The Great War Theme Read: The Beginning of the War

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The Great War Theme Read: The Beginning of the War

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1BeyondEdenRock
Dec 31, 2013, 4:04 pm

It's time to think about our books for January and February.

Main Book:

William an Englishman by Cecily Hamilton (Persephone)

Other possibilities:

Golden Miles by Kathleeen Susannah Pritchard (Virago)
Mr Britling Sees it Through by H G Wells (Project Gutenberg)
The Setons by O Douglas (Project Gutenberg)

Reader Recommendations:

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

What are you reading?

What are you planning to read?

2lauralkeet
Dec 31, 2013, 5:55 pm

I'll be reading William an Englishman, as my first book of 2014. Just need to finish my current read first.

3Heaven-Ali
Dec 31, 2013, 6:52 pm

I loved William an Englishman but read it just over a year ago so will be reading Mr Brittling sees it through will start it in a couple of days after my current read. I am intrigued by O Douglas though - I keep seeing her mentioned on blogs and have read nothing by her - we'll see :)

4BeyondEdenRock
Dec 31, 2013, 7:34 pm

I have William: an Englishman and Mr Britling lined up to read, but I may not be starting for a few days as I have The Moonstone and The Goldfinch to finish first.

5rainpebble
Edited: Jan 16, 2014, 11:09 pm

When I finish Christmas at High Rising I will be reading William, an Englishman. I plan to follow that up over the January/February months with
Mr Britling Sees it Through, The Setons and finish up with The Guns of August. I am really looking forward to this theme read and Thank you Elaine for suggesting it.

6Heaven-Ali
Jan 1, 2014, 4:09 am

#4 some great reading there!

I have now downloaded The Setons by O Douglas too.

7Soupdragon
Jan 1, 2014, 5:57 am

I very much hope to participate in these reads throughout the year. However, I know there's a good chance of life getting in the way again and my thoughts are likely to remain just thoughts rather than develop into full reviews.

I've just started William: An Englishman. I'm finding Hamilton's satirical style very readable but have a great sense of foreboding for William and Grizelda!

8kaggsy
Jan 1, 2014, 6:38 am

I've ordered William: An Englishman from the library and also hope to get through Mr. Britling Sees it through in the first couple of months. I do like the fact that the challenge is so spread out!

9miss_read
Edited: Jan 1, 2014, 8:16 am

This message has been deleted by its author.

10NanaCC
Jan 1, 2014, 12:18 pm

I have William an Englishman and Mr. Britling Sees it Through on my list for January. I will start with William today.

11Soupdragon
Jan 1, 2014, 1:39 pm

I've spent most of the afternoon reading and am now about three quarters of the way through William. I won't say too much but there's been a sharp shift from social satire to events of stark horror.

12rainpebble
Edited: Jan 1, 2014, 2:28 pm

> 11:
Oh no Dee. I was not hoping to hear that but then I suppose that war is war. If we can't actually 'enjoy' some of the books hopefully we shall be able to appreciate them.

13Soupdragon
Jan 1, 2014, 2:40 pm

12: Belva, I've finished the book now and I can confirm it's well worth reading but the horrors of war are evident and it is definitely not a feel-good!

The introduction states that Hamilton wrote this (probably in a tent) in 1918, exhausted from four years of war service. There is definitely an undercurrent of controlled anger that comes across throughout the book.

14rainpebble
Jan 1, 2014, 2:45 pm

I will most likely begin it tomorrow Dee. Thank you for your take on it.

15CurrerBell
Jan 1, 2014, 2:45 pm

I just downloaded William, an Englishman from Kindle (@ 99¢). And I'm going to read Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy for the "New Beginnings" theme for January's Reading Through Time. (All I've read by Barker are Union Street & Blow Your House Down.)

16rainpebble
Jan 1, 2014, 2:52 pm

>15 CurrerBell:;
Happy New Year Mike. I have been wanting to read the Pat Barker trilogy but have been unable to find them at a decent (cheap) price so will wait but I look forward to your comments on them. And what a good price for your 'William'!

17NanaCC
Jan 1, 2014, 4:33 pm

>15 CurrerBell: Mike, I downloaded that version of William, an Englishman yesterday. The formatting is a bit weird, but so far readable.

I read the Regeneration trilogy in September or October. It was very good.

18fannyprice
Jan 1, 2014, 5:11 pm

Hi, I'm new to this group. I joined up in part because I saw that you all were doing a WW1-theme year and I would love to participate. I've recently acquired William an Englishman, Mr Britling Sees it Through, and The Setons and hope to read these with the group. I'm also taking advantage of ClubRead 2014's year-long theme read on WW1 to make some progress on the many histories of WW1 I have around the house.

One non-fiction book on the war that I would recommend, if permissible, is A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918 by G.J. Meyer. I think of this book as the "gateway drug" for WW1 history - it's a fantastic, well-written one-volume history of WW1 that covers both political-military history and social history. I loved the format of this book, which was a straightforward chronological history of the war separated by standback interludes on topics including each powers' political and military leadership, the history of states and empires, the development of military technologies and tactics, each powers' officer corps, war propaganda and poetry, shell-shock, and the role of women in the war. I am much more accustomed to reading social and political history than military history, so these chapters really helped break up the endless stream of battles. I found it much more accessible than Tuchman's book, which I have not successfully made it through yet.

19rainpebble
Jan 1, 2014, 5:52 pm

Welcome Fanny. I am so happy that you have decided to join in our little group. I hope that once we have gotten underway with our Great War theme read you will decide to remain and become a part of our little group. It really is a wonderful group of eclectic readers.
And I didn't realize that ClubRead was also doing a WW I theme read this year. Good to know.

20romain
Jan 1, 2014, 6:35 pm

Yes welcome Fanny and I smiled at the 'gateway drug' reference. The book looks like something I could get into. I am waiting Mr Britling on Interloan. I read William about 2 years ago and The Guns of August a zillion years ago. But I also own Golden Miles so that is a possibility as well. After all... this is a Virago group... :)

21CurrerBell
Jan 1, 2014, 6:49 pm

Welcome, Fanny. And don't worry about recommending non-fiction. We're a really easy-goin' bunch here!

Mike

22Liz1564
Edited: Jan 1, 2014, 7:43 pm

I know you'll enjoy this group, Fanny. It is always good to hear from new folks.

Chicago is socked in with snow so I read William in one day. You can certainly tell when a writer has had first hand experience on the battlefront.
A very good first choice. If anyone has room in their reading schedule, Julian Grenfel: His Life and the Time of his Death by Mosley, published by Persephone, is a nice bookend to this first book.

23CurrerBell
Jan 1, 2014, 10:06 pm

22> Like I don't have enough already. But Grenfell's in one of those lovely greys. So I go off and order it on Abe. {grrrr} This group's a bad influence!

I just on-line read Grenfell's poem "Into Battle" and he definitely doesn't sound like a pacifist. That's OK, though, because the book seems to have a strong emphasis on the Edwardians, which should make it of real interest.

24annejacinta
Jan 2, 2014, 3:22 am

I loved William too, such a different angle.
I have downloaded The Setons and Mr Britling Sees It Through, look forward to reading both this month.

25rainpebble
Jan 2, 2014, 3:48 am

>23 CurrerBell::
A bad influence indeed Mike! I just ordered The Regeneration Trilogy and Julian Grenfell both. Our Great War themed books are falling into place nicely, eh?

