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oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
A caveat to the addition of the 'favourites' tag, because usually added for books that I *love* in the far more positive sense of the word; a book of well-strung words that fill me up with a kind of light and beautiful feeling. This wasn't one of those books, as well-strung together as the words are, it's a favourite because of how challenging it was to read.
A hard read. Incredibly hard. Reading it was, for me, squeamish as I am, a deeply uncomfortable experience, so I would say approach with caution if you are similarly soft-stomached. Medically speaking, it goes into very explicit detail. All the indignities of life in a POW, all the the physical ailments and diseases are at the forefront, in bold, techinicolour detail. I often had to put the book down and walk away for a day or two, and while I'm an advocate for not finishing a book if it doesn't grab you, or if you find yourself not enjoying it, in this case, because it was my own discomfort in the face of horror... it felt like cowardice if I threw in the towel. As if I had a moral obligation to carry on, which is to say not every one who now reads this book must finish it; this was just my own personal reaction.
It's not a love story; or rather, it is and it isn't. Frankly, I could take it or leave it. I belived wholeheartedly in Amy and Dorrigo's lust for each other, even if there were a couple of lines and moments that made me roll my eyes, but the story is in the failed potential and the memory. But far more compelling was the inner life, the thoughts of all the POWs, and their guards. I'm very... grateful is the word, I suppose, that Flanagan includes the lives of the oppressors in the aftermath. If you want a concise summary I guess it would be that violence dehumanises everyone involved, from the person being beaten, to the person doing the beating. Of course there's an imbalance of power in that scenario, but not in terms of damage done to a soul, whatever your thoughts might be on what counts as a soul.
No great insight from me there, I guess, but the way the book handles these ideas is at once blunt and delicate. It's a masterful achievement. Nothing twee or hollow in its exploration of the very dark side of human existence.
A hard read. Incredibly hard. Reading it was, for me, squeamish as I am, a deeply uncomfortable experience, so I would say approach with caution if you are similarly soft-stomached. Medically speaking, it goes into very explicit detail. All the indignities of life in a POW, all the the physical ailments and diseases are at the forefront, in bold, techinicolour detail. I often had to put the book down and walk away for a day or two, and while I'm an advocate for not finishing a book if it doesn't grab you, or if you find yourself not enjoying it, in this case, because it was my own discomfort in the face of horror... it felt like cowardice if I threw in the towel. As if I had a moral obligation to carry on, which is to say not every one who now reads this book must finish it; this was just my own personal reaction.
It's not a love story; or rather, it is and it isn't. Frankly, I could take it or leave it. I belived wholeheartedly in Amy and Dorrigo's lust for each other, even if there were a couple of lines and moments that made me roll my eyes, but the story is in the failed potential and the memory. But far more compelling was the inner life, the thoughts of all the POWs, and their guards. I'm very... grateful is the word, I suppose, that Flanagan includes the lives of the oppressors in the aftermath. If you want a concise summary I guess it would be that violence dehumanises everyone involved, from the person being beaten, to the person doing the beating. Of course there's an imbalance of power in that scenario, but not in terms of damage done to a soul, whatever your thoughts might be on what counts as a soul.
No great insight from me there, I guess, but the way the book handles these ideas is at once blunt and delicate. It's a masterful achievement. Nothing twee or hollow in its exploration of the very dark side of human existence.
paola_mobileread's review against another edition
3.0
It was for me an "interesting" read, in that it struck me more for its educational value, instructing me about the condition of POW held in Japanese camps - with which I was only vaguely acquainted, than for its literary beauty.
Not that the book is not well written - the omniscient narrator keeps moving between now, then, before then, now and so one effortlessly and taking the reader along, but very often it tries too hard, by which I mean that the virtuoso description of love and relationships, for instance, were over the top to the point of distraction, taking attention away from the narration.
The novel follows the life of initially-no-so-likeable-but-deep-down-a-good-man Dorrigo Evans, from his uneventful Tasmanian childhood to his POW experience as a Colonel with hundreds of men under his charge, to his post war life. Dorrigo is supposed to be an unlikeable man, at least in the initial descriptions, a philanderer who marries for convenience. But dig a bit deeper, and the man is not that bad after all, he thought his true love had died, his wife after all partly entrapped him, so yes, maybe a tad unconventional, but this man is good, deep down truly good. So there is none of the harrowing self-blame we find in first person account of concentration camp experiences (think [a:Primo Levi|4187|Primo Levi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397346875p2/4187.jpg]'s [b:I sommersi e i salvati|2797629|I sommersi e i salvati|Primo Levi|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1295263684s/2797629.jpg|1427999]), whose survival depended often on other perishing in their place, or getting that closer to death, and even the nastiest of Flanagan's POW does not really go beyond thinking of nasty deeds, and falls short of actually carrying them out.
