ferris_mx's review against another edition
4.0
Superbly written, but I was surprised. This book was not the pacifist presentation I expected, although there's an element of pacifism. Feminism is the major theme, and it's shocking how far we've come in the past 100 years. The secondary theme is the compromise between what we owe to the dead and what we owe to ourselves in continuing to live.
Two comments on the feminism element. First, the Brittain is self-congratulatory about her ability to discuss sexual matters with her friends, unlike her parents and grandparents generation. She sounds like a '60s woman! So it was interesting to see how each generation believes they have demystified sex compared to their benighted parents. Second, except for a brief moment 7/8 through the book, Brittain is concerned about the role of women in society, but completely oblivious to the class she represents and the lot of the lower classes that support her.
Two comments on the feminism element. First, the Brittain is self-congratulatory about her ability to discuss sexual matters with her friends, unlike her parents and grandparents generation. She sounds like a '60s woman! So it was interesting to see how each generation believes they have demystified sex compared to their benighted parents. Second, except for a brief moment 7/8 through the book, Brittain is concerned about the role of women in society, but completely oblivious to the class she represents and the lot of the lower classes that support her.
gosia_maria99's review against another edition
5.0
You know you're marrying into the right family when your future sister-in-law gives you her favourite book as a "welcome to the family" present. This was a fascinating book, well-written and I loved how much of the author's and her loved ones' poetry was scattered throughout it. To me, it showed the power of the written word - just how much of the book was excerpts of journals and letters.
csolan's review against another edition
2.0
This is only the fifth book I've reviewed in all my years on Goodreads, but it must be said: Thank God I'm done.
Please excuse my rambling in advance.
I wanted to read this book after watching the film (loosely) based on Vera Brittain's memoir, but wow. Only about half of the 608 pages actually deals with WWI, and it is very different from the movie. I know I'm being one of those philistines who thinks the movie is better than the book, but hear me out.
It took me three years (3 YEARS) to read this book because of how long winded and boring it was. I would have to put it down for months at a time, but then begrudgingly pick it back up, because I am unfortunately a completionist. Brittain writes in an outdated style, which is fair enough considering she wrote the book almost 100 years ago, but it makes some of the paragraphs almost incomprehensible (and I'd like to point out that I have a Master's degree).
Though there are certainly some interesting parts where she describes her time nursing during WWI, in the sections after 1918, she is constantly referencing obscure events and changes in post-WWI British political minutiae, and refers to "important" people as simply "Mrs Brown", "M---n" or sometimes she just abbreviates names to one or two letters (WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE??).
She writes about things that people in the 21st century probably have no reference point for as if they are common knowledge (maybe they were 100 years ago, or if you are a scholar of 1910s-1920s British history?), and her pretentious writing makes it seem that if you don't know what's going on, then the jokes on you and you can go F off. She spends pages and pages and pages going on about "reading at Oxford" and how amazing she is for doing so.
I sympathize with Brittain and her whole generation of lost youths; what they went through I wouldn't wish on anyone. But neither would I wish reading this book on anyone either. Two stars because I came out the other side, and I'm giving a little leeway because maybe I just read this in the wrong time period.
Please excuse my rambling in advance.
I wanted to read this book after watching the film (loosely) based on Vera Brittain's memoir, but wow. Only about half of the 608 pages actually deals with WWI, and it is very different from the movie. I know I'm being one of those philistines who thinks the movie is better than the book, but hear me out.
It took me three years (3 YEARS) to read this book because of how long winded and boring it was. I would have to put it down for months at a time, but then begrudgingly pick it back up, because I am unfortunately a completionist. Brittain writes in an outdated style, which is fair enough considering she wrote the book almost 100 years ago, but it makes some of the paragraphs almost incomprehensible (and I'd like to point out that I have a Master's degree).
Though there are certainly some interesting parts where she describes her time nursing during WWI, in the sections after 1918, she is constantly referencing obscure events and changes in post-WWI British political minutiae, and refers to "important" people as simply "Mrs Brown", "M---n" or sometimes she just abbreviates names to one or two letters (WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE??).
