My Dear I Wanted to Tell You
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Review
‘This is the finest Great War novel since Susan Hill's ‘Strange Meeting’. Louisa Young weaves the experiences of her characters using an urgent, theatrical, staccato style that is probably best appreciated as an audio book, especially when read by the phenomenal Dan Stevens, who invests the characters with an immediately recognisable individuality whether they are thinking, writing, speaking – or, indeed, desperately trying to speak’
Independent on Sunday
‘Every once in a while comes a novel that generates its own success, simply by being loved. Louisa Young’s My Dear I Wanted to Tell You inspires the kind of devotion among its readers not seen since David Nicholls’ One Day’
The Times
‘Birdsong for the new millennium’
Tatler
‘Powerful, sometimes shocking, boldly conceived, it fixes on war’s lingering trauma to show how people adapt – or not – and is irradiated by anger and pity’
The Sunday Times
‘[A] tender, elegiac novel. Others have been here before, of course, from Sebastian Faulks to Pat Barker, but Young belongs in their company’
Mail on Sunday
‘Unmissable … in crisp poignant prose Young explores what war really means in terms of mental anguish, while cleverly commenting on class and sex’
Marie Claire
‘Weaving heartbreakingly painful irony, heroic sacrifice, human weakness, vanity, tragedy and the purest of loves, you’ll be left sobbing and grasping onto any hope that all is not lost amid the poppies, the guns and the hospital beds’
Easy Living
‘A memorable and unusual novel which explores new ground in the literature of the Great War’
Linda Grant
‘This novel is a triumph’
Elizabeth Jane Howard
Review
'Every once in a while comes a novel that generates its own success, simply by being loved. Louisa Young's My Dear I Wanted to Tell You inspires the kind of devotion among its readers not seen since David Nicholls' One Day' The Times 'Birdsong for the new millennium' Tatler 'Powerful, sometimes shocking, boldly conceived, it fixes on war's lingering trauma to show how people adapt -- or not -- and is irradiated by anger and pity' The Sunday Times '[A] tender, elegiac novel. Others have been here before, of course, from Sebastian Faulks to Pat Barker, but Young belongs in their company' Mail on Sunday 'Unmissable ! in crisp poignant prose Young explores what war really means in terms of mental anguish, while cleverly commenting on class and sex' Marie Claire 'Weaving heartbreakingly painful irony, heroic sacrifice, human weakness, vanity, tragedy and the purest of loves, you'll be left sobbing and grasping onto any hope that all is not lost amid the poppies, the guns and the hospital beds' Easy Living 'A memorable and unusual novel which explores new ground in the literature of the Great War' Linda Grant 'This novel is a triumph' Elizabeth Jane Howard
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
114 of 119 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I have read quite a few war books and heard a tale end interview of the author of this book on the radio and was inspired to buy it. Am so glad I did. It is a rich story of the horrors of war but told from a very human aspect. It is not a documentary of WWI with dates and places, albeit its a full factual account. It is how as people, ordinary people fared in the war and the horrors they faced and the loves they lost. I absolutely loved it and cannot stop thinking about Major Locke, Rose, Julia, Nadine and ofcourse Riley. The book made me cry - and in the middle - not at the end. It is written with such strong emotion and pathos that I, who have never reviewed a book before decided I must review this one. Please read it, as although it is a story, what you learn from this story is far greater than a factual account of what happened in this awful awful war. The characters are so plausible and their incredible bravery makes me so proud to be British. I hope the writer gets the credit she deserves for this, as it truly is thought-provoking, heart rendering and probably even more corny expressions used in these reviews but which are completely needed here!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This novel intertwined the lives of five people during WWI in a way I particularly enjoyed. There was Riley and Nadine, two young adults who grew up together but in differing class positions. They both loved each other but Nadine's disapproving mother and their class divide meant that they were not going to have their happily ever after. Then there was Peter and his wife Julia and cousin Rose. Riley and Peter meet in the frontline and become friends and the three women also, eventually, cross paths.
I think the strength of the start of the book lies in how the author portrays the difficulties of coping with war - both for the men fighting and for those left behind. There was no way for the men to prepare themselves for the horrors that they would see (and I don't suppose the preparation these days is much better despite the fact we all feel a bit desensitised to it thanks to the media) just as the women struggled to cope without their men. What I liked was how the author showed the coping mechanisms for the three women so differently: Rose and, after a while, Nadine were very much the stoic women who coped best by doing things, in this case joining the Voluntary Aid Detachment as nurses. Though they were working in different areas, they eventually became friends through letters relating to an injured character. Julia, however, seemed so lost and directionless throughout the novel, falling into a depression and becoming fixated on perfection: perfection of the home and perfection of her looks. It was sad to read. This is not to say that the author did not write well about Riley and Peter and their experiences, she did, it's just that my particular interest is of women's roles during war.
