http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews/2008/07/08/pat-barkers-the-ghost-road/ Book reviews of contemporary literary fiction and modern classics. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:33:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews/2008/07/08/pat-barkers-the-ghost-road/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Trevor Berrett Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:35:48 +0000 http://mookse.wordpress.com/?p=51#comment-46 Redhead, you've definitely given me food for thought. I must go back and read the first two and then the third one again. Not too much to ask since they are all fairly short with big type. And Barker's prose is straightforward and the story quite compelling. When I get there, I'll let you know what I think! Redhead, you’ve definitely given me food for thought. I must go back and read the first two and then the third one again. Not too much to ask since they are all fairly short with big type. And Barker’s prose is straightforward and the story quite compelling. When I get there, I’ll let you know what I think!

]]> http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews/2008/07/08/pat-barkers-the-ghost-road/comment-page-1/#comment-44 The Ghost Road by Pat Barker « RedHead Ramble Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:32:35 +0000 http://mookse.wordpress.com/?p=51#comment-44 [...] The Mookse and the Gripes review [...] [...] The Mookse and the Gripes review [...]

]]> http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews/2008/07/08/pat-barkers-the-ghost-road/comment-page-1/#comment-45 redheadrambles Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:28:39 +0000 http://mookse.wordpress.com/?p=51#comment-45 Interesting review. As I have said before I think my opinions on the book were more favorable because I felt like I built up a strong relationship with Billy Prior and Rivers by following them through the trilogy. Also, these were the first WWI novels I had read so it had a big impact on me. In particular, I got a strong sense of the wastage of youth, I know this is probably not new but this trilogy brought it home more powerfully then anything else I have read or watched. I agree with the sex and immortality link but my interpretation was that Billy is bisexual rather than homosexual and I wondered how much of his sexuality was influenced by the war and his childhood abuse.. Rivers was an interesting character to me because he has to absorb so much - yet he obviously struggles with sending men back to the front and feels some guilt at not being able to fight himself. I do agree with your first point that a book should stand alone to win the Booker but we all know that some prizes are handed out in recognition of an authors prior work - Amsterdam is an example. In this case I think Regeneration is what is being awarded.... Interesting review. As I have said before I think my opinions on the book were more favorable because I felt like I built up a strong relationship with Billy Prior and Rivers by following them through the trilogy. Also, these were the first WWI novels I had read so it had a big impact on me. In particular, I got a strong sense of the wastage of youth, I know this is probably not new but this trilogy brought it home more powerfully then anything else I have read or watched. I agree with the sex and immortality link but my interpretation was that Billy is bisexual rather than homosexual and I wondered how much of his sexuality was influenced by the war and his childhood abuse..
Rivers was an interesting character to me because he has to absorb so much – yet he obviously struggles with sending men back to the front and feels some guilt at not being able to fight himself.
I do agree with your first point that a book should stand alone to win the Booker but we all know that some prizes are handed out in recognition of an authors prior work – Amsterdam is an example. In this case I think Regeneration is what is being awarded….

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