital recovering from appendicitis (and high on a morphine drip). Hearing his fondness for the book and the characters, I decided to give it a go - after all it was a rather short book.
According to the publisher, here's what Gold is about:
Miyuki Woodward, lover of pints and Pot Noodles, has been spending holidays in the same Welsh seaside town for years. She loves the wet walks, she loves The Anchor and most of all she loves the pub-quiz. This year, following an act of raw creativity involving some cans of gold spray paint, Miyuki will take part in the most turbulent events the village has seen since Tall Mr Hughes returned from the pub toilet without remembering to button up.
Sounds charming, right?
Unfortunately, that's as exciting as the book gets. To say this was a piece of idyllic prose would be like calling valium an upper. It's arguably well written, but goes no where, says nothing and asks the reader to consider it charming in spite of its lack of narrative drive. As a calling card for vacationing in a seaside town in Wales, it utterly fails.
Miyuki isn't a particularly compelling character. Her trials and tribulations mundane until the very last few pages of the book. You see there's a particular sting in the last two paragraphs of the book that, while strangely fitting, still feels as if Rhodes decided the book didn't "mean" enough. The supporting characters -Tall Mr. Hughes, short Mr. Hughes, Mr. Puw and Septic Barry - despite their quirky names are no more compelling than Miyuki.
Part of this lack of spark has to lie in the overly mannered, mundane and flat writing style of Rhodes. The characters wake up. Have a bit of a walk. Tell us what they think, which isn't much. Have another drink. Go home and go to bed. A week's diary of no more than that.
Now I know I'm in the minority in my opinion. Gold has garnered some good press (though not universal) from very reputable sources, but I have to jump up and down and point out that the Emperor has no clothes. All in all, I found this slim tone more than a little bit boring and pointless. It was telling that it took me as long to get through 208 pages as it did the 416 page Hiaasen book before it.
Gold... well all that glitters and all that.
2/5
According to the publisher, here's what Gold is about:
Miyuki Woodward, lover of pints and Pot Noodles, has been spending holidays in the same Welsh seaside town for years. She loves the wet walks, she loves The Anchor and most of all she loves the pub-quiz. This year, following an act of raw creativity involving some cans of gold spray paint, Miyuki will take part in the most turbulent events the village has seen since Tall Mr Hughes returned from the pub toilet without remembering to button up.
Sounds charming, right?
Unfortunately, that's as exciting as the book gets. To say this was a piece of idyllic prose would be like calling valium an upper. It's arguably well written, but goes no where, says nothing and asks the reader to consider it charming in spite of its lack of narrative drive. As a calling card for vacationing in a seaside town in Wales, it utterly fails.
Miyuki isn't a particularly compelling character. Her trials and tribulations mundane until the very last few pages of the book. You see there's a particular sting in the last two paragraphs of the book that, while strangely fitting, still feels as if Rhodes decided the book didn't "mean" enough. The supporting characters -Tall Mr. Hughes, short Mr. Hughes, Mr. Puw and Septic Barry - despite their quirky names are no more compelling than Miyuki.
Part of this lack of spark has to lie in the overly mannered, mundane and flat writing style of Rhodes. The characters wake up. Have a bit of a walk. Tell us what they think, which isn't much. Have another drink. Go home and go to bed. A week's diary of no more than that.
Now I know I'm in the minority in my opinion. Gold has garnered some good press (though not universal) from very reputable sources, but I have to jump up and down and point out that the Emperor has no clothes. All in all, I found this slim tone more than a little bit boring and pointless. It was telling that it took me as long to get through 208 pages as it did the 416 page Hiaasen book before it.
Gold... well all that glitters and all that.
2/5
January 14, 2019
As with all Dan Rhodes' novels, this is a charming and quirky read. It is a humorous and moving portrait of a Welsh coastal village in winter - a love story, and the story of an outsider who finds herself becoming involved in the life of the village. Another great read from Rhodes.
