Set in London in 1918, "The Eye in the Door" is an intense and profoundly intelligent examination of the effects of war, continuing the interwoven stories of Dr William Rivers, Billy Prior, and Siegfried Sassoon begun in "Regeneration". "The Eye in the Door" was awarded the 1993 Guardian Fiction Prize, while the final volume in the "Regeneration" trilogy, "The Ghost Road", won the Booker Prize in 1995. Writing in the "Sunday Times", Peter Kemp said, 'In the climate of exhaustion and hysteria amid which the war is wearing to its close, pressures to fall into line become fierce and take ugly forms. At the forefront of her story, Barker places figures especially menaced by this: pacifists, conscientious objectors and homosexuals ...a sequel every bit as unwaveringly intense and intelligent as its predecessor'.
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Gripping, moving, beautifully constrcted and profoundly intelligent (Independent on Sunday )
--This text refers to an alternate
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The Eye in the Door was the richly deserving winner of the 1993 Guardian Fiction Prize, the second volume in Pat Barker's brilliant Regeneration Trilogy. Written with immense power, it is the story not just of one young man suffering from the trauma of war, but from a generation, condemned to the unending slaughter of the trenches, and all the charged agony of class and gender that had its own bitter harvest. But for all the pain she portrays, Barker's novel, with its wry humour and exquisite observation, explodes with life.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I am writing this in response to the only other review of this book so far, which I do not think does the novel justice. All right, some of "The Eye in the Door" is "brutal and dark" - Pat Barker's books usually do have that element - but what I find so impressive about this novelist is how she manages to deal with difficult, and sometimes unpleasant, subjects in a way that is intelligent, compassionate and unsensational. Her books also have a streak of dry humour running through them that keep them becoming all doom and gloom like a Thomas Hardy novel. And yes, Prior's character is 'flawed" - (whose isn't?) - and sometimes difficult to like, but he seems real and human, and it is impossible not to sympathise with him sometimes, particularly given the courage with which he confronts his situations (not to mention the scalding sense of humour and irony.) Maybe "Regeneration" seems a "cleaner" novel, with characters it is easier to admire or like or pity, but I thought this one continued the tradition of amazingly powerful writing and is definitely worth a read, not just as part of the trilogy, but for its own sake.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Healthy and Unhealthy Mind Dualities Driven by War Tragedies and Paranoia
29 April 2008
Format:Paperback
If you haven't read Regeneration, you are making a big mistake if you read The Eye in the Door before Regeneration. Regeneration sets the stage for The Eye in the Door and provides much background information that you need to appreciate this book.
Those who liked the first book in the Regeneration trilogy, Regeneration, will absolutely adore The Eye in the Door. The characters from Regeneration return, and you have a chance to find out the consequences of the treatments they received from Dr. William Rivers in Regeneration. Pat Barker builds on the tensions, damage, doubts, and despair of mid-World War I to show how much more desperate matters were for the British by the spring of 1918.
In developing these themes, Pat Barker does a masterful job of explaining how a soldier has to operate both by emotion and by objective distance in order to function. From there, she helps us use the crucible of war to see how that duality is important to everyday functioning for all people.
As the title indicates, the book builds on a central metaphor of everyone being under observation as doubts build about Britain's ability to win the war. Those on the margins are most under pressure and at greatest risk.
I thought that the portrayal of Lieutenant Billy Prior was brilliant. He comes across as the kind of complex, interesting character that can help us learn a lot about Ms. Barker's messages for us. The eye metaphor is nicely developed in the context of Billy's life.
Brava, Ms. Barker!
Those who liked the first book in the Regeneration trilogy, Regeneration, will absolutely adore The Eye in the Door. The characters from Regeneration return, and you have a chance to find out the consequences of the treatments they received from Dr. William Rivers in Regeneration. Pat Barker builds on the tensions, damage, doubts, and despair of mid-World War I to show how much more desperate matters were for the British by the spring of 1918.
In developing these themes, Pat Barker does a masterful job of explaining how a soldier has to operate both by emotion and by objective distance in order to function. From there, she helps us use the crucible of war to see how that duality is important to everyday functioning for all people.
As the title indicates, the book builds on a central metaphor of everyone being under observation as doubts build about Britain's ability to win the war. Those on the margins are most under pressure and at greatest risk.
I thought that the portrayal of Lieutenant Billy Prior was brilliant. He comes across as the kind of complex, interesting character that can help us learn a lot about Ms. Barker's messages for us. The eye metaphor is nicely developed in the context of Billy's life.
Brava, Ms. Barker!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unlike Regeneration, which can function as a stand-alone novel quite apart from its place as the first in the trilogy, I think both the subsequent books require the knowledge of the characters and the circumstances that comes with Regeneration. Billy Prior, who has somewhat of a secondary role in Regeneration, as opposed to Rivers and Sassoon, takes centre stage this time, and despite being one of the few fictional characters in this trilogy, is arguably the most fascinating.
Prior is a working-class officer, working in Intelligence when he longs to be back at the Front, investigating anti-war pacifists, most of whom he grew up with as a child, bisexual, neither fish nor fowl and the strains of this shatter his psyche and he suffers from memory lapses, blackouts and even a split personality. He's a wonderful, brittle, hard-edged character, eminently memorable, and a heartbreaking example of the inner wounds war can inflict on even the strongest of characters.
Many people make the mistake of thinking of this trilogy as a 'war trilogy' and that does it a disservice, almost. It's so much more. The Western Front only makes a physical appearance in the final novel - this is a trilogy about the mental scars of war, about the pressures of government and politics during war, about the evolution of mental health care, about sexuality and national pride. I think this is my favourite book of the trilogy.
Prior is a working-class officer, working in Intelligence when he longs to be back at the Front, investigating anti-war pacifists, most of whom he grew up with as a child, bisexual, neither fish nor fowl and the strains of this shatter his psyche and he suffers from memory lapses, blackouts and even a split personality. He's a wonderful, brittle, hard-edged character, eminently memorable, and a heartbreaking example of the inner wounds war can inflict on even the strongest of characters.
Many people make the mistake of thinking of this trilogy as a 'war trilogy' and that does it a disservice, almost. It's so much more. The Western Front only makes a physical appearance in the final novel - this is a trilogy about the mental scars of war, about the pressures of government and politics during war, about the evolution of mental health care, about sexuality and national pride. I think this is my favourite book of the trilogy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Worthy Episode In Barker's WW1 Trilogy
This 1993 novel is the second in Pat Barker's trilogy (preceded by Regeneration and followed by The Ghost Road) depicting the physical and psychological effects of World War 1. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Keith M
4.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful and moving
As always Pat Barker, makes one think, "The Eye in the Door", is tough and moving, ,and has sent me back to re read the other novels in the" Regeneration Trilogy"
Published 5 months ago by Louise Bryan
5.0 out of 5 stars
'in spite of Not Believing in the War and Not Having Faith in our...
Masterly novel set in the latter stages of World War 1- not in the trenches but in London. Barker marries historical characters (Siegfried Sassoon, neurologist Dr Rivers) with the... Read more
Published 13 months ago by sally tarbox
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pat Barker The Eye in the Door.
Brilliant, you'll feel drained after reading this novel. PB explores the psychological effects of conflict so missing from the press with their emphasis on the cult of heroes. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Gillian
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Eye in the door
This book was slightly damaged on the front cover with ink/other such substance but otherwise it was fine, the pages were in good condition. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Kerry Louise
4.0 out of 5 stars
Regeneration trilogy
This is the second instalment in the Regeneration trilogy, and continues examining the effects of the first world war. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2011 by AdeleM
4.0 out of 5 stars
eye in the door
Not as good as Regeneration, but how could it be. Wonderful continuation of the characters,especially the psychiatrist, and unexpected continuation of the story. Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2009 by michael rampling
3.0 out of 5 stars
grim tale of split personality
This sequel to Regeneration starts with a sordid homosexual encounter. I found that I almost stopped reading the book. Read more
Published on 21 May 2008 by Cole Davis
1.0 out of 5 stars
I didn`t like the first one..
and i didn`t like this one either. Barker jumps about all over the place, making point after point - all adding up to nothing and leaving you wondering what the hell it`s all been... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2008 by Leeds lass
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very loose ends
Books you have enjoyed stick with you, while books you didn't like fade away. But just occasionally, a bad book niggles and irritates your subconscious, until you stumble across it... Read more
Published on 30 April 2005 by Patrick Neylan
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