Initially I was bored by the opening 100 pages, not understanding the reason for the in depth ‘love story’. But, you need this as a backfrop to show how the war changed Stephen Wraysford from a sensual man to someone hard and vacant. I would however liked to have read this in exposition, though with chapters set in the 1970’s this could possibly have led to confusion going forwards and backwards in tme.
I have been to Normandy and the beaches, and also visited a graveyard in Rouen when I was 15 as part of my history studies. I was not old enough to appreciated I was I was experiencing. There were still tanks half buried near Pegasus Bridge, we found nails stamped with ‘Bremen’ on the beaches, and areas were still cordoned off for fear of land mines. Reading this novel brought it all back.
The character of Elizabeth who I did not want to read about at first did actually make the story more interesting. The reference to the german belt buckle falling out from of the pile of papers she had got from the attic and then to follow the story through to how it found it’s way to Stephens possessions was very good.
Elizabeth packing up the cake and whisky for Brennan in the home – akin to packing up a food parcel for a man at the front.
The conditions the men at the front had to endure was horrendous. These are men who are fighting for England but have hardly any nourishing food, tea is carried in petrol cans and they are covered in lice. Just appalling.
The chapter where they had to go over the top was very hard to read. The knowledge that the men were basically waiting for the hour of their death, shaking hands and clapping shoulders, basically to say goodbye. These were men who just had regular jobsin the uk, what a way to end your life….. to have to go over knowingly facing gun fire. Those that did get through only find that the wire had not been cut even though they had been told that it would be.
Some observations for discussion:
Jack Firebrace probably a good characterisatin of the average soldier, although older than many. Wife and child at home, son gets sick but he’s not allowed to go on leave to see him.
Weir – when he goes back on leave to see his parents, there’s no real joy that he has come home. It’s like life goes on and nothing has changed. He wants to talk about the horrors of war but his parents aren’t interested. How can you really understand if you have not seen it first hand? You would not have any comprehension.
When Stephen Wraysford goes back and goes to the tailor’s to buy some shirts, the tailor is uncomfortable that he’s in there. Who is he fighting the war for?
Ellis studied the effects of shell blast in training but what he had not seen though was the explosive effect on soft tissue.
Given a brief glimpse of the German viewpoint towards the end. They are just sons and brothers too. Would they have let Stephen go even if the war had not ended?
But, what happened to Stuart who proposed to Elizabeth? What was the point of that character?
They have seen human beings do things you never would have thought a human being could do and more.
There were some great lines:
German uniform (Feldgrau): colour of his darkest dreams
Dead body: green butter (of his skin) – yuk
I wasn't too keen on the ending, but it was a nice touch with the name. Stephen it seems is ultimately destroyed by love and the war.
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