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Нощна стража
Книга за любовта и войната, "Нощна стража" проследява сложните отношения и съдби на няколко души в бомбардирания от нацистите Лондон през Втората световна война. Необичайно построена, тя започва през 1947 и завършва през 1941 г., изграждайки разказа от последицата към нейната причина, която я прави много любопитна като повествователен похват и онагледява структурно любовните отношения в нея по изобретателен начин.
Човечна и неочаквана, и същевременно с класически спокоен и разгърнат слог, вкус към сюжета и историята и изключителен усет за детайла, тази книга създава името на Сара Уотърс като един от най-забележителните английски автори в наши дни.
Човечна и неочаквана, и същевременно с класически спокоен и разгърнат слог, вкус към сюжета и историята и изключителен усет за детайла, тази книга създава името на Сара Уотърс като един от най-забележителните английски автори в наши дни.
512 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2006
1,149 people are currently reading
35.4k people want to read
About the author
Sarah Waters
42books8,888followersSarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her first novel, Tipping the Velvet, as well the novels that followed, including Affinity, Fingersmith, and The Night Watch.
Waters attended university, earning degrees in English literature. Before writing novels Waters worked as an academic, earning a doctorate and teaching. Waters went directly from her doctoral thesis to her first novel. It was during the process of writing her thesis that she thought she would write a novel; she began as soon as the thesis was complete.
Waters attended university, earning degrees in English literature. Before writing novels Waters worked as an academic, earning a doctorate and teaching. Waters went directly from her doctoral thesis to her first novel. It was during the process of writing her thesis that she thought she would write a novel; she began as soon as the thesis was complete.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,451 reviews
March 7, 2016
Henry James once said novels deal with the “palpable present-intimate� and the two novels I’ve been reading this month, this and , are both massively successful at enthralling through an intimacy of observation. Both novels are set during WW2, both are superbly researched, soundly constructed, character-driven and intelligently eloquent without indulging in any literary sleights of hand or innovative technique. In short, both are excellent examples of riveting straightforward storytelling.
The Night Watch is the first Sarah Waters I’ve read. As I said, it’s straightforward storytelling but with an architectural quirk - each part goes back, rather than forward in time. Therefore, instead of finding out what happens to her characters, we discover what made them the people they have become. Waters forces us to think back through the war and the effects it had on her people. This elegiac motif is set up early in the novel when the lonely Kay enters a cinema halfway through the film, watching the second half first - "I almost prefer them that way - people's pasts, you know, being so much more interesting than their futures."
Rather as Elizabeth Bowen did in Waters creates a wartime atmosphere in which women, despite all the horrors, thrive in newfound freedoms. And also like The Heat of the Day the novel’s tension line is kept taut by secrets. In fact the novel is a continuing disclosure of the kind of secret intimate moments that define the secret’s keepers.
The characters are fabulously drawn, pulsing with intimate life. There’s Kay the ambulance driver during the Blitz. Viv, in a staling relationship with a married man, works in a dating agency. Her brother Duncan is in prison � here the backward trajectory of the novel cleverly holds back the mystery of his crime until near the end. Julia is a crime writer and Helen works with Viv at the dating agency. Waters does a marvellous job of bringing that period to life. Again like Bowen she creates an almost hallucinatory atmosphere of bombed London in which, ironically, the physicality of life is all the more poignantly emphasised. Waters is brilliant at creating consequential moments through her attention and lively evocation of physical detail. Her attention focussed on “the shadow in which the detail of so many things can be discerned which the glare of day flattens out� as Virginia Woolf said of Henry James. London in the Blitz becomes like an unexplored landscape.
The Night Watch is probably a bit too long � Waters overindulges dialogue at times as if she has a problem curbing the exuberance of her characters � and the male characters were a bit anaemic compared to the rich and full bodied female ones but it’s a gripping read written with extraordinary vividness and lots of heart.
The Night Watch is the first Sarah Waters I’ve read. As I said, it’s straightforward storytelling but with an architectural quirk - each part goes back, rather than forward in time. Therefore, instead of finding out what happens to her characters, we discover what made them the people they have become. Waters forces us to think back through the war and the effects it had on her people. This elegiac motif is set up early in the novel when the lonely Kay enters a cinema halfway through the film, watching the second half first - "I almost prefer them that way - people's pasts, you know, being so much more interesting than their futures."
Rather as Elizabeth Bowen did in Waters creates a wartime atmosphere in which women, despite all the horrors, thrive in newfound freedoms. And also like The Heat of the Day the novel’s tension line is kept taut by secrets. In fact the novel is a continuing disclosure of the kind of secret intimate moments that define the secret’s keepers.