26Heaven-Ali
Jan 2, 2014, 4:26 am

I enjoyed William an Englishman but it is not a cosy read at all.

Welcome Fanny I hope you enjoy reading along with us.

27Soupdragon
Jan 2, 2014, 5:59 am

Hello fannyprice and thanks for the Meyer recommendation. It is now on my kindle!

28lauralkeet
Jan 2, 2014, 7:13 am

Hello Fanny & Welcome!
I decided to hold off just a bit on reading William an Englishman, only because I recently finished a rather bleak book and needed something lighter first. Still very much looking forward to it though.

29juliette07
Edited: Jan 2, 2014, 9:43 am

Soup - the Meyer book is excellent - a second recomendation from here!

I can't find William on the UK kindle shop - can anyone help?

30CDVicarage
Jan 2, 2014, 10:07 am

#29 Me, neither. All I can find is the Persephone edition and a link to click to request that the publisher makes it available for kindle. Surely if they can have it in USA we can in UK?

31Heaven-Ali
Jan 2, 2014, 11:14 am

#29, 30 - I have a Persephone copy of William an Englishman now - however I orignally read it via ebook - I think I downloaded it from projectGuttenberg or somewhere like that - I may have just googled the title and free ebook or something. My ebook was really badly formatted and had lots of mistakes - I so wish I had read it in book form instead.

32CurrerBell
Jan 2, 2014, 1:46 pm

31> Ali, according to your blog, you downloaded William from the Internet Archive ("open archive").

If you can't get a Kindle edition of William in the UK, you could try the Internet Archive. It's available in various formats.

I'm wondering, Ali, if you downloaded the Full Text format. That's the one where the scanned image has been run through OCR software to digitalize the image to text, which is where the typo and formatting problems will kick in.

If you download the Kindle format, you'll get a .mobi file, which I assume you can transfer to your Kindle from your desktop or laptop with a USB cable. I checked this .mobi file myself and it seems to be just a scanned image that shouldn't have any OCR errors. It may not be as nicely formatted as we'd like, but it is free and you can get it with instant gratification. If you're in the US, I'd still buy the Kindle edition from Amazon since it's only 99¢ and you avoid the inconvenience of the USB-cable transfer; but if you don't have an option in the UK, the .mobi file may be satisfactory for you.

33Heaven-Ali
Jan 2, 2014, 2:02 pm

#32 Ah yes the open archive I remember now - well done for checking my blog that's maybe what I should have done. I probably did download the full text. Anyway although there were errors (more than usual) I did still enjoy the novel - although there is a particularly haunting episode that might upset some people.

34NanaCC
Jan 2, 2014, 2:19 pm

Just as an FYI, I downloaded the 99 cent version of William for my Kindle, and the formatting is terrible. Readable though, and I am enjoying it. Almost done.

Ali, Do you think that any of the WWI books will be cozy? I am guessing most will not. I would love to be wrong.

35Heaven-Ali
Jan 2, 2014, 2:26 pm

#34 well I wouldn't bank on it :) I have just started Mr Britling sees it through not read very much yet though.

36CDVicarage
Jan 3, 2014, 4:56 am

Re: William. I downloaded the text from the Internet Archive and have formatted it properly. I can supply it as an epub or for kindle. Where can I put it so that any of you may download it? Any suggestions from the computer/internet literate?

37lauralkeet
Jan 3, 2014, 7:14 am

>36 CDVicarage:: Perhaps Google Drive (formerly Google Docs), or Dropbox ?

38CDVicarage
Jan 3, 2014, 7:16 am

Thanks, Laura, I will look into that and post back here.

40Sakerfalcon
Jan 3, 2014, 1:09 pm

I'll be reading Golden miles; it'll be interesting to get a non-British view of WWI.

41rainpebble
Jan 3, 2014, 4:24 pm

I have begun William, an Englishman. No horrors yet as they are still on their honeymoon. I am enjoying the read & find it a good choice for beginning this quest.

42romain
Jan 3, 2014, 5:40 pm

Thanks for The Guardian article Fanny. Given my age I wondered why the dead American actor was writing about pre WW1 England.

43brenzi
Jan 3, 2014, 7:44 pm

I'm apparently late to this party but I will be reading William: An Englishman as soon as I finish the book I'm reading now. I downloaded the $.99 Kindle copy so I hope it's readable.

44lauralkeet
Jan 3, 2014, 7:46 pm

I finished my first VMC of 2014 (The Rector and the Doctor's Family), so tomorrow I'll start William an Englishman.

45NanaCC
Jan 3, 2014, 8:13 pm

Bonnie, the formatting is awful, but readable. I finished it in a day. It is quite good.

46CurrerBell
Jan 4, 2014, 12:26 pm

Whoops. I originally posted this to the "Great War General Discussion" thread....
 
 
 
 
I just finished William, an Englishman and posted this 3*** review (SPOILER ALERT). My problem is, while I certainly see Hamilton's recognition of the futility of the War, I'm not sure of her own response to her characters and to the War itself – unless it's one of self-confessed confusion, except that the "self-confession" isn't narratively apparent. And I'm also bothered that she at times overstates her satire, losing a good bit of satirical punchiness by explicit authorial editorializing.

And as I went on and on through reading this Kindle book, I agree with others who've complained about its poor formatting. This usually doesn't affect readability significantly, but there's one point (right as William first meets Edith) where there are two missing pages in all of the on-line versions (not just a problem with Kindle but it's a problem with the original scan that all of the e-books are based on.)

On to The Regeneration Trilogy, which (at least by its title) fits in with this month's RTT "new beginnings" theme.

47Heaven-Ali
Jan 4, 2014, 12:58 pm

Well I'm 190+ pages into Mr Britling sees it through. At first I wasn't mad about H G Wells style - I read The History of Mr Polly years ago but had forgotten anything about how it was written. However despite the slow start I am really enjoying it and finding it suits the theme of the beginning of the war perfectly. I'm finding H G wells characters are really very real - his England is a recognisable place despite the distance of time and it brings home to me particularly what a shattering blow/change the war brought to ordinary middle class people.

48kaggsy
Jan 4, 2014, 3:06 pm

47: Interested to hear your thoughts Ali, as I'm quite looking forward to this one. I half-started War of the Worlds recently and found Wells' style initially a bit dry but I guess that's something you get used to.

William: An Englishman has arrived from the library!

49rainpebble
Jan 4, 2014, 4:16 pm

Yea Karen!~! I am enjoying it so far but wondering how these two can be so uninformed of the world outside their little circle of life.

50BeyondEdenRock
Jan 4, 2014, 4:40 pm

I've downloaded a copy from Forgotten Books and the formatting looks fine. It is a pdf file though, so you can't do much with the font. And there is a subscription cost, though it's cheaper - for me at least - than reserving books from the library.

51kaggsy
Jan 4, 2014, 4:53 pm

50: Gosh, does it cost you to reserve? Suffolk don't charge for reserving if they have it in the country (tho they do for inter-library loans from outside) - thankfully, or I wouldn't be able to get half the books I do. And they *do* have quite a few Persephones.

52BeyondEdenRock
Jan 4, 2014, 5:12 pm

We pay 80p a book in Cornwall, and quite a bit more for inter-library.

