Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks appeared on one of those "100 books every person should read" lists and the description of a "lurid affair between a young man and an older married woman during WWI" did it for me - and so Amazon shipped it to my doorstop and my journey back to early 1910s began. This book ended up being nothing like what I expected. It was a love story during WWI but really, it was about the main character and his time spent in the war. The book is broken up among 7 parts, often skipping between time periods and points of view to create a connection between the past and the present. It is not what I would describe as a "quick read" but instead as something worth reading. Be forewarned: the descriptions of the WWI and the conditions the soldiers lived in will leave you feeling itchy and in need of a shower (think lice / rats...) - a much more realistic description I'm sure.
The love story is there - but the true purpose of the story is so much more. Questioning the effects war has on the young men who fight it and how quickly their stories are then forgotten.
No comments:
Post a Comment