On a scale of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the best) how do you rate Birdsong?
***** (Loved it)
50%
[ 5 ]
****
20%
[ 2 ]
***
10%
[ 1 ]
**
10%
[ 1 ]
*
0%
[ 0 ]
Gave up on it
0%
[ 0 ]
Didn't read this one
10%
[ 1 ]
Total Votes : 10
Author
Message
wonderlake An Addicted Babbler
Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 510 Birthday: 23rd April
Location: Manchester UK
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:30 pm Post subject:
Ah I remembered another thing that struck me; when Elizabeth starts trying to find out information about Wraysford- she has to use telephone directories and "Who's Who" LOL, it seemed so archaic that she couldn't just look it up on the internet...
_________________ Current reading: The Last Temptation, Val McDermid ~ 40 @2009
Joined: 21 Jul 2007 Posts: 676 Birthday: 2nd November
Location: Watford, Herts
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:13 pm Post subject:
I finished this one today and I think my overall impression is that it wasn't as good as I'd expected it to be. It took me about 4 weeks to read it and that's usually an indicator that I'm not particulary gripped my a novel.
Spoiler:
I didn't like the beginning section at all, it seemed quite weak and boring. I know Faulks was laying the ground work for what Stephen feels towards Isabel later in the novel when they meet again, but it really did drag.
The sections in the trenches were great, excellent descriptions. The war scenes describing the soldiers going over the top into no mans land and what happened to the majority of them, were particularly harrowing. Even more so as I've been watching a couple of WW1 documentaries recently as we're coming up to commemorating 90 years since the end of the Great War.
I liked the side stories of Jack Firebrace and Wier. They gave added depth to the novel.
I also didn't mind the sections moving forwards to Elizabeth in 1978. I know her love life was meant to be similar to her grandfathers, but I didn't think it was necessary to go into much detail about that. I liked the idea of her finding out more about Stephen Wraysford and what he'd endured. However the conclusion that Jeanne wasn't her grandmother was very rushed, having only been given a couple of lines.
Overall I liked the concept and would definitely read more books set in WW1. However I found it weak in places and overly wordy in others. I would have given it 3.5 stars but as that's not possible I upgraded it to 4 stars due to the historical interest. _________________ Currently Reading:
Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 7637 Birthday: 7th July
Location: Shropshire
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 4:05 pm Post subject:
I read this for an English Lit course in 2002 and loved it. I stayed up late finishing the bit about Stephen in the trenches - which for me is when the story ends, if you know what I mean. I wasn't fussed about Elizabeth's story afterwards, didn't think it was necessary. But I still loved the book.
_________________ Reading: Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
Reading Challenge 2009: 8
2008: 4
2007: 10
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