Essannia Dahi
asked:
I'm finding it hard to get through this book. I don't know if it's the writing style or the language of that time. Am I the only one? P.S: English is not my first language
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Testament of Youth,
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Jeslyn
You're not the only one, and English is my first language. The postwar section was tough for me, there were points at which I pondered abandoning it. Except for a brief flash at the very end, it seemed that as she got more involved in the League of Nations and political efforts, she became less compelling and passionate to me. When she and Winifred head to Germany, Austria, France to observe postwar conditions, their attitudes feel almost callous in describing the conditions of occupied areas and the friction between oppressor and oppressed. Her sentences also are jam-packed (or overstuffed, it could be argued), which often disrupted the flow, particularly when she would add visual descriptions of people or views from a train, etc. smack-dab in the middle of a sentence about policy, conditions, etc. I liked 2/3 of the book very much, but the last 1/3 was almost a chore to get through, sadly.
Rona Maynard
You're not alone. Much as I admire this book, it was written in a time when editors let their writers natter on long after the story has reached its conclusion. I recommend the book far and wide, always with the caveat: the last third drags, so quit while you're ahead.
Clara
The post-war part is difficult to get through. There are too many details, too many descriptions, too many names of people, ...
Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)
You're not alone. I saw the 1980s TV series and was eager to read this book, but got bogged down. Brittain as she saw herself was not nearly so sympathetic and engaging as Brittain in the series, and her writing is turgid at many points. Yes, it's old-style, but she could still have done with better editorial advice.
Michelle Jimenez
It has been difficult to get into this book, especially as she can come off a bit pretentious even when she claims she's not. However, I am enjoying it now that there seems to be more of a continuous storyline.
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