53Soupdragon
Jan 4, 2014, 6:11 pm

46: I agree with the points you make in your review of William, Mike. As a novel I think it's flawed (for the reasons you mention) but the underlying anger gives it a certain vitality. The anger does seem indiscriminate though. I thought Hamilton seemed very cross with William and Grizelda and wondered why. Did she feel frustrated with her younger, more innocent self or did the couple represent a type that she had come across and despised? I rated the book 3.5 stars.

I've decided to stick to just one WWI novel a month, but may make a start on the Meyer.

51/52: We don't have to pay for library reservations in Hull or the East Riding yet, but I know it's getting more common across the country and suspect it's only a matter of time.

54VivienneR
Jan 4, 2014, 6:29 pm

I just added William : An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton and Mr Britling Sees it Through by H.G. Wells to my collection. I plan to read both sometime in 2014. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.

55juliette07
Jan 5, 2014, 4:14 am

Just downloaded William : An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton from a free source - open archive. Not sure how I am going to get on with it on screen. Couldn't get it to go to my Kindle.....

51/52 In Oxfordshire we pay £1 for each library reservation.

56kaggsy
Jan 5, 2014, 5:24 am

Strange how the cost to reserve varies so much from county to county - and I have a feeling that Suffolk *used* to charge, so I'm surprised they don't now - but I'm not complaining. But even if I had had to pay, I would have to reserve because I have no e-reader and *never* read things I download to the PC!!

57juliette07
Jan 5, 2014, 6:21 am

I agree, *but* the library does not have William to even reserve!!!!!

58miss_read
Jan 5, 2014, 11:06 am

I wasn't going to join in, but I seem to have downloaded The Setons and have already started it.

59Heaven-Ali
Jan 5, 2014, 12:11 pm

:) #58 I have that downloaded too- and will maybe read it in a few weeks. I have just finished Mr Britling sees it through it isn't an entirely easy read - is sometimes very wordy but it suits the first month's theme perfectly. Overall I ernjoyed it.

60miss_read
Jan 5, 2014, 2:05 pm

I have to admit, I chose The Setons because it was free! But, though I'm only 35 pages in, I'm enjoying it.

61rainpebble
Jan 5, 2014, 2:34 pm

I am about 3/4 of the way through William, an Englishman and is it just me or are there parts of this book that seem very 'stream of conciousness'? To me a great deal of the latter part is feeling that way.

62lauralkeet
Jan 5, 2014, 7:14 pm

I'm about halfway through William, an Englishman. I thought their honeymoon was an interesting device, since the couple decided not to receive mail or newspapers, and then were so hopeless with local language, that they were completely unaware of world events. While I can't imagine putting myself in that situation today, it wasn't completely implausible to me. And it made their shock all the more palpable when it finally became apparent what was going on.

63CurrerBell
Jan 5, 2014, 7:45 pm

62> the couple decided not to receive mail or newspapers, and then were so hopeless with local language

And they thought themselves so wrapped up in the "international" revolutionary movement!

64rainpebble
Jan 6, 2014, 3:00 am

>62 lauralkeet:;
I agree very much Laura. And they indeed were hopelessly in shock with the circumstances in which they found themselves.

65Sakerfalcon
Jan 6, 2014, 1:19 pm

I've just started Golden miles, which so far is focused on gold mining; I think it will take a while for international events to hit this small community in the Australian outback. It's good to catch up with characters I read about in The roaring nineties a couple of years ago.

66rainpebble
Jan 7, 2014, 12:06 am

I've just now finished William, an Englishman. I did not find it awfully engaging but am glad I read it. I must say that Hamilton's style of writing is different. I was caught up in the beginning, then that whole 'stream of consciousness' bit to wade through, then back to the war......... Like I said I am glad I read it and it gave me a different insight into the Great War period of time. Overall I think it was just an okay read for me. I shall have to ponder it over time & see how I truly feel about it. Perhaps that is one of the marks of a good/great book. IDK.

67juliette07
Jan 7, 2014, 1:23 pm

Trying to concentrate and am reading William, an Englishman on Kindle as Kerry very kindly enabled it for me :)

68alexdaw
Jan 9, 2014, 3:47 pm

Hoorah! Received a beautiful second-hand copy of William-an Englishman from Nile Books, London via Abebooks for a very good price yesterday so will be able to contribute to this discussion shortly. Also received Testament of Youth and The Return of the Soldier so I will be well on the way.

69lauralkeet
Jan 9, 2014, 3:54 pm

I finished William, an Englishman a couple of days ago. My review is posted. I really liked the first part of it, the way she set up their isolation, but I thought after that it got a bit predictable. Still, it was a very good fit for the theme and I'm happy I read it.

70Liz1564
Edited: Jan 10, 2014, 7:02 am

I stumbled across this Project Gutenburg Australia paper about the propaganda and lies that fueled the enthusiasm of the public for participation in World War One. I think it is particularly interesting if you are reading The Setons and are trying to understand why so many young men were willing to die for God and Country on both sides. And why their families were so willing to rationalize their deaths as something beautiful and noble. To die for a just cause.

Ponsonby was a social activist so he is, of course, biased. Still, his 1928 analysis is informative.

http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks10/1000011.txt

71NanaCC
Jan 10, 2014, 9:18 am

>70 Liz1564: Elaine, A few years ago, HBO showed a film called "My Boy Jack" starring David Haig, Daniel Radcliffe, Kim Cattrall and Carey Mulligan. It was based on the true story of Rudyard Kipling and his son Jack. His son is only 17 and very nearsighted and both the army and navy had rejected him. A very patriotic Kipling pulls strings to get him into the war with tragic results. It was very good, and showed the patriotic fervor you mention.

If you haven't seen it, I would recommend it.

72lauralkeet
Jan 10, 2014, 9:30 am

>71 NanaCC:: oh yes, that's a tear jerker.

73Sakerfalcon
Jan 10, 2014, 9:35 am

>70 Liz1564:: I've come across some of that in Golden miles, where the issue of conscription is hotly debated by the characters. It was promoted as "sending reinforcements to help our boys over there", thus encouraging mothers to let the rest of their sons go too. (Pritchard, as an ardent Communist, probably shares Ponsonby's views!)

74Liz1564
Edited: Jan 10, 2014, 10:39 am

One consequence of the jingoistic propaganda, according to Ponsonby, is that it really diminished the reality of the real carnage. How can a civilian being shot as a spy (a real incident) compete with babies who had their hands cut off or men being crucified. And once the truth came out, after the war, did it make people not believe stories of future horrific acts down by governments? Or think accounts of Nazi brutality against civilians in the early 1930's exaggerations?

"My Boy Jack" is indeed heart-breaking.

75NanaCC
Jan 10, 2014, 10:53 am

"And once the truth came out, after the war, did it make people not believe stories of future horrific acts down by governments? Or think accounts of Nazi brutality against civilians in the early 1930's exaggerations?"

It is quite unbelievable that people were so blind...

76romain
Jan 10, 2014, 3:00 pm

I started Golden Mile and am about 50 pages in but now the H G Wells has to be picked up from the library so I will have to read that first.

77brenzi
Jan 10, 2014, 4:25 pm

I just finished William: An Englishman and have to say I pretty much liked it in spite of the horrible formatting and somewhat predictable narrative. I did find it fairly unbelievable that people who were so involved politically would be so uninformed about the coming war. Could the Brits have been that surprised when war broke out? I guess I will find out because I am reading a NF next that might explain that: The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 by Margaret McMillan. Next month I will read Mr. Britling Sees It Through.