The most fascinating parts for me, beside an engrossing description of Dorrigo carrying out an amputation in desperate conditions, were when Flanagan makes us peek into the minds of the Japanese tormentors in charge of the camps, and shows us their fate after the war.
In short, surely a good book, but too much of a crowd pleaser for my taste.
My edition: unabridged audiobook read by the author.
Not that the book is not well written - the omniscient narrator keeps moving between now, then, before then, now and so one effortlessly and taking the reader along, but very often it tries too hard, by which I mean that the virtuoso description of love and relationships, for instance, were over the top to the point of distraction, taking attention away from the narration.
The novel follows the life of initially-no-so-likeable-but-deep-down-a-good-man Dorrigo Evans, from his uneventful Tasmanian childhood to his POW experience as a Colonel with hundreds of men under his charge, to his post war life. Dorrigo is supposed to be an unlikeable man, at least in the initial descriptions, a philanderer who marries for convenience. But dig a bit deeper, and the man is not that bad after all, he thought his true love had died, his wife after all partly entrapped him, so yes, maybe a tad unconventional, but this man is good, deep down truly good. So there is none of the harrowing self-blame we find in first person account of concentration camp experiences (think [a:Primo Levi|4187|Primo Levi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397346875p2/4187.jpg]'s [b:I sommersi e i salvati|2797629|I sommersi e i salvati|Primo Levi|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1295263684s/2797629.jpg|1427999]), whose survival depended often on other perishing in their place, or getting that closer to death, and even the nastiest of Flanagan's POW does not really go beyond thinking of nasty deeds, and falls short of actually carrying them out.
The most fascinating parts for me, beside an engrossing description of Dorrigo carrying out an amputation in desperate conditions, were when Flanagan makes us peek into the minds of the Japanese tormentors in charge of the camps, and shows us their fate after the war.
In short, surely a good book, but too much of a crowd pleaser for my taste.
My edition: unabridged audiobook read by the author.
freddie_hunter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Read that this book will break you and it kind of has😂deeply moving book, harrowing, yet had the occasional beautiful moment. Don't think I'd go for a pint with dorrigo to be honest though, sounds a bit of a boring bloke, sorry matey.
eamcmahon3's review against another edition
3.0
I really struggled with this book. It's beautiful prose and well-written, but the subject matter is hard to swallow. I am not one for war books and stories of humanity's boundless cruelty. This was a book about cruelty.
Having a deeper perspective on the POW experience and the war crimes committed was difficult. I wish I didn't read this book. But I can't mark it down due to my inability to handle the content.
Read with care.
Having a deeper perspective on the POW experience and the war crimes committed was difficult. I wish I didn't read this book. But I can't mark it down due to my inability to handle the content.
Read with care.
agemot's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Eine schöne tragische Geschichte über eine Liebe, wo man sich für die Personen ein Happy End gewünscht hätte. Aber vielleicht macht das gerade die Geschichte aus. Man fühlt mit dem Herzen mit und hofft und hofft, doch am Ende muss man sich eingestehen, nicht alles kann gut/schön ausgehen
keepitvague's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dominicevans99's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
walruz's review against another edition
4.0
Get past the first 50 or so pages (too much skipping around with time, place, and narration -- it seems forced), and you will be treated to a brutal, harrowing tale of wartime violence and both the short and long (for those who survive) term repercussions of such.
A lot of folks here say that they can't sympathize with or connect to the narrative protagonist, Dr. Dorrigo Evans; he is too distant, hollow, and self-deprecating. I'd say that was Flanagan's aim.
A lot of folks here say that they can't sympathize with or connect to the narrative protagonist, Dr. Dorrigo Evans; he is too distant, hollow, and self-deprecating. I'd say that was Flanagan's aim.
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
2.0
Booker winner? The only thing I can think is the shortlist for 2014 must've been atrocious. I nearly quit on the novel after the first 162 pages and nothing of substance or interest had occurred. Then parts 3 and 4 were mildly redeeming. At least the shift in the story kept me plunging on. Then the finish (Part 5) returned to the brutal tedium of the first two parts. Ehhhhh. Just not the best book of the year. Perhaps okay. Just disappointed.