Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (ISBN:0679776818)

English (US)

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		Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War
	
				(400 reviews)			
(5792 Readers)

			Sebastian Faulks		
	
Published to international critical and popular acclaim, this intensely romantic yet stunningly realistic novel spans three generations and the...more
 Published to international critical and popular acclaim, this intensely romantic yet stunningly realistic novel spans three generations and the unimaginable gulf between the First World War and the present. As the young Englishman Stephen Wraysford passes through a tempestuous love affair with Isabelle Azaire in France and enters the dark, surreal world beneath the trenches of No Man's Land, Sebastian Faulks creates a world of fiction that is as tragic as A Farewell to Arms and as sensuous as The English Patient. Crafted from the ruins of war and the indestructibility of love, Birdsong is a novel that will be read and marveled at for years to come.   less

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
It's hardly a unique opinion to say this is a very good novel. A Novel of Love and War it certainly is - the one aspect playing hauntingly off the other. One presumes it is impossible to comprehend the insanity of the WW1 experience without personal experience - but the cold emptiness in the pit of my stomach and the frustrating anger and confusion certain of Faulks' battle...more
 It's hardly a unique opinion to say this is a very good novel. A Novel of Love and War it certainly is - the one aspect playing hauntingly off the other. One presumes it is impossible to comprehend the insanity of the WW1 experience without personal experience - but the cold emptiness in the pit of my stomach and the frustrating anger and confusion certain of Faulks' battle passages evokes is powerful in the extreme. A mindless row of British attackers are mowed down, one by one, to the last man in a senseless slow and suicidal march on an enemy position. An onlooker from the trench rips his Catholic Cross from his neck. I was totally engrossed in Faulks' exploration of the inconceivability of trench warfare and the fragile threads of redemption. Faulks may not be Faulkner - but overall this is a must own book.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
contains some fascinating images of world war 1 trenches and tunnels.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Simply outstanding. An essential read to recognise the sheer hell of war, but a terrific story interwoven against that background. It will move you, grip you and haunt you in equal measures.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
addicted into reading. ending is a bit rush.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
This is a book you can sink your teeth into, although it does have it's flaws. In true boy fashion, I loved the (sometimes haunting) imagery of the gruesome nitty gritty of first world war warfare, most notably the disasterous Somme offensive and the tunnel-based scenes. Wasn't entirely convinced by the flashforwards to the 70s, though I could see that Faulks was trying to show how we are all...more
 This is a book you can sink your teeth into, although it does have it's flaws. In true boy fashion, I loved the (sometimes haunting) imagery of the gruesome nitty gritty of first world war warfare, most notably the disasterous Somme offensive and the tunnel-based scenes. Wasn't entirely convinced by the flashforwards to the 70s, though I could see that Faulks was trying to show how we are all linked to the past. Sadly, after a great ending to Stephen's WW1 story, the final sequence set in the 70s is a rather corny let down. However, would def recommend (just be prepared for the sex scenes, which got me slightly squirmy while reading on the bus!).   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Took me ages to get into this. I thought in parts there was a lot of totally unnecessary description. Faulk's description of the horrors of the trenches was both beautiful and harrowing. A deeply moving book.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
It was more of a book you had to pay more attention too. It dealt with WWI in europe-France and England. It starts out as a love story-then the war starts and the main character Stephen has to deal with the loss of love and the loss of life. Then there is parts of the book that center in the late 1970's.  Very good book - must read- will make you cry at times.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Simply one of the most moving books I have ever read.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Ah, it was wonderful.  Loved it.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Sebastian Faulks novel is one of passion, during a time of great change in the world. Through the eyes of Stephen, we see a passionate romance with a young French wealthy lady, and takes place over a time of great change. It sees Stephens romance with Isabelle blossom and then shows what comes from that relationship. It flashes to the 1970's when the grand daughter of Isabelle discovers her past...more
 Sebastian Faulks novel is one of passion, during a time of great change in the world. Through the eyes of Stephen, we see a passionate romance with a young French wealthy lady, and takes place over a time of great change. It sees Stephens romance with Isabelle blossom and then shows what comes from that relationship. It flashes to the 1970's when the grand daughter of Isabelle discovers her past and roots and discovers what happened to Stephen when the great war erupted in Europe.
This is an astonishing novel, moving and passionately written, which saw myself reduced to tears at some points. The descriptions of the characters and the scenes of war allow you to step inside this world and allows you to imagine the passion and sorrow felt by both Isabelle and Stephen.
If there is one book I recommend you read before you die, it would be this one. Its superb!!   hide

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