78rainpebble
Jan 10, 2014, 4:43 pm

>74 Liz1564: & 75:
I have literally heard a few people in my lifetime express that they "do not believe the Holocaust occurred". One wonders about the naivety & utter stupidity of people.

79romain
Edited: Jan 12, 2014, 9:36 am

I remember thinking the same thing about William when I read it but still 'enjoyed' it. I have finished the first part of Mr. Britling Sees it Through. Like others I found the first 10 pages a bit rough but then it got easy and very pleasant. He does go on a bit too long about things like his car and, I admit, I scanned those sections, but overall it reads a little like an episode of Downton. At one point he gets a guest with a broken wrist to write backwards with his left hand to make a mirror image of his regular writing. 3/5 people can do it, he says. Not me :) Onto the war section...

80juliette07
Jan 16, 2014, 1:50 am

Completed William An Englishman and would rate it at four stars. I really enjoyed it despite feeling unwell and found it compelling. The caveat here is that I enjoy and have read many novels set within the wars of the 20th century.

In terms of depicting the beginning of the war it reflected the way in which life, including communication, was so very different at that time. I am wondering how others found the characters. At first I found myself disliking them both. 'Their little vision was as narrow as it was pure'. The author provides scenes, like in the valley where it is evident that they were children of their time and context and knew no different. Gradually and from my eyes 100 years later I found I began to warm to them.

Both Griselda and William were pacifists when it suited them. In the beginning we read of William's principled, yet inconsistent views. Early on I highlighted 'They held ... to their own opinions rather strongly and would have died rather than renounce ... them which did not restrain from resenting the same attitude in others.'

The engagement moment in Battersea Park was prophetic and and I loved the way in which Cicely Hamilton described Griselda vowing 'in semi-ecclesiastical phraseology, that not even her great love for William would wean her from her life's work ....' There was a sad idealism mingles with what we would call a lack of education and worldly experience 'They were spared the doubts which would have assailed wiser heads as to the manner of accomplishing their mission....'

As a little foot note in relation to the way in which they travelled abroad with no notion of danger. My Mother, well educated and of professional parents visited Norway, not long before the outbreak of the second world war and had to return pronto as it appeared that war would be declared. From conversations with her it seemed that you simply got on with your plans and did as well as one could!

81NanaCC
Jan 16, 2014, 8:53 am

Julie, I think your point about communication is spot on. Everything that is happening today is in our face 24 hours a day through TV and internet. And yet, they survey teens who can't say who our Vice President is. You can imagine back then when communication was so very different that ignorance of what was happening in the world is quite believable.

82romain
Edited: Jan 16, 2014, 3:33 pm

Finished Mr. Britling Sees it Through last night. The war section was different to the first part. A loose story held together by Wells' various thoughts and feelings about the war. I say various because he starts off quite gung ho about opposing German militarism but by the end is shattered and appalled by the loss of life, and just looking for something... anything... to justify those deaths.

Certainly he seems to have completely accepted the propaganda about German brutality. When I went to Wikipedia for information on the Rape of Belgium it says that a new generation of scholars has now decided 'that large-scale atrocities were committed'. It is Wells' opinion, repeated many times during the book, that Germany had always sought 'continental hegemony' and that 'European peace could only be achieved by German disunity'. (Quote from Matthew Yglesias). Hindsight being 20/20, this makes WW2 seem more like a continuation of the same theme and less about the privations of the Weimar Republic.

With reference to William and the naiveté of the lovers - Wells' book makes it clear that one day they were at peace and the next at war. That the prospect of war had hung over their heads for so long that the average person - as Julie said - just got on with their plans.

83rainpebble
Edited: Jan 16, 2014, 8:57 pm

>81 NanaCC::
Heck NanaCC, I couldn't tell you who our Vice President is. I don't watch the news nor do I read the paper. My time on the internet is spent on those sites that I enjoy. Yeah, life is weird but I can definitely understand wanting to turn the world off.

84rainpebble
Edited: Jan 16, 2014, 9:01 pm

Just sharing my thoughts on William, an Englishman

I've just finished William, an Englishman. I did not find it awfully engaging but am glad I read it. I must say that Hamilton's style of writing is quite different.
William & Griselda are young lovers who met at political rallies & meetings. They are against their country going to war but are innocents & unknowledgeable about the world around them. They are only focused on each other & their anti-war meetings, pamphlets, flyers & protesting the war. They attend war rallies and disrupt them, getting themselves drug outside, etc. Other than this they really have no lives.
They decide to marry and take a 3 week honeymoon in the Belgian Ardennes at the behest of a fellow revolutionist who owns a cabin there. They, neither one, speak or understand the French language. Having had a lovely honeymoon, they leave on foot to travel to the train station expecting to return home to England. But on the way the war catches up with them and they are unwittingly captured by the Germans who have taken Belgium. They are separated and both are in deep shock as they neither one know anything about actual war & warfare but only about protesting. The Germans who capture them are not interested in verbal disputing & do as they will with them.
At this point the book goes from being a genial story to becoming rather a horrendous war story about these two young persons, especially William. The couple are not prepared either mentally nor physically for the occurrences of wartime.
I was caught up in the beginning, then came a great bit of what seemed to me to be 'stream of consciousness' to wade through, then back to the war.........
Like I said I am glad I read it and it gave me a different insight into the Great War period of time. Overall I think it was just an okay read for me. I shall have to ponder it over time & see how I truly feel about it. But perhaps that is one of the marks of a good/great book. I rated it 2 1/2 stars.

85brenzi
Jan 16, 2014, 9:32 pm

I finished William: An Englishman and quite enjoyed it. Here's my review:

”It was a very solemn little moment; man and woman, affianced lovers, they dedicated themselves to their mission, the uplifting of the human race. They were spared the doubts which would have assailed wiser heads as to the manner of accomplishing their mission; and as they say side by side on the bench, with their hands clasped, they knew themselves for acceptable types and forerunners of the world they were helping to create….Man and Woman, side by side, vowed to service.”

William Tully has found the perfect mate in Griselda Watkins. They are both fully committed Social Reformers whose ideas about a perfect world are in perfect sync with each other. They meet at a conference where he is the keynote speaker. She is a suffragette of the highest order and they soon decide to marry and spend their honeymoon in the Belgian Ardenne at the home of a fellow Social Reformer who will be in New York. It is the end of July 1914 and as much as the two believers consume reading material that pertains to the causes they adhere to they seem to know little about the news of Europe at large. They arrive at their love nest and are catered to by a farmer’s family who do not speak English. They choose to receive no newspapers and have no idea what is going on until, three weeks into their holiday, they discover their caretakers have up and moved out, lock, stock and barrel. As they wander through the forest near their cabin they are stopped by some German soldiers and their rose colored glasses are smashed to smithereens as they discover what live is like while being held by the enemy.

I liked this book about the unsuspecting and completely naïve couple but asked myself if it was actually possible for two people to be so unaware of the news that was engulfing Europe at this time. After their capture by the Germans, their lives take a nasty turn and the results take on a fairly predictable trajectory. The writing and the biting satire was quite well-done so the only thing that kept me from really loving this book was this question about their absolute naiveté. These two people who “believed (quite rightly) in the purity of their own intentions and concluded (quite wrongly) that the intentions of all persons who did not agree with them must therefore be evil and impure.” In the end, they met their match.

