My Dear I Wanted To Tell You

Aug 23, 2012 Lance Greenfield Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Until I was almost half way through this book, I was thinking There's not much point in reading this, as the title says it all. I could see it coming. One of the main characters would meet a violent death with so many things left unsaid. I was wrong!

This book is definitely worth reading.

It is multi-threaded, which I always love. The love stories are varied and bring out the contrasts in the way different people deal with situations and with the people closest to themselves.

There is a great dea...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Mira, a escriba rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Teria preferido um final feliz, porém entendo o porquê de a autora ter escrito um final dúbio e meio cinzento, com todo o tumulto e excitação do reencontro final onde os últimos fios da tapeçaria, finalmente, se alinharam. Sem dúvida, uma leitura agradável, enriquecedora e inspiradora, onde o amor supera os obstáculos e onde a guerra deixa feridas profundas!

(Opinião completa)

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Jul 27, 2012 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fiction, europe, historical-fiction

3.5. This book takes place during World War I, a time period that I have not read very much historical fiction about. I found myself wondering why World War II seems to be such a more popular time period as far as historical fiction goes. Does anyone have any idea why this is?

This book focuses on the stories of two couples and those surrounding them. You never really get to find out about what attracts both couples to each other, which I think would have been nice to know especially considering...more

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May 13, 2012 Alex Nye rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Have just finished reading My Dear I Wanted to Tell You and really enjoyed it. Hadn't realised that Louisa Young is also the author of LION BOY, so I've just started to read that too.

The novel is set during the First World War, but tells the story in a very original way, much more so than most historical fiction. We really get inside the heads of the characters. What really grabbed me at the beginning of the book was the spiky character of the boy Riley, when he falls in the Round Pound in Kensi...more Have just finished reading My Dear I Wanted to Tell You and really enjoyed it. Hadn't realised that Louisa Young is also the author of LION BOY, so I've just started to read that too.

The novel is set during the First World War, but tells the story in a very original way, much more so than most historical fiction. We really get inside the heads of the characters. What really grabbed me at the beginning of the book was the spiky character of the boy Riley, when he falls in the Round Pound in Kensington, and ends up being linked or connected to a 'well-to-do' family which takes him out of his own class background to some extent. What I liked about this was the candid way in which the class differences and prejudices were looked at, in a manner that was fresh and straightforward. Riley's own awareness of trying to lift himself towards better things, and his family's reaction to this are all quite evocatively told.

The writing style is very pleasurable to read, beautifully wordy and almost a touch indulgent - but I like that. what's wrong with being a little indulgent, especially when the reading matter is so difficult? I suppose this is what sweetens the pill to some extent, because the topic is a grim one.

For me personally it was an eye-opener to another world - both of my grandfathers died very young because of that war and I therefore never met either of them. My own father (who sadly died in 2006) grew up in a fatherless household, never knowing his own father... and I always grew up with a profound awareness of this. My other grandfather joined the war at 17 and must have had a similar experience to Riley in the book. This was an insight for me, into the hidden world of my own grandparents, and the author managed to make it accessible in a modern way. I would highly recommend this book. Although dealing with such shocking and brutal material, it also carries a ring of hope with it. Wasn't too sure if the pill was a little bit over-sweetened towards the end of the book - but, what the hell? Enjoyed it anyway.(less)

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Aug 08, 2011 Sam Woodfield added it · review of another edition

I pre-release reviewed this novel for a UK bookseller.

Although I can't quite pin-point why, there was something about this book which really sucked me into the world of those within it. The writting is nothing outstanding, the story doesn't have any dramatic climaxes or surprising plot twists, but Young writes in such a way that is still gripping and compelling from start to finish.

Like many novels, this is based during World War 1, but unlike other books of it's type, the focus is on the 'norma...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Denise Tinant rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is constructed around two little-known details of WW1 history. The first is the postcard that the book gives its name to. To save time and unnecessary distress to loved ones back home, the army designed a standard postcard for injured men to complete. This allowed bad news to travel swiftly back to England without having to go through the censors, but also restricted the men to using an emotionless tick box system.

The postcard started with the words ‘My Dear …….. I wanted to tell you,...more This book is constructed around two little-known details of WW1 history. The first is the postcard that the book gives its name to. To save time and unnecessary distress to loved ones back home, the army designed a standard postcard for injured men to complete. This allowed bad news to travel swiftly back to England without having to go through the censors, but also restricted the men to using an emotionless tick box system.

The postcard started with the words ‘My Dear …….. I wanted to tell you, before my telegram arrives, that I was admitted to …… Clearing Station on ………”. The first blank was the space for the soldier to write the name of his wife/mother/lover; the second was for the name of the medical clearing station; and the third was for the date of his injury.

