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kt_schutte's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, Gun violence, Violence, Body horror, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcoholism
cthornhill's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Audiobook review
I found this book to be beautifully written, horrifyingly realistic, intensely painful, stupefying in the scope of suffering it conveys and at times a little weird. I liked the first section of the affair but found I couldn’t really get into the characters. In the second and most important section in the trenches my heart bled for Stephen and his companions, I found them “going over the top” intensely powerful and I don’t think you can come out of reading it without pacifist thoughts about the futility of war. Images from that section will stay with me for a long time. The third section in the seventies I found compelling but it missed the mark for me. Why Elizabeth go to all that trouble to get the notebooks decoded for us to skip over them in a paragraph or so? <\spoiler>. I just didn’t connect with the women in the book. They felt thinly drawn, stereotypical and illogical. And please can we ban men from writing childbirth scenes? <\spoiler>. Even some of the minor characters in the trenches felt much more real to me than the lead women. Finally, I found the ending disappointing but the final sentence very beautiful.
For a horrifying beautiful and realistic portrayal of the war I would recommend this completely. For a love story I would give it a miss.
I found this book to be beautifully written, horrifyingly realistic, intensely painful, stupefying in the scope of suffering it conveys and at times a little weird. I liked the first section of the affair but found I couldn’t really get into the characters. In the second and most important section in the trenches my heart bled for Stephen and his companions, I found them “going over the top” intensely powerful and I don’t think you can come out of reading it without pacifist thoughts about the futility of war. Images from that section will stay with me for a long time. The third section in the seventies I found compelling but it missed the mark for me.
For a horrifying beautiful and realistic portrayal of the war I would recommend this completely. For a love story I would give it a miss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gore, and Death
sophiemundy13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, War, and Gore
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Infidelity
dtodd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
I have just finished rereading this book and it is as powerful as I remember, and the best war novel I have ever read. It not only draws you completely into the world of the characters but gives a glimpse of the First World War that is more vivid than any history book has ever given me. Beautifully written and perfectly paced, this is a must-read for any book lover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
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