86rainpebble
Jan 16, 2014, 9:48 pm

>85 brenzi::
Bonnie, that is a very good review. I especially like what you said at the end.
""The writing and the biting satire was quite well-done so the only thing that kept me from really loving this book was this question about their absolute naiveté. These two people who “believed (quite rightly) in the purity of their own intentions and concluded (quite wrongly) that the intentions of all persons who did not agree with them must therefore be evil and impure.” In the end, they met their match."
The satire of this volume totally went over my head Bonnie. Had I looked at it like that whilst reading it my thoughts upon completing it may have been different.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

87rainpebble
Jan 16, 2014, 11:24 pm

I am taking a pass on Golden Miles as I want to read the Prichard trilogy in order.
But I do intend to read:
Mr Britling Sees it Through, The Setons and The Guns of August before the end of February.

I think I will also read The Perfect Summer by Juliet Nicolson. The cover reads: "England 1911 Just Before The Storm" and taken from the back:
"Juliet Nicolson transports us back to the enchanted and enchanting summer of 1911. She guides us through its four months in company with some of the most delightful people imaginable. It is a wonderful and poignant tour that proved to be a farewell appearance to their world."
~David Fromkin

88Sakerfalcon
Jan 17, 2014, 5:58 am

>87 rainpebble:: Re: Golden miles, I would say you are making a wise decision, Belva, in choosing to read The roaring nineties first. While there isn't an overarching plot that you would be entering part-way through, GM does refer back to events and relationships established in the earlier book and assumes a knowledge of it. I'm sure one can read GM without its predecessor and enjoy it, but it's a richer experience having read them both in order, IMHO. Now I just need to track down a copy of Winged seeds!

89lauralkeet
Jan 17, 2014, 6:31 am

>88 Sakerfalcon:: aack. I missed that this was part of a series and don't have the first one. Hmm ... rethinking my plans now.

90alexdaw
Jan 17, 2014, 6:24 pm

>87 rainpebble: & >88 Sakerfalcon: ooh thanks for that. I don't think I picked up on that either. Thankfully I have The roaring nineties but yes I will be looking out for Winged Seeds at the Lifeline booksale in Brisbane this week....

91romain
Jan 17, 2014, 9:35 pm

I'm about 150 pages into Golden Miles and it was only very late last night that I began to suspect that there was a previous book. (A character appeared with no explanation and I was left very confused.) So I checked the back cover and realized I was in book 2 of a trilogy. However, it has not made any real difference to my enjoyment of the book.

92rainpebble
Jan 17, 2014, 10:18 pm

I'm glad for that Barbara. It would have been rather sad had that spoiled your enjoyment of Golden Miles.

93lauralkeet
Jan 18, 2014, 6:33 am

>91 romain:: well that's good to know, too. Thank you!

94fannyprice
Jan 20, 2014, 12:07 pm

William, An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton

(Cross posted at ClubRead 2014 and VMC WWI Read)

Like many, I read this for the VMC "Beginning of the War" read. I honestly have to say that I do not know what to think of this book, which tells the story of a young Englishman and his new wife - both devotees of leftist causes - who are unwittingly caught up in the outbreak of WWI (specifically the Battle of Ardennes) as they honeymoon in Belgium in August 1914. I am very glad I read it, but it was extremely problematic for me. I will be thinking about it for a while and trying to dig up more on this author.

William, the title character, is a "negligible" person who has so little imagination he cannot even determine his own desires; throughout the book, he will be tossed about by circumstance from one extreme set of affiliations to another. He inadvertently becomes a "Social Reformer" after a misunderstanding with a socialist co-worker and quickly develops into an "extremist, passionately well-intentioned and with all the extremist's contempt for those who balance, see difficulties and strive to give the other side its due." Later, after a series of traumatizing events in Europe, he will abandon pacifism and embrace militarism and nationalism with equal fervor before becoming disillusioned with everything.

At first it was easy to read Hamilton's book as a satire of ignorant young people and be amused by their foolishness, but I gradually grew very uncomfortable with this book as it started to seem more and more like an indictment of anti-war sentiment and of "...those who had fiery little battles of their own to fight, and whose own warfare was suddenly rendered null and incompetent by a sudden diversion of energy and interest in the face of the national danger."
Hamilton seems for a period of time to be glorying in militaristic nationalism and issuing a call to arms. But then the book's attitude shifts yet again, as William's dreams of martial glory are replaced by the reality of service. "She knew him for a man disillusioned, in whom the imaginings of his pre-soldier days had died as completely as his faith in his pre-war creed."

I share (substantial spoilers in the linked review) CurrerBell's perplexity at the author's attitude toward her own characters. Is Hamilton critiquing all anti-war and leftist activists? Only stupid activists (because William and his wife are so ignorant and narrow-minded as to be almost unreal)? Is the book a critique of militarism and war, as most reviews suggest, given that Hamilton wrote it during her service as a nurse during the war? I was also confused by Hamilton's frequent references to people who denied that the war was happening. I understand that there was a segment of the public - particularly among leftists - who thought that European war was impossible before it began and another segment among leftists who thought that the war was a conspiracy to distract the common man from the goal of reform and splinter the international labor cause. But was there a group who denied the fact of the war?

Ultimately, I think Hamilton is trying to criticize both those who deny the possibility of war and those who glorify it as somehow redemptive, but I think a lot of her narrative choices are really problematic and end up reinforcing more of a nationalistic, "rally around the crown" perspective. She strongly suggests that suffragists, labor activists, and other leftists who did not suspend their activism during the war - as did the main suffragette group with which Hamilton herself was associated - were somehow unpatriotic, an attitude that really rankled me, especially after reading Adam Hochschild's wonderful history of pacifists and leftists during WWI, To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, which explored the moral and political struggles that these activists went through as they tried how to push for domestic reform without being tarred as traitors to the British Government.

I found some comprehensive biographical information on Hamilton that gets more into some of the issues I've raised in my review.

For the Virago group - I'm so glad I discovered you while you are doing these readings!

95lauralkeet
Jan 20, 2014, 12:50 pm

>94 fannyprice:: what an insightful review. I just thumbed it.
And I'm very glad you discovered us, too!!

96kaggsy
Jan 20, 2014, 2:18 pm

Me too - very thoughtful indeed!

97Soupdragon
Edited: Jan 22, 2014, 4:03 am

Thank you fannyprice and also to Currerbell. Your reviews articulate the problems I had with William but much more eloquently than I would have managed.

I agree there is a lot of ambiguity in the book regarding who Hamilton is criticising and that made me uncomfortable at times. I accepted it only because I'd been told in the introduction that she'd written the book during the war and whilst still active in war work. I had the sense throughout the book that her feelings were raw which led me to forgive her for a seemingly unformed perspective. I would have expected something written after the event to be clearer, more controlled but possibly lacking that raw anger.

Fannyprice, the summary in your review has helped me to understand what Hamilton probably was trying to achieve, thank you. I will now follow that link you've included...

98juliette07
Jan 22, 2014, 4:22 pm

Thank you Fannyprice - especially for the links. The book will stay with me long after this project is ended ...

