Available now: No Man’s Land by Simon Tolkien
***3/5 stars-liked it
Okay, I admit it. I pick out a book for its evocative, eye catching cover.
Recommended readers:
- If you like historical fiction of the Great War, this one is for you.
Here’s my Rankings:
- 3/5 for characters
- 3/5 for plot
- 3/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:
No Man’s Land traces the journey of an orphaned boy from impoverished city slums and a mining town in the country to the great house and finally the Great War, with all the devastation and disillusionment you come to expect in a novel of the lost generation. Tolkien’s description of of sights and sounds of combat and its impact on human beings, his efforts at relaying what is largely unimaginable, are the best sections of the novel. Less engaging is the culmination of the story in homecoming and a renewal of rivalry between the main character and his foster brother, though perhaps a homecoming initially less than joyous is exactly the point.
Books for Her 