The postcard continues, providing the soldier with a tick box to indicate the severity of his injury. He could delete one word from the sentence – ‘I have a slight / serious wound” – and this important option is really the centre of the book and a passionate love story. A small hesitation - an indecision between worrying a lover with the knowledge of a serious wound, or protecting her by leaving the word 'slight wound ' on the card, leads to a tangle of misunderstanding, betrayal and mistrust.

The second true historical story that is central to this novel is the work of Harold Gillies – a doctor who was also an Army Major. After experiencing front line fighting in the trenches, Major Gillies returned home to open a hospital in Aldershot which was dedicated to facial reconstruction; treating the facial wounds that were very common during trench fighting and carrying out pioneering work in plastic surgery to try to make his patients look as normal as possible. After the Battle of the Somme, Gillies treated 2,000 cases of jaw and facial mutilation and a key part of this novel is the telling of the tragic stories of some of the patients that were treated during this time.

Louisa Young writes her novels with a real historical knowledge and authenticity. The technical descriptions of the facial surgery, the emotional descriptions of the despair of young men who found themselves turned into monsters by one bullet or bomb were deeply moving. One beautifully written scene describes the horrified reaction of a barmaid when encountering one of the soldiers who is in the middle of facial reconstruction; the scene is not rushed or overplayed and the sense of sadness and empathy is overwhelming.

The characters and stories in the novel have stayed with me for several months. Unusually for me I can remember scenes and plots in vivid detail, which is definitely the sign of a good book.

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Nov 28, 2012 Cristina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wwi

"Querido, quería contarte", se ubica históricamente en Londres, Kent y Francia durante la Primera Guerra Mundial y los años previos a la misma. Es esencialmente la historia de dos parejas – Riley/Nadine y Peter/Julia - y el impacto que la guerra tuvo en sus vidas.

Riley Purefoy es un hombre joven de clase trabajadora que vive con su familia en la zona de Bayswater de Londres. Como resultado de un encuentro casual en los jardines de Kensington, se ve envuelto en una familia de clase media bohemia...more "Querido, quería contarte", se ubica históricamente en Londres, Kent y Francia durante la Primera Guerra Mundial y los años previos a la misma. Es esencialmente la historia de dos parejas – Riley/Nadine y Peter/Julia - y el impacto que la guerra tuvo en sus vidas.

Riley Purefoy es un hombre joven de clase trabajadora que vive con su familia en la zona de Bayswater de Londres. Como resultado de un encuentro casual en los jardines de Kensington, se ve envuelto en una familia de clase media bohemia que vive en la misma zona - los Waveneys, encabezado por el director de orquesta Robert Waveney. Riley forja una amistad con la familia y con un anciano amigo artista de ellos, Sir Alfred. Para mejorarse a sí mismo, Riley gasta una gran cantidad de tiempo con el artista y se une a uno de sus alumnos, Nadine, la hija de Robert Waveney y su esposa. Él se enamora de ella, sin embargo, tras un embarazoso encuentro con Terence, un amigo del artista, Riley decide alistarse a la edad de 18 años. Ya en el ejército del frente occidental, entabla una amistad con su comandante en jefe Peter Locke, cuya esposa Julia vive en Kent. A medida que la guerra avanza, la vida de Riley y Nadine, Peter y Julia, y Rose, prima de Peter, se entrelazan.

"Querido, quería contarte" es una novela sobre la jerarquía de las clases sociales, el amor y el efecto que produce la guerra en sus soldados y en las personas cercanas a ellos que no son partícipes activos. La narración de la historia emotiva y conmueve al lector cuando el horror de las batallas son leídas. Sin embargo, el estilo no ayudó a conectarme suficientemente con el libro. El mayor problema fue el enfoque de los personajes que junto con los diálogos resultan confusos.

En varias ocasiones me encontré releyendo algún párrafo porque de repente leía desde el punto de vista de Rose y luego desde el de Julia sin percatarme de quien era quien y esto es producto de una prosa demasiado rebuscada o laboriosa, en particular en la sección central de la historia y del multihilo de las historias. Otra traba es que muy pocos de los personajes, sobre todo los de Peter y Julia (pero también algunos de los secundarios), no resultan gratos y no provocan ninguna simpatía del lector a pesar de que - en el caso de Peter - experimenta un trauma considerable. En cuanto a Rose, no sabría definirla si entre un personaje entregado y resignado por su físico anodino y el efecto que causa en ella misma o por su represión sexual, esto es una cuestión que la autora desarrolla de manera ambigua.

Voy a comenzar diciendo que Louisa Young tiene un estilo lírico muy atractivo pero irregular. Su escritura, más que la historia real, fue lo que me mantuvo pasando las páginas. En cuanto a la novela en sí, satisfecha de cierta forma no me cautivó como pensé en un principio.
Las sensaciones que despierta esta novela es que el autor sentía que tenía un montón de cosas que quería abarcar, desde el arte, la belleza, la Primera Guerra Mundial y el amor, hacinados todos juntos en una sola historia. Young hizo un trabajo muy bueno incluyendo y entrelazando cada hecho -amén de los peros antes señalados-, pero no pudo crear personajes que me inspiraran.

