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monsterful_alex's review against another edition
4.0
The Eye in the Door continues to follow Billy Prior and Rivers, but this time showing the reader different facets of the war. In this novel the narrative moves away from the space of the hospital, where those labeled 'ill' are thrown together, and into the world of the 'sane', where we get a glimpse of British middle-to-upper class thinking, a normalcy that seems to be more pathological than Prior's aggressive bursts. As usually, Barker's writing is enticing in its psychological depth, and you begin to see more into Prior's and Rivers' heads, and why they choose to act the way they do.
theconstantreader's review against another edition
2.0
While I appreciate the great lengths Barker has gone to to explore the heavy themes of war, this sequel just didn't grab me. I find the characters to surface level which is weird to say when you're getting an intimate look into their psychological states during the war. As a mass, what they endured was horrific, but the way the overall story is told kind of renders their individual experiences impersonal.
The exploration of the duality which can exist in human nature was interesting, coming to a culmination with the personality split of Prior. Unfortunately, I wasn't that invested in him as a character for this to have as big an impact of me as I felt it could have done.
The story about Scudder becoming mired in a sinkhole with Manning shooting him out of compassion will stay with me for a long time. This to me was the most emotional part of the book. It was this emotional element that felt lacking in the rest of the pages although I can appreciate why. A more emotive telling of this book actually may have missed the point of it all together and provided a kind of sentimentality to the brutality which wouldn't have conveyed the sheer magnitude of the war that was to be endured.
The exploration of the duality which can exist in human nature was interesting, coming to a culmination with the personality split of Prior. Unfortunately, I wasn't that invested in him as a character for this to have as big an impact of me as I felt it could have done.
The story about Scudder becoming mired in a sinkhole with Manning shooting him out of compassion will stay with me for a long time. This to me was the most emotional part of the book. It was this emotional element that felt lacking in the rest of the pages although I can appreciate why. A more emotive telling of this book actually may have missed the point of it all together and provided a kind of sentimentality to the brutality which wouldn't have conveyed the sheer magnitude of the war that was to be endured.
robynryle's review against another edition
4.0
I think I liked this one maybe even more than Regeneration. I like that Barker takes real, historical characters and makes them very likable, even though they're not particularly perfect. I just read Julian Barnes' Arthur and George, and have to say, I didn't really care much about either Arthur or George. Barker's men (almost all men) still feel real, but more likable. And it's a whole interesting perspective on this particular period.
hollysmith54's review against another edition
3.0
Not all that into war novels but I enjoyed this. WWI meets queer rights meets clinical psychology. Based on a series of real events that happened in that era.
danskireads's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this trilogy thoroughly. I should have read this book (book two) closer to book one, though.
Very evocative writing.
Very evocative writing.
portlandcat's review against another edition
4.0
Man, woman can write a novel! Why am I just finding out about her? Can’t wait to finish the series.
izlevine's review against another edition
3.5
Really liked this book but just not at much as the first one in the series - wasn't as invested in Billy Prior as the other characters so I found myself losing focus at some points just because I was less drawn into him as a character but by the end of the book I definitely understood him more and am still intending to read the next one!
willowbiblio's review against another edition
5.0
"That's a very dangerous idea. It comes quite close to saying that the willingness to suffer proves the rightness of belief. But it doesn't. The most it can ever prove is the believer's sincerity. And not always that. Some people just like suffering."
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An excellent read yet again. This second novel in the Regeneration trilogy takes the reader out of the relative isolation of Craiglockhart and into the chaos of London.
Prior is shown as a character that, despite having been deemed fit for desk duty, is still grappling with his identity as a result of his time in France. We learn that he is in fact carrying a lifetime of trauma and dysfunction. The war experiences led him to reuse a childhood tactic of extreme disassociation, and we are shown that there is always more to uncover within the self. He is unable to reconcile his ability to betray a childhood friend who he hates for not participating in the war. Mac’s refusal to submit to the suffering Prior and others are forced to endure is so untenable to him that he turns him in in a dissociative episode.
In fact, the novel takes a much closer look at the dynamic between “conchies”, the general public, and those who serve despite fear and personal qualms. Dr. Rivers expresses exasperation at the potential loss of “conchie” orderlies while acknowledging the clear reasons for outrage at their presence in the place soldiers are recuperating.
Manning is used to reflect the atmosphere of suspicion and blame, as well as the prevailing attitude toward homosexuality. Through the perspectives of Prior and Manning we are given the almost tactile sensation of paranoia that nearly everyone dealt with at that time.
