The Night Watch
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters.
Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Trade(September 27, 2006)
ISBN-10: 1594482306
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From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Waters (Fingersmith) applies her talent for literary suspense to WWII-era London in her latest historical. She populates the novel with ordinary people overlooked by history books and sets their individual passions against the chaotic background of extraordinary times. There are Kay, a "night watch" ambulance driver; her lover, Helen; two imprisoned conscientious objectors, upper-class Fraser and working-class Duncan; Duncan's sister, Viv; Viv's married soldier-lover, Reggie; and Julia, a building inspector–cum–mystery novelist. The novel works backward in time, beginning in 1947, as London emerges from the rubble of war, then to 1944, a time of nightly air raids, and finally to 1941, when the war's end was not in sight. Through all the turmoil on the world stage, the characters steal moments of love, fragments of calm and put their lives on the line for great sex and small kindnesses. Waters's sharply drawn page-turner doesn't quite equal the work of literary greats who've already mapped out WWII-era London. But she matches any of them with her scene of two women on the verge of an affair during a nighttime bombing raid, lost in blackout London with only the light of their passion as a guide
This is my third book by Sarah Waters. The review from Amazon (long ago) made me pick it up and put in ye ol’ tbr pile. It took forever but I finally got around to reading it.
It had many things in it that I enjoy reading about, especially reading about WWII. I am not sure when or how I got so interested in a war that ended close to the time I was born, but somehow it happened.
I also just love reading about England, most especially the Victorian times , and as I said times around WWII. It’s also managed to make me read about Churchill .
This book had a bunch about how it was to survive during the war, and then trying to get back to life and try to feel as if it never happened, but those things are never forgotten and even change you for the rest of your life.
As in Waters other books she brings many interesting characters to light, and with life being hard because of the war, the fact that they all struggled just to stay alive let alone keep secrets or doing the unthinkable to survive is very compelling reading.
Although I enjoyed this book, I have to admit that I liked Fingersmith and the Little Stranger more. However, that’s not to say you wouldn’t enjoy this book, especially if you have read others by Sarah Waters.
posted by DesLily | 9:37 AM
5 Comments:
Pat you're just amazing! Your interests are so eclectic and you enjoy so many different topics. Your excitement comes out when you write your blog and I love reading what you're feeling...does that make sense?
I've got this one on my tbr pile. So far I've just read one book by Sarah Waters, Fingersmith, which I thought was a gruelling read but a brilliant book. So much Victorian atmosphere in it. Must get on to reading more by her.
This was actually my first Waters. I was very happy to read it and have read most of her books now. :) I enjoy them all!
I've never read any of her books. This one sounds very interesting as I love reading about WW2 England....What the English had to live through during those years---I find very fascinating and moving, too....Those were such tough years....I'll have to check this book out.
This and Fingersmith are the only two I've read thus far. And I positively adored them both, but think I might like Night Watch just a wee bit more. Hard to say though, as they touched me in very different ways.
And Pat *HUGS* Just because. :)
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