La mayor parte del romance entre Riley y Nadine se desarrolla a través de cartas y fue esto junto con el hecho histórico lo que me motivó a leer este libro porque muy pocas veces se ha escrito sobre la I Guerra Mundial que a diferencia de la segunda fue más cruda y sanguinaria (en cuanto a la magnitud de las heridas que sufrieron los soldados) porque la mayoría de los combates se realizaban cuerpo a cuerpo; aún así, la correspondencia entre ambos personajes no me pareció emotiva, sino mundana y algo superficial basándome en el hecho de que hay una guerra que los separa y ninguno sabe si volverá a ver a la persona amada.

Lo más atractivo de esta historia son las descripciones de los principios de la cirugía máxilofacial reconstructiva, las técnicas empleadas, dolorosas y conmovedoras, especialmente cuando se yuxtaponen con la vida aparentemente sin sentido de Julia y su búsqueda de la perfección a través de los tratamientos de belleza.

También son interesantes las reacciones de algunos de los personajes a las lesiones faciales, escenas muy bien enmarcadas en los que la autora dirige varios cuestionamientos de forma sutil hacia lector: ¿Puede usted todavía amar a un hombre cuando su rostro está completamente desfigurado?, ¿Qué sentiríamos, repulsión, pena, aceptación o rechazo?

El título del libro está inspirado por el saludo de las postales reales utilizadas durante la guerra. Estas postales fueron entregadas a los heridos como una manera más fácil de ayudar a preparar a sus familias informándoles sobre las heridas sufridas en combate, en lugar de una notificación militar enérgica y directa que produciría más dolor en ambas partes.

Una historia interesante sin grandes pretensiones para pasar una tarde de lectura agradable.

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Oct 15, 2012 Mary Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louise Young poignantly portrays the horror of war, insightfully revealing the effects on men and women, soldiers and medical teams, those at the front and those at home. She uses three young women and two young men to carry much of the story and bases some of what she writes on real people and actual medical practices and advancements, particular in plastic surgery. When the war is over, all are wounded and needy. The ability to bear the unbearable gives them the...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Nykki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this novel, set in an era I find fascinating and in an area well known to myself as I work near to Notting Hill, the characters were likable and storyline easy to follow.

I appreciate the break that main character Riley, a working class young boy, has in meeting Artist Sir Alfred and how this leads him away from a possibly life of thievery and onto the road of bettering his social self.

The 'can't because of social status' love story is a bit of a cliche but once established further into...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Lydia Laceby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

I found My Dear I Wanted to Tell You equal parts fascinating and horrifying. Although heavy with romance and war, this novel portrayed none of the romance of war. It took me a while to sink into the plot and the characters, but once I did they appeared in my thoughts when I put the novel down and although I enjoyed this novel and thought about it when I wasn’t reading it, I felt it could have been much more captivating.

I didn’t anticipate this war story to be...more Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

I found My Dear I Wanted to Tell You equal parts fascinating and horrifying. Although heavy with romance and war, this novel portrayed none of the romance of war. It took me a while to sink into the plot and the characters, but once I did they appeared in my thoughts when I put the novel down and although I enjoyed this novel and thought about it when I wasn’t reading it, I felt it could have been much more captivating.

I didn’t anticipate this war story to be so heavy on the romance, and at times I wasn’t too sure of Riley and Nadine’s love, feeling it was never fully developed before he heads off to war. This storyline however was diluted juxtaposed against the unravelling of Julia and Peter’s relationship, and Rose’s lack of marital options, without which I suspect this novel wouldn’t have worked.

This novel further opened my eyes to how an entire generation was altered and affected by the war, especially how women’s roles shifted during the void the men left. This was especially evident with the dotting housewife, Julia, struggling with the feeling that she had no purpose with her husband away and striving to be the perfect housewife for his return. I loved how Rose, who was never expected to marry and felt ineffective because of it, suddenly felt she had a place in the world.

I was left wondering throughout how all the characters were going to piece their stunted lives back together, whether they even could or wanted to. I thought the ending was well written, but will refrain from explaining why as not to ruin anything, I did find the last scenes interesting and even left me wanting a bit more, although I don’t know if it would have even been appropriate to go beyond the point the author did.

The plastic surgery plot line that developed was fascinating. The unveiling of the developing surgery was written so eloquently that it never seemed too heavy on medical jargon and I understood it completely. I was also intrigued with the psychology that young Riley uses to keep himself afloat and to see how different his reaction to the war is to Peter’s.

The prose took some getting used to and not having read any of Young’s previous works, I’m not sure if it’s her style, but the lengthy descriptive sentences with excessive comma’s aggravated me at times, but that could have been just me. I like description intertwined in the story, not thrown so blatantly at me. This probably went hand in hand with the slower start I found to this novel.

