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! ( )

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'. ( )

This is a wide ranging novel, whose overall theme would seem to be that there is no end to what men can endure. Throughout the novel, pain and fear are the dominant feelings; mud and blood are the prominent visuals. Although this is typically considered a great novel, I am not convinced that I enjoyed reading this novel, because I, personally, prefer a different style of writing.

Stephen Wraysford is a young man visiting Amiens, France in 1910 at the start of the novel. Soon, he becomes enthralled by the wife of his host, a young woman trapped in a loveless, passionless marriage, and the first part of the novel is concerned with their passionate journey together. The relationship develops so swiftly as to be almost unbelievable and none of the characters comes across as particularly likeable, despite the sad back stories the lovers are given by Faulkes.
Soon the action moves to the trenches in France where Jack Firebrace, a miner, is listening intently to discover whether his men are in imminent danger from an attack underground. Stephen is later discovered as a cold officer, prepared to see a man executed for exhaustion. This is presumably intended to show us how war has hardened him, but the sudden switch between characters and cares makes the novel feel disjointed.

Throughout the rest of the novel, the action moves between the lives of several characters, at different points in their lives, all of whom are connected to Stephen and Isabelle's legacy. The main action takes place in the trenches as Stephen participates in the battle of the Somme, which is strongly evoked through the sparse but telling use of detail. The way men die is told in a straightforward, almost understated manner that emphasises the hideousness of the massacre. The reactions of other men are equally telling: they become, at last, almost indifferent to fear, death and dying.

If you are interested in the First World War then this novel will allow you to experience its horror and reflect on our own generation's near-indifference to history and sacrifice. The descriptions of sex and violence are graphic in places and this could never be classified as a 'light read'; it may move you to tears. It deals with the psychology of the characters far more than plot, so will be more suitable for those who enjoy reading D. H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf. ( )

Faulks's vivid prose captures better than any other novel I've read the experience of being a soldier in the trenches in World War I. Stephen Wraysford, recovering from a passionate romance that didn't work out as planned, finds himself, like so many other young men, struggling to survive in the tunnels, trenches, and fields of France. The descriptions of battles, bodies, and wounds are horrific; I couldn't help but think what a sanitized view of warfare we are given today. In the midst of it all, Stephen is torn between wanting to withdraw into himself--why make friends with a man who might be blown to bits beside you the next day?--and to retain a measure of humanity. There's a second story line, set in the late 1970s, as Stephen's granddaughter uncovers a series of family secrets; but it's the reality of war that makes this novel memorable. ( )

The parts of this book describing life in the trenches are fantastic, but I didn't enjoy the other parts as much. In particular, I found Elizabeth a very irritating character: I find it hard to believe that anyone could get to the age of 30 without ever having heard of either war memorials or the Spanish flu. ( )