rachelkanga's review
3.0
For the most part I enjoyed the journey through the life of Drummond and his family, the people in their lives, places that influenced them and events that defined them.
Starting its story in the 1950’s and progressing through the decades to the present day with the love affair of Drummond and Gwen who meet when he is stationed at an army training camp near to the pub where she works.
Settling in Dagenham and bringing up their children suddenly moving to the countryside after the factory where Drummond works staff go on strike, uprooting their children to a new way of life.
The fear of nuclear attack and their plans to survive in a shelter although they no longer
Family feuds lasting for decades with their daughter storming out and staying away.
The book was hefty and initially I was put off by the weight but it is cleverly written, scattered with historical and political events and popular culture to keep the reader interested.
Starting its story in the 1950’s and progressing through the decades to the present day with the love affair of Drummond and Gwen who meet when he is stationed at an army training camp near to the pub where she works.
Settling in Dagenham and bringing up their children suddenly moving to the countryside after the factory where Drummond works staff go on strike, uprooting their children to a new way of life.
The fear of nuclear attack and their plans to survive in a shelter although they no longer
Family feuds lasting for decades with their daughter storming out and staying away.
The book was hefty and initially I was put off by the weight but it is cleverly written, scattered with historical and political events and popular culture to keep the reader interested.
chronicreader96's review
3.0
Rounded up from somewhere between 2.5-3 stars ⭐️
The blind light follows the lives of Drummond and Carter, two young men meet during their time in service. Over the years their friendship and lives develop and change.
I’m not fully sure how to I feel about this book. It’s the first time I’ve been really unsure about a star rating. I really liked how this book spanned so many different decades and important life points. It was like following someone through a real life journey. That being said, I felt the book was far longer than it needed to be and it seemed to drag. I loved the short chapters but really struggled with Evers’ writing style. Random words would be missing in sentences, they still made sense but they didn’t read properly. Every time this happened I’d get stuck and end up rereading the sentence again.
There was a section in the middle of the book that I absolutely loved! I did not want to put the book down and felt an anticipation, like something really exciting was about to happen. I would have given this section 4-4.5 stars. But, when it all came to a head I felt it was anticlimactic and underwhelming. I found myself so frustrated with some of the characters. I struggled to feel any sympathy for their situation and just wanted to shake them. This is a story of family and friendships, but overall their lives were mostly pretty easy, which made it really tough for me to sympathize with their disagreements. I know many people will love this book but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction with a slow pace that is mostly drama free. I want to thank Readers First, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.
The blind light follows the lives of Drummond and Carter, two young men meet during their time in service. Over the years their friendship and lives develop and change.
I’m not fully sure how to I feel about this book. It’s the first time I’ve been really unsure about a star rating. I really liked how this book spanned so many different decades and important life points. It was like following someone through a real life journey. That being said, I felt the book was far longer than it needed to be and it seemed to drag. I loved the short chapters but really struggled with Evers’ writing style. Random words would be missing in sentences, they still made sense but they didn’t read properly. Every time this happened I’d get stuck and end up rereading the sentence again.
There was a section in the middle of the book that I absolutely loved! I did not want to put the book down and felt an anticipation, like something really exciting was about to happen. I would have given this section 4-4.5 stars. But, when it all came to a head I felt it was anticlimactic and underwhelming. I found myself so frustrated with some of the characters. I struggled to feel any sympathy for their situation and just wanted to shake them. This is a story of family and friendships, but overall their lives were mostly pretty easy, which made it really tough for me to sympathize with their disagreements. I know many people will love this book but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction with a slow pace that is mostly drama free. I want to thank Readers First, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.
balooberry's review against another edition
2.0
I hate when this happens, I really do but I could not finish this book. To many great reads to get through and to little time. I found the story line of this book fairly drab. Along with the fragmented sentences and disjointed plot I just could not bare it any longer.
Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton Company for the opportunity to review this arc.
Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton Company for the opportunity to review this arc.
beanie_bookworm's review against another edition
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, my thanks go to readers first, the author and the publisher.
This book was a great read, it’s set over sixty years and tells the story of a family coping with the political and personal effects of the time they’re living in.
It’s the late 1950’s, the Cold War is in full swing and only getting worse when Drummond Moore makes the acquaintance of James Carter a fellow serviceman. Carter is a rich, well-to-do, wel connected man and leads Drummond Moore to an Army Base where his story really takes off.
This is genuinely one of the most interesting and enjoyable books I have read lately and one that I will possibly reread in the future. Thoroughly thought out and well written with multiple layers and themes running throughout. I would have no hesitation in recommending this to others.
This book was a great read, it’s set over sixty years and tells the story of a family coping with the political and personal effects of the time they’re living in.
It’s the late 1950’s, the Cold War is in full swing and only getting worse when Drummond Moore makes the acquaintance of James Carter a fellow serviceman. Carter is a rich, well-to-do, wel connected man and leads Drummond Moore to an Army Base where his story really takes off.
This is genuinely one of the most interesting and enjoyable books I have read lately and one that I will possibly reread in the future. Thoroughly thought out and well written with multiple layers and themes running throughout. I would have no hesitation in recommending this to others.
debyc's review against another edition
4.0
"The Blind Light" is a multi-generational novel that is character driven with very little plot. If that sounds boring to you, then it probably is. I like these 'slower' paced books sometimes- I almost consider this a 'lazy' read- I recommend it as something that can easily be set down and picked back up, mostly because there isn't a lot of action.
