Best Novel of the Great War?

[Paul Hederer]

Hello there,

I'm curious what the members here feel is the best novel to come out of the Great War.

I'm sure this has been discussed before (at some point) but I'd like to bring it up in light of the "7 top books of the war," thread.

I found it interesting that though "All Quiet on the Western Front," is often cited as the best novel to come out of the war, it was only on 6 out of 21 peoples' list of their top seven books.

Perhaps like art, "One only knows what one likes," and there is no definitive answer to the above question, but it is interesting to hear (read ) views.

For me, "All Quiet on the Western Front," ranks at the top of my list of war novels because of its power to convey the horror of war and its effects on the men who fought it.

From the Allied side I love, "The Middle Parts of Fortune," by Manning. After a life-long career in the military, from my perspective I felt he truly captured the nuances of military life, and reflected the realities of the war in an honest and straightforward manner.

"And Quiet flows the Don," and "The Don flows Home to the Sea," by Sholokhov. I treasure these two books because of the glimpse they provide into the life of a Cossack family before, during and after the war. Leave the Stalinist propaganda by the wayside and they are well worth a read.

The term best is problematic when discussing novels, to be sure. One could say, "most important," but who judges?

Also, best and most enjoyable are perhaps not the same things when discussing novels about war.

So back to the question at hand--What do you feel is the best (term caveated) novel to be written about the Great War?

Paul

[Max Poilu]

In a nutshell and sorry to be predictable but yes, it has to be 'All Quiet...', for me at least.

Paul, you might find this interesting:

Novel discussions

[marc leroux]

I finished "Under Fire" by Henri Barbusse, the latest transalation by Robin Buss. It isn't an easy read, but I highly recommend it. It is about the frenc army, written by a veteren. The descriptions of live in the trenches and the reactions of civilians who are well behind the lines are excellant.

Overall, a great read.

Note: if you've read an earlier translation, pick up the one by Buss. It is much more 'gritty'.

marc

[TimCatherall]

Almost impossible for me to give a favourite But as an (hopefully) interesting aside I have just read Henry Williamsons The Patriots Progress. Excellent read but very grim. He also wrote Tarka the Otter and a number of other autobiographical books which cover his life, the only one I have read is The Golden Virgin covering the run up to and first day of the Somme. Anyway in his introduction to the Patriots Progress he dismisses All Quiet... and uses the bizarre metaphor of it being like a **** against a window (is that a metaphor??).

Anyone else think its a **** against a window (or it may have been a pole - I'll check tonight)

[Andrew P]

I've always been a big fan of 'To The Last Ridge' by WH Downing.

[Dolphin]

I've long admired VM Yeates' Winged Victory for its realistic depiction of life in a Sopwith Camel squadron in 1918. Yeates was a Camel pilot in No 46 Sqn RFC/RAF, so he really knew what he was writing about.

For the War on the ground, John Harris's Covenant with Death is excellent reading.

If you have plenty of time, then Henry Williamson's A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight saga is beautifully written, and covers many aspects of the War both at the Front and in the UK.

Gareth

[ianw]

"Her Privates We" by Manning is very good - in the unexpurgated version with realistic language used.

[Paul Nixon]

Death of A Hero - Richard Aldington. A very poignant read.

[Guest webbhead]

All Quiet on the Western Front WAS written by a German (original title: Im Westen nichts Neues).

[Dawson]

The best novel I have read on the war, and the book that started my interest is

A covenant with death by John Harris. Now sadly out of print. But well worth searching for.

Ian.

[Matt Dixon]

All quiet on the Western Front, the only war book in my desert island choice

[Paul Nixon]

One of my favorourite books was Storm Of Steel which is a graphic account from the German perspective, Probably the Geman version of All Quiet on the Western Front. I think it was written by an actual combatant of the Great war. The author was Kurt Jurgens???.

Agree, great book but factual rather than fictitious. Ernst Junger was the author.

[Paul Hederer]

Hello again,

I'm enjoying this thread immensely. I find it fascinating that though I've read a good bit of Great War related literature, I must admit I've not read 90% of the titles mentioned here!

Thanks for this growing list of "books to read."

Paul

[Guest webbhead]

I have to add one more book since some of our British chums may not of heard of it. Timothy Findley's The Wars (1977) is the best Great War novel I've read by someone who wasn't actually there. What makes the novel fascinating is it incorporates the very problem of recovering history/ a sense of "what really happened" into the narrative--something we all struggle with in our researches. In addition, its depictions of life on the Western Front and the moral quandaries of war are second to none. It's available through Penguin Canada, don't know about England/ Europe.

Cheers.

[rmtruby]

Many historians have said that a lot of literature based on the Great War has distorted our understanding of the war with cliches. Other historians claim that literature has enhanced our understanding. Whilst we're on this thread, I'd be interested in what people think.

