At first I had quite a hard time with the book, and I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't because of the content or premise, as its storyline of time-traveling historians appealed to me. I was a bit less interested in the WW II focus, but that still didn't explain it. Finally, I realized that the author's extensive use of dialogue--both external and internal--was putting me off. This may have been exacerbated by the fact that the language is British English in the early 1940s, a vernacular similar enough to mine so that I felt it should seem comfortable, but different enough so that it really wasn't. Things felt stilted and formal, which I suppose was true of the time itself as well as the language, when compared to today.
Ultimately I grew to enjoy the book and the opportunity to peek into 1940 London during the Blitz. Because the narrators are historians, traveling back in time to study particular events, it seems natural to have historical information and a narrative storyline jumbled together. And, this is really the way I like my history lessons: fictional and story driven. I'm taking a bit of a break from the war, but I'll be back sometime with a review of the follow-up book, All Clear.
Aware this was book 1 of a 2-book series, I had planned to wait until All Clear was out before reading the copy of Blackout I'd bought. Honestly, I just picked it up to look at the jacket copy. Then just to glance at the first few pages, then before I knew it, I was deep into the story and couldn't put it down. Since reaching the end I've found myself thinking it about it often, and not just because I'm waiting for All Clear and the rest of the story.
ReplyDeleteThere are many plot summaries here already, so I won't add yet another. I will just point out that this is a beautifully evocative novel. I have read several other novels about the period, but rarely have I felt so drawn in or thought so much about what the experience of the War was like for the average citizen. Willis has an impressive ability to evoke how everyone was involved in the war effort, from annoying hyper-energetic children plane-spotting to charming actors putting on amateur drama productions to help distract people. The characters here, both contemporary and from the 21st Century are memorable, as are their ordeals. Layered over that is the puzzle of what is going on in 21st-century Oxford, and the whole story told with Connie Willis's trademark style and humour.