A review by quaintmetropolis
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Loyal readers of Sarah Waters often laud her works as lesser-known literary gems. With my first (not counting watching the adapted film, The Handmaiden) Waters foray, I absolutely understand the sentiment. 

 

The Night Watch follows four Londoners largely haunted by their past after and during World War II. In tandem with their reveries, the structure is told in reverse-chronological order. To its effect, the structure challenged previous assumptions I had about some characters and the intricate ways their relationships intertwine. Knowing the characters’ outcomes added an additional emotional weight when it’s slowly revealed what has strongly impacted who they become. By the end, we, the reader, feel we’ve achieved some kind of wisdom instead of the characters. 

 

The novel has a lot to say about those left behind after the war: women entrusted with vital, life-saving roles, who afterwards are told to take off their slacks and are expected to return to wallow in mundanity; prisoners forced to endure bombing raids, sitting like human targets while wardens hunker down below in bunkers; and the same prisoners, deeply traumatized, released into a shattered world. Waters illustrates how people were treated as tools and shields, then discarded without consideration. 

 

Known for her historical novels centered on sapphic stories, Waters has said much of her research for The Night Watch involved watching films from the period. The cinematic influence is crystal clear in her writing. She has a knack for large, harrowing moments emphasized by quieter, reflective ones, crafting juicy twists that prompted audible gasps, and extremely visceral, flinch-inducing moments. The drama of it all made it an easy read, and the sweeping journey was well worth the longer page count. 

 

In the same vein, I occasionally felt the author’s hand too conspicuously shaping the reveals and descriptions. It’s perhaps a matter of taste, as I often gravitate towards more understated writing rather than full bore. Even so, I flew through this and will undoubtedly be exploring more of Sarah Waters’ work in the future.