Enhanced? OR Distorted?

Oh, and by the way, best so far "All Quiet ....." Just about to start on "Birdsong". I'll let you know when I've read it, what I think.

Thanks

Ray

[Paul Hederer]

Ray,

Enhanced or distorted? I would say that's hard to say. My understanding of the war, or the experience of the war, may be different from someone elses based on my background or national origin to begin with, so what would be distorted?

I would say that reading literature has enhanced my understanding perhaps of the personal experience of the war, based on what the authors communicated to me.

That also brings me back to an earlier post that many of the greatest war novels of all time were written by men who did not experience the conflict they wrote about first-hand--Stephen Crane is a classic example.

As one old famous gentleman said, "Learn, learn, learn!" Perhaps if I follow this advice until my last days I will still never really understand the war.

Paul

[paul guthrie]

Mottram's Spanish Farm Trilogy is terrific, fiction of a sort as is Her Privates We. Perhaps more fiction since though Mottram was there central character is a French woman. This one does not get the acclaim it deserves.

[spike10764]

For me it's- Her Privates We by Manning.

The earthy language makes it more believable. As I always think the private soldiers in the trenches would behave/ talk as he tells it.

[Guest webbhead]

Ken S. et al:

For more on Charles Yale Harrison, see my lengthy posting under the Book Reviews--Generals Die in Bed thread.

Cheers.

[Ken S.]

Yes, I was a little quick to replay; I came across it soon after posting.

Incidently, it struck me later that there's another interesting Canadian WWI novel that's been largely forgotten now. Philip Albert Child, who won the Governor General's award for one of his works, wrote a novel called "God's Sparrow". He was a native of Hamilton, Ontario and served in the Canadian Field Artillery during the war, and readily uses this experience in the book. Granted, it's not the best written book, and about half of the book is set in the pre-war period, I think it's still worth a read if you can find a copy.

Ken

[Guest webbhead]

Ken S:

I've read God's Sparrows by Philip Child and agree it's a worthwhile, if not "top-ten" read. One interesting dimension is its portrait of pacifist movements, and the negative reactions to them, in wartime Canada. Child published a second war novel called Day of Wrath in 1945. Other Canadian novels along similar lines are George Godwin's Why Stay We Here (1930) and Peregrine Acland's All Else is Folly (1929), though neither is of the literary quality of CY Harrison's work. Harrison's work is highly UNDERrated.

Cheers.

[Ken S.]

Ken S:

I've read God's Sparrows by Philip Child and agree it's a worthwhile, if not "top-ten" read. One interesting dimension is its portrait of pacifist movements, and the negative reactions to them, in wartime Canada. Child published a second war novel called Day of Wrath in 1945. Other Canadian novels along similar lines are George Godwin's Why Stay We Here (1930) and Peregrine Acland's All Else is Folly (1929), though neither is of the literary quality of CY Harrison's work. Harrison's work is highly UNDERrated.

Cheers.

Yes, your right about the pacifism element in the novel. This brings to mind two other books: Aleta Dey by Marion Frances Beynon (I think) and The Boy from Winnipeg by James H. Gray. Aleta Dey is about a woman, and early feminist who becomes a journalist and is anti-war; but she falls in love with a soldier, and despite their differing beliefs, they manage to have a relationship. It was kind of a long time ago that I read it, so I'm a little hazy on this one. The Boy from Winnipeg is actually non-fiction, but it has a chapter in which he is at an anti-war rally with his father that gets broken up by soldiers. Quite interesting.

[Guest webbhead]

I've read a Aleta Dey but the Gray book is new to me. Thanks for the tip, I'll look for it. I'd say Aleta Dey(1919) was the first anti-war novel to come out of Canada (3 years behind Barbusse, I suppose), although its more of a homefront than trench novel. Beynon was questioning the war at a time when other Canadian novelists--Ralph Connor & L.M. Montgomery--were still writing on the old 'Great Adventure'/ anti-Prussianist line. I supposed we're a little off topic here, as I'd hardly consider any of these novels great--interesting nonetheless. The greatness starts with Harrison.

For decades Aleta Dey has only been available in Britain--Virago Classics.

Ken S.: sounds like we share some common ground and I see from your CEF postings you live in Hamilton (I'm in Ottawa). See my CEF Study group posting about "chances for meetings..." I'm always up for it if you're ever in town.

Cheers.

[Ken S.]

The Virago edition is the one that I had; I'm not familiar with the story behind its not being published in Canada, and when it was first allowed. That'd be interesting to look into someday. When I read it, I didn't really have as much of an interest in WWI back when I read it than I do now, and I really just read it for the sake of reading different.

[Guest Rory]

Too difficult to name one definitive Great War read for me, have enjoyed many. Have to say really been moved by many of those already mentioned, but would include Old Soldiers Never Die by Frank Richards as an excellent read.

Rory