Gypsy, Gypsy

by Rumer Godden

Vintage paperback reprint. Fiction.

Genres: Fiction

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Margaret Rumer Godden was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably Black Narcissus in 1947 and The River in 1951.
A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including Two Under the Indian Sun, a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of Bangladesh.

Reviews

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a bit of a Rumer Godden fan. I had no idea what was in store for me when I picked this up, largely because the summary about the book on Goodreads is non helpful or accurate.

Henrietta is an adult now and came to live with her newly widowed youngish Aunt Barbe in Rouen, France. When a Gypsy man came one night to encamp on Aunt Barbe’s property it became her new project to “own” and manipulate gypsies for her own ego and pleasure. Henriette is learning to use her own voice and doesn’t truly find it until the end of the book.

Themes: Gypsies, light romance, prejudice.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the characters underdeveloped and annoying.

[Simone Martel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment. I was surprised that it turned into the story of a trial. I wish she'd spent more time on the villagers, and skipped bringing in the gypsies, who are unfortunately cliches. Also, in China Court, which I loved, I accepted the girl marrying the guy in a sort of arranged marriage in order to inherit the house, but here I just didn't. Was Godden exploring the idea of free will? Cuz arranged marriages in the 20th C were not exactly common in England or France. A weird book. I sort of like that the two main characters are unpleasant women, but they don't change or develop enough.

[Jan Morrison]

Not my favourite of here's, but still good.

[Leonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 60%. So many horrible people. Too many. This week, of all weeks, I couldn’t cope with the maliciousness. The bit with the donkeys was the last straw…

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected, and it took me half the book to get ahold of the narrative style and depth of characterization. As other reviewers have noted, this is an odd book - a Gothic without the usual cliches. The male characters are uniformly under-portrayed but generally benevolent. The female characters are better developed but are generally malevolent or at the best, duplicitous. Godden is obviously in love with Normandy and the Norman peasants and her main character seems to reflect that while having to deal with the bizarre behavior of her aunt and the enigmatic behavior of everyone else. Only her fiance Rene seems to be good, grounded, and capable of dealing with the narrator. The plot rockets along without much connection to the characters - plot-driven to the hilt. I'll read other early Goddens but I'm hoping they are better novels.

[Katya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Rumer Godden's fourth book-length work to be published, in 1940. This book is more of a Gothic romance than Ms. Godden's other works, and I am afraid that I do not care for that genre. A mysterious Normandy estate, a sheltered young girl looking forward to marriage, a cruel aunt who is the girl's guardian, and a caravan of gypsies. I found the story overwrought and tedious, and I wanted the young heroine to DO something rather than wringing her hands. Even so, Rumer Godden writes beautifully.