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Regeneration by: Pat Barker

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Rating: - Haunting

I'm surprised more readers haven't put in a review of this novel, which must be close to classic status by now. Barker does a superb job of mixing fact and fiction, invention and history. Sassoon and Owen are vividly drawn and Barker's fascinating depiction of WHR Rivers sent me off to find out more about the real Rivers. The fictional Billy Prior is also a well-drawn character; like the others, his conflicts are internal as much as with the enemy or the Army establishment. One the best novels I've read about the First World War [superior to Faulkes's 'Birdsong']; the other two in the triology keep up the high standard too.

Rating: - A Future Classic

Regeneration is an astounding work of fiction, centred around the relationship between Siegfried Sassoon and his psychiatrist. Sassoon was a real-life World War 1 Officer and poet who spent some time in an institution (alongside Wilfred Owen) for speaking out against the way the war was conducted in its later stages.

Barker writes simply and authoritatively, creating vivid, vulnerable but strong characters that will stay with you long after you've put this book down. Her knowledge of the early twentieth century is profound and her ability to place the reader there seems almost effortless.

This book is not for the fainthearted, it's true; however Barker does not dwell on the horrors of war in a gratuitous fashion - she takes us on a journey with ordinary men who are trying to deal with horrifically extraordinary memories. That journey is intimate, and it is not easy. That's not to say that this is a political work, however it is clear that the mental aftermath of war is destroying and (still) not recognised often enough. If Barker's has any message with this book, it is that. This message, coupled with some of the most engaging characters and beautifully written dialogue I've ever come across, means that this book certainly earns a place as one of my favourite fictional works ever.

Rating: - WW1 pyschological story

An interesting,introverted book,based on Dr Rivers study of some of his more famous clients.It's wonderfully written,and Barkers characters ooze,a moody,intellectual,introverted mind set.The tone of the book has a nice sepia,style to it,and the sadness of war and pointless death is always there.This is a book for people who like the physchological side of WW1 and all of it's dilemmas,rather than the actual gun fight in the trenches.Barker concentrates on understatement and introspection to bring the book,and it's characters to life.This will become a "classic" of it's genre in the fullness of time

Rating: - A well crafted and compassionate story

Regeneration is set in the First World War and revolves around the patients of Craiglockhart Hospital near Edinburgh. The men are being treated for shellshock by Doctor W.E.Rivers, and through his relationships with them we get to learn much about the war and the men who fought in it. The narrative is structured around real events and people such as Rivers himself and the poet Siegfried Sassoon. Barker weaves fictional major characters into the story who feel just as real and important as these historical figures.

The novel is not just about the war and its tragedy. It is also a book about writing, mental illness, and a change in the structure of society to name but a few themes. Barker manages to explore a lot in a relatively short novel.

The story is driven by the characters who are realistic and interesting enough so that the narrative only rarely becomes bogged down. I felt that the novel did lose focus somewhat in the middle, when the storyline moves away from Craiglockhart, but Barker doesn't let us languish with Rivers at his brother's farm for too long. I found the ending to the novel to be both climactic and also to raise many questions which make me want to read part two of the trilogy.

The end is climactic partly due to the shocking nature of one particular scene. Indeed, Barker does not shy away from the gruesome images that are often part of a war novel. She chooses her moments though, and we are never desensitised from too much.

Unlike most war novels the women characters are drawn very well. At the beginning of the novel women are largely absent but one particular character at least becomes a compelling portrait. It is refreshing also to read a war novel that seems mostly concerned with life away from the front.

Barker's prose is economical with some choice descriptions which are quite beautiful at times. There were one or two clumsy images which grate, and this is a shame for someone who obviously writes with such skill.

Overall this is a well crafted and compassionate story. I will definitely read the rest of the trilogy.

Rating: - Subtly powerful

This thoughtful, elegantly written novel is a powerful evocation of the horrors of war - and its aftermath. Barker skilfully blends fact and fiction, incorporating elements of Siegfried Sassoon's spell in a Scottish mental hospital following his anti-war declaration, including his friendship with Wilfred Owen. The novel shows how the first world war destroyed a generation of young men, both physically and mentally. Their experiences emerge not through graphic descriptions of battles and dramatic set-pieces, but through their often complicated relationship with army psychiatrist Dr Rivers. He himself is a deep and complex character, his own feelings about the war becoming increasingly ambivalent as he watches the men he has 'cured' return to the front - and near-certain death.
It's a quietly haunting novel, and I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

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