If you’re looking for a romantic war time novel with some interesting medical history, check out My Dear I Wanted to Tell You. (less)

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Jun 26, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The setting of this book is two locations in England and then mostly the worst battles of WWI. The story begins with Nadine and her brother meeting the young Riley, the son of a working class couple contrasting with Nadine's higher class. Riley is adaptable and is taken in by a high class, artist, Sir Alfred, which provides the young couple access to one another throughout their late childhood. Romance begins to bloom when Riley makes a rash decision and enlists in the European conflict, regrett...more The setting of this book is two locations in England and then mostly the worst battles of WWI. The story begins with Nadine and her brother meeting the young Riley, the son of a working class couple contrasting with Nadine's higher class. Riley is adaptable and is taken in by a high class, artist, Sir Alfred, which provides the young couple access to one another throughout their late childhood. Romance begins to bloom when Riley makes a rash decision and enlists in the European conflict, regretting it mightily.

In a coastal village near Dover, beautiful Julia laments her loneliness as her husband, Peter, who would not have been conscripted, has already left for war. Feeling useless, as she has been bred since birth to be nothing more than a beautiful wife, she obsesses with her appearance until Peter returns.

In Julia's home lives the plain looking Rose, Peter's cousin. Pitiable before the war, being unmarriageable, Rose finds herself useful and strong as she works in a nearby hospital with soldiers who are grotesquely mangled. To shock Julia, Rose allows a scene to play out where she explains, in detail, how Dr. Gillies, a brilliant surgeon, reconstructs faces that have been shot away, burned off, or otherwise mangled. Poor Julia listens in fascination and horror.

Although many books are written on WWII, less on WWI, the book gives a snapshot of different aspects on this war. Technological advances in war machines, made this war particularly bloody and costly in lives of the soldiers since advances in protection had not kept up with destruction. Like WWII, the soldiers spent a lot of time in trenches. Unlike WWII, the common fighting for the Allies involved hand to hand combat. The deadliest days of the Battle of Somme are detailed with the effects of both Riley and Locke.

Meanwhile, in England, Nadine bucks tradition and fights her mother on becoming more proper. Knowing her love is in battle, she chooses to become a glorified nurses assistant at a hospital where she sees the soldiers after the initial patch-up. She is a beautiful soul who refuses to play by the pretty rules of pretending war is not happening. Riley's and Nadine's love and commitment develop beautifully and honestly.

In contrast, Julia and Peter grow further and further from one another. The war affects all of the characters differently. Rose becomes more and more useful and connects with humanity better even through horrible disfiguring injuries in her hospital. One character tries to forget through brothels and alcohol. Another withdraws emotionally and wallows in self-pity after a horrible injury. Another character tries to reconnect by getting as close to death and gore and possible. A few characters try to maintain normalcy and social expectations from pre-war. It is the dawn of a new age and all are ill-prepared to return to "normal" after the war.

The writing style was difficult for me. I is often disjointed and two characters might respond to one another in one paragraph. Point of view changes as quickly as from one sentence to the other which threw me off at times. Additionally, colloquialisms for British English at this time period are employed and confused me.

The book is, at times, difficult to read due to the strong correlation drawn between sex and war. Yet it is a fascinating tertiary affect of war. Be assured that the story does not wander into the occupied and/or conquered lands to rape and pillage. Intimacy becomes a problem, however. The language is strong and crass.

Regardless, I loved the story, once I muddled through and figured out the writing style. The book is a definite worthwhile read and the romantic in me was satisfied. It's no happily-ever-after but ultimately the way to deal successfully with the aftermath was a deep commitment to hope and love.(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Eleven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mi sento in dovere di scrivere una recensione per questo libro ancora ingiustamente quasi sconosciuto. Nonostante il boom editoriale in Europa, noto che in Italia non sono in molti ad averlo sentito nominare.
Quanto a me, ringrazio il caso di avermici fatto posare gli occhi in libreria.
Ha la delicatezza di un romanzo romantico (in senso metastorico), la forza di un romanzo di denuncia, la disperazione delle storie che raccontano la verità, la voglia di vivere che infonde chi ha vissuto la morte....more

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May 02, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

World War II might have been the first actual world war, but World War I was the poetic one.
The absurdity of that European war, combined with the horrors of the trenches and the naivety of the young soldiers – that first year, most thought they would be home by Christmas – produced a platoon of war poets and a slew of romance novels that continues to this day.

This Costa-shortlisted novel by British author Louisa Young starts out like one of the latter, but thankfully develops into something mea...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Roger Pettit rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had high hopes that this novel would be a very good one. There are encomiastic comments about it on the inside back cover from writers of the calibre of Elizabeth Jane Howard and Margot Livesey. And it had been widely praised in the published reviews I read before beginning it. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. While not a bad book, it is a disappointingly mediocre one.