She writes about things that people in the 21st century probably have no reference point for as if they are common knowledge (maybe they were 100 years ago, or if you are a scholar of 1910s-1920s British history?), and her pretentious writing makes it seem that if you don't know what's going on, then the jokes on you and you can go F off. She spends pages and pages and pages going on about "reading at Oxford" and how amazing she is for doing so.
I sympathize with Brittain and her whole generation of lost youths; what they went through I wouldn't wish on anyone. But neither would I wish reading this book on anyone either. Two stars because I came out the other side, and I'm giving a little leeway because maybe I just read this in the wrong time period.
readbooks_fightpatriarchy's review against another edition
5.0
Why did I wait so long to read this book? Captivating through 600+ pages.
abeth_parker's review against another edition
5.0
I won't even try to capture this book using my own words. If you like WW1 history, read it. If you like memoirs, read it. If you like stories that make you feel like you're living the life of the character, read it. This book affected me in a way that few have. 100 years have passed since Vera Brittain experienced the war and I couldn't have asked for a better guide to those events.
kiriamarin's review against another edition
4.0
Testamento da Juventude não é só um relato de guerra, mais também aa memórias autobiograficas da vida de Vera Brittain, que foi enfermeira na Primeira Guerra Mundial,desde a infância numa provincial cidade inglesa até o período pós guerra e suas realizações intelectuais ,independência e despertar feminista . Portanto é um olhar interessante , intimista e feminino entre tantas publicações seja ficção ou não ficção sobre este "desastre" como ela chama a a WW1 e suas consequências para a velha e nova geração ,juventudes roubadas.
A obra é dividida em duas partes: Na primeira conhecemos Vera, sua família, seu irmão Edward, que ela ama e tem uma profunda amizade e proximidade.seu cotidiano em uma família que ainda segue os moldes vitorianos,comum e feliz.Ela é uma moça vivaz que gosta de ler poesia e almeja estudar numa universidade e afinal consegue mesmo com inicial desaprovação do pai.
Abre-se uma novo caminho de sonhos e possibilidades para o futuro, um desgarramento desses moldes opressivos da sua família . Porém tudo vem a ser destruído pela chegada da guerra.
Aqui começa a parte mais dolorosa das suas memórias , o esmorecer de Vera,da sociedade, que até então ingenuamente pensava que a guerra seria algo breve ,sem muitas mortes,jovens que sentiam um orgulho patriótico em servir a patria mas a realidade é imensamente cruel e afetou fortemente toda uma geração psicologicamente , os que partiram ,os voltaram e os que ficaram, com as penúria de escassez do dia a dia .
E ainda assim sua escrita consegue ser poética, mesmo com tanta agonia desespero e loucura deste período por tantas pessoas queridas que perdeu sucessivamente,: o irmão, o ñoivo Roland e amigos próximos por isto esta levou mais de 30 anos para termina-las.
A segunda parte são os vestígios e sombras do pós guerra, de uma mulher feminista e intelectual e uma análise dos anos loucos e a chamada geração perdida,com sua sede de vida para espantar a morte, que mudou radicalmente as convenções sociais, ainda mais no campo sexual e moral e profissional para mulheres, pois em meio a guerra as mulheres inglesas finalmente conseguiram o direito ao voto.
É uma obra bem extensa, com a primeira parte mais reflexiva e intensa e literária para o leitor a segunda mais tediosa, com boas análises sociologicas de um evento que modificou o mundo.
Uma obra em memória dos mortos para não esquecê-los...
"'Parece-me que a guerra fará uma grande divisão de' antes 'e' depois 'na história do mundo, quase se não tão grande quanto a divisão' AC 'e' DC 'feita pelo nascimento de Cristo "
A obra é dividida em duas partes: Na primeira conhecemos Vera, sua família, seu irmão Edward, que ela ama e tem uma profunda amizade e proximidade.seu cotidiano em uma família que ainda segue os moldes vitorianos,comum e feliz.Ela é uma moça vivaz que gosta de ler poesia e almeja estudar numa universidade e afinal consegue mesmo com inicial desaprovação do pai.
Abre-se uma novo caminho de sonhos e possibilidades para o futuro, um desgarramento desses moldes opressivos da sua família . Porém tudo vem a ser destruído pela chegada da guerra.
