50 books...
40) Armistice - Nick Stafford
I'm finding this a difficult review to write.
Much like "Atonement", this book deals with the fallout of war, and how it affects those who are left behind. The picture painted is not very pretty, and reminds us that those whom later generations have mythologized as heroes were also simply young men and women who dealt with the horrors set before them, and that not all of them were very nice people, nor were all of the truly evil ones necessarily wearing a German uniform.
Some reviews have questioned the authenticity of Philomena, the young woman who is driven to try to discover more about the death of her fiance. She rang very true to me as someone lost in a world larger than she is used to, struggling to put to rest the grief that she is experiencing six months past a profound loss. Perhaps it is that I grew up around older British folks (many of them friends of my grandparents who had been young in that time period), and often heard the messages of "keeping your chin up", and "putting on a good face" in the midst of adversity - it does not surprise me that Philomena does not speak to others of her grief or loss, and that she struggles quite hard between holding on to her memories, staying loyal to the man she loved, and trying to put her grief to rest.
In any case, it is beautifully-written, if sometimes harsh. I did find it slowed in the middle a bit, but picked up quickly in the end - almost too much. In any case, I expect to see the Merchant Ivory production within the next couple of years.
I'm finding this a difficult review to write.
Much like "Atonement", this book deals with the fallout of war, and how it affects those who are left behind. The picture painted is not very pretty, and reminds us that those whom later generations have mythologized as heroes were also simply young men and women who dealt with the horrors set before them, and that not all of them were very nice people, nor were all of the truly evil ones necessarily wearing a German uniform.
Some reviews have questioned the authenticity of Philomena, the young woman who is driven to try to discover more about the death of her fiance. She rang very true to me as someone lost in a world larger than she is used to, struggling to put to rest the grief that she is experiencing six months past a profound loss. Perhaps it is that I grew up around older British folks (many of them friends of my grandparents who had been young in that time period), and often heard the messages of "keeping your chin up", and "putting on a good face" in the midst of adversity - it does not surprise me that Philomena does not speak to others of her grief or loss, and that she struggles quite hard between holding on to her memories, staying loyal to the man she loved, and trying to put her grief to rest.
In any case, it is beautifully-written, if sometimes harsh. I did find it slowed in the middle a bit, but picked up quickly in the end - almost too much. In any case, I expect to see the Merchant Ivory production within the next couple of years.