Randall and the River of Time

A man can be seriously damaged by his relationship with a woman..does it justify murder? Before his invention of Horatio Hornblower, C.S. Forester tried other genres, and the detective story was one of them. The clear prose is already in evidence here but Forester is trying to find his hit. This is a 1929 book.

This book was written in 1950 and tells the tale of a young 18 man in the British army, Charles Randall, who is a temporary First Lieutenant surviving on the front line, contemplating the ironic nature of war where a death is random and sudden. He meets a woman, Muriel, on a tram while on leave and there begins a slow respectable relationship. He is an inventor of sorts and proposes a modification to a flare which is successful and through a fortunate contact with a Mr. Graham he is able to make money from his idea and "wangle" extra leave.

Muriel is a gold digger though and Charles is blind to her intentions. She is also unfaithful and the discovery of this by Randall occupies the last third of the book.

While this book is set in WWI, show more the story and its relevance stands up to modern day where wartime relationships suffer extraordinary pressures. The love story at the beginning is very touching in Randall's naivety... though he is wise in the ways of warfare he is a child in male/female relationships.

The book drags a bit in the middle when he is back on the front. The battle scenes are muddy telling the brutality of war but it is an overview, very little detail... depressing and in that sense creates the right mood but not an interesting read. The book picks up again after the war is over and Randall starts his new life and marriage to Muriel. It is there that her true motives are slowly revealed.

A very interesting read of a young man's life during WWI. Well developed characters and story...Two thumbs up. show less

Excellent WWI tale about how each choice in life, even seemingly minor ones, can profoundly affect the course of one's life. The plot was riveting and the writing was top notch. Highly recommended.