Modern Classics How Green Was My Valley

A book with a heart felt story that, while read as a teen has stayed with and blessed me through over six decades of life.

The warmth and love Richard Llewellyn had for his Welsh family and the coal-mining village where he grew up has remained with me for maybe 40+ years since I first read it. Written in 1939, How Green Was My Valley has become a bittersweet coming of age tale of a boy growing up in a large family in a small town, and of his love for his lovely sister-in-law. This is a coal mine story, so you just know there's going to be some tragedy involved, and of course there is. The story is written from the depths of the author's heart and soul. No wonder it won an Oscar when it was made into a movie.If you've never read it, do it now. If you read it 40 years ago, read it again. It won't be stale.

For all those who loved How Green Was My Valley, you should definately read the sequel, Down Where the Moon Is Small and the other two books in the series: Up Into the Singing Mountain and Green, Green My Valley Now. Even though they are all out of print, they're worth tracking down. Many people are unaware that the story doesn't end with How Green Was My Valley. I recommend them all.

Within pages, I felt that I was reading a masterpiece. Richard Llewelyn does a marvelous job of introducing his audience to the lush history of Wales. Not only does he descriptively carry us into the past through the home of the Morgans, but slowly introduces readers to Welsh sentence structure; it is not merely an attempt to sound sappy or sentimental, but an effort to share the beauty of language used by the Welsh. The result is undeniable liquid poetry. At first, the unusual phrasing may strike you as odd and make reading difficult, but before you know it, you will be swept into it. The story itself is gripping as it carries us through the hardships and triumphs that bring a family closer together and at times, tear it apart - told through the eyes of a boy. You will find yourself remembering life's many "initiations" through the eyes of Huw Morgan as well as forgotten sensations of childhood. Because of this, the story holds universal appeal and will leave a long lasting impression on those who partake. There is beautiful it is!!

From the very first line of this book, I knew I was in for an interesting, unique experience. This novel was beautiful~ the flowing language, the flashes from present time to the past, the intricate detail of each character. The simplicity of the narrative of this story carries the plot line along. The descriptive use of words, especially adjectives, sets the reader right in the middle of all the action. Although the characters seem too "good" a lot of the time, I think the reason for this is because the society which they inhabit is so. They do have their bad qualities which they acknowledge and try to remedy. Llewellyn chose to write this book with simple Welsh language; a wise choice I heartily agree with it. The reader can feel the words coming straight from the heart, and can therefore connect well with the characters. This book had me captivated from beginning to end, and even when it ended, I found myself wishing for more. This book is definitely one that I count among my favorites~ and I do not think it gets the recognition it deserves a lot of the time, which is unfortunate because it is a true classic that is timeless...

"How Green Was My Valley", the story of a boy growing up at the turn of the century in a Welsh mining town, is a fabulous read. My book club read it because we had heard it was lyrical. Although we are a bunch of moms of young kids who hardly ever finish book-club books, not one of us could put it down. Compelling, beautiful, wistful. .. it gave occasion for our best attended book-club meeting yet.