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A review by lizzillia
Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford
4.0
I was sent this digitally by Netgalley for review.
I have never read this author before and the blurb for this novel intrigued me. In the author notes, he tells us that he walked by a plaque everyday commemorating a V-2 attack in 1944 when the Woolworths branch in New Cross was destroyed. Among the dead were fifteen under elevens. This novel is written in memory of these children and we meet five fictional children, Val, Jo, Alec, Ben and Vern. We witness their deaths and we witness their lives -if they had had a chance to survive.
We follow these children from 1949 to 2009, dropping in every few years and watching them for a few hours to see what they are making of their lives. We go from post war, to 1979 and strikes, to the deregulation of schools and Ofsteds. We encounter racism, mental illness, violence and love. We see life in all it size, shapes and colours.
Religion is a thread that runs through the novel - 'light perpetual shines upon them' is from, I think, a prayer for the dead. The positivity of religion, the healing power of religion shines through at the end - the 'praise him' section towards the end of the novel is incredibly lifting.
Music is also a thread that follows the characters - from opera to a secondary school music lesson - and this whole section about the way that the pupils are encouraged to build their sound is just exceptional writing.
The writing in this novel is beautiful, and varied, and no two chapters are written in the same way. The opening chapter when the bomb hits is excruciating in its detail, you are watching everything unfold in slow motion and the aftermath is heart-breaking. I don't want to give any spoilers but when we encounter violence, the language is brutal while the final chapter is lyrical and uplifting.
Many will disagree with me, but I believe that every reader will take something different from a novel. For me - and this is my opinion - I felt that this was almost a novel of second chances. As I read and watched these children grow older and make their choices, I would return to the beginning and look at the children they were. Were they making the most of their second chances? Did they deserve their second chances? But as I said - this was my feeling.
However, the concept of giving these children a parallel life, or the bomb falling up the road and missing them, was an interesting one. I loved watching them grow and my favourite child - it would have to be Ben, with Jo my second favourite. But as all parents know - you should never really have a favourite child, should you?
This was a super and up-lifting read and I thoroughly recommend it.
I have never read this author before and the blurb for this novel intrigued me. In the author notes, he tells us that he walked by a plaque everyday commemorating a V-2 attack in 1944 when the Woolworths branch in New Cross was destroyed. Among the dead were fifteen under elevens. This novel is written in memory of these children and we meet five fictional children, Val, Jo, Alec, Ben and Vern. We witness their deaths and we witness their lives -if they had had a chance to survive.
We follow these children from 1949 to 2009, dropping in every few years and watching them for a few hours to see what they are making of their lives. We go from post war, to 1979 and strikes, to the deregulation of schools and Ofsteds. We encounter racism, mental illness, violence and love. We see life in all it size, shapes and colours.
Religion is a thread that runs through the novel - 'light perpetual shines upon them' is from, I think, a prayer for the dead. The positivity of religion, the healing power of religion shines through at the end - the 'praise him' section towards the end of the novel is incredibly lifting.
Music is also a thread that follows the characters - from opera to a secondary school music lesson - and this whole section about the way that the pupils are encouraged to build their sound is just exceptional writing.
The writing in this novel is beautiful, and varied, and no two chapters are written in the same way. The opening chapter when the bomb hits is excruciating in its detail, you are watching everything unfold in slow motion and the aftermath is heart-breaking. I don't want to give any spoilers but when we encounter violence, the language is brutal while the final chapter is lyrical and uplifting.
Many will disagree with me, but I believe that every reader will take something different from a novel. For me - and this is my opinion - I felt that this was almost a novel of second chances. As I read and watched these children grow older and make their choices, I would return to the beginning and look at the children they were. Were they making the most of their second chances? Did they deserve their second chances? But as I said - this was my feeling.
However, the concept of giving these children a parallel life, or the bomb falling up the road and missing them, was an interesting one. I loved watching them grow and my favourite child - it would have to be Ben, with Jo my second favourite. But as all parents know - you should never really have a favourite child, should you?
This was a super and up-lifting read and I thoroughly recommend it.