July 30, 2011
Loved this. It was unexpectedly fantastic! It made me want to buy a packet of frazzles and a pint of bitter.
Very touching ending.
Very touching ending.
April 7, 2022
A cosy comedy with lots of character but inconsistent plot.
Having noticed that Dave Gorman recommended this novel, I decided to give it a go. For the most part, I see the appeal. Rhodes has a way of teasing out character backstory in a cheeky but wholesome way. Miyuki Woodward is a very likeable and relatable protagonist. She has the patience of a saint with blokey pub patrons and a curious discretion about her love life. Her burgeoning desire to share the momentary beauty she sees with the rest of the world is particularly touching.
Rhodes describes Miyuki's movements with close detail, from morning strolls to quiz nights at The Anchor to melting contact lenses before bed. There is repetition and some tedium in this, which I forgave because of the welcoming prose style and great comical insights.
However I struggle to forgive this book for its last two pages. Without giving too much away, I feel there was a sudden mean-spirited undertone to this open ending. It's a punishment that might be deserved, but really I could have done with seeing the bigger picture first. Perhaps Rhodes foreshadowed this but, if he did, then it was so subtle that I didn't pick it up on the first read through.
That being said, I might just return to Gold one day. There may not be much plot to speak of here but the characters are worth revisiting. Miyuki makes yearly pilgrimages to the idyllic seaside village so I might just take a leaf out of her book. A gold leaf, perhaps.
If you fancy joining sweet fictional characters down the pub and can stomach a vaguely bitter conclusion, Gold could be the easy-going novel for you. If possible, read it by the coast.
Having noticed that Dave Gorman recommended this novel, I decided to give it a go. For the most part, I see the appeal. Rhodes has a way of teasing out character backstory in a cheeky but wholesome way. Miyuki Woodward is a very likeable and relatable protagonist. She has the patience of a saint with blokey pub patrons and a curious discretion about her love life. Her burgeoning desire to share the momentary beauty she sees with the rest of the world is particularly touching.
Rhodes describes Miyuki's movements with close detail, from morning strolls to quiz nights at The Anchor to melting contact lenses before bed. There is repetition and some tedium in this, which I forgave because of the welcoming prose style and great comical insights.
However I struggle to forgive this book for its last two pages. Without giving too much away, I feel there was a sudden mean-spirited undertone to this open ending. It's a punishment that might be deserved, but really I could have done with seeing the bigger picture first. Perhaps Rhodes foreshadowed this but, if he did, then it was so subtle that I didn't pick it up on the first read through.
That being said, I might just return to Gold one day. There may not be much plot to speak of here but the characters are worth revisiting. Miyuki makes yearly pilgrimages to the idyllic seaside village so I might just take a leaf out of her book. A gold leaf, perhaps.
If you fancy joining sweet fictional characters down the pub and can stomach a vaguely bitter conclusion, Gold could be the easy-going novel for you. If possible, read it by the coast.
September 26, 2019
Gold is a short but quick read. It is about Miyuki, a 31-year-old who every year takes a two-week break in Wales in January. The town she stays in is quiet and very little happens, but when one of the regulars at the pub disappears with no explanation Miyuki tries to discover where he got to.
Even though it was a quick read I did find it a little dry and not very funny considering it's meant to be a comedic read.
Even though it was a quick read I did find it a little dry and not very funny considering it's meant to be a comedic read.
April 7, 2022
Heartwarming and enticing, embossed with wonderfully descriptive, yet introspective writing:
"It was like a thousand bathrooms she had redecorated, and for a moment it felt strange that she wasn't there to tear down the tiles, rip out the suite, pull up the lino and throw a little piece of unwanted history into a skip."
"It was like a thousand bathrooms she had redecorated, and for a moment it felt strange that she wasn't there to tear down the tiles, rip out the suite, pull up the lino and throw a little piece of unwanted history into a skip."
