Hi, I am a Japanese student and have a qustion about English expression?

Question

Hi, I am a Japanese student and have a qustion about English expression.
In Rosamunde Pilcher's "The Shell Seekers," I came across the following phrase: 

"A good time. Not a good TIME, but a GOOD time."

It is spoken by a female character when she tells her boyfriend that it's all over and that she is very grateful to him.
I cannot make out its meaning. 
What is she expressing by it and what effect the emphasis gives? 
Please give me an explanation about it.
Thank you.y

Answer

I'm an old guy, and a grammar fanatic.  It seems dumb to me.  Maybe a good TIME would be like dusk, a time of day that someone thinks is good.  The second emphasis I guess is to indicate that she really enjoyed herself.  Since it's not clear what the author meant, I would judge that author less than favorably.

Hi, I am a Japanese student and have a qustion about English expression?

Answers (1)