The characters are fabulously drawn, pulsing with intimate life. There’s Kay the ambulance driver during the Blitz. Viv, in a staling relationship with a married man, works in a dating agency. Her brother Duncan is in prison � here the backward trajectory of the novel cleverly holds back the mystery of his crime until near the end. Julia is a crime writer and Helen works with Viv at the dating agency. Waters does a marvellous job of bringing that period to life. Again like Bowen she creates an almost hallucinatory atmosphere of bombed London in which, ironically, the physicality of life is all the more poignantly emphasised. Waters is brilliant at creating consequential moments through her attention and lively evocation of physical detail. Her attention focussed on “the shadow in which the detail of so many things can be discerned which the glare of day flattens out� as Virginia Woolf said of Henry James. London in the Blitz becomes like an unexplored landscape.
The Night Watch is probably a bit too long � Waters overindulges dialogue at times as if she has a problem curbing the exuberance of her characters � and the male characters were a bit anaemic compared to the rich and full bodied female ones but it’s a gripping read written with extraordinary vividness and lots of heart.
August 15, 2024
The Night Watch is another masterpiece by Sarah Waters, my second-favorite of her books after Fingersmith. The Night Watch tells the story of four main characters whose lives are profoundly changed as a result of World War II.
At the beginning of the novel, we see the characters after the war, all somehow broken. The relationships among the characters are unclear, as are the reasons for their current situations. As the novel progresses, it moves backwards in time, and we learn about the devastations faced by each character during the war, as well as their relationships with each other.
Some reviewers have questioned the choice of telling the story in reverse chronological order, but I think it's brilliantly conceived and executed. Of course, I expect nothing less from the masterful Sarah Waters. I'm a big fan of all of her work, and this is one of her best.
At the beginning of the novel, we see the characters after the war, all somehow broken. The relationships among the characters are unclear, as are the reasons for their current situations. As the novel progresses, it moves backwards in time, and we learn about the devastations faced by each character during the war, as well as their relationships with each other.
Some reviewers have questioned the choice of telling the story in reverse chronological order, but I think it's brilliantly conceived and executed. Of course, I expect nothing less from the masterful Sarah Waters. I'm a big fan of all of her work, and this is one of her best.
January 12, 2012
Reading a Sarah Waters novel is like eating a pomegranate. Sweet exotic fruit. However, you have to be patient in order to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
August 20, 2024
Jak to wszystko ubrać w słowa� Jak opowiedzieć o wszystkim, aby nie brzmiało banalnie� Jak kiedyś się dowiem to Wam opowiem.
Dwie sceny tej książki były dla mnie intensywne, wzbudziły lekkie drgania emocji w moim nieczułym ciele🥰
Ocena: 4,5.
Dwie sceny tej książki były dla mnie intensywne, wzbudziły lekkie drgania emocji w moim nieczułym ciele🥰
Ocena: 4,5.
December 25, 2018
4.5/5 stars.
I think this is my favourite book by Sarah Waters that I've read so far. Unlike some of her other books, I feel like this one had a great ending that wrapped things up beautifully.
The most astonishing thing about this story is the fact that it is told backwards. We start in London in 1947 when we meet several characters whose lives gradually entwine. Then we jump backwards to 1944 when London is in the midst of the war, and we - as readers - get more familiar with the characters and how their lives entwine, only backwards. The last part jumps to 1941 and, as I said, wraps up the story beautifully and uniquely.
Sarah Waters is great at writing characters and tragic love stories, and "The Night Watch" is no exception. I actually regret having checked the novel out from the library, because it's one of those books that I would love to have in my personal collection and look back at with a smile on my face.
I think this is my favourite book by Sarah Waters that I've read so far. Unlike some of her other books, I feel like this one had a great ending that wrapped things up beautifully.
The most astonishing thing about this story is the fact that it is told backwards. We start in London in 1947 when we meet several characters whose lives gradually entwine. Then we jump backwards to 1944 when London is in the midst of the war, and we - as readers - get more familiar with the characters and how their lives entwine, only backwards. The last part jumps to 1941 and, as I said, wraps up the story beautifully and uniquely.
Sarah Waters is great at writing characters and tragic love stories, and "The Night Watch" is no exception. I actually regret having checked the novel out from the library, because it's one of those books that I would love to have in my personal collection and look back at with a smile on my face.
June 1, 2008
I struggled with my rating on this one. It seems sad to give only 1 star to what feels like an author's greatest effort to date. And I did end up liking one of the characters a little.
Oh well.
Luckily, this book improved after the first 250 dreadful pages. But isn't that a long time to wait for improvement? See my earlier comment for the defects of the book's Part One (takes place in 1947). Part two, set three years earlier, is certainly less boring, but only because the war was still on, not because the plot or characters became more interesting.
I continued to get the impression that the characters didn't inhabit their environment so much as they were transported there against their will. For all her mentions of ration books, warning sirens, etc., Waters utterly fails to make 1944 London come alive. Furthermore, the prose is not strong. The only bold images were things that need no embellishment to be vivid - bombs, abortion, hemorrhage.
While more readable than Part One, Part Two still fell short of interesting, and Part Three, set in 1941 and only about 30 pages long, was sloppy and predictable.
Oh well.
