A State of Mind

Regeneration - Pat Barker

There's something I like about Pat Barker - she is linked to two other women I'm quite fond of. First there's Angela Carter - she actually encouraged Barker to concentrate on her writing when she was in her early twenties. The second is Sarah Daniels, a playwright who adapted Barker's novel, Blow Your House Down, for the stage in 1994. Both of these writers have been introduced to me through my A Level studies and I have come to admire the way in which they approach feminist issues.

Regeneration, however, is not a feminist novel. Quite the opposite, it focuses on the experiences of young men during the First World War. The scene is Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh, a hosptial for soldiers suffering from mental trauma owing to the war. Rivers is the psychiatrist there and through him the reader gathers an insight into the shattering effects that the Western Front has on soldiers' minds. There are also other viewpoints - Billy Prior, a patient in the hospital and Siegfried Sassoon, the renowned war poet.

The insight to Sassoon's time at Craiglockhart is fictional, though based on true events. Sassoon was sent to Craiglockhart after having written a declaration against the continuation of the war in 1917 - although he was not mad, his acquaintance and fellow poet, Robert Graves, claimed he was mentally unstable to avoid him being Court Martialled. Through Barker's portrayal, it is interesting to see how a mentally fit man copes with being surrounded by the mentally ill.

Interestingly, this is not a war novel of battlefront - there is little gore, little rattle of the guns but much more comfort with clean sheets and a basic bedroom. Nevertheless, Barker does not omit the fear and terror from her novel. Some men constantly envisage the blood and perverse dismemberment of friends, others are reminded of the taste of rotting flesh and vomit uncontrolably. Some can't speak, others can't move but rather than focus on the immediate horror of war, Barker looks at the broader picture. The effects of war were often permanent - even those not admitted to a psychiatric hospital were scarred for life by the things they had witnessed. And that is the true horror of war.

Typically, Barker includes the corruption of innocence, the destruction of youth and her disapproval of the Home Front and authorities - Prior's parents lack support and gratitude for their son's sacrifice, Prior also embarks on some uncomfortable sexual journeys with a girl from outside the hospital. Most shocking of all is that, despite the traumatising emotional journey these soldiers go on, the "Board" sends them right back to the source of their troubles once they have sufficiently "recovered". Barker constantly wants the reader to ask 'Why?' The same question we've been asking ourselves since it happened. Why did they have to go? Why did they have to endure those conditions? Why did war turn to slaughter?

This book does not have a complex storyline and the beginning and end rest on Sassoon's stay in the hospital. It is mainly a portrayal of the horror of war through its characters - the character of Rivers enables us to see more deeply into the minds of soldiers in such a way that one hardly dares imagine what it was really like. So, if you're interested in the First World War and particularly its literature, this book (plus the next two in the series) is definitely one to try.
Ultimately, we should all simply seek to learn from writers such as Barker, Sassoon and Graves. But, what a shame - we haven't.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of "Regeneration".

"The Greatest War Novel of All Time"

All Quiet on the Western Front -Erich Maria Remarque

"To no man does the earth mean so much as to the soldier" - one quote from the whole novel that sticks in my mind. Studying the First World War through Wilfred Owen and Sebastian Faulks, through my history lessons (and a free DVD Dad got with the Daily Mail) I have come to understand that the earth, Mother Nature, is a soldier's best friend. I chose to write my coursework on the subject and I have discovered an immense interest that has led in turn to a deep respect for nature and the poor soldiers of World War One. Just think: the only stable things in your life are the steady rumble of guns and the contaminated earth beneath your feet. How can anyone love that slow, sticky earth that slows you down, gets inside your skin and spits with gunfire? Because, when you finally die, she is your only loyal companion.

Remarque (originally Erich Paul Remark) was born in Germany and conscripted into the army in 1917, aged just 18. After being wounded five times, the final shrapnel wound caused such serious damage that he spent the rest of the war in a military hospital. With first hand knowledge, Remarque has written a fantastic fictional novel from the perspective of a 20 year-old German boy named Paul Bäumer. Paul volunteers to join the German army with his classmates and the book follows the course of the war and the subtle reduction of the group's number. It is a realistic novel that is straight to the point about conveying the horror of war.

One of the most interesting aspects of this book is the German perspective - I have never before read about the war from any perspective other than that of the British soldier. In British books, the German soldiers live comfortable and securely at the Western front and so they do in this book. Often Bäumer and his friends feast off goose, roast pork and on one occasion, lobster! The length of time that the German soldiers seem to stay at the front also seems significantly less than that of the British soldiers and the level of organisation and regulation seems much higher. However, ultimately, the situation is the same - Paul faces injury, death and inhumanity on a massive scale, on a daily basis.

Three things struck me about this novel: the feeling of comradeship, the brutality of the German forces and the subtle style of Remarque. Comradeship is a huge theme in this book, but the relationships that Paul has with his classmates appear closer than the relationship between two lovers. It becomes most apparent when Paul visits his family whilst on leave; the tone of the book becomes cold as the reader senses the isolation that the soldier feels from life at home. The brutality of the German forces is something unusual and it led me to feel much less sympathy for the ruthless soldiers; there are descriptions of a German counter attack on the French in which they stab the fleeing backs of enemy forces and chase them back into their own trench. This inhumane description probably matches the actions of the British but never before have I read about the ruthless murders of Germans at British hands. It was an honest and brave subject to include - probably giving more reason for Hitler to ban the text in the 1930s.