99annejacinta
Jan 29, 2014, 3:41 am

I loved William, an Englishman when I read it last year. I think the author's voice re the idealism and particular weaknesses of William and Griselda really appealed. It is such a different approach, then it broadens out to a more worldly view of the realities of war. The effect is quite shocking.
Anyway, I have finally read The Setons by O. Douglas. That's another unique little number, full of sweetness and light, not an unpleasant note to be found in the story of family and community life in a Scottish town. It is only at the very end that the war intrudes, with a wrap up of how it affected the lives of the male characters involved.

100CDVicarage
Jan 29, 2014, 5:50 am

#99 I'm reading The Setons at the moment and although I'm three quarters of the way through the War has not affected the story at all - we've only just found out that the date is late 1913 - I was beginning to wonder if I was reading the right book!

101miss_read
Jan 29, 2014, 6:28 am

I thought the same about The Setons. I was waiting and waiting for the war to appear! It was a nice pleasant little book but perhaps not meaty enough for me.

102NanaCC
Jan 29, 2014, 9:59 am

I'm reading Mr. Britling Sees It Through. I'm not that far into it, but it is good so far.

103patchygirl
Feb 3, 2014, 6:35 am

87 - I very much liked The Perfect Summer - do give it a try. I thought JN's writing-style was a bit stilted but learnt a lot from the book. It's non-fiction but I agree with various reviewers who thought it reads like a novel. I think it would appeal to Virago fans, too.

104romain
Feb 3, 2014, 3:37 pm

After reading Golden Miles which, of course, was about miners, I was interested to see an Australian film (apart from Gallipoli) in the list of best WW1 movies. It is called Beneath Hill 60 and is about the Australian miners conscripted to dig under the German lines at (I think) Ypres. I got it out of the library this weekend and it was wonderful. Their Captain, a self-effacing Queenslander who in real life went on to win the MC, was a truly impressive human being but the trench scenes really did me in. I wouldn't have lasted ten minutes.

105rainpebble
Edited: Feb 4, 2014, 2:56 am

Until I saw the movie Gallipoli I really had no understanding of the role Australia had played during the war. That movie broke my heart to watch. And I appreciated what I learned from it and the hunger it gave me to go on & learn more. I will see if my library has Beneath Hill 60. Trench scenes always do me in Barbara. Even such phony ones as in Downton Abbey nail me. (When I see them now I always think of my deceased brother who fell in a bamboo pit while fighting in Viet Nam.)

This is not the appropriate place for this but I have an ARC/ER copy of Wake by Anna Hope. It is London 1920, about 3 women whose lives are intertwined without them even knowing it, the second anniversary of the Armistice of the Great War and the 'Unknown Warrior'. If anyone would like to have it I shall be happy to send it stateside only please. This one fits into the 'after' part of our Great War theme read.
Anyway if anyone would like it please let me know by early Tuesday or it will be gone. Thanks.

106Liz1564
Feb 4, 2014, 6:18 am

Sound like something I would enjoy if no one has claimed it.

Elaine

107rainpebble
Feb 4, 2014, 6:40 am

Nope, it's yours Elaine. Thank you.

108lauralkeet
Feb 4, 2014, 7:23 am

>105 rainpebble:: Belva, I agree with you about Gallipoli. The way WWI is taught in our schools is very US/Euro-centric. It's a terribly sad movie but, like you, made me want to learn more.

109Soupdragon
Feb 5, 2014, 8:51 am

105/106: I'm reading Wake at the moment and liking it a lot. As I think Belva said, it would fit in better with our reading later on in the year as it's set in 1920 and deals with the aftermath of WWI, but it's from the library so I'd rather not wait.

110rainpebble
Feb 5, 2014, 9:22 pm

I am now reading, along with my Virago, Mr. Brittling Sees It Through. I have to say that laying in bed last night with it I chuckled & giggled my way through the intro parts and the transportation bits so loudly that the better half gave me the boot out of bed until I got to a part where I could stop laughing. I truly didn't expect Wells to have this kind of writing in him. And I don't see the war coming either, but am sure it must.

111Liz1564
Edited: Feb 6, 2014, 2:25 am

I just got to the part where the Archduke has been assassinated. So the war will definitely come. But, oh, Mr Brittling and his car! And I wonder how much of Mr. Brittling's personal situation (wife who keeps the perfect home/garden but not on the same "level" as her husband so he has eight affairs) reflects Wells and Jane's situation.

I'm reading Mr Brittling and Persuasion for the up-teenth time.

112rainpebble
Edited: Feb 6, 2014, 3:16 am

That is so very psycho Elaine! When I pulled the du Maurier off my Virago shelfs yesterday, I almost grabbed Persuasion first but then thought: "Nah, I don't feel like Austen", so I am feeling like du Maurier. :-)

I do hope Mr. Brittling handles his 'affairs' better than he handles his automobile. LOL!~!

113NanaCC
Feb 6, 2014, 8:24 am

I am a little more than half way through Mr. Brittling. I am really curious to see how the book progresses, as I believe it was written in 1916 while war was still raging. I had no idea that Wells wrote anything besides space ships and aliens.

114rainpebble
Feb 7, 2014, 12:24 am

>113 NanaCC::
Me either Colleen. I certainly am enjoying Mr. Britling Sees It Through.

115NanaCC
Feb 7, 2014, 7:14 am

>114 rainpebble: I am enjoying it too, Belva. Only 50 pages to go. I wanted to finish last night, but couldn't keep my eyes open.

116patchygirl
Feb 7, 2014, 9:05 am

Wells wrote Ann Veronica - which I've never got very far with, alas. It's ages since I read them but I enjoyed both The History of Mr Polly and Kipps back in the day.

117NanaCC
Feb 8, 2014, 3:34 pm

I finished Mr. Britling Sees It Through, and really enjoyed it. The ending is quite emotional, and the writing is very good.

118brenzi
Feb 10, 2014, 7:34 pm

I finished and REVIEWED Mr. Britling Sees It Through and really liked it too.

119rainpebble
Feb 12, 2014, 2:52 am

Excellent review Bonnie. I had to hit the old thumb. :-)
Thank you......

120juliette07
Feb 12, 2014, 6:42 am

Have just begun Non-Combatants and Others by Rose Macaulay. I know it is not a Virago but it is truly adding to the home front ethos.

In addition and for those who are able to access BBC there are some excellent documentaries being screened. One is 'Royal Cousins at War' which looks in depth at the royal family links across Europe.
Secondly there is 'Britain's Great War' which is also on iPlayer.

A link associated with the two programmes is available from the Open University http://www.open.edu/openlearn/greatwar

It may help shed light on the complicated situation which existed prior to the war. This link is really excellent and leads to articles from which you may expand your research.

121Heaven-Ali
Feb 12, 2014, 12:23 pm

#118 Great review it is a very good novel.

122brenzi
Feb 12, 2014, 6:59 pm

Thank you Belva and Ali. I liked this one better than William: an Englishman.

123fannyprice
Feb 13, 2014, 11:16 am

Thanks for the info on the documentaries, Juliette. I've noted them and hope they will eventually be available in the US.

124rainpebble
Feb 13, 2014, 4:53 pm

fanny dear, please do put a post up if you ever find that they do become available here.

125Heaven-Ali
Feb 15, 2014, 5:22 am

Later today I plan to start The Setons which I am looking forward to.