May 14, 2022
Thought I'd read a short book reviewed on BBC Between the covers. Was a fairly gentle comedy with a surprise ending . Probably good holiday read as don't have to think too much about what is happening. Enjoyed it and will probably read another of this author's novels.
September 15, 2012
Every so often I do this experiment - I read a book set in the present time, written by a current author. I want the experiment to turn out different, but usually find myself right *here*. Why do I find "present time" settings so bland and flat? They utterly bore me when they don't just irritate me. And it must be some failing in me, because thousands of readers are enthralled and captivated by these stories. (I wonder about myself sometimes.) "Gold" wasn't bad at all, considering. It was easy to read, there were funny parts, I truly did enjoy the part about gold and the sneezing thing - but to me even the main character seemed one dimensional and lifeless, a paper doll rather than a fully fleshed red-blooded human being. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, for myself, I will limit these experiments and stick to my field.
January 16, 2021
This was a disappointment. Pretty dull and really not that funny - the closest I came to laughing out loud was the occasional short breath out at a phrase here and there.
The final pages did become slightly more interesting than the rest of the book, and I got some sense of what people found "touching". But overall, the quirky Dan Rhodes style couldn't save a boring book.
If you want a really touching Dan Rhodes read then I 100% recommend Little Hands Clapping (one of my all time favourite books).
If you want a truly hilarious Dan Rhodes read then go for When the Professor Got Stuck in the Snow.
If you want some of Dan Rhodes irreverent descriptions of love and relationships then read Anthropology or Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love.
I wouldn't bother with Gold though.
The final pages did become slightly more interesting than the rest of the book, and I got some sense of what people found "touching". But overall, the quirky Dan Rhodes style couldn't save a boring book.
If you want a really touching Dan Rhodes read then I 100% recommend Little Hands Clapping (one of my all time favourite books).
If you want a truly hilarious Dan Rhodes read then go for When the Professor Got Stuck in the Snow.
If you want some of Dan Rhodes irreverent descriptions of love and relationships then read Anthropology or Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love.
I wouldn't bother with Gold though.
January 8, 2025
In a couple of scenes it becomes evident that this is a white man writing about the experiences of an Irish lesbian with Japanese heritage, but it was only really bad in like 3 scenes IMO, I remember one where he just doesn't understand racism and one where he thinks that all college flings with girls who experiment are basically the same. But he is trying to make anecdotal jokes whose content has no further bearing on the narrative, so those were just jokes that I didn't find funny. But there are some good ones and two actually made me laugh out loud. All in all a decent and light hearted book, if a bit obsessive about food. But what is that ending? It's not that it is unclear it's what it is unclear about, it left me with a really bad feeling, I think I didn't get it?
Spoilers:
Can someone explain where the cup of tea comes from and why Grindl doesn't pick up the phone? Is she with someone else now and writing a good bye letter? Or is she writing about her days because she misses Miyuki? And most importantly am I stupid for not getting it? Or is it a point about trust and not jumping to conclusions?
Spoilers:
Can someone explain where the cup of tea comes from and why Grindl doesn't pick up the phone? Is she with someone else now and writing a good bye letter? Or is she writing about her days because she misses Miyuki? And most importantly am I stupid for not getting it? Or is it a point about trust and not jumping to conclusions?
May 8, 2024
The strongest part of this book is the character work, particularly on the protagonist.
It's more interesting than funny, but I did laugh out loud a few times. At times I felt it was almost meditative in its prose style and pacing. There was some subtle sentimental stuff without ever becoming mawkish, which gave balance to more of the crude and darker elements.
Some of the minor characters were more like comical caricatures. Still, the protagonist has real depth, and although the majority hadn't got real names the secondary characters were complex enough themselves. There wasn't much of a discernable plot, but this novel was more about the characters. The book was a mixture of the unpleasant and the subtly pleasant.
A bit of an uneventful holiday read maybe, but with character writing that is solid gold.
