Regeneration (Regeneration Trilogy)
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Product Description
Review
A brilliant novel. Intense and subtle (Peter Kemp Sunday Times )
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
The first volume of the REGENERATION trilogy which centres around an actual encounter between army psychologist W.H.R.Rivers and the novelist Siegfried Sassoon, at Craiglockhart Hospital, during the First World War.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 58 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Though often mentioned alongside the likes of Faulks's Birdsong and Susan Hill's Strange Meeting, Regeneration does not exactly come up to the 'regular' qualification of a war novel. Instead, what novelist Pat Barker sets out to attain is to trace the mental paralysis the war leaves in man's mind as well as exploring the courageous, though mostly inept, ways for all those involved, to cope.
As a psychiatrist at Craiglockhart Hospital, psychiatrist W.H. Rivers, a historically authentic character and a kind-hearted, get-at-able, even noble person, faces up to the impossible task to try and free his inmates-patients from the war demons that do not cease to haunt their minds.
In this process he gets involved in their regeneration process at a personal level as they grow able to express the horrors that have incapacitated them psychologically.
Barker follows the treatment undergone by war poet Siegfried Sassoon (aka Mad Jack) upon his arrival at Craiglockhart after throwing his brave conduct medal into the river Mersey and publishing his notorious anti-war statement in the Times.
Another riveting feature of the book is when Sassoon meets young Wilfred Owen and encourages the young poet in his writing aspirations.
In Regeneration, admittedly, the war merely serves as an undercurrent; but Barker succeeds admirably in turning it into a dramatic device to explore the complex issues she sets forth to clarify.
Being a doctor, Rivers' job is to preserve life. However, in just doing this, he ends up getting the men back on their feet again so they are ready to go back to the front (to get killed there just the same).
For Sassoon, Owen and the other soldier-patients, an important crux is the guilt complex which, given the emotional closeness between the fellow-soldiers in the trenches, almost forces the chaps to return to the front; to them it is the only way by which to avert the threat of mental destruction by guilt.
This dilemma is just what makes novels like these so worth one's while: even while physically on the safe side, the soldiers remain damned and doomed. What, indeed, are their chances of survival if and when they go back to the trenches?
A worthy testimony and a valuable read.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One of the most impressive books I have read in ages. A worthy Booker Prize winner. What impressed me the most was the subject matter and how it was handled. On the surface the "shrink" sessions of a First World War poet does not seem to be a far reaching let alone interesting subject for a novel. However, I was utterly engrossed by the story of the rehabilitation of not just Sassoon but all the other "inmates" of Craiglockhart as well. The anti war message is very clear and well argued from the author's point of view and in retrospect Sassoon was quite right. The sadness of the stories from the Front, the breakdowns and the attitude of the government and military are impressively recreated, as unfortunately are the methods of some other military hospitals. The appearance of Wilfred Owen should inspire readers to try his poetry, it is wonderful, honest and heartbreaking. All the waste of war, yards of mud for thousands of lives are here. Lest we forget, this is indeed an important work.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good read
This was the first book by this author I have read. Interesting and thought provoking, I will look at other titles.
Published 2 months ago by GreekIT
It was OK
It was well researched and the characterisations were good, but I had expected it to be more volatile. Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Hawkins
A thoughtful read
Set in Craiglockhart Hospital in Edinburgh, the book mostly follows psychiatrist W.H. Rivers as he treats the soldiers who have been taken out of service for his treatment. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. Willis
Cusotmer Service
Excellent customer service. This was one of a job lot of books that I ordered which were all delivered together. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Bookworm
Regeneration by Pat Barker.
The cover of the book is in great condition for a used book, however this is were the praise ends. The seller of the book could not of opened it to have a look inside as... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Podtom
I'm with the 3 stars ...
I'm afraid that Pat Barker simply fails to deliver - it just didn't work for me. Audio performance by Peter Firth was also only adequate I'm afraid. Read more
Published 7 months ago by EllaGuru
Regeneration
This is a fascination look into the thought processes of three of WW1's famed literary personalities, all officers in the British Army, two being treated at a psychological... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. W. J. Neil
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
There's a wonderful moment in `Regeneration' when two of the finest poets of the epoch that was the 1st world war graft together to finish Wilfred Owens `anthem for doomed youth'. Read more
Published 10 months ago by tom bosley
Regeneration trilogy
This is my second read of all three books in the trilogy and it is only then that the central characters in the stories come together to make sense of the overall theme. Read more
Published 11 months ago by B Jervis (New Zealand)
A war novel that isn't really about the war at all...
This book is hard to describe, because the knee-jerk reaction is to say it's about Siegfried Sasson receiving treatment at Craiglockhart Hospital during WW1, which is ostensibly... Read more
Published 12 months ago by C. Ball
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