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A review by ferris_mx
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
4.0
Superbly written, but I was surprised. This book was not the pacifist presentation I expected, although there's an element of pacifism. Feminism is the major theme, and it's shocking how far we've come in the past 100 years. The secondary theme is the compromise between what we owe to the dead and what we owe to ourselves in continuing to live.
Two comments on the feminism element. First, the Brittain is self-congratulatory about her ability to discuss sexual matters with her friends, unlike her parents and grandparents generation. She sounds like a '60s woman! So it was interesting to see how each generation believes they have demystified sex compared to their benighted parents. Second, except for a brief moment 7/8 through the book, Brittain is concerned about the role of women in society, but completely oblivious to the class she represents and the lot of the lower classes that support her.
Two comments on the feminism element. First, the Brittain is self-congratulatory about her ability to discuss sexual matters with her friends, unlike her parents and grandparents generation. She sounds like a '60s woman! So it was interesting to see how each generation believes they have demystified sex compared to their benighted parents. Second, except for a brief moment 7/8 through the book, Brittain is concerned about the role of women in society, but completely oblivious to the class she represents and the lot of the lower classes that support her.