Finally, Remarque's subtle style; the way he writes is impressive and almost beautiful. I only became aware of it in the final chapters of the novel when I suddenly realised that Germany had gone from being a triumphant force feasting on succulent meat every night to a weak, deteriorating minute force. We see this gradual change in the character of Paul and in the final pages the reader slowly and sadly realises he has become the last surviving member of his class.

However, I don't want to be misleading; Remarque goes out of his way to convey the horrific, brutal truth about war, about men who "run with both their feet cut off", "without mouths, without jaws, without faces". The detachment from normal civilian life, the psychological effects of the guns and the comradeship are all included as in every good war novel; this is, without a doubt, a stunning account of war. However, the greatest war novel of all time? It is debatable. Admittedly, I don't know whether I have encountered a better one (not one from an author who saw the events with his own eyes) but the fact that it is a translation sometimes makes it hard to comprehend. Ultimately, I would like to read more of this genre before making such a definite judgement on a literary position so high.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of "All Quiet on the Western Front".

Mission Accomplished

Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

Yesterday afternoon, after much determination, I finally finished reading Birdsong written by Sebastian Faulks. I will assume that many of you have heard of the novel, first published in 1993, or at least of the author as he recently attempted a Bond novel. However, if you haven't heard of Birdsong, here's why it's worth your undivided attention.

First I must confess that the main reason for my reading of this book is because it is part of my A level syllabus and soon I will have to pick it apart and analyse it for coursework. However, I was determined to finish reading it beforehand. I have succeeded, and I can easily admit that the novel is one of the best I have ever read.

Written to reveal the horrors of the First World War on the Western Front, it appears to hold nothing back. If as a reader you like honesty and belief from your authors, then Sebastian Faulks is the man for you. From vivid sex scenes to the vile retrieval of rotten bodies from the battlefield, every sentence, every metaphor, every simile is guaranteed to evoke images previously unimaginable. Some made me feel physically sick, others made me read on in awe, but despite the unpleasant imagery, I didn't want it to end.

The book is well structured; the beginning, set in France, 1910, is designed to prepare the reader for war. Not only does Faulks use clever word association ('battle', 'invade', 'innocent') to subtly convey the idea that war is inevitable, but he also uses nature to describe stagnant, decaying natural scenes, similar to those of the trenches. However, despite his descriptions of peacetime locations being similar to those of the war, there is a clear difference in humanity in pre-war France. The characters live in a well-run, respected, upper class town house, exposed to luxuries such as the choice of "at least a dozen meats". Compared with the then sparsely fed soldiers, forced to live in filth with only the comfort of another man's body to sleep upon, the contrast is severe, enhancing the horrible situations of those involved in war.

The novel follows Stephen Wraysford's journey through war, from 1910 eventually revealing his life up until his death. He is a strange, solitary character, who seems indifferent to emotion. For this reason, his encounters with death, fear, lust and loneliness allow you to imagine how you would feel, had you ever been unlucky enough to be put in Stephen's situations. He is an ordinary character with a disrupted background, yet he almost always appears controlled and secure. His self-control is challenged by the effects of the war and it is interesting to see how the war affected people of all natures through Faulks' characters.

As well as a view on pre-war France and life during the war, Faulks also sets part of his novel in the 1970's, following the life of Stephen's grand-daughter. At first, these sections of the book seemed unnecessary to me, however, it soon becomes clear that the author wants us to see the post-war affects on some people. Through Elizabeth (the grand-daughter) we re-visit some of the British soldiers that Stephen fought alongside, only to discover that, sixty years on, the war hasn't left them. It is a slightly shocking view on the length of devastation the war caused.

If I have any criticism of this book, it is Stephen's final battle of the war. It is not a physical battle, but a battle with life and death. In this final chapter it is clear that the author was faced with two choices; convey the reality of the duration of his task in a believable way and let the character die, or try and convince the readers of the reality and let the character live. Inevitably, from the modern sections of the book, the character lives. Therefore, there are elements of Stephen's battle that become unbelievable, particularly how he manages to live without food or water for around a week having already been suffering from exhaustion, a damaged arm and other psychological effects of the war. Nevertheless, the final chapter is exciting, thrilling and satisfying and I went back and read it again because I couldn't bear for it to finish.

Finally, this novel has been credited by many critics and is obviously a suitable book for A level study. However, I think this book is best enjoyed without having to read into too much depth. So, if you enjoy historical fiction, particularly the type close to the truth, then it is well worth reading Birdsong. It is easy to lose yourself in Faulks' imagery, and I was deeply moved by what was conveyed to me. I grew to love and hate the uncomfortable, unfortunate characters and was horrified in knowing that their lives in war were absolute reality for some men. Now, with no first hand experience of either of the World Wars, I hope nothing so horrendous hits European soil again.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Birdsong'.