Aqui começa a parte mais dolorosa das suas memórias , o esmorecer de Vera,da sociedade, que até então ingenuamente pensava que a guerra seria algo breve ,sem muitas mortes,jovens que sentiam um orgulho patriótico em servir a patria mas a realidade é imensamente cruel e afetou fortemente toda uma geração psicologicamente , os que partiram ,os voltaram e os que ficaram, com as penúria de escassez do dia a dia .
E ainda assim sua escrita consegue ser poética, mesmo com tanta agonia desespero e loucura deste período por tantas pessoas queridas que perdeu sucessivamente,: o irmão, o ñoivo Roland e amigos próximos por isto esta levou mais de 30 anos para termina-las.
A segunda parte são os vestígios e sombras do pós guerra, de uma mulher feminista e intelectual e uma análise dos anos loucos e a chamada geração perdida,com sua sede de vida para espantar a morte, que mudou radicalmente as convenções sociais, ainda mais no campo sexual e moral e profissional para mulheres, pois em meio a guerra as mulheres inglesas finalmente conseguiram o direito ao voto.
É uma obra bem extensa, com a primeira parte mais reflexiva e intensa e literária para o leitor a segunda mais tediosa, com boas análises sociologicas de um evento que modificou o mundo.
Uma obra em memória dos mortos para não esquecê-los...
"'Parece-me que a guerra fará uma grande divisão de' antes 'e' depois 'na história do mundo, quase se não tão grande quanto a divisão' AC 'e' DC 'feita pelo nascimento de Cristo "
mjsteimle's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed reading this book. Vera Brittain was an ambitious young woman who had just started her education at Oxford when WWI broke out. With her brother and fiance at the front, she decided to volunteer as a VAD nurse. She worked in hospitals in London, Malta, and France. Her memoirs continue until 1925, and she speaks a lot about the impact of the war on her generation. After the war she finished her degree at Oxford and got involved with politics and social justice movements as her tried to make a name for herself as a novelist and journalist.
Some quotes:
“The War, I began to feel, was dividing us as I had so long feared that it would, making real values seem unreal, and causing the qualities which mattered most to appear unimportant. Was it, I wondered, because Roland had lost interest in me that this anguish of drifting apart had begun – or was the explanation to be found in that terrible barrier of knowledge by which War cut off men who possessed it from the women who, in spite of the love that they gave and received, remained in ignorance?” (215)
“I had not yet realised – as I was later to realise through my own mental surrender – that only a process of complete adaptation, blotting out tastes and talents and even memories, made life sufferable for someone face to face with war at its worst. I was not to discover for another year how completely the War possessed one’s personality the moment that one crossed the sea, making England and all the uninitiated marooned within its narrow shores seem remote and insignificant.” (217)
“I did not wish to live, emotionally, any more, for I was still too tired; I wanted only to stand aside from life and write.” (615)
“…the individuals from whom destiny demands too much are infinitely more vital than those of whom it asks too little” (655)
Some quotes:
“The War, I began to feel, was dividing us as I had so long feared that it would, making real values seem unreal, and causing the qualities which mattered most to appear unimportant. Was it, I wondered, because Roland had lost interest in me that this anguish of drifting apart had begun – or was the explanation to be found in that terrible barrier of knowledge by which War cut off men who possessed it from the women who, in spite of the love that they gave and received, remained in ignorance?” (215)
“I had not yet realised – as I was later to realise through my own mental surrender – that only a process of complete adaptation, blotting out tastes and talents and even memories, made life sufferable for someone face to face with war at its worst. I was not to discover for another year how completely the War possessed one’s personality the moment that one crossed the sea, making England and all the uninitiated marooned within its narrow shores seem remote and insignificant.” (217)
“I did not wish to live, emotionally, any more, for I was still too tired; I wanted only to stand aside from life and write.” (615)
“…the individuals from whom destiny demands too much are infinitely more vital than those of whom it asks too little” (655)
circularcubes's review against another edition
5.0
June 22, 2017
Once again, Testament of Youth has immersed me fully into the life of its author, Vera Brittain. It is a testament (heh) of Brittain's skill that this book has the power to completely transport its readers into the life of a privileged young woman from rural England in the years surrounding the Great War. I remember the shock of first reading her words three years ago and finding that Brittain did not seem all that far removed from myself, between her frustration with her parents, her awareness of generational divide, and her open discussion of her first vague awarenesses of sex. Brittain does an admirable job in this memoir of helping readers to step directly into her shoes as she journeys from headstrong scholar-to-be at the beginning of the war to a rather bitter, alienated, and lonely woman in the decade following Armistice.
