|
Loading...
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendations
Loading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Brilliant from start to finish. Very gripping and exciting emotionally from start to finish. Well worth the read. (  ) bennyb | Sep 8, 2009 |  An outstanding, memorable book. (  ) Cormach | Aug 24, 2009 | I absolutely loved this book that I thought I would hate! I'm not one to read anything having to do with wars (too violent for my tastes, I suppose), but this was chosen as a pick for my book club, so I really didn't have much choice. And I'm so glad it was! It was a book I never would have picked, and so would have missed out on what turned out to be a fantastic read. As much as I thought I knew about WWII, I certainly learned an immense amount. Both my grandfather and grandmother served in WWII, and though that was a different war, Birdsong gave me so much insight into what those soldiers went through. The shift in perspective was a bit confusing at the outset, but came to make sense and give the reader some relief to the oppression that Wraysford the other men must try to survive. This is a story that is haunting, tragic, redeeming, but in the end, one that I believe will stay with me for many years to come. I highly recommend this book. (  ) rrravenita | Aug 4, 2009 | This was a book I was looking forward to reading as I had seen/heard so much hype, but am sorry to say it did not live up to expectations. I found the writing simplistic and cluncky. The best part was probably the story in the trenches. A friend who read it (and to be honest is quite ignorant to war themes) was blown away, but I guess each to their own! (  ) frannypatter | Jun 27, 2009 | A book of multiple personalities. The depiction of trench warfare and the exploration of the characters involved tore at my emotions, so much so that I was in floods of tears at the conclusion. However, the initial love story just didn't ring true for me, nor did it add appreciably to my understanding of the lead character. Secondly I found the 1970's section a forced add-on. Saying all that; taking the book as a whole, its a thumping good read that tugs at the heartstrings. It gives you a firm slap to remind you of the suffering of a whole generation of 'doomed youth'. ( )1  BookMarkMe | Jun 24, 2009 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0099387913, Paperback)Readers who are entranced by the sweeping Anglo sagas of Masterpiece Theatre will devour Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks's historical drama. A bestseller in England, there's even a little high-toned erotica thrown into the mix to convince the doubtful. The book's hero, a 20-year-old Englishman named Stephen Wraysford, finds his true love on a trip to Amiens in 1910. Unfortunately, she's already married, the wife of a wealthy textile baron. Wrayford convinces her to leave a life of passionless comfort to be at his side, but things do not turn out according to plan. Wraysford is haunted by this doomed affair and carries it with him into the trenches of World War I. Birdsong derives most of its power from its descriptions of mud and blood, and Wraysford's attempt to retain a scrap of humanity while surrounded by it. There is a simultaneous description of his present-day granddaughter's quest to read his diaries, which is designed to give some sense of perspective; this device is only somewhat successful. Nevertheless, Birdsong is an unflinching war story that is bookended by romances and a rewarding read.(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:22 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
Abebooks |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
