This book follows the story of Stephen Wraysford through his youth spent in France and then through the first World War with sections written from the point of view of his granddaughter in the 1970s.
It wasn't the most cheerful book to read over Christmas but it's a classic. It's also not for the faint hearted as the scenes during the war are often fittingly horrific and very visual. These scenes are really powerful and really express some of the horror of the situation to the point of being hard to read.
Another thing to look out for are the quite graphic sex scenes which I found on the day I decided to read on the bus. I know nobody else knew what I was reading but it made me a little uncomfortable on the number 8 at midday.
But overall this is a great book. It is truly moving both in the depictions of war but also the personal relationships that survived it. The only thing I would say about the book is that while the sections from before the war really stressed how much life had changed, the sections from the 70s, I felt, were a bit unnecessary and didn't add much to the book (although I know someone who only read those sections and would disagree).
But yeah, it's a really god book although not the most cheerful of stories. And as a little bonus I got my copy for £2 just because it had the TV series cover - score.
It wasn't the most cheerful book to read over Christmas but it's a classic. It's also not for the faint hearted as the scenes during the war are often fittingly horrific and very visual. These scenes are really powerful and really express some of the horror of the situation to the point of being hard to read.
Another thing to look out for are the quite graphic sex scenes which I found on the day I decided to read on the bus. I know nobody else knew what I was reading but it made me a little uncomfortable on the number 8 at midday.
But overall this is a great book. It is truly moving both in the depictions of war but also the personal relationships that survived it. The only thing I would say about the book is that while the sections from before the war really stressed how much life had changed, the sections from the 70s, I felt, were a bit unnecessary and didn't add much to the book (although I know someone who only read those sections and would disagree).
But yeah, it's a really god book although not the most cheerful of stories. And as a little bonus I got my copy for £2 just because it had the TV series cover - score.
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