The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

[Kidsmum]

Night Watch tells the story of four people living in 1940s London during wartime. As with Sarah Waters other books the story has a lesbian theme, however i don't think this reduces it's appeal as most people will be able to identify with the insecurities, jealousy & conflicting emotions felt by the characters regardless of their sexual orientation. The strength of the book i think is in it's well developed characters but my one gripe is that because the story is told back to front, ending with it's beginning in 1941 a lot of the tension in the high anxiety scenes is lost as you already know what the outcome is. Overall though a really good atmospheric read.

[Weave]

Sounds good Kidsmum, I have 'Night Watch' on my shelf for ages, I need to read it as some point and I hope you are enjoying 'Alias Grace'

[chesilbeach]

I read this a couple of years ago, and really didn't see why she wrote the book telling the tale backwards. I couldn't see any point to it, but then I wasn't actually that bothered by the story anyway. It was a book group choice, and most people thought it was okay, but some of the older women didn't like the sexual descriptions (but not because it was lesbians, just because it was a bit too graphic for them).

[Kidsmum]

thought it was okay, but some of the older women didn't like the sexual descriptions (but not because it was lesbians, just because it was a bit too graphic for them).

 

Yeah i guess some of the sex scenes are quite explicit, not something that bothers me but i guess it's not everyones cup of tea

[vodkafan]

Sex was invented by 1941? I never knew that ...

[Kidsmum]

What else would they do without a television

[vodkafan]

What else would they do without a television

 

boardgames and I-spy

[greeeen]

I heard this book from a friend. She said it was a remarkable novel and even compared it to Sarah Waters' previous novels, saying that it was the best. I'll probably borrow the book from her and start reading it. It sounds very interesting

[ethan]

I read this earlier this year, really liked it and wrote this on my blog-

 

A brilliantly described re-creation of WWII London and the post-war reconstruction. You can almost feel the bombs bursting, see the streets in total blackness, and taste the putrid air. It took me almost 200 pages to end my confusion over the identities of Kay, Helen and Viv, I kept getting them mixed up for some reason. Maybe because their dialogue is rendered in identical 1940s British movie actress lingo "oh, yes, ever so much". But they make a memorable love triangle in the end, not least because of their homefront bravery.

 

The author's decision to present her story backwards in time - three sections- 1947, then 1944, then 1941, was interesting. You get little clues in the opening section of what happened in the past, and is ironically yet to come, narrative-wise. The plot is a bit over familiar, but the milieu and the characters aren't, and therefore, a good read.

[vodkafan]

 

Maybe because their dialogue is rendered in identical 1940s British movie actress lingo "oh, yes, ever so much".

 

No we still talk like that over here

[vodkafan]

On a more serious note I read this book a couple of months back. I enjoyed the wartime flavour too, that is one of the strengths of the book. My mum was there back then and it was how she described it. In the book, I liked the fact that everyone had a job to do, even people who would have been otherwise marginalised by society, there were more important things than your sexuality.

Also it was quite masterful to have the male CO character, was it Viv's brother? (somebody's brother, can't remember offhand) who was a fairly weak character but had to find a different sort of strength. Thought Waters was saying something there about how gay people must feel most of the time.

The bit about the main character turning her jealousy pain inwards into self harming was quite shocking to me.

Could not understand what the appeal was for Viv with her married boyfriend and why she was so loyal to him. He was not a nice person. The way it was left at the end it looked like she had ended it which was good.

All in all a good read.