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A review by juliana_aldous
Requiem for a Wren by Nevil Shute
4.0
"Like some infernal monster, still venomous in death, a war can go on killing people for a long time after it's all over." Nevil Shute, Requieum for a Wren
Someone left their entire collection of Nevil Shute paperbacks at my local used bookstore and based on my mom's love for A Town Called Alice and his other famous title, On the Beach, I've been making my way through the stack.
This was the third I've read...A Town Called Alice and Beyond the Black Stump were the first two.
I'm enjoying Shute and I believe this crazy patchwork of a story may be my favorite thus far.
Spoilers ahead!
This is the story of two brothers from Australia and a Wren of the Royal Navy. One brother, Bill, falls in love with the Wren but he is killed shortly before D-Day. Alan, a pilot, loses both feet during the war. He spends the next decade wandering, finishing his education, and looking for the Wren before returning home to his family's sheep farm. It is when he arrives home, an itinerant worker has recently committed suicide, which leads him to unravel the mystery of the Wren, and find his own peace
Things I liked about this story:
* I love a good WWII story--this one includes on-the-ground preparation for D-Day. This part was a bit slow for me, but I kept thinking of all the men in my life who love this kind of sh*t so I kept at it.
* The Wren, Janet Prentice, is a strong female character and a kick-ass shot. The story follows her spiral into mental illness and the scars of war in a tactful and meaningful way.
* Veterans with physical and mental disabilities are the heroes and they are treated with respect (see Annie Carl's Work, My Tropey Life: How Pop Culture Stereotypes Make Disabled Lives Harder).
* The story isn't straightforward, a bit messy, but I like that in a book. I thought Shute did a good job of weaving past and present through the use of memory, Alan's detective, and diary entries.
* I like reading about Australia as evidenced by the fact that I also read Jane Harper's The Lost Man.
My Current Ranking of Nevil Shute's Works:
1. Requiem for a Wren
2. A Town Called Alice
3. Beyond the Black Stump
Someone left their entire collection of Nevil Shute paperbacks at my local used bookstore and based on my mom's love for A Town Called Alice and his other famous title, On the Beach, I've been making my way through the stack.
This was the third I've read...A Town Called Alice and Beyond the Black Stump were the first two.
I'm enjoying Shute and I believe this crazy patchwork of a story may be my favorite thus far.
Spoilers ahead!
This is the story of two brothers from Australia and a Wren of the Royal Navy. One brother, Bill, falls in love with the Wren but he is killed shortly before D-Day. Alan, a pilot, loses both feet during the war. He spends the next decade wandering, finishing his education, and looking for the Wren before returning home to his family's sheep farm. It is when he arrives home, an itinerant worker has recently committed suicide, which leads him to unravel the mystery of the Wren, and find his own peace
Things I liked about this story:
* I love a good WWII story--this one includes on-the-ground preparation for D-Day. This part was a bit slow for me, but I kept thinking of all the men in my life who love this kind of sh*t so I kept at it.
* The Wren, Janet Prentice, is a strong female character and a kick-ass shot. The story follows her spiral into mental illness and the scars of war in a tactful and meaningful way.
* Veterans with physical and mental disabilities are the heroes and they are treated with respect (see Annie Carl's Work, My Tropey Life: How Pop Culture Stereotypes Make Disabled Lives Harder).
* The story isn't straightforward, a bit messy, but I like that in a book. I thought Shute did a good job of weaving past and present through the use of memory, Alan's detective, and diary entries.
* I like reading about Australia as evidenced by the fact that I also read Jane Harper's The Lost Man.
My Current Ranking of Nevil Shute's Works:
1. Requiem for a Wren
2. A Town Called Alice
3. Beyond the Black Stump