Although she clearly intended the book for audiences in the 1930's, for the most part, it still translates well to audiences in the 2010's. There are a few missteps - she relies rather too heavily on name-dropping people who have long since lapsed into obscurity, and, I suspect, were known only in small particular circles at the time of her publishing. This, along with numerous mentions of her parent's troubles finding a "creditable" and reliable servant during the war years and a brief reproduction of a conversation overheard between injured soldiers which relies heavily on phonetic accents belie Brittain's strong sense of economic class, which is otherwise not fully discussed. I also wish Brittain was more frank about her relationships - she describes a single kiss with Roland and her general desire for children, but she doesn't go into further detail. She also had other flirtations and relationships towards the end of the war and upon her return to college, but they are lightly sketched out. It's clear that Brittain remained endlessly devoted to Roland and perhaps wanted to keep their relationship at the forefront of the readers minds, but I desperately wanted to see how she moved on after his death, and I wish she gave us more details on that. The book also loses a lot of steam post-Armistice, and although it's satisfying to see Brittain making steps forward in her life, I wish a bit of the bitter, alienated feminist years were condensed and better articulated.
All in all, this is a powerfully moving book. The 2015 film version is absolutely beautiful (and made me cry about six times) but nothing really compares to this extended and largely elegant portrayal of Brittain's war experiences. I would recommend this unhesitatingly to anyone with the slightest interest in the topic.
August 16, 2014
Vera Brittain's story is incredible. This book really makes World War One come alive, and especially illuminates what the experience was like for young English women such as Brittain herself. To lose almost everything that brings meaning to your life and somehow find the strength to move on and still contribute positively to your surroundings and society as a whole - I hope to be half the woman she was.
Once again, Testament of Youth has immersed me fully into the life of its author, Vera Brittain. It is a testament (heh) of Brittain's skill that this book has the power to completely transport its readers into the life of a privileged young woman from rural England in the years surrounding the Great War. I remember the shock of first reading her words three years ago and finding that Brittain did not seem all that far removed from myself, between her frustration with her parents, her awareness of generational divide, and her open discussion of her first vague awarenesses of sex. Brittain does an admirable job in this memoir of helping readers to step directly into her shoes as she journeys from headstrong scholar-to-be at the beginning of the war to a rather bitter, alienated, and lonely woman in the decade following Armistice.
Although she clearly intended the book for audiences in the 1930's, for the most part, it still translates well to audiences in the 2010's. There are a few missteps - she relies rather too heavily on name-dropping people who have long since lapsed into obscurity, and, I suspect, were known only in small particular circles at the time of her publishing. This, along with numerous mentions of her parent's troubles finding a "creditable" and reliable servant during the war years and a brief reproduction of a conversation overheard between injured soldiers which relies heavily on phonetic accents belie Brittain's strong sense of economic class, which is otherwise not fully discussed. I also wish Brittain was more frank about her relationships - she describes a single kiss with Roland and her general desire for children, but she doesn't go into further detail. She also had other flirtations and relationships towards the end of the war and upon her return to college, but they are lightly sketched out. It's clear that Brittain remained endlessly devoted to Roland and perhaps wanted to keep their relationship at the forefront of the readers minds, but I desperately wanted to see how she moved on after his death, and I wish she gave us more details on that. The book also loses a lot of steam post-Armistice, and although it's satisfying to see Brittain making steps forward in her life, I wish a bit of the bitter, alienated feminist years were condensed and better articulated.
All in all, this is a powerfully moving book. The 2015 film version is absolutely beautiful (and made me cry about six times) but nothing really compares to this extended and largely elegant portrayal of Brittain's war experiences. I would recommend this unhesitatingly to anyone with the slightest interest in the topic.
August 16, 2014
Vera Brittain's story is incredible. This book really makes World War One come alive, and especially illuminates what the experience was like for young English women such as Brittain herself. To lose almost everything that brings meaning to your life and somehow find the strength to move on and still contribute positively to your surroundings and society as a whole - I hope to be half the woman she was.