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Loading... Where My Heart Used to Beat by Sebastian Faulks (2015-09-10) (edition 1800)by Sebastian Faulks; (Author)
Work InformationWhere My Heart Used to Beat by Sebastian Faulks
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Another good effort from Sebastian folks. This offering, however, is no Charlotte Gray, nor Birdsong. It is more a reflection of some of his lesser works, such as Ingleby. Although the main tropes of Fox’s fiction are present, in that there is a hefty slice of psychiatric history, war, post-traumatic stress disorder, and unrequited romance, it somehow seems to fail to hold together. The narrative, following a potentially mentally unwell, World War II veteran has too few incidents to make one wonder with curiosity, and the disparate threads of his otherwise empty life become less than enthralling after the middle of the book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s worth reading, I just wouldn’t put that up there with his best works. ( ) I don't want to sound melodramatic but it's been a long time since a book physically grabbed me by the collars, raised me up, shook me gently and put me down again. Faulks is able to fully articulate the desolation that one feels from being emotionally isolated from others, the awkwardness and sense of mistrust towards other people - the feeling of a deep, ancient persistent pain that wells up by itself for no reason. The relationship between Hendricks and Luisa recalls the heady, exhilarating moments of 'oh shit, you too? I thought it was just me' love. It extends into heartbreak territory, when they separate, after Hendricks realizes that Luisa is married. 37 years later, thankfully, they reunite, without Hendricks losing his cool. Reading this was a pretty cathartic experience. Hendricks is a lonely man. When Luisa left suddenly years ago, it left a hole in his heart. Not only that, he made his best friends in the army, and most of them died in the war. He chose not to face up to his losses. Until an encounter with Dr. Pereira who made him revisit his memories, he finally reconnected with Luisa and the army pals still alive. A melancholy book, Faulks leaves you thinking after you finish the book. no reviews | add a review
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Robert, a British doctor haunted by World War II memories, agrees to write a biography of a renowned specialist in memory loss who possesses unsettling knowledge of Robert's past. No library descriptions found. |
LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumSebastian Faulks's book Where My Heart Used to Beat was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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