Reviewed by wcs53 on
In the end, I really enjoyed this book, but only because I persevered with it. It took me a while to get into it, probably because at first I fund it to be quite confusing. I wasn't sure what it was at first, whether it was a novel, a book of poetry, or a graphic novel. Once I worked out that it was a combination of all of these, I started to get into it.
The story is set in WWII and follows the story of Harry, a conscientious objector, working as a fireman in London during the blitz. His older brother, Ellis, is in the army, and it seems that Harry's refuse to enlist has put a wedge between the formerly inseparable brothers. The story is written in the for of a diary by Harry, with some poetry filling in the gaps. The poetry is narrated by Orpheus and alludes to Greek myths intertwined with Harry's story. There are also some wonderful illustrations interspersed throughout the book.
It's a well-written, different kind of book and worth reading, once you get beyond the initial confusion of what is going on.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 17 November, 2019: Finished reading
- 17 November, 2019: Reviewed