Birdsong RC 329 Audio

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling
Review: A novel that grows in power with each passing page. Readers may quibble with the slow start and the mawkish love story, but by the end this Mahleresque symphony of a book comes to an unforgettable climax. I have yet to read a more convincing account of the trench fighting that made up the First World War.

Rating:
Summary: A Terrible Time/ A Wonderful Book
Review: Mr. Faulks is an inspiring writer. His passionate love story drew me into the book and his starkly realistic portrayal of the horrors of war riveted me until the end. Like many reviewers on this page I found the "flash forward" to the 1970's jarring and unnecessary; although it didn't spoil the book for me I would advise people to skip it, since it won't alter the story. There were, however, two points that remained unexplained and bothered me: why was Stephen afraid of birds? The tale of his childhood didn't seem enough to instill such a strong fear. Also, why did Stephen write his journals in code and why did we never see him writing but only learned about it in the flash forwards when the journals were found? But I carp on little details when the whole is so excellent. The detail of the evening before the Battle of the Somme is some of the best writing I've ever read. And the return of Weir to his parents' house and their inattention to his situation was heartbreakingly real. What a horrible time! What a great book!

Rating:
Summary: BLOODY romance
Review: The only redeeming quality of the book for me (born in the 60's) is the description of the war and how it was fought. I had no idea of the trenches, the underground fighting, the horror of silence. The readers didn't need Isabelle for Stephen or Elizabeth to repeat the history of her Grandmother. It was too tidy and completely unnecessary. Stephen would have found another compelling reason to fight. His spirit for continuing to fight like a machine was the only thing that kept me interested. This could have been a major work of art but turned into a mere sideshow.

Rating:
Summary: A tale of the force that compels us to live despite the odds
Review: Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did not find the love story corny, but full of contradictions and ambiguities, just like real life. These two people were swept away by passion. As for the story of the war, I have often wondered in reading about survivors, "how did they life through that." This is how. It's not a rational thing, it is a purely visceral force that keeps the lungs and heart going against all odds. It's a great depiction of the power of the human spirit.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre love story, memorable depiction of war.
Review: This books is a darn good read most of the time. The descriptions of trench warfare are fascinating and horrifying and will make you remember this book for a very long time. However, the love story, the women who appear in the story and the sex scenes are very cheesy, bordering on the laughable at times. Alot of male fantasy shtick. If you are looking for a great love story and World War I story, read Sebastien Japrisot's "A Very Long Engagement," which contains an interesting and BELIEVABLE female character and a touching love story that works. I would describe Faulks' novel as conventional and overrrated.

Rating:
Summary: Only the war part of "love and war" is interesting
Review: This book contains 3 virtually separate stories. The story of Stephen and his comrades-in-arms in the trenches and tunnels of WWI were intriguing, vivid and well-portrayed. The love story with Isabelle was stilted, not well thought out and frankly boring. The future glimpse of 1978 is even less interesting. Elizabeth's quest for her father's past is brief and dropped as quickly and inexplicably as it is begun. The quest for the past for this part of the story seems to be some sort of faulty segue into her own life which is, of course, in some sort of modern chaos. In short, 2/3 of the book could easily have been left out or severely shortened and the book would have been a much better read.

Rating:
Summary: i ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
Review: tHIS IS WITHOUT DOUBT MY FAVOURITE BOOK. I CARRY IT WITH ME WHERE EVER I GO....JUST DID A TWO MONTH TRIP THROUGH VIETNAM, CARRYING BIRDSONG WITH ME IN A BACK PACK THAT ONLY HAD ROOM FOR A SPARE PAIR OF KNICKERS. READ IT YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!

Rating:
Summary: If you enjoyed it...
Review: Reading "Birdsong" got me hooked on WWI, a subject I knew very little about. WWII is much more accessible. So, I found " A Very Long Engagement" by Sebastien Japrisot, a French prize-winner, translated into English, and was drawn back to WWI France, and another moving story of love and loss. A very intricate mystery as well, satisfying on many levels. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Thank you Mr Faulks!
Review: Wow, what else is there to say after all the praise it richly deserves from the other readers. It would be a gross understatement to say that this novel is amazing. Although there is the occasional flaw in literature; and I found the balance between love and war a little shaky, this is THE book of 1996. What struck me was the power of the introduction. Faulks does not take long to chain his readers to their chairs (or beds); there is a must read element from the very beginning, which is almost always lacking in other similar novels. I honestly do not think that Faulks will write a better 'war time romance' novel. When he does, I would like to thank him personally for making yet another reader very happy indeed.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, moving story
Review: Having recently read "All Quiet on the Western Front", it was with some reluctance that I picked up another book that is primarily about the First World War. What swung it for me were the reviews, which were full of phrases like "deeeply moving", "incredibly visceral". However, I am gald that I read the book, and would thoroughly recommend it. Faulks has basically written a novel about the horrors of war. He has tried to mix it up (with varying success) by introducing incidents/characters before and after the war. However, the main guts of the book is the central character's struggle to survive during the slaughter in the mud of Flanders. This is were the book is at its most compelling. Faulks does a superb job in capturing this nightmare. The claustophia of the "underground" chapters is particularly well done. "Enjoy" is the not the right word to describe my reaction to this book. "Respect" is closer to the mark.