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Life Class by Pat Barker

Life Class

A Novel

by Pat Barker

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Published:
  • Jan 2008, 320 pages
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  • Karen (Cottonwood Heights UT)
    Disappointing
    I was sadly disappointed to find that this book was not compelling at all. While the writing style and composition were excellent, the characters were shallow and lackluster. I found I cared little what choices they were going to make, nor did I feel a sense of tragedy or horror at the atrocities of the war they were living through. The only thing that kept me reading the book was the composition and excellent descriptions from the author. This is not a book I would recommend to very many people.
  • Jan (Morro Bay CA)
    Life Class
    I had great hope for this book given Pat Barker had won the Booker Prize and I quite enjoy works that deal with WWI. What a let down! I found Part One extremely hard to get through (and not very interesting) and the end very disappointing. The only decent part was the small middle section actually dealing with the war and it's impact on the character Paul. I did enjoy the letter writing and thought that it gave the story most of it's guts. Most of the characters were unappealing and uninteresting and the brutality of WWI and its affect on people was only delved into. I had expected so much more. I'm afraid I cannot recommend this book.
  • Cathy (Manhattan MT)
    Disappointing
    I've wanted to read the acclaimed Pat Barker for years, so I was very much looking forward to reading Life Class. What a disappointment!
    It starts out slowly, focusing way too much on one character who soon disappears, so what was the point? Reading this was such a chore, I wanted to give up, but I persevered.

    Part Two took a dramatic change for the better - the characters became much more interesting, as did the action, so I was changing my mind about the book. Until the end, that is. I can't remember the last time I was so dissatisfied with a book ending, and I was enraged by the shallowness of one of the main characters. The book is well written and historically interesting, but I can't think of one person I'd recommend it to.
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