The return of Sassoon forces Rivers to once again face his culpability and this time decide if he will choose a new outcome for someone important to him. It’s also one of the first times he is faced with the reality that in teaching men to get in touch with their feelings and lived experiences in order to return to service, he is making that return impossible as anything other than a living hell. Sassoon makes it clear that the only way to survive is by turning off the feeling aspect of oneself, which is impossible once they have been treated by Rivers. It begs the question- is Rivers causing harm or rather the determination that these men must return to active duty, slaughter, and total devastation?
------------
An excellent read yet again. This second novel in the Regeneration trilogy takes the reader out of the relative isolation of Craiglockhart and into the chaos of London.
Prior is shown as a character that, despite having been deemed fit for desk duty, is still grappling with his identity as a result of his time in France. We learn that he is in fact carrying a lifetime of trauma and dysfunction. The war experiences led him to reuse a childhood tactic of extreme disassociation, and we are shown that there is always more to uncover within the self. He is unable to reconcile his ability to betray a childhood friend who he hates for not participating in the war. Mac’s refusal to submit to the suffering Prior and others are forced to endure is so untenable to him that he turns him in in a dissociative episode.
In fact, the novel takes a much closer look at the dynamic between “conchies”, the general public, and those who serve despite fear and personal qualms. Dr. Rivers expresses exasperation at the potential loss of “conchie” orderlies while acknowledging the clear reasons for outrage at their presence in the place soldiers are recuperating.
Manning is used to reflect the atmosphere of suspicion and blame, as well as the prevailing attitude toward homosexuality. Through the perspectives of Prior and Manning we are given the almost tactile sensation of paranoia that nearly everyone dealt with at that time.
The return of Sassoon forces Rivers to once again face his culpability and this time decide if he will choose a new outcome for someone important to him. It’s also one of the first times he is faced with the reality that in teaching men to get in touch with their feelings and lived experiences in order to return to service, he is making that return impossible as anything other than a living hell. Sassoon makes it clear that the only way to survive is by turning off the feeling aspect of oneself, which is impossible once they have been treated by Rivers. It begs the question- is Rivers causing harm or rather the determination that these men must return to active duty, slaughter, and total devastation?
andrew_russell's review against another edition
3.0
The first thing that was apparent on commencing reading The Eye In The Door by Pat Barker was that it was quite different from its predecessor, the eponymously titled first part of the Regeneration trilogy. It dived straight into Billy Priors fringe knowledge and involvement in both the (what now seem completely outlandish) claims of MP Noel Pemberton-Billing regarding German plans to blackmail those named on a list of 47,000 British homosexuals in order to gather intelligence, as well as the alleged plot of Beatie Roper to murder Prime Minister Lloyd-George in order to bring about an end to the war. Without the historical context to put some bones around who was involved in what aspect of each of these somewhat complex stories, they did not read well at all. This was a real shame, as they formed the central tenets for the back story of this novel.
What can be said is that Barker does manage to compensate for this somewhat by capturing the seamy, seedy grit on the underside of the Home Front during the First World War, as experienced by those working in the world of Military Intelligence. Prior takes centre stage and his character, warts and all, really comes to life. All the peccadillo's, the insecurities and ultimately the mental fragilities of Prior are written honestly and in a fashion that can only be accurately described as 'real'.
As with the first instalment in the trilogy, in terms of theme, the dark and disturbing effects of time spent in the inhumane environs of the Western Front are writ large by Barker. One scene that stands out details the tragic aftermath of a soldiers plight to escape a water-filled shell hole and save himself from drowning in the muddy bog that it has become. Again, Barkers vivid writing style makes the tale seem devastatingly realistic.
Priors personality flaws, his fragmented psyche and his struggle to relate to those who are trying to throw him a lifeline to a 'normal' existence, all add considerable weight to this book but the manner in which the historical backstory is included expects too much from the reader and ultimately detracts from the work as a whole.
What can be said is that Barker does manage to compensate for this somewhat by capturing the seamy, seedy grit on the underside of the Home Front during the First World War, as experienced by those working in the world of Military Intelligence. Prior takes centre stage and his character, warts and all, really comes to life. All the peccadillo's, the insecurities and ultimately the mental fragilities of Prior are written honestly and in a fashion that can only be accurately described as 'real'.
As with the first instalment in the trilogy, in terms of theme, the dark and disturbing effects of time spent in the inhumane environs of the Western Front are writ large by Barker. One scene that stands out details the tragic aftermath of a soldiers plight to escape a water-filled shell hole and save himself from drowning in the muddy bog that it has become. Again, Barkers vivid writing style makes the tale seem devastatingly realistic.
Priors personality flaws, his fragmented psyche and his struggle to relate to those who are trying to throw him a lifeline to a 'normal' existence, all add considerable weight to this book but the manner in which the historical backstory is included expects too much from the reader and ultimately detracts from the work as a whole.
sweetmephistopheles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0