Reviews

Noonday by Pat Barker

k_atrina's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

vilma_ellen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

cgek_1996's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

kelbi's review against another edition

5.0

I have read all of the trilogy now. She is a fantastic writer. This gives a realistic view of London blitz

fromp's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

bucherca49's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book tells a story about three artists against the backdrop of the London Blitz in 1940. The artists are Paul Tarrant and Elinor Brooke (who are married to each other and have a house in London) and Kit Neville. Elinor and Kit are ambulance drivers, and Paul is a warden. It is not necessary to have read the first two novels in this trilogy, which are set in WW1, but they do give the background to these three characters.

snoakes7001's review against another edition

5.0

Noonday is the conclusion of Pat Barker's Life Class trilogy. I'm a fan of both Pat Barker's work and war novels generally (probably as a result of reading the Regeneration trilogy years ago!) so I'd recommend reading all three books in order.

This volume brings the characters forward to WWII. At the beginning artist Elinor is in the country with her rather more straight-laced sister Rachel waiting and watching while their mother dies. Barker handles the juxtaposition of this small domestic tragedy and the enormity of the blitz with sensitivity. Much of the action is set in London in the nighttime during the blackouts and air raids - Elinor's husband Paul is an air raid warden, while Elinor herself is an ambulance driver working alongside their old friend Kit Neville. As fans of Barker's writing would expect, she brings this nightmare world to life, making the unimaginably horrific all too real. Add to the mix a cheeky evacuee named Kenny and Bertha a medium, recently released from prison for charlatanism and you have all the ingredients for a novel I couldn't put down.

mazza57's review

3.0

I enjoyed parts of it but others not so much. I did not understand the parts related to second sight / seances. At the end it just became a long list of tragedies

lgiegerich's review

3.0

I find this trilogy less compelling than the Regeneration trilogy. Still well written & interesting, & I liked what she did with the Blitz. But the Regeneration trilogy is far superior.

wendoxford's review against another edition

3.0

I loved the first 2 books of this trilogy but there were things about this concluding book that didn't sit as comfortably. I found the ever changing point of view hard work rather than captivating and I also did not quite take on board why the section about Bertha, the medium, was required. It added nothing to the progress of the plot and was an unwelcome sideshow which read as though it had just been put there on someone's advice. That said, I did love returning to the characters who re-surfaced as older, wearier and less idealistic versions of their pre First War selves. The characters are so well developed and convincing that I can almost (but not quite) forgive the few lapses from the largely splendid elegiac prose.