"My Dear I Wanted to Tell You", which is set in London, Kent and France during the First World War and the years...more I had high hopes that this novel would be a very good one. There are encomiastic comments about it on the inside back cover from writers of the calibre of Elizabeth Jane Howard and Margot Livesey. And it had been widely praised in the published reviews I read before beginning it. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. While not a bad book, it is a disappointingly mediocre one.

"My Dear I Wanted to Tell You", which is set in London, Kent and France during the First World War and the years leading up to it, is essentially the story of two couples - Riley and Nadine; and Peter and Julia - and the impact that the war had on their lives. Riley Purefoy is a working class young man, who lives with his family in the Bayswater area of London. As a result of a chance meeting in Kensington Gardens, he becomes involved with a Bohemian middle class family who live in the same area - the Waveneys, headed by orchestral conductor Robert Waveney. Riley becomes friendly with the family and with an elderly artist friend of theirs. Keen to improve himself, Riley spends a great deal of time with the artist and becomes attached to one of his pupils - Nadine, the daughter of Robert Waveney and his wife. He falls in love with her. However, after an embarrassing same-sex encounter with a friend of the artist - Terence, himself a painter - Riley decides to enlist at the age of 18. While fighting in the army on the Western Front, his commanding officer is Peter, whose wife Julia lives in Kent. As the war progresses, the lives of Riley and Nadine; Peter and Julia; and Rose, Peter's cousin, become intertwined.

"My Dear I Wanted to Tell You" is a novel about class, love and the effect that war has on its combatants and on those people close to them who are not active participants. The story it tells is a good one and is emotional and moving. The problem for me is that it is simply not well enough written. Louisa Young is capable of good writing - as in the following paragraph, which describes Nadine's approach to nursing the wounded while in Paris: "When no one was looking she kissed the dying, their cheeks, their foreheads, their mouths. Sometimes they kissed her back in the dark, in the silence, but for groans and calls for Mother. They whispered 'I love you'. 'I love you too, darling', she whispered back. Because in the face of death, really, who cares about love?" There are other tender and moving passages throughout the novel. However, too much of the writing is dull and plodding, particularly in the central section of the story. Indeed, I was so bored I nearly gave up on the book on at least two occasions! A further problem is that quite a few of the characters, most notably Peter and Julia (but also some of the minor ones), are insufferable and do not elicit any sympathy from the reader even though - in Peter's case, at least - they are experiencing considerable trauma.

One of the best aspects of the book is the information it provides on plastic surgery, in particular the facial reconstruction techniques used at the time to treat wounded soldiers. That is extremely interesting. But, what could have been a very good novel about the way in which the Great War had a profound and lasting effect on both sexes is essentially a very ordinary one. 6/10. (less)

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Jan 10, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the story about two soldiers during World War 1 and the women left behind in England who love them. There are five main characters. Riley Purefoy, from a working class background, loves upper class Nadine Waverney despite her mother's disapproval. He volunteers as a soldier at the start of World War 1 - given the choice between volunteering for a year or for the duration of the war, he chooses the latter, because he doesn't want to spend an entire year in the army. His commanding officer...more This is the story about two soldiers during World War 1 and the women left behind in England who love them. There are five main characters. Riley Purefoy, from a working class background, loves upper class Nadine Waverney despite her mother's disapproval. He volunteers as a soldier at the start of World War 1 - given the choice between volunteering for a year or for the duration of the war, he chooses the latter, because he doesn't want to spend an entire year in the army. His commanding officer will be Peter Locke, who has left his wife Julia and cousin Rose behind in England. While Julia pines for her husband, Rose signs up as a nurse in a hospital specialising in facial reconstructions.

The first half of the book is about the experiences that the five have adapting to the realities of war and the shifts it brings about in their relationships. In the second half, Riley suffers a serious injury which will affect all of the characters in different ways.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It did a very good job of conveying the various facets of war, the experience for those in the trenches, in the hospitals and stranded at home. There were parts that were beautifully written but at other times the choppiness of the narrative became hard to take. I didn't really feel caught up in it until the second half, when it settles down and became (for me) far more involving and moving. The ending is somewhat contrived, but also genuinely satisfying.

The characters could have been better developed. Riley and Nadine's relationship is the central thread, but too often we were told about how they felt for one another rather than feeling it. Rose is a wonderful character, but she is frequently sidelined. Peter is nice enough but less than interesting and his wife Julia is a vapid and tedious character on whom far too much time is wasted. Clearly that couple were included to show a broader canvas of reactions to the war, but they didn't develop in any significant way or add much to the book. Another review here mentions how you can see the author's "workings" as she constructed the story, and that's how I felt also. (less)

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Dec 24, 2011 Biblibio rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 21st-century

A novel that didn't quite seem to know what it wanted to be, My Dear I Wanted to Tell You is a surprisingly rounded WWI story that goes beyond the typical narrative. Louisa Young writes best when describing the harsh realities of war and makes no concessions regarding uncomfortable yet true situations. And yet My Dear I Wanted to Tell You also attempts to be a romance book, and there precisely it comes to a screeching halt.

