Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks

Ok, for my Advanced Level English Literature course we have to complete a "wider reading" project and answer several questions in an exam, based on our findings next year. So I happily went away, slightly annoyed that the project would be set around World War One. As far as I was concerned, I had exhausted my interest in both wars in other subjects. Thats until I started picking up WW1 literature. Journey's End was my first read - sublime. Strange Meeting and Not So Quiet were laborious yet thoughtful but as soon as I put down Birdsong my whole perspective of the war had changed.

Birdsong follows the life of Stephen Wraysford from 1910 until his death after the war. Faulks delivers a spinechilling account of his trials and hardships of trench life and his several near death experiences. Out of the box war novel? I think not - Faulks intertwines an action packed story with a gritty love fable between him and a beautiful French woman who is doomed to a failing marriage in the patriarchy of the naughties. This creates a drive, motive and an original character who guides us through the novel. Every page is filled with a unique account of the war, Stephen is gripping and an understandable protagonist.

This novel is not tear jerking. Its tear ripping. Several parts of this novel had me crying over the pages, mainly because of Faulks' masterful style but mostly because of the character relationships. Not only is this a truley emotional read but you also learn a thing or two the text books don't tell you.

Five stars. Lightning fiction that lights up dark realities.