It's more interesting than funny, but I did laugh out loud a few times. At times I felt it was almost meditative in its prose style and pacing. There was some subtle sentimental stuff without ever becoming mawkish, which gave balance to more of the crude and darker elements.
Some of the minor characters were more like comical caricatures. Still, the protagonist has real depth, and although the majority hadn't got real names the secondary characters were complex enough themselves. There wasn't much of a discernable plot, but this novel was more about the characters. The book was a mixture of the unpleasant and the subtly pleasant.
A bit of an uneventful holiday read maybe, but with character writing that is solid gold.
March 4, 2021
Tváří se to jako kniha o ženě Miyuki, která pravidelně tráví 14 dní v zimě na pobřeží Walesu - nejčastěji v hospodě s mistními štamgasty a zažívá věci, co už se tak zažít ve vesnické hospodě dají...ale hlavně je to kniha o tom, jak dobře se lidé vlastně znají??? To že spolu sedíte denně u piva neznamená, že o sobě víte ty důležité věci...to, že si uvědomíte, že už nechcete být bez své partnerky, protože ji stále milujete, a rozhodnete se vrátit dřív než za 14 dní, neznamená, že ji naleznete doma a že ona vás taky miluje... to, že jste největšími rivaly při kvízových večerech, neznamená, že se nemáte rádi...to, že 100x kýchnete a nikdo vám nepopřeje “na zdraví”, nakonec může mít nedozírné následky...
Vlastně velmi zajímavá kniha!
Vlastně velmi zajímavá kniha!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
One of those books that's not really about plot (there are essentially two events) but rather about character and atmosphere and getting to know other people ... and perhaps the limits of our ability ever to do that. Lovely writing, slow, gently building up our understanding of the characters, and then on the final page, after what feels like catharsis and closure, a single paragraph of four lines that's so subtle in its connotations as to make you go, "Oh no! ... does that mean ...?"
Miyuki, bless you.
Miyuki, bless you.
July 27, 2020
I love Dan Rhodes - his quirky characters and situations always make me laugh out loud and his settings are an integral part of the plot. Loved the protagonist Miyuki in this book and all the regulars at The Anchor. Had some reservations about the ending, which is why I have gone for 4 rather than 5 stars.
June 17, 2021
I read this a long, long time ago and now I never let a sneeze go by without blessing the person it came from.
It's pretty safe to say that although this isn't fast paced, racy or many of the other things readers look for, this gentle, beautiful and melancholy book did something to me and has stayed with me ever since.
It's pretty safe to say that although this isn't fast paced, racy or many of the other things readers look for, this gentle, beautiful and melancholy book did something to me and has stayed with me ever since.
December 27, 2020
A cute story with charming characters in a costal winter village in Whales. Each chapter is a single day in a week of a Holiday getaway of a quirky solo tourist. Refreshingly not a love story. It felt like a slice of life tale, with a little minor drama and melancholy thrown in.
August 31, 2021
I read this because I saw it highly praised. At one point, I agreed and it was heading for a five star. But I was put off the by the end, which did not seem to fit with the spirit of the tale.
Other than that, it is like a good back massage -- leaves you floating gently when the chapter ends.
Other than that, it is like a good back massage -- leaves you floating gently when the chapter ends.
October 29, 2017
What a charming and touching book. A lovely read.
April 24, 2018
I last read this book about ten years ago, and I still think about it every time I hear someone sneeze (or I happen to sneeze when no one is around).
A touching, quiet book.
A touching, quiet book.
May 18, 2018
A very quick and delightful read marked by an array unforgettable characters. Moments of hilarity especially the landlord of the Boat Inn! A thoroughly enjoyable read.
November 1, 2019
Delightful story about a woman who loves beer, art and books. What’s not to love?
April 14, 2020
Quirky & funny. A quick but fun read.
June 11, 2020
Pidin erityisesti tunnelmasta
August 4, 2020
Generally unremarkable in all things.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews