Reviews tagging 'War'

The Slowworm's Song by Andrew Miller

3 reviews

cavexcanem's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

excuse me while i go rot on the floor
(i just know my therapist would love to psychoanalize my reaction to this)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Mental illness

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Death, War, and Violence

serendipitysbooks's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 
The Slowworm’s Song is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel exploring the impact of The Troubles on Stephen Rose, a former British soldier, who is still haunted by guilt and PTSD following his actions in a horrific incident when he served in Northern Ireland. The fragile balance he has finally established in his life, including his recovery from addiction, is thrown into disarray when he receives a letter from a commission investigating the Troubles which invites him to Belfast to give evidence. The novel unfolds in some long introspective letters to his adult daughter Maggie with whom he is slowly reestablishing a relationship after a lengthy estrangement. In them he gives his account of his life including, eventually, that fateful day which has dominated his life ever since.

This was a heartfelt journey towards acceptance, reconciliation and redemption. It’s also a touching account of a tentative but slowly strengthening father- daughter relationship. Obviously this novel has much to say about the toll armed conflict takes on young soldiers. I appreciated the way it highlighted male vulnerability, something which is finally receiving much needed recognition - at least where I live. I also found the role of the Quaker religion in Stephen’s life, particularly it’s practice of silent self-reflection, to be particularly interesting.

Overall this is a sensitive look at a less-examined aspect of the Troubles.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt and War

elspa's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An interesting and moving book exploring some challenging themes. 

 

While some may dislike the exploration of a British soldier’s experience of the Troubles, it isn’t a topic that has been explored in depth in fiction. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded through the letters to his daughter and the stream of consciousness style as he comes to terms with himself. I read this on audiobook which suited the style of the book and meant you could ‘hear’ Stephen’s voice 

 

Of particular interest was the Quakerism of the main character, a faith group well known for their adherence to pacifism. While I don’t feel his decision to turn away from this and join the army was fully explored in a theological sense, there was an interesting exploration of his relationship with his father and teenage listlessness. 

 

His faith and Quaker community anchoring him and semi-supporting him in later years felt very realistic to me. The scenes where he struggled to settle into the silence of a meeting for worship as thoughts and images from his time in Northern Ireland rose to the surface echoed experiences I have heard from others.

 

The story itself has stayed with me, with its exploration of themes of guilt, trauma, loneliness, addiction and the role and purpose of historical inquiries. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War and Suicide