Pat Barker
1995
Around 290 pages
We come to the third novel in the Regeneration trilogy, having only read the first entry in the series. I'm obsessive enough that I have to finish this List, but not obsessive enough that I have to read The Eye in the Door to fill in the gaps. Maybe I'm relaxing in my old age. Also, I didn't really like this much.
Our main characters this time are Billy Prior and the real life psychoanalyst William Rivers. Prior is "cured" of shell shock but not really of course, and engages in a risky lifestyle, which concerns Rivers, who has a deep bond with his post war patients.
As with our previous Barker work, it's interesting to explore how psychology was understood at the time, particularly in regards to PTSD. But once again, I didn't find the narrative too compelling. The ending was predictable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I had a hard time getting that invested in the characters' journeys with such an inevitable ending looming over the story. I guess that's part of the point, that the young men of this era were just doomed from the start.
So another one to throw in the middling pile, which seems to be our primary pile these days.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
In 2012, The Observer named the Regeneration Trilogy as one of "The 10 best historical novels".
Won the Booker Prize.
UP NEXT: Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels
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