The characters in My Dear I Wanted to Tell You enter the story strangely...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Jo Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read very little about The Great War, so I cannot make good comparisons in literature about this era. However, this was an eye-opener to me, about the war itself, societal changes during the war, ethics and mores, and an introduction to Major Harold Gillies, who made outstanding progress in maxillo-facial and plastic surgery during World War I, and later, mostly at Queen's Hospital in Sidcup, England.
The story is actually about Riley and Nadine, who meet while they're pre-teens and later...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a big fan of historical fiction, and reading a lot from the WWII era, it was nice to read more about the Great War. Initially the novel is a bit difficult to follow in the viewpoints of the different characters, but once you get the main players straight the story really draws you in. The author does a great job of writing the camaraderie between the men fighting at war, as well as the women working as nurses and volunteers at home. The way that all the characters become connected was very...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Felice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Young's novel the war to end all wars gets a masculine and feminine point of view. Three of the main characters are the girls they left behind: Julia, Rose and Nadine. Upper crust Julia spends the War trying to stay the exact same beautiful woman her husband married while spinster cousin Rose and young Nadine join the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD). VAD was made up of mostly untrained middle class women who became hospital staff, cooks and ambulance drivers during the War. They served in Grea...more In Young's novel the war to end all wars gets a masculine and feminine point of view. Three of the main characters are the girls they left behind: Julia, Rose and Nadine. Upper crust Julia spends the War trying to stay the exact same beautiful woman her husband married while spinster cousin Rose and young Nadine join the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD). VAD was made up of mostly untrained middle class women who became hospital staff, cooks and ambulance drivers during the War. They served in Great Britain and at the front. Along with the independence and training VAD provided her, Rose finds a purpose for her life. Nadine's service gives her the opportunity to grow up exposed to a much wider world than she would ever have known if not for the War.

The characters that make up the masculine side of the novel are Peter and Riley. Peter is Julia's husband. He has turned to alcohol to get through the War and become a sullen caricature of the gentleman he was. Riley joins up in a rash romantic gesture and ends up in Peter's unit. Riley is an innocent from the wrong side of the tracks in love since childhood with the above his station Nadine. There is more than a touch of Atonement in their relationship.

The title, My Dear I Wanted To Tell You, is the greeting from real postcards used during the War. These postcards were handed out to wounded men as a way for them to help prepare their families for the brisk and brutal military notification of their injuries that would follow. One of the differences between WWI and the previous conflicts were the numbers of soldiers who survived. The most interesting part of the novel concerns the advancements in reconstructive and plastic surgery at the time. These pioneering medical treatments meant that more men were returning home with physical scars and loss of limb to test their survival on a whole new front.

Although My Dear I Wanted To Tell You is more romance that clear eyed study of war at home and on the front, Young does a good job conveying the horrors all five characters face. These are people completely unprepared for everything the War will bring them in contact with and Young's treatment of their successes and failures has a truth based in strong research. That is nothing new in the author's use of war to emphasize the social and scientific changes of the period but that does not diminish her compelling storytelling. For all the similarities to Atonement, Birdsong, Regeneration and Brideshead Revisited, My Dear I Wanted To Tell You is still an enjoyable read. (less)

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Mar 31, 2011 Beverly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received a free copy of My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young through Amazon's Vine program.

Young's story revolves around four main characters, Nadine and Riley, a young couple in love and Peter and Julia, a young married couple. The setting is during WWI England/France and the main focus of the story seems to be about how the war impacts them individually and their relationships as well.

I wanted to like this story. WWI and WWII Fiction is a genre I truly enjoy. However, I had a hard ti...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Jessica Schira rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-adult

I am going to begin by saying that Louisa Young has a very lovely, lyrical writing style. It was her writing, more than the actual story that kept me turning the pages. As far as the novel itself goes, I am far less impressed.

To me, this book simply had to much going on. I feel that the author felt that she had a whole bunch of things she wanted to write about that included art, beauty, WWI, and young love, and crammed them all together in one story. She did a wonderful job of cramming, and the...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Mmorrow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This is a good one.

Louisa Young's writing emphasizes the fragmented thoughts and sensations of people under extreme kinds of stress. She was not setting the scene and describing the action so much as telegraphing the characters' experiences as they registered--it was extraordinarily affecting. This isn't really your book if you're looking for something to present an overview of the historical events, but it wonderfully portrays the shifting mindsets and the emotional damage of WWI.

