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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty bloody heartbreaking and that scene has traumatised me for life.
I wasn't as invested in these characters as I have been in Sarah's other books and at some points I did mentally check out.
I wasn't as invested in these characters as I have been in Sarah's other books and at some points I did mentally check out.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
felt like it was trying to handle too many things at once . would have been better if it chose two or three characters to really focus on . the time jumps didn’t really add anything for me either , disappointing conclusion
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
The Night Watch is the story about four people in a London marked by the Second World War, all trying to find a way for themselves. Kay was an ambulance driver during the war, fearless, energetic, loved and in love. Now she wanders the street, not certain what she's searching for. Helen is living with Julia, having all she could wish for, but she's plagued by jelousy and guilt. Viv knows that she's wasting her life waiting the next stolen moment with her married lover, but can't bring herself to give him up. Her younger brother Duncan spends the days with mindless work in a factory and the nights with his "uncle", fading away a bit more every day. The lives of these characters, and the supporting cast, intertwine more than you can imagine when you first start reading.
The book is written in three parts, taking place in 1941, 1944 and 1947, but in reverse chronological order. I'm usually not fond of tricks like that, but in this case it works. Veil after veil is lifted, to reveal some of the mystery surrounding these characters, but not all. When I'd finished reading, after the part set in 1941, I admit I was a little bit disappointed. I didn't get the answers I'd been looking for, I wanted to know more about these persons, and most importantly, what happened to them. But I went back to the start and read some parts from the 1947 block again, and found that I knew more that I thought I did.
A lot of people seem to find The Night Watch dull compared to Sarah Water's other books. I've only read Tipping the Velvet, which was wonderful, but I actually like this one better. Perhaps it's not exciting, but it's definitely compelling.
My favourite part about the book is that, even though it's set in the 40s, the characters' sexuality is treated as a fact, and not as an issue. They have problems in their relationships, of course, but it's not because some of them happen to be gay, it's simply because they're human. It's a rather unusual approach in fiction, and very refreshing.
The war is treated much in the same way. It's there, ruthlessly shaping their lives, but it's not really commented on.
I had a lovely time reading this book, enjoying Sarah Water's wonderful langague, and I definitely recommend it.
The book is written in three parts, taking place in 1941, 1944 and 1947, but in reverse chronological order. I'm usually not fond of tricks like that, but in this case it works. Veil after veil is lifted, to reveal some of the mystery surrounding these characters, but not all. When I'd finished reading, after the part set in 1941, I admit I was a little bit disappointed. I didn't get the answers I'd been looking for, I wanted to know more about these persons, and most importantly, what happened to them. But I went back to the start and read some parts from the 1947 block again, and found that I knew more that I thought I did.
A lot of people seem to find The Night Watch dull compared to Sarah Water's other books. I've only read Tipping the Velvet, which was wonderful, but I actually like this one better. Perhaps it's not exciting, but it's definitely compelling.
My favourite part about the book is that, even though it's set in the 40s, the characters' sexuality is treated as a fact, and not as an issue. They have problems in their relationships, of course, but it's not because some of them happen to be gay, it's simply because they're human. It's a rather unusual approach in fiction, and very refreshing.
The war is treated much in the same way. It's there, ruthlessly shaping their lives, but it's not really commented on.
I had a lovely time reading this book, enjoying Sarah Water's wonderful langague, and I definitely recommend it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was great !! The characters were easy to connect with, their intertwining narratives were interesting and unique. However. This did not need to be this long; sometimes it felt like the story dragged on unnecessarily instead of focusing on underdeveloped points in the story. The reverse chronological structure was super cool; it changed the meanings of the words and interactions from earlier on in the book, but the jump from a year to a time three years previous sometimes left me wanting for a smoother transition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Suicide, War
Minor: Homophobia
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Have rated this book 4 stars, though it's closer to a 3.5, 3.75 for me.
The book has an interesting, uncommon structure, though it doesn't completely work. Based mostly in London, we first meet our four main characters not long after the end of WWII, in 1947, in various ways still traumatized by the war. We start learning outright or otherwise guessing that their lives intersect or have intersected at various times. The next main part of the book shifts to 1944, and we learn more about what lies behind/beneath the traumas of these characters. The last part of the book shifts further into the past of these characters, to 1941.
As I mentioned, an interesting way to format the book, peeling back layers, discovering how the characters' presents were shaped by these earlier events. The reader starts making and seeing more and more connections, not just in terms of how the characters have been related to each other in the past, how some of their relationships began, but also about the traumas of war in general. The second section of the book, especially, the events taking place in 1944, are often quite harrowing and very effective. But the one DISadvantage of the author's approach is that by taking a reverse linear chronology, the traditional buildups are upended, not the worst thing, but not necessarily replaced with the stronger potential denouements that were perhaps intended. Put another way, by the time the book ends, I'd quite forgotten where our characters had ended up, so to speak, in 1947.
I'm writing all this hurriedly, so perhaps not explaining myself very well. In any event, I did like the book, especially in the middle sections, and Sarah Walters was really very good in conveying the many horrors, small and large, and even the humor, of the war years. I would recommend the book, just with the caveat that I wasn't as moved by the characters as I maybe ought to have been, both because of who they were, and because of the reverse structuring of the book. Lastly, the sadness of the characters' LGBTQ lives having to be hidden, suppressed, repressed, etc., was something that Walters wrote about especially well, and it helps me understand my "lineage" that much more, and appreciate how our "ancestors" built lives out of the chaos of the war years and in a time when to do so was illegal and outside the pale. Thank you!
The book has an interesting, uncommon structure, though it doesn't completely work. Based mostly in London, we first meet our four main characters not long after the end of WWII, in 1947, in various ways still traumatized by the war. We start learning outright or otherwise guessing that their lives intersect or have intersected at various times. The next main part of the book shifts to 1944, and we learn more about what lies behind/beneath the traumas of these characters. The last part of the book shifts further into the past of these characters, to 1941.
As I mentioned, an interesting way to format the book, peeling back layers, discovering how the characters' presents were shaped by these earlier events. The reader starts making and seeing more and more connections, not just in terms of how the characters have been related to each other in the past, how some of their relationships began, but also about the traumas of war in general. The second section of the book, especially, the events taking place in 1944, are often quite harrowing and very effective. But the one DISadvantage of the author's approach is that by taking a reverse linear chronology, the traditional buildups are upended, not the worst thing, but not necessarily replaced with the stronger potential denouements that were perhaps intended. Put another way, by the time the book ends, I'd quite forgotten where our characters had ended up, so to speak, in 1947.
I'm writing all this hurriedly, so perhaps not explaining myself very well. In any event, I did like the book, especially in the middle sections, and Sarah Walters was really very good in conveying the many horrors, small and large, and even the humor, of the war years. I would recommend the book, just with the caveat that I wasn't as moved by the characters as I maybe ought to have been, both because of who they were, and because of the reverse structuring of the book. Lastly, the sadness of the characters' LGBTQ lives having to be hidden, suppressed, repressed, etc., was something that Walters wrote about especially well, and it helps me understand my "lineage" that much more, and appreciate how our "ancestors" built lives out of the chaos of the war years and in a time when to do so was illegal and outside the pale. Thank you!