Towards the end, the book became a sort of grim, gripping tale of the early development of facial reconstruction surgeries after one of the characters is injured badly. I have to say, being a bit of a nerd, I found this fascinating and it took my focus away from the characters for a while. This is not the fault of the book, it's more my own interest in how medicine and science have developed throughout the years and the fact that it will probably always override the happenings of a story.
Now to mention a few things that annoyed me about the novel. I felt that it dragged a bit in places and was ever so slightly predictable. I never felt like it had a sense of suspense, of the unknown, that I like when I read. Also, despite the fact I mostly liked them, the female characters were a bit on the clichéd side: artistic Nadine who falls for a working class lad, beautiful but otherwise useless Julia, and the plain but caring Rose. I also felt like Rose was a woefully underused character as, of all the women, she had the most interesting story arc.
Despite the flaws it had, I found My Dear, I Wanted To Tell You a gripping read. In the Q&A at the end of this book, the author mentions the possibility of a sequel during WWII and I would definitely like to read it.
I think the strength of the start of the book lies in how the author portrays the difficulties of coping with war - both for the men fighting and for those left behind. There was no way for the men to prepare themselves for the horrors that they would see (and I don't suppose the preparation these days is much better despite the fact we all feel a bit desensitised to it thanks to the media) just as the women struggled to cope without their men. What I liked was how the author showed the coping mechanisms for the three women so differently: Rose and, after a while, Nadine were very much the stoic women who coped best by doing things, in this case joining the Voluntary Aid Detachment as nurses. Though they were working in different areas, they eventually became friends through letters relating to an injured character. Julia, however, seemed so lost and directionless throughout the novel, falling into a depression and becoming fixated on perfection: perfection of the home and perfection of her looks. It was sad to read. This is not to say that the author did not write well about Riley and Peter and their experiences, she did, it's just that my particular interest is of women's roles during war.
Towards the end, the book became a sort of grim, gripping tale of the early development of facial reconstruction surgeries after one of the characters is injured badly. I have to say, being a bit of a nerd, I found this fascinating and it took my focus away from the characters for a while. This is not the fault of the book, it's more my own interest in how medicine and science have developed throughout the years and the fact that it will probably always override the happenings of a story.
Now to mention a few things that annoyed me about the novel. I felt that it dragged a bit in places and was ever so slightly predictable. I never felt like it had a sense of suspense, of the unknown, that I like when I read. Also, despite the fact I mostly liked them, the female characters were a bit on the clichéd side: artistic Nadine who falls for a working class lad, beautiful but otherwise useless Julia, and the plain but caring Rose. I also felt like Rose was a woefully underused character as, of all the women, she had the most interesting story arc.
Despite the flaws it had, I found My Dear, I Wanted To Tell You a gripping read. In the Q&A at the end of this book, the author mentions the possibility of a sequel during WWII and I would definitely like to read it.
59 of 64 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
The front cover of this book, reminiscent of yet another beach chick-flick read, nearly put me off. Fortunately with the encouragement of a close friend, I launched into one of the best books I've read this year. So often novels set during the First World War dwell on the painful minutiae of trench-life, with characters taking second place in the spin of a narrative dominated by bloody gore. In contrast this novel pushes the characters to the fore, with piercing characterisation and poignancy. Best of all it is far from predictable, allowing the reader to turn the pages with an anticipatory appetite for what is to follow.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Enjoyed this more than 'Bird Song'
Very moving story, which brought tears to my eyes. The love story was very touching but not over done. Read more
Published 15 hours ago by "Dr Hutch"
Doesn't live up to its promise
Although the title initially put me off, the blurb and reviews were enough for me to give it a try as I'm a huge fan of WW1 and II novels. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Ms. A. L. Young
good idea, poor execution
Oh dear. Fantastic idea for a novel - a first world war love story interwoven with an account of the pioneering plastic surgery done on the injured, but it was sadly let down by... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Patricia Hill
One for the ladies
My wife and daughters thoroughly enjoyed this read . A story well told and with compassion and care. Very good value
Published 9 days ago by Mr. J. D. Roach
If you ever read one book in your life this should be it.
I have just finished reading what must be the finest novel of WW1 ever written. The Great War has been a passion of mine for many years, my collection of factual books run into... Read more
Published 9 days ago by Allan Horne
Beautfifully presented book does not dissappoint
I was originally given this book as a gift and loved it so much I bought it for a friend! The hardcover version is really lovely and the story lives up to expectations. Read more
Published 13 days ago by JR
Cut to the quick
Harrowing, stark, beautiful, compassionate, honest. You simply have to read this to know why this is now in the top three of my most memorable books ever read - and I have read a... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Jo Scrase
Amazing
You know when sometimes you read a book and think `why did I waste my valuable time reading that' and then you read a book that lives with you long after you have finished it, and... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Debbie480
Un. Put. Down. Able!
I loved this book and I read it pretty quickly, the character Rose is so lovely and I love how she links a lot of the other characters, eventually. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Mrs. J. M. Foster
first experience
The voice of Dan Stevens is perfect for this story he captures the accents and emotions of the characters perfectly. Read more
Published 17 days ago by shaldon
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