I also apprec...more

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May 16, 2012 Jen Slocombe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have read some reviews which criticised Young's style of writing. I'm writing this to say I disagree! In my opinion, the writing was the best thing about this book. Young's attention to detail, her adherence to the 'show not tell' rule, dialogue, and her beautiful descriptive prose are what sucked me into this novel and, with the characterization, carried me along (she has written 10 previous books, so she is well practised). This is the book I wish I could write! I couldn't stop thinking abou...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

What, another World War 1 book? Is there something about the fact that no one is left alive to tell -- or criticize the veracity of -- the tale that has led to a recent flourishing (to the already robust genre) of trench literature, usually somehow connected to a story of the folks at home, maybe poets, maybe artsy? Anyway, yes, another one, and another good one. A real energy and lyricism to Young's writing, the "men" come to life, especially her hero, Riley, caught between two worlds, but the...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Luís Castilho rated it 3 of 5 stars

Louisa Young's highly talked about novel "My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You" starts out as your usual run-of-the-mill war novel does (which is a pity), with a young couple madly in love l, Riley and Nadine, thorn apart by the beginning of the Great World War (later known as the First World War). From then on the book purposely avoids focusing to much on the war campaign in France or the hardships of military life and instead focuses, much interestingly, on both the psychological and physical wounds...more Louisa Young's highly talked about novel "My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You" starts out as your usual run-of-the-mill war novel does (which is a pity), with a young couple madly in love l, Riley and Nadine, thorn apart by the beginning of the Great World War (later known as the First World War). From then on the book purposely avoids focusing to much on the war campaign in France or the hardships of military life and instead focuses, much interestingly, on both the psychological and physical wounds suffered by both soldiers (Riley and its CO Peter) and their, families, lovers or friends (Nadine, Peter's wife Julia, Rose and both Nadine's and Riley's parents). The interesting thing here is that we get to understand that the even though the war was fought in the trenches, the wounds it inflicted were felt miles away, back home. Such is the case of Julia, Peter's beautiful and futile wife, who slowly descends into an obsession with her figure and wanted to impress Peter when he gets back, ends up going into a series of cosmetic treatments that were, at the time, at their early stages and thus highly dangerous. Also, Nadine, starting out as a frivolous and higlhlu protected rich girl ends up, in desperate waiting for Riley, as a VAD in Queen Mary Hospital, a real life horror show for the wounded and the infirm. With the ending of the Great War the novel makes yet another shift, following the aftermath of Riley's very serious injury and Peter's newly developed alcoholism and decaying state of mind. It is here that the novel truly shines, with a mind blowing description the early efforts of face restoration surgeons and the hardships of the disfigured. Louisa Young has stated that this part of the novel is actually based on real life events, discovered while researching about the face restoration treatments done in the first world war and the work of her own grand mother, who took part in helping developed a mask for the disfigured during this period. In fact, the name of the novel derives from the first line of the pre-written postal carda these hospitals provided their patients in order to inform their loved ones of their injuries. I had a great time reading this part of the novel, which achieves a great momentum when Riley decides to make up a false love story in order to prevent Nadine from wanting to be with him. Sadly, the plot constantly develops into predictable and cliché plot twist and very poor dialogue. All and all a very mediocre book with some moments of brilliance.(less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Serena rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young is a WWI novel and love story that illustrates the toll that war takes on couples from mere recruits to the officers that give them orders. Young’s novel examines social and monetary class distinctions, even providing slight nuances to the “poshies” in how they treat the working class. Truly, this is a love story — the story of Riley Purefoy and Nadine Waveney, childhood sweethearts separated by more than the war.

The narration sets it up so that reade...more

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May 30, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book after winning a giveaway here on Goodreads. The book got off to a slow start. It took me around 5 days just to get to the middle of it, whereas I'm usually finishing a book by that time. I found the chapters depiciting Riley's time on the battlefield to be particularly difficult to get through. Granted, this is probably my own weakness, but when too many names are thrown at me at once, I tend to block them all out. Therefore, some of the (very) minor characters were no more...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Sabina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

