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tea_and_reading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Blood, and War
Minor: Suicide, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
dakotahreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Medical content
zephyxs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
„Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.“
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
bethanwx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Winn carefully crafts how people attempt to mentally protect themselves in war and the futility of war on common people. In the stories of these soldiers, many no more than teenagers, we also see that the priveleges of money, class and connections play am important role in survival.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, and Classism
simoneg's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
isabelcostamurray's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Outing, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
anj's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Confinement and Death of parent
damianwayne's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I hear the breaking bodies scream.
Thankful I have hit my mark,
I slither through the trenching dark.
You bleed to death in all my dreams.
As for Maurice, I suppose In Memoriam’s ending is happy (hopeful) but not nearly to the level of Maurice and Alec. Maurice is an inherent tragedy as a contemporary piece of fiction that must be a fantasy for the sake of its ending and lack of the drafted monologue due to the impending threat of the First World War. In Memoriam seems like a logical follow up in that sense. Part of my adoration for Maurice led me to initially question their moving to Brazil (‘until my death or England’s’) but it has grown on me as the natural progression of Ellwood’s disgust with England and the need for them to avoid the fallout of World War Two.
There is a tragedy in the ending of this book despite all the hope it left me with. It is simply the notion that Ellwood loved Brazil, and his life he created whilst there, but simultaneously Gaunt was aware that Ellwood would never be able to love him again. Whilst that itself is tragic, I think about how much Ellwood grew to despise England and everything surrounding the country, which is why there is such a barrier preventing him from loving Gaunt. Henry spends so much of this novel shying away from his German heritage and instead consistently— and persistently— reminding everyone that he’s not only British first, but essentially exclusively British. And that is something that will never change, in the same way he ends up longing for both Ellwood’s love and Europe, meaning that he’s made himself content with a life with many imperfections. I can only hope a steep incline in progress occurs post-canon and their love is soon rectified.
The biggest personal tragedy is perhaps how I have been consistently searching for which song from Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying would be most fitting (I decided upon ´Till Forever and Fool Me A Good Night) only for the title track to be the absolutely most applicable to Ellwood at the end: ‘That’s why I, I don’t cry’, ‘That’s why I can’t love you now’
Graphic: Death, Gore, and War
proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Den här debutromanen hamnar definitivt på min lista över årets bästa böcker! Jag har läst många böcker om andra världskriget, som då oftast handlat om koncentrationslägren, men få böcker om första världskriget. Här tas vi med ned i skyttegravarna och får veta exakt hur eländigt och skrämmande det var. Den romantiska bilden många unga män hade om att ta värvning förändrades väldigt snabbt när de väl var på plats. Det är fullt begripligt att de som var med vid fronten förändrades som människor, konstigt vore det annars. Det är många gånger hjärtskärande läsning, men här finns också en hel del hopp. Kamratskapen bland soldaterna får stor betydelse och skildras på ett briljant sätt av Winn.
Det finns likheter med "Den hemliga historien" och "Döda poeters sällskap" och gillar man stämningen i de böckerna så är jag rätt säker på att man kommer att tycka om "In memoriam". Trots det till synes tunga ämnet så är boken lättläst och faktiskt svår att lägga ifrån sig. Texten "lättas upp" av dikter (Ellwood är poet), brev och tidningsurklipp med listor på döda och sårade. Relationen mellan Gaunt och Ellwood är fascinerande att följa, särskilt som homosexualitet var olagligt på den tiden. Ändå var det inte ovanligt att pojkar "fördrev tiden" med varandra och det var på något vis acceptabelt. Så länge man inte blev påkommen...
Det är oftast svårare att sätta ord på varför man älskar en bok, för hur man än försöker så hittar man sällan rätt resonemang. När jag läser igenom det jag skrivit så vet jag inte om jag kommer att övertyga någon om att det här är en bok som inte får missas. Jag får helt enkelt hoppas att många ändå väljer att plocka upp den!
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Medical trauma, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
annabella's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and War