126Liz1564
Feb 16, 2014, 6:55 am

I came across a little gem called The Belgian Twins . If you are engrossed in World War One but need a little break from the intense material, may I suggest this children's book written in 1917 by American author Lucy Fitch Perkins. It is a quick one- sitting read.

My review is here:

http://www.librarything.com/work/878428

The novel was written, I suspect, for American children to have a reason they could comprehend about why Papa, Uncle George, or Brother Ben was going off to fight in another country.

It worked surprisingly well and is still a good read. The book is available for free at Project Gutenberg. I listened to the free audio at Libervox. The links are below.

https://librivox.org/search?q=belgian%20twins&search_form=advanced

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3642

127CDVicarage
Feb 16, 2014, 9:21 am

#126 I've got my copy out - I have a paper one - and started it. I read loads of these when I was a child, I think our library had the complete set, but I had quite forgotten the details of this one (or of any of them!)

128Heaven-Ali
Feb 16, 2014, 1:44 pm

I'm halfway through The Seatons and I'm wondering when the war will be even mentioned. I'm enjoying the book though.

129rainpebble
Feb 16, 2014, 6:14 pm

Thanks for the reck Elaine. I have downloaded it & will probably read it this evening or tomorrow. ♥

130Heaven-Ali
Feb 17, 2014, 7:13 am

I just finished The Setons will get started on my review later. I want to do while it's fresh in my mind - i found the ending of the book utterly poignant and although the war only touches the last 20% or so of the book it packs quite a punch. It is very nearly a five star read for me - certainly 4.5 stars :)

132rainpebble
Feb 17, 2014, 3:28 pm

A very encompassing review Ali and I enjoyed it a great deal. It makes me eager to read The Setons which is coming up soon. Thank you.

133rainpebble
Feb 18, 2014, 2:38 pm

I am at the halfway mark of The Setons and am loving it. I began it straight away after finishing the book I was reading yesterday A.M. So this is my 3rd 'Great War' book, following William, an Englishman and Wake in January.
I also began Mr. Brittling Sees It Through earlier in the month and after loving the beginning I just have not been able to complete it. Has anyone else had that problem? It's my first Wells so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

134NanaCC
Feb 18, 2014, 3:20 pm

>133 rainpebble: Belva, I really liked Mr. Britling Sees It Through, but in my review I also said that I felt it became a little "wordy and preachy" at times. I think that Wells can tend to go on a bit in some of his stories. I haven't read enough by Wells to know, but that seems to be the opinion of some of the folks in Club Read. If you can get through the wordy parts, I think you might like it.

135Heaven-Ali
Feb 18, 2014, 4:17 pm

I really enjoyed Mr Britling sees it through but it is quite wordy I found it a bit of a slow read.

136rainpebble
Feb 18, 2014, 4:40 pm

I may go back to it before the month's end then. Thank you ladies.

137souloftherose
Feb 18, 2014, 4:53 pm

I'd agree that I've found Mr Britling a relatively slow read - it's quite dense and I've found I do really need to concentrate when he starts philosophising. I am enjoying it though.

138brenzi
Feb 18, 2014, 4:56 pm

I have to say I didn't mind his philosophizing too much but I was surprised how long it took me to read the book. I picked it up (Kindle) thinking it would be a fast read. Such a poignant end to it.

139romain
Feb 18, 2014, 6:12 pm

I succumbed and read Fly Away Peter, which I was supposed to save until the last months of this year. A very beautiful book about a teenage boy, who should've lived out his life as a nature conservationist, but who winds up instead in the trenches. Highly recommended.

I also enjoyed the H G Wells, (a lot), but agree that it was very wordy.

140rainpebble
Feb 18, 2014, 10:48 pm

>139 romain::
Barbara, I have that one on my shelf for the 2nd part of our Great War reads. I looks like a lovely book.

3/4 through The Setons and this is such an enjoyable read. Little Buff is such a little character & you just take him into your heart. He reminds me of my two younger brothers at that age. All of the characters just seem so real & quite life like. I can't recommend this one highly enough.

141NanaCC
Feb 19, 2014, 10:12 am

>140 rainpebble: I have The Setons on my Kindle. You are pushing it higher on my TBR. :)

142rainpebble
Feb 19, 2014, 1:55 pm

NanaCC, it was a 5 star read for me. My first 5 star rated book that was not an Orange Prize related book. It's really a wonderful book. Love, love, loved it!

143souloftherose
Feb 19, 2014, 3:22 pm

And I just downloaded The Setons :-)

144brenzi
Feb 19, 2014, 4:40 pm

And I downloaded The Setons last year when this thread was originally under discussion:-)

145rainpebble
Edited: Feb 19, 2014, 5:30 pm

YEA!~!~!

I think you will all love it. It is an easy book to read and it's a quick read; so well written with a really good story. I laughed more than once & wept more than once. Now, what does that tell you?

(My B/H would say that it tells him I am overly emotional, I suppose.) lol!~!

146SueBa
Feb 28, 2014, 2:06 pm

Managed to finish William- An Englishman just in time. Can't believe that it was written in France during the war. Found William's character quite unsympathetic at times but his was such a sad story, beautifully written. I felt the horror of war was portrayed in a very understated way but at the same time it did not minimize it.

147rainpebble
Feb 28, 2014, 9:32 pm

Just to wind up "The Beginning of the War" part of our Great War Theme Read, I managed to complete William, an Englishman and thought it not wonderful but quite enjoyed and appreciated parts of it. Also Wake which fits in better toward the end of the year but as it was an ARC/ER I needed to get my review in. I liked this one. I attempted to read Mr. Britling Sees It Through but wasn't able to complete it but this month I read & loved The Setons.
So those were my accomplishments in our first section of this theme read. I hope all of you enjoyed/appreciated your reads. Now on to the "Fighting: On the Frontline and on the Homefront" section. I am excited to read the main book for this: One of Ours by Cather.

148CurrerBell
Feb 28, 2014, 10:36 pm

I've finished William, an Englishman (review posted) and Mr. Britling Sees It Through (3½*** and I'll have to get around to a review). I started The Setons but got distracted so I'm going to finish it in early March, especially since I don't plan on rereading One of Ours (which I read just a couple of years ago in the middle of a major Cather binge). I'll have to see what the secondary reads are for March/April, though.

This WW1 reading project is a lot better than those of previous years by running over the course of two months rather than a book-a-month. It makes scheduling easier, especially since I've taken up with the Reading Through Time group, which is primarily monthly.

My big project at the moment, though, is to read sufficient of Bullies and Mean Girls in Popular Culture that I can write a (long overdue) Early Review. Ugh, it's really a disappointment. (Too many omissions. And especially, how could the author have written a book on this subject without including, it seems, Percy Jackson's Clarisse LaRue???)

149CDVicarage
Mar 1, 2014, 4:10 am

I've read a surprising - to me - number of these books:

William, an Englishman, The Setons, The Belgian Twins and World War One: History in an Hour.

William and the Belgian Twins both covered the unexpected - to the characters - invasion of Belgian, but from rather different points of view, and both were written during the war.

I found The Setons an easy read and spent most of it wondering if I was reading the right book as there was no hint of a war, but the last two chapters had me weeping my way through them.

You know, of course, Gentle Reader, that there can be no end to this little chronicle?
You know that when a story begins in 1913, 1914 will follow, and that in that year certainty came to an end, plans ceased to come to fruition—that, in fact, the lives of all of us cracked across.


The History in an hour was a useful, if basic, outline of what happened from the lead-up to the treaties afterwards.

150Liz1564
Mar 1, 2014, 12:01 pm

I did Guns of August, The Setons. William an Englishman, Mr Britling Sees It Through. and The Belgian Twins.

Though I appreciated all of them, I had the hardest time getting my head around William. Not because it was difficult, but as so many have said, I couldn't really figure out the author's point-of-view on the war or her characters.

151lauralkeet
Mar 1, 2014, 6:47 pm

I only read William an Englishman during Jan/Feb, but Mr Britling found his way onto my Kindle, perhaps for the end-of-year "free choice" read.

152NanaCC
Mar 1, 2014, 10:01 pm

151> I think you would like that one, Laura.

153romain
Mar 2, 2014, 9:22 am

I read Mr Britling Sees it Through, Golden Miles, Fly Away Peter and watched Beneath Hill 60 on DVD. So a very Australian first section. I had previously read William and liked it, but with the same reservations as everyone else.

154Liz1564
Mar 13, 2014, 8:25 am

I finally wrote a review of What Not a Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay. It is set after the war, so would fit in nicely with the final reading group. The satire is broad and hilarious, but the underlying themes are "prophetic" and scary.

155ccookie
Mar 21, 2014, 5:59 pm

I read William An Englishman back in January and found it very interesting. It certainly brought home the futility of war in a very touching and emotional way.

I wound up carrying Mr. Britling Sees It Through on into March and finished it mid-month. I enjoyed the first half of this book, maybe even the first three-quarters as we got to know the characters and see how the early months of the war affected them, but after that I just found Wells to be really preachy and it just seemed to be a way for him to say how he felt about the war. Well, I suppose anyone writing about the war is writing how they feel about it but this somehow left me cold. Not my favourite. Now onward to One of Ours

156rainpebble
Mar 22, 2014, 12:38 pm

>155 ccookie::
Cathy, I hope you love One of Ours as much as I did. Brought me right back to why we read & love Cather. Her kind of writing is so special that one (or at least this one) visualized throughout the entire book. Yes, even the sad parts.
Enjoy, dear.

157ccookie
Mar 23, 2014, 4:36 pm

>156 rainpebble:
Haven't actually started it yet but I will let you know how it goes.

158lauralkeet
Apr 26, 2014, 7:43 am

I've been reading Mr Britling Sees it Through, which I picked up on my Kindle after following this thread. On re-reading this thread, it seems I remembered the reaction to it as perhaps more glowing than it actually was. The book paints a rather humorous portrait of a slice of English society just before war was declared. I'm not quite at the halfway point, and the war is now just beginning, and I'm finding it all a bit of a slog. The writing is kind of heavy-handed. I don't want to give up on it, but I've found myself feeling crabby and frustrated and avoiding this book, so I decided to take a break.

159Heaven-Ali
Apr 26, 2014, 7:54 am

#158 I liked Mr Britling Sees it Through but wasn't so keen on Well's writing style I think it does make it a bit of a slog.

160NanaCC
Apr 26, 2014, 7:57 am

>158 lauralkeet: I enjoyed Mr Britling but I found the end of the book a bit "preachy".

161romain
Apr 26, 2014, 9:00 am

I also liked it but like most others didn't love it. Life is too short, Laura. Abandon it!

162lauralkeet
Apr 26, 2014, 3:00 pm

Thanks for the reassurance. I haven't formally abandoned it but if a week goes by and I've not been interested in reading it, I'll consider it abandoned.

163ccookie
Apr 27, 2014, 9:23 am

>162 lauralkeet: Not my favourite but I am glad I finished it. Like >160 NanaCC: I found the ending kinda preachy. Wells clearly wrote it to make a statement and a statement he did make!

164brenzi
Edited: May 15, 2014, 6:48 pm

I finished and REVIEWED Enid Bagnold's powerful A Diary Without Dates. Once again I have to thank the Virago group for introducing me to a new author. I've already ordered The Happy Foreigner.

165Leseratte2
May 16, 2014, 10:52 pm

My alternate read has been Les Feux de l'automne. I like it much better than the other two Nemirovkys I've read - no monster-mothers here.

166rainpebble
Edited: Jun 26, 2014, 1:24 am

In this sub-category I have managed to read: William an Englishman, Mr Britling Sees it Through, The Belgian Twins and The Setons. I will do a pass on Golden Miles what with it being part of a trilogy but I do plan to read The Guns of August in our make-up months.

167kaggsy
Jun 26, 2014, 3:11 am

Well done Belva and all! I have failed miserably and have decided there is no point in my *ever* committing to any sort of challenge again.... :(

168CurrerBell
Jun 26, 2014, 3:58 am

>166 rainpebble: August will be the big make-up month for me. August will be the Reading Through Time group's WW1 month.

169rainpebble
Jun 26, 2014, 3:16 pm

>167 kaggsy::
Karen, please say it isn't so! But I do know how you feel. I wanted to read all of the books in each category and have not though I have added other books fitting into the category that I 'wanted' to read.
I think the only challenge that I faithfully am able to live up to is kidsdoc's 'An Orange a Month' challenge. That one is easy because I can pick my own Orange/Baileys book from the plethora that make up the long & short lists over the years.
I might suggest just reading the books you 'want' to read on the subject matter of any challenge. I know that I simply became Pymed out last year on our theme read in about July or August. And I love her but just could not carry on any further. I will read the missed ones one day.
Just read what you want. Life is too short to 'force feed' oneself books.

170kaggsy
Jun 26, 2014, 3:35 pm

>169 rainpebble: Thank you for your lovely words, Belva. I'm more frustrated at my constantly changing reading needs, really. I was so enthusiastic about the challenge, but by the time it arrived I was wanting to read other things. If I had more time, maybe. But I will try to do some during AV/AA. Like you, I got Pymed out last year and quit before I got angry about it. I think I must just follow the reading muse always!!

171rainpebble
Jun 26, 2014, 3:39 pm

>170 kaggsy::
It is best that you stopped before you began to have negative emotions about it. I am afraid that I went further than I should have. And YES, Yes, yes; you must ALWAYS follow the 'reading muse'; always! And good for you. I love that term and you may now consider it highjacked. lol

172rainpebble
Jun 26, 2014, 3:42 pm

>168 CurrerBell::
Mike, August should be a great make-up month for this theme read. So many Virago to choose from if you've not yet read them. Wonderful idea and inclusive with AV/AA as well. You ROCK!~!

173NanaCC
Jun 26, 2014, 8:56 pm

For this category, I only managed to read William an Englishman and Mr. Britling Sees It Through. I may still get to The Setons and The Guns of August.

174kaggsy
Edited: Jun 27, 2014, 5:11 am

175Oandthegang
Oct 23, 2014, 10:06 am

I need to catch up on this thread, but in the meantime, for anyone who is not aware of it, here is a link to the WW1 commemorative installation at the Tower Of London, "Blood Swept Land And Seas Of Red", which is worth going to see if you are in the neighborhood. (http://poppies.hrp.org.uk/ ). There are videos of the evening reading, which will show the sea of poppies slowly growing.