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paul314's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this book when it came out, and I thought at the time that it was remarkable. Now, thirty years later, and with two sons in their early twenties, I find it much more painful to read (but because of that, even more remarkable). Barker frankly sneaks up on you a little bit…it all starts very genteel, with a rural hospital and convalescent patients, but the horror unfolds eventually…and as that happens, the best part of Barker's writing is her patience with, and empathy for, Rivers' patients (and him as well).Really a great book.
gimmiebooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sar_p's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. Barker explores the different facets of trauma. There is the obvious trauma of war; soldiers who have hallucinations and nightmares, who have lost their ability, or will, to speak, etc. The novel also explores the gender issues brought up in psychiatric hospitals. These men, whose duty it is to fight, are scared and no longer want to be the "manly" man off killing Germans. Barker brings up how traumatic it can be even for the doctors, particularly Rivers, treating these patients. The job of these psychiatrists is to get the men ready to go back to war, but what happens when the doctor starts doubting the validity of the war? Or sending off young men to their deaths? I cannot wait to read the rest of this trilogy.
coffeeismyvalentine's review against another edition
3.0
Lacked some emotion for me, yet an interesting exploration of war trauma from an almost gothic lens
RTC
RTC
poetryinthepity's review against another edition
5.0
Rivers saw that he had reached Sassoon's file. He read through the admission report and the notes that followed it. There was nothing more he wanted to say that he could say.
merle24's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
deborahisreading's review against another edition
5.0
A vivid and passionate story about war and the casualties of war
hirsch99's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent. Looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
susieliston's review against another edition
4.0
I've read Pat Barker before, and her books tend to be, like this one, a bit...remote? I can't quite put it into words--they are intriguing, but there is a slight chill about them, I don't always quite connect to the characters. But in this case, some are real people, and I think she did an admirable job making them believable. I actually wished that Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen had figured more prominently. For a story about WWI soldiers that takes place far from any battlefield it is every bit as effective in conveying the horrors. I compare this to books I've read in the last couple of years that I would have completely forgotten had I not logged them on Goodreads, and I won't be forgetting this any time soon. It certainly creeps under the skin.
kelseymckim's review against another edition
4.0
I read this for a Contemporary British Fiction class. I found it very interesting how the stories of the individual officers were contrasted with the ongoing, gradual story of Dr. Rivers's partial breakdown. I thought it was told from a very interesting perspective (an unreliable narrator).