The book tells the story of 4 very different people whose lives are being torn apart by the war. We meet Riley in 1907 as a bright young boy from a working class family who, after a mishap at the park, is being mentored by the parents of Nadine, wo is the same age as Riley. However, as he grows up Riley finds that his improved education and manners don't equal social acceptance when Nadine's parents deem his attachment to their daughter unsuitable. By now it's 1914 and in a spontaneous romantic...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Scrittevolmente rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ho acquistato questo romanzo pensando di trovare una storia d’amore, sdolcinata ed ovvia, dove la guerra rappresenta solo un tragico sfondo alle vicende principali, ma ne sono rimasta delusa; il conflitto mondiale, che doveva essere una veloce guerra lampo che in realtà si è trasformata in una logorante battaglia di trincea che ha bagnato copiosamente col sangue l’Europa è la protagonista principale ed assoluta di questa storia; essa rappresenta il motivo che travolgerà e cambierà per sempre la...more Ho acquistato questo romanzo pensando di trovare una storia d’amore, sdolcinata ed ovvia, dove la guerra rappresenta solo un tragico sfondo alle vicende principali, ma ne sono rimasta delusa; il conflitto mondiale, che doveva essere una veloce guerra lampo che in realtà si è trasformata in una logorante battaglia di trincea che ha bagnato copiosamente col sangue l’Europa è la protagonista principale ed assoluta di questa storia; essa rappresenta il motivo che travolgerà e cambierà per sempre la vita di Riley, Nadine, Julia, Peter e Rose.
L’autrice, con uno stile chiaro e schietto, descrive l’evoluzione, la crescita, gli incubi e le fragilità dei personaggi. Mostra con molta sensibilità i meccanismi che si innescano nelle persone quando vengono travolte da un orrore così grande e negativo. Il loro desiderio di non farsi sopraffare, la lotta per mantenere in vita l’onore e l’amore per la propria patria, la forza con cui cercano di aggrapparsi ai legami abbandonati in case colme di solitudine per non sprofondare nell’oscuro baratro della follia e nell’insensatezza delle azioni compiute per un fine più grande: proteggere i proprio cari.
Riley, nell’autunno del 1914, si trova di stanza nelle Fiandre e per la prima volta viene a contatto con il vero volto della guerra. Distruggendo finalmente il velo opaco che ricopriva i suoi occhi, scopre un’altra drammatica faccia di quel conflitto doveva durare solo un inverno: quello che sta vivendo è solo l’inizio, e per la prima volta mette in dubbio la sua impulsiva scelta di arruolarsi. Riley è un giovane ragazzo di 18 anni che ha avuto la possibilità di crearsi un’istruzione superiore alla sua bassa estrazione sociale e di conoscere Nadine, una giovane ragazza dell’alta borghesia con cui ha molti interessi in comune. Ben presto la loro amicizia si trasforma in qualcosa di ben più profondo, ma questo legame è osteggiato dai genitori di lei. Riley a quel punto decide di arruolarsi con la speranza di diventare un uomo degno della donna che ama. Non sapendo però a cosa sta andando realmente incontro. Si accorgerà che le battaglie e la vita di trincea non lo stanno trasformando in un uomo ma in un automa, spogliato della sua umanità e della sua moralità, in quanto quello è l’unico modo per sopravvivere. Il conflitto non minaccerà solo il forte sentimento che lo lega a Nadine, ma anche la sua stessa sanità mentale. L’unica cosa che lo manterrà vivo sono le lettere dell’amata e il ricordo dei momenti passati insieme a lei.
Anche per Nadine, quei lunghi anni di guerra non sono semplici, straziata dalla partenza di Riley, osteggiata dalla madre che continua a vivere nel suo idillio privato fatto di shopping e feste a Londra. Nadine si sente inutile, vive le lettere che scrive a Riley come un tradimento e una codardia, non riesce a capire nel profondo cosa stia vivendo lui al fronte. Decide di diventare infermiera volontaria, per sentirsi utile, e, per la prima volta, viene a contatto con le conseguenze della guerra sui soldati, giovani ragazzi inesperti mandati a combattere e morire per la propria patria.

Per leggere la recensione per intero: QUI (less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I am in two minds about this novel. I loved the synopsis, and I wonder if I had to much hope held towards liking the book. I am stuck between three and four stars. I loved the first 50 pages, probably more like 100, but then I felt the book became convoluted and fragmented, but then the last 100/150 pages were much better, and the moments between Riley and Nadine made me love it (yes it seems I am a hopeless romantic when it comes down to it).
The period I had trouble warming to was the time set...more I am in two minds about this novel. I loved the synopsis, and I wonder if I had to much hope held towards liking the book. I am stuck between three and four stars. I loved the first 50 pages, probably more like 100, but then I felt the book became convoluted and fragmented, but then the last 100/150 pages were much better, and the moments between Riley and Nadine made me love it (yes it seems I am a hopeless romantic when it comes down to it).
The period I had trouble warming to was the time set on the front describing the actual war; where Riley, Peter and other soldiers were fighting at Ypres throughout the duration of the First World War. It was confusing, fragmented and did not grab me as much as I thought it would have.
I also found it hard to fully engage and believe the characters. Yes Riley was a favourite to start off with, as was the romance between Nadine and him, BUT after a while I got tired of their to-ing and fro-ing.

The introduction of other characters was refreshing but they all seemed similar, except that of Rose. And all of them (bar Rose) irritated and infuriated me on numerous occasions. Julia?! Don't get me started I wanted to get in there and slap her! It did however allow a different, thorough array of views and opinions strengthening the story itself.

I completely understand why the characters were like they were, but I still felt a certain detachment towards them. Yes elements of their situation were heartbreaking and I found myself holding back tears, but this was more to do with imagining what it was like for those who actually experienced the First World War rather than the characters in the book.

Don't get me wrong this book is worth a read, I know it sounds more like a 2 or 3 story, but apart from the section in the middle I did like this novel. Not to mention this is just my opinion, many more people have given this novel a great review. But for me this story did not grab my heart and never let me go. Maybe I will read it again in the future and chastise myself for being so stupid!(less)

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