Rating:  Summary: A powerful WW I novel fought in the minds of the combattants Review: This first novel of a trilogy of World War I is the most powerful although it was the last one, Ghost Road, which won the prestigious Booker Prize.The setting is a hospital in England for those recovering from shell shock. The protagonists are a psychiatrist and his patient who is opposed to the endless slaughter of the war. Clearly to "cure" the patient, to find him sane, is to send him to his probable death. The entire novel takes place within the hospital yet the horror of this war is omnipresent, the images sharp and overwhelmingly strong and sad. It is an amazing book because of the author's ability to portray the horror of war without being in the battlefield and the permanent scars left on the psyche. Interestingly this novel has been built on the foundation of meetings between real people. I found this book irresitible and memorable, and immediately read the rest of the trilogy, but it is this one that is haunting.
Rating:  Summary: Tremendously Moving Review: This is a marvelous novel, beautifully written, with wonderful characters. I was enthralled throughout and found Dr. Rivers simply fascinating. Barker is one of the finest authors around and this higly acclaimed novel is another example of her amazing talent.
Rating:  Summary: Outstanding. Review: This is a terrific book. One of the best novels I have read in years, it contains wonderful writing, superb character studies, and addresses moral questions of great importance. While this book will be read and enjoyed by everyone, it has some special interest for physicians (like me). This book contains the best deciption of the complexities of the doctor-patient relationship I have ever encountered and uses the special nature of this relationship to highlight the moral dilemma inherent in balancing the claims of the state with that of individuals. Readers should be aware that the central metaphor of the book, regeneration, is drawn from a famous experiment in clinical neuroscience, performed by one of the protagonists of this novel.
I also recommend very strongly the other books in Pat Barker's WWI trilogy, especially the concluding book, The Ghost Road. The concluding section of The Ghost Road is a tour de force of remarkable power.
Rating:  Summary: Regeneration Review: This is definately my favourite book! From the minute i picked it up, i did not want to put it down. I was surprised by its content and found it utterly compelling. It is one of the lighter war literature reads, which seemed somewhat refreshing. The characters were fantastically developed and i found myself particularly drawn to Billy Prior. The sessions between Rivers and all his patients were entertaining, yet touching.All in all this is an incredible book and i can not wait to read the rest of the trilogy!
Rating:  Summary: The most outstanding book on WWI Review: This is the best of the three though they all should be read. Presents a full picture of the trauma associated with war and this war in particular.
Rating:  Summary: Disturbing Review: This is the first in a crisply written trilogy of novels woven around WWI trench soldiers and the doctor that treats them when they come home shell-shocked. One of Dr. Rivers' patients is Sassoon who takes a stand on the moral status of the war and it's continuance. Given that it is better to be thought lunatic than a pacifist Sassoon's friends pull strings to see that he is treated instead of court-martialed. His arrival at Craiglockhart introduces us to a startling variety of damaged soldiers, their ailments, the treatments, and their futures, which we follow in the next two books: The Eye in the Door, and The Ghost Road. Grisley. Disturbing. Graphic sex. I am still undecided as to whether or not I recommend these books.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderful Review: This was one of the best I've read. Its light, easy reading and impossible to put down. Yet raises many questions. well worth the money.
Rating:  Summary: WHAT A UNIQUE INSIGHT TO WAR! Review: What a unique look at the lives of the first world war soldier. I found myself totally engrossed in the rehabilitation of the men in this book. It questions the whole idea of what it was to be a man in this period. With shocking flashbacks to the reality of the trenches we are made aware of how horrific the conditions of the war were. Barker intertwines facts with fiction in a way I have never seen before. We find ourselves questioning whether Pat Barker was even there!
Rating:  Summary: great book both as literature and in readability Review: You don't read Regeneration for a Grisham-like plot. You read it because it's a moving, compelling, thought-provoking book that is also very difficult to put down. Regeneration is written with a clarity, simplicity, and readability that might be somewhat deceptive. What drives the book is something more subtle than just its plot or some simplistic "war is bad" moral. If there's a condemnation in the book, it's not just of war; it's of all the things that lead to war and underlie it. But the book doesn't seem to be about just war; it is about all the ways in which people find their beliefs challenged by what happens in war, and how people try to resist the changing force of war. The book is really beautifully written and very moving. I found myself becoming very attached to some of the characters, particularly Sassoon and Owen, whose poetry I read when I was younger. It's just a great book. I think maybe it's especially good if you have read some of the WWI poetry, which is amazing.
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