The story follows Drummond "Drum" and his friend, Carter, as young soldiers in the late 1950's in Britain that are trained to prepare for post-nuclear war. The two form an unlikely and unequal friendship that affects all of their personal relationships.
At 500+ pages, "The Blind Light" felt like it was dragging at times (lots of repetition). Yet, there were a lot of beautiful moments and a lot of material that would make for a great book club discussion.
Since I am not part of a book club, if you've read this book and read my review, I have a question that I would love to hear people's thoughts on: Do you think the relationship of Drum and Carter is typical of a friendship between someone who is privileged versus someone who isn't?
Thank you Netgalley and W.W. Norton and Company for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "The Blind Light" was published on October 13th, and is now available (yay!)
The story follows Drummond "Drum" and his friend, Carter, as young soldiers in the late 1950's in Britain that are trained to prepare for post-nuclear war. The two form an unlikely and unequal friendship that affects all of their personal relationships.
At 500+ pages, "The Blind Light" felt like it was dragging at times (lots of repetition). Yet, there were a lot of beautiful moments and a lot of material that would make for a great book club discussion.
Since I am not part of a book club, if you've read this book and read my review, I have a question that I would love to hear people's thoughts on: Do you think the relationship of Drum and Carter is typical of a friendship between someone who is privileged versus someone who isn't?
Thank you Netgalley and W.W. Norton and Company for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "The Blind Light" was published on October 13th, and is now available (yay!)
madmissmedic's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
fazila's review against another edition
2.0
Check out the full review on my website. CLICK HERE
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FR REVIEW :
TRIGGER WARNINGS : Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Battery.
DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Netgalley, Picador and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Blind Light by Stuart Evers is a historical/literary fiction that tells us the story of Drum, Gwen, and their family. We go from 50s to the present following our characters through life-changing events that shape their lives. The story revolves mainly around Drum and Gwen and their kids Nathan and Anneka. Their story is intertwined with Carter, Drum's friend from the service. The book is about their lives, how global events, atomic attacks, family, and relationships bring people together and how they break them apart. Carter and Drum meet during his time at the National Service as they prepare for the aftermath of the Atomic Strike. The two become fast friends and decide to protect their families from the atomic strike by staying in the underground bunker with all the facilities to sustain them. The time in the military leaves Drummond with damages that are far deeper, and traumatic than anything he expected. Fear of death and the impact of the global events that deeply affect personal lives certainly takes center stage in driving the narrative of Drum's life forward. Gwen on the other hand a from being a barmaid to the wife of a deeply traumatized Drum takes us through a rather tremulous marriage and motherhood. The heavy-handed parenting, lack of trust, and deep-seated emotional baggage all lead up to promises made and promises broken in this slow-paced literary style story.
Overall, my experience with this book is it was a depressing read and left me sad and gloomy. For me to enjoy a book thoroughly I need to feel connected to the characters and be invested in their journey when it comes to historical/literary style fiction. If not this then I want to be able to understand them and neither of these happened to me with The Blind Light. So I am saying this with a heavy heart that this book wasn't a hit for me. I wish I had a great time reading it and connecting with it, but unfortunately, that's not the case. I gave the book 2 stars. Just because the story didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you. I still think you should check it out for yourselves and see what you think. I would recommend this book if you are into long, slow-paced stories that take on a tumultuous journey through the ups and downs of life, friendships, marriage, and parenting.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL : YOUTUBE
FOLLOW ME ON : TWITTER INSTAGRAM
FR REVIEW :
TRIGGER WARNINGS : Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Battery.
DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Netgalley, Picador and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Blind Light by Stuart Evers is a historical/literary fiction that tells us the story of Drum, Gwen, and their family. We go from 50s to the present following our characters through life-changing events that shape their lives. The story revolves mainly around Drum and Gwen and their kids Nathan and Anneka. Their story is intertwined with Carter, Drum's friend from the service. The book is about their lives, how global events, atomic attacks, family, and relationships bring people together and how they break them apart. Carter and Drum meet during his time at the National Service as they prepare for the aftermath of the Atomic Strike. The two become fast friends and decide to protect their families from the atomic strike by staying in the underground bunker with all the facilities to sustain them. The time in the military leaves Drummond with damages that are far deeper, and traumatic than anything he expected. Fear of death and the impact of the global events that deeply affect personal lives certainly takes center stage in driving the narrative of Drum's life forward. Gwen on the other hand a from being a barmaid to the wife of a deeply traumatized Drum takes us through a rather tremulous marriage and motherhood. The heavy-handed parenting, lack of trust, and deep-seated emotional baggage all lead up to promises made and promises broken in this slow-paced literary style story.
Overall, my experience with this book is it was a depressing read and left me sad and gloomy. For me to enjoy a book thoroughly I need to feel connected to the characters and be invested in their journey when it comes to historical/literary style fiction. If not this then I want to be able to understand them and neither of these happened to me with The Blind Light. So I am saying this with a heavy heart that this book wasn't a hit for me. I wish I had a great time reading it and connecting with it, but unfortunately, that's not the case. I gave the book 2 stars. Just because the story didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you. I still think you should check it out for yourselves and see what you think. I would recommend this book if you are into long, slow-paced stories that take on a tumultuous journey through the ups and downs of life, friendships, marriage, and parenting.
jbraith's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Grief, Violence, and Physical abuse
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