Birdsong

Readers who are entranced by sweeping historical sagas will devour Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks' drama set during the first world war. 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 the war. 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 a rewarding read, an unflinching war story and a touching romance.

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Wonderfully evocative - Rated
Sebastian Faulks' best book by far, moves from the pre-war period through the first world war to connect with contemporary times, through a woman searching for her family history. The description of trench scenes and warfare evokes my frustration with the pointlessness of the slaughter, in stark comparison with the humour in the descriptions of pre-war France. This is a wonderfully vivid book, one of the few that made me want to laugh out loud or cry as I turned the pages.

History understood - Rated
Having recently returned from a tour of the Somme researching an ancestor, I re-read Birdsong and was absorbed by Sebastian Faulks' insight into the anguish of war. His portrayal of soldiers in the trenches, the reactions of their relatives back at home, the curiosity of Elizabeth searching for information about her grandfather exactly matched my experiences. Faulks' research gave us insights which although discomforting, were accurate - uniforms, horrendous conditions and attitudes.

I would say to anyone go to the battlefields, come home and read this. You will have learnt more and gained an understanding from a master writer.

Amazing - Rated
One of the reviews adorning the cover of this book says- "a book with the power to reveal the unimagined, so that one's life is set in a changed context". This is what this book has done for me- my outlook has changed as a result of this book, and my understanding of what people gave in the Great War has been enhanced in a way no other novel or historical tome could have achieved. This is fiction but it feels so real you can almost feel the mud in the French trenches- a really amazing read.

Moving and powerful - Rated
This book blends the force of military fiction with the passion of romance. Two sub-plots merge hand-in-hand to create a fascinating characterisation of a group of protagonists fighting and coping with grave trauma in the First World War. Faulks develops a number of interesting and powerful themes in the novel, the most prominent of which is the continued use and consideration of "flesh and blood", which is interpreted by the writer under a number of guises. Faulks is subtle in his use of language, playing upon the reader's emotions and presumptions to create an unexpected conclusion that will leave the reader in tears.

Recommended.

Good enjoyable read, but could have been so much better - Rated
I bought this book before a recent holiday and was hoping that it would be gripping and entertaining. I did enjoy it a lot and to be honest couldn't put it down, but that was more because I wanted to reach the end than because I wanted to savour every word.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:
I was looking forward to a gritty step by step account of how life was during the first world war, and although this book did recount a lot about the state of mind of the character, it doesn't quite have enough to keep war history enthusiasts gripped. For example, in the 'over the top' scenes, so much detail is skipped. One minute they've gone over the top and the next they're in the middle of no-man's land with not enough detail of how they got from a to b.

The other big disappointment was the VERY LONG peacetime love affair at the beginning which could have been recounted more briefly. Also I was disappointed with the way the story skipped around from era to era with, for example, the romance story from the most recent era seeming a little perfunctory at times.

All in all I did very much enjoy this book but all I would say is if you are looking for a decent war story think about looking somewhere else.