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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I have just completed my second reading of REGENERATION, a book which I admired on first reading about 15 years ago and which I continue to admire. It is well written and it deals with deep questions of violence, war, grief, and social class, and our responsibility for all these. I am also an admirer of Sassoon and Owen. All that said, the accolades that this novel has won are to me a bit puzzling. The novel doesn't depend on plot for its impact, and its depiction of the main character, William Rivers, illuminates that character's sympathy for his shell shocked patients, but doesn't tell us much about why he tries to get them sent back to a war their nerves cannot stand. The most powerful scene in the book, when Dr. Yealland uses electric shocks on a working class soldier patient (chap 21)--in stark contrast to what Rivers has been doing with his officer patients--provokes outrage in us, the 21st century readers, but seems to elicit from Rivers only a gentle protest (or any protest at all?). Rivers's dream, which follows (chap 22), sets up a theme of internal psychological conflict and it connects externally with Sassoon's protest against the war, which begins the novel. It seems to me that Barker is more concerned with ideas here than with her people, which is alright I guess. But overall, the novel suffers as a result. I would like to have heard more from the lower middle class officer, Billy Prior, and his love interest Sarah Lumb, but these characters are dealt with somewhat perfunctorily. Perhaps they will appear in the follow up sequels: THE EYE IN THE DOOR and THE GHOST ROAD. I'm going to read both of these, so we'll see if my opinion of REGENERATION changes.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Het zal wel aan mij liggen maar ik kon er geen interessant verhaallijn uit halen. Erg droog en saai en er leek niets te gebeuren.
Beautiful book! A sad but meaningful reflection on WW1 and the effect it had on its combatants, along with the morality of soldiers. Highly recommended for anybody interested in a slightly alternative view of the First World War!
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Unsparing look at the treatment of shell-shocked soldiers during WWI. Barker delves into the carnage of the war and its effects on survivor's, including the humane and inhumane "cures" for those broken down by the Front. Based on Siegfried Sassoon's stay at Craiglockhart War Hospital and experience with the equally weary Dr. Rivers. An amazing read.
I should note that this was assigned reading for a class. It was not a bad book (I’ve certainly read worse for other classes). The overall storyline was compelling, but the way it was told felt very blurry. I had a hard time connecting with the writing which made it difficult to finish.
"Just as Yealland silenced the unconscious protest of his patients by removing the paralysis, the deafness, the blindness, the mutenness that stood btween them and the war, so, in an infinitely more gentle way, he silenced his patients; for the stammerings, the nightmares, the tremors, the memory lapses, of officers were just as much unwitting protest as the grosser maladies of men."
Lots to think of along the lines masculine/feminine aspects, homosexuality, and the line between doctor and patient. The book is sparse and lets you fill in your gaps, but it also feels quite heavy and took me a while even though it's a short book.
Lots to think of along the lines masculine/feminine aspects, homosexuality, and the line between doctor and patient. The book is sparse and lets you fill in your gaps, but it also feels quite heavy and took me a while even though it's a short book.
I enjoyed this much more than I as expecting and I am very tempted to continue with the trilogy at some point!
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes