First in the trilogy, the book tells of psychiatrist William Rivers who treats British officers suffering from "shell-shock" during WWI. The story becomes his story, also that of the soldiers he tries to heal, all for the stated purpose of sending them back to the front where, in all likelihood, they might be maimed or killed. Enough to make any man question his purpose. Rivers isn't just any man -- he's quite brilliant and self-possessed. So I struggled somewhat to swallow the idea that initially his sense of duty overrode the sheer lunacy of his work's overarching goal. Of course, he does experience some transformation neat the end.

Barker writes fantastic dialogue, sharp, pared down, and smart. And she deals with weighty issues. Two niggling things: first, I didn't feel I got enough of Rivers sense of values and how they were instilled in him such that despite his extraordinay empathy, he willingly sought to repair these men as a doctor, then dispatch them as a soldier, and reconcile those two acts; second, transitions between scenes were often not clearly demarcated, and since there were POV shifts within chapters, this created confusion.

However, a fascinating story, all the more so since Rivers was a real historical figure.

I read this before, years ago, and thought really highly of it. This time I liked it but, perhaps because of raised expectations, not as much. I felt I wanted to know 'how much was true' - never a good sign with a novel. But Barker writes well, is never boring, and makes her characters complex and mainly likeable.

A good read, if you like this sort of thing. I don't, but I expect there are those that do.

I was reading an inteview with an author, and they mentioned this author/book, and I realized I had been meaning to read it for some time now, and never gotten to it. So, ordered an ebook version of it then and there, so I could start reading it that evening.
Well, more than a little disappointed. It may be that since I have read a lot of original WWI material, even though decades ago, this rehash of WWI experiences just did not impress me.
Too many characters and stories going on. The electric shock therapy story seems to come out of nowhere and added on for whatever reason. The pages of psychological self evaluation I found tedious and unconvincing. Too bad, I was SO excited to dive into this book. The good news is, it was done quickly.
The additional good news is, reading this got me to go back and begin to reread some of those first hand, personal experience memoirs of WWI. Also, some of the homefront scenes here were informative/interesting, and I probably will go ahead and read the second volume of this trilogy somewhere down the line. I find it rather quizzical that people love and rave about this novel so much. But, that being said - go read the original materials instead. And Fussell's critical/historic work.

I've ostensibly had this book on my to-read only since last year, but I transferred it onto Goodreads from a list I'd copied several years earlier from The Women's Bookshop. They put out a list each year (I believe) called 50/50 Women, which is a list voted on by NZ readers of 'The Top 50 Women Writers of the last 50 years'. I'm not sure how long they've been doing this, so don't know how long ago I took their list and recorded the books to read sometime, but every now and then one pops up when I'm scrolling through my to-read list for a book to fit a particular challenge. Which is why I've just read this - I wanted something with a psychiatrist/etc playing a leading role.

This book is fascinating. It's set in 1917 in the Craiglockhart War Hospital, a psychiatric institution aimed at curing shell-shocked soldiers and getting them back into active duty. Craiglockhart is, in fact, a real place. Dr William Rivers was a real psychiatrist working there, as were the poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, who Rivers treated (successfully), and the poet Robert Graves who managed to get his friend Sassoon sent to Craiglockhart rather than court-martialled for his public protest against the continuation of the war.

Around these historical facts, the author has woven a story that takes us into the medical practices of the day, the social aspects of the time, the horror of war and its ongoing repercussions, and the age-old dilemma of duty vs. the individual. Also, in a little aside in the book to look at the methods of another real-life psychiatrist of the time, Dr Lewis Yealland, we're subjected to an example of 'whether the end justifies the means'. I guess this half dozen or so pages was written in to help us see the conflicts Rivers had to face, but I felt it unnecessary to the plot - a little padding out of the text.

The book has a few moments of wry humour, which alleviate what could be a tasking read, and a great many moments of caring humanity. All in all I am most pleased to have read this book.

I am utterly lost for words as to how good "Regeneration" by Pat Barker truly is. This novel is a masterful exploration of the psychological impacts of war, told with a depth and sensitivity that left me deeply moved and profoundly impressed. Barker's trust in her reader to navigate the intricate web of allusions to historical and literary texts is remarkable. She weaves these references seamlessly into the narrative, allowing the reader to uncover layers of meaning and resonance on their own.

What sets "Regeneration" apart from other war novels is its unflinching portrayal of the harsh reality of war. Instead of presenting war in a sanitised or abstract manner, Barker delves into the physical and emotional pain that is often hidden or minimised in other narratives. She focuses on the brutal, visceral experiences of the soldiers, laying bare the true cost of conflict. Through her vivid and often graphic descriptions, Barker forces the reader to confront the full horror of war—its chaos, its trauma, and its devastating toll on the human body and spirit.

Her descriptions of the bodies of dead soldiers are stark and unflinching, capturing the sheer horror and senselessness of the violence. This graphic portrayal is not gratuitous but serves a vital purpose: it reminds us that the soldiers remember the specific people they fought alongside, their faces and their stories, rather than an abstract concept of war. This focus on the individual amidst the collective trauma underscores the profound personal cost of the conflict.

Throughout "Regeneration," Barker also explores the tension between traditional models of masculinity and the lived experiences of soldiers during the war. The novel is permeated with a sense of conflict between the stoic, unfeeling masculine ideal and the raw, unfiltered emotional realities that the soldiers face. Barker's nuanced depiction of this tension adds yet another layer to the novel, challenging our perceptions of heroism, courage, and what it means to be a man in the face of unimaginable suffering.

In short, "Regeneration" is a novel that commands both attention and admiration. Pat Barker has crafted a work of staggering emotional depth and intellectual rigour, one that challenges us to look beyond the surface and confront the true horrors of war. It is a book that lingers in the mind long after the final page has been turned, a powerful testament to the human capacity for both destruction and resilience. I am truly lost for words to convey just how exceptional this novel is—it is a masterpiece that deserves to be read and remembered.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This book revolves around the poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, caught in the maelstrom of World War One. They both suffered breakdowns and were sent to a mental hospital, and the novel is a fictionalized account of their interactions with the doctor who tried to help them. This is not the story of a cure. Rather, it’s the other way around, and the doctor has to confront his own assumptions about health, survival and war.

It’s a good novel – well-written, slow to develop, respectful of its characters and the reader. Don’t expect much plot. It’s a study. It investigates, and it gets to the heart of things.

Part of the Regeneration trilogy - see The Eye in the Door.

Easy to read in style, very interesting, enjoyed this a lot