Birdsong

Hiya, this is Heather writing! I know that several people are planning on reading this book, so will attempt to avoid spoilers. Bear in mind that a lot happens in this book, so this review does simplify the plot massively!

Author: Sebastian Faulks

Published: September 1993

Publisher: Hutchinson

Birdsong covers just under seventy years – from 1910 to 1979 – and is largely themed around the First World War, including before it has begun and the aftermath. The main protagonist (though the perspectives do change throughout) is Stephen Wraysford, a young British man who has been sent to France to oversee the way their textile industry works, whilst staying with the Azaire household. I think some people found the first section rather confusing because it is mostly a romance initially, you have to persevere until the war is abruptly entered. I actually really liked this, it shows that the soldiers’ lives did not simply revolve around the war; they had their own conflicts and personal battles before it. We also get a glimpse into the life of Stephen’s granddaughter, Elizabeth, who is narrating from 1978/9 and gains a sudden fascination with the war. Again, this displays rather a contrast to war, branching onto a more drama themed section as she struggles with her own relationship. Moreover, it illustrates how society disregards the First World War so much, with many of the characters lacking much sympathy or understanding of the horrors that we see Stephen go endure.

Like Barker’s Regeneration, the book addresses the link between love and war. At first, I thought this might be linking to how the soldiers would think of the most beautiful moments of their lives to remind themselves what they were fighting for, hence the love scenes were aforementioned. Yet there’s also the concept that love is a distraction, rather than a reason, to fight. The juxtaposition of ending life in war and forming life through a form of love is very powerful to write about. I did struggle to find the relationship between Stephen and Isabelle (this isn’t really a spoiler, it’s fairly obvious that they develop feelings for one-another) romantic since she is cheating on her husband with all things considered. Though the way Faulks presents it, Isabelle has no intimacy with her husband anyhow and Azaire is fairly easy to dislike, so it’s in no way an uncomfortable romance to read, I very much enjoyed it (plus it’s very easy to skip past the brief sex scenes if that disturbs you).

The parts set in war were written in a grotesquely visual manner, which was excellent at portraying the reality of war. Another main character – Jack Firebrace – works in the tunnels, which is a role that very few books look at. I can honestly not think of much worse than tunneling in the war. It’s described so vividly that as someone not fond of small spaces or loud noises, I felt terrified at points. The prospect of being buried alive was real for many in the war, so I’m really glad the Faulks wrote about it, as I feel it’s sometimes forgotten about when we refer to roles in the First World War.

Reactions to war is another phenomenally written aspect of the book – again, I find myself hooking back to Regeneration, particularly Siegfried Sassoon and his hatred of the civilians – Birdsong goes deeper into this so the reader really does sympathise with this view. When Weir goes home for a bit, his parents seem to dismiss his war experiences as dull, with the soldier’s family almost treating him like a nuisance for coming back without any advanced warning. Weir’s father seems practically offended that his son thinks he knows more about war, announcing at one point that he’s read about it in the paper, insinuating that he doesn’t need to know any more details, he’s perfectly well informed. I’m not quite sure whether to view this ignorance as his father’s bitterness about not being able to enlist himself, or perhaps feeling threatened upon knowing that his son is so tremendously brave and has seen such dreadful things. Maybe he wants to protect himself from hearing about the traumas his son has witnessed. Either way, Weir sums up his frustration later on saying that “his ‘bit’ and mine seem so different”. Anyone that’s read Haig’s play My Boy Jack may think to Rudyard Kipling, who is presented contrastingly in a proud way but still as ignorant to the reality of war, glorifying every moment.

Anyone on the hunt for either a romance, drama or war novel, please do opt for Birdsong and don't be dissuaded by the number of pages. Faulks writes in a vivid and captivating manner that makes the reader really understand more about the First World War. If you’ve read this or have any questions, comment below!