Luckily, this book improved after the first 250 dreadful pages. But isn't that a long time to wait for improvement? See my earlier comment for the defects of the book's Part One (takes place in 1947). Part two, set three years earlier, is certainly less boring, but only because the war was still on, not because the plot or characters became more interesting.
I continued to get the impression that the characters didn't inhabit their environment so much as they were transported there against their will. For all her mentions of ration books, warning sirens, etc., Waters utterly fails to make 1944 London come alive. Furthermore, the prose is not strong. The only bold images were things that need no embellishment to be vivid - bombs, abortion, hemorrhage.
While more readable than Part One, Part Two still fell short of interesting, and Part Three, set in 1941 and only about 30 pages long, was sloppy and predictable.
March 20, 2009
This is such a touching, sober and tender novel. The setting is London: the story begins in 1947 and works backward to end in 1941. The story weaves through the lives of a handful of women, some of whom had tedious office jobs, others the grim work of driving ambulances or sorting through the rubble of destroyed homes, but all bravely assisted their fellow citizens through the messy, tragic business of living in London during the war. After the war, these women seem without tether and are once again bound by the invisible ropes of sexism and classism from which they were nearly freed by the upside-down world at war.
A major theme of the novel is the growing recognition and acceptance of homosexuality. Some these women find comfort and intimacy in each other, yet the homosexual encounters of one of the males characters is shrouded in shame. Lesbianism is treated in such a loving but clear-eyed way; the freedom these women had to turn to one another during the war seems to dissolve to shame and confusion once society's rules settle back into place.
What I appreciated most about this novel was the realistic post-war world that Waters created. It wasn't all joyful reunions and breathless bonhomie. WWII gave many European and American women a sense of purpose, important jobs, skills, a grasp at their own physical and intellectual power outside of the hearth. That they could resent the return home of their husbands, fathers, brothers is a secret shame that Waters acknowledges and tells quietly through the voices of these flawed but brave souls.
A major theme of the novel is the growing recognition and acceptance of homosexuality. Some these women find comfort and intimacy in each other, yet the homosexual encounters of one of the males characters is shrouded in shame. Lesbianism is treated in such a loving but clear-eyed way; the freedom these women had to turn to one another during the war seems to dissolve to shame and confusion once society's rules settle back into place.
What I appreciated most about this novel was the realistic post-war world that Waters created. It wasn't all joyful reunions and breathless bonhomie. WWII gave many European and American women a sense of purpose, important jobs, skills, a grasp at their own physical and intellectual power outside of the hearth. That they could resent the return home of their husbands, fathers, brothers is a secret shame that Waters acknowledges and tells quietly through the voices of these flawed but brave souls.
December 28, 2021
I loved this, as I love all of Sarah Waters's works. Beautifully written, with amazing characters and a really interesting structure. Sarah Waters writes about history so fantastically.
October 19, 2014
"She went down the steps and started to walk. She stepped like a person who knew exactly where they were going, and why they were going there� though the fact was, she had nothing to do, and no one to visit , no one to see. Her day was a blank, like all of her days. She might have been inventing the ground she walked on, laboriously, with every step."
The Night Watch was not what I expected. I don't like war time stories. There is very little I enjoy about the gory detail or historical arrogance that often accompanies war time stories. Instead The Night Watch, although set in London between 1941 and 1947, did not focus on the war but explored the stories of a small group of individuals whose fates intertwine by chance against the backdrop of the London bombings.
And as it turns out, The Night Watch is one of the finest character studies I have ever encountered.
In fact, I guess the story could have been written against the backdrop of other eras and other societies and still maintain its relevance as a depiction of the struggle of moral integrity surrounded by betrayal - however small it may be - and of acts of kindness in a world of destruction.
“She supposed that houses, after all - like the lives that were lived in them - were mostly made of space. It was the spaces, in fact, which counted, rather than the bricks. �
As with Waters' other books, the writing is compelling. The pace of the narration thrives on detail. Detail is important.
“Helen opened her eyes and gazed into the luminous blue of the sky. Was it crazy, she wondered, to be as grateful as she felt now, for moments like this, in a world that had atomic bombs in it—and concentration camps, and gas chambers? People were still tearing each other into pieces. There was still murder, starvation, unrest, in Poland, Palestine, India—God knew where else. Britain itself was sliding into bankruptcy and decay. Was it a kind of idiocy or selfishness, to want to be able to give yourself over to the trifles: to the parp of the Regent’s Park Band; to the sun on your face, the prickle of grass beneath your heels, the movement of cloudy beer in your veins, the secret closeness of your lover? Or were those trifles all you had? Oughtn’t you, precisely, to preserve them? To make little crystal drops of them, that you could keep, like charms on a bracelet, to tell against danger when next it came? �
I do not often re-read books, but this one will be one of the few that I will be sure to come back to. It is also one of those very few books where I really wish the main character was real.
Amazing book.
Review first posted on BookLikes:
The Night Watch was not what I expected. I don't like war time stories. There is very little I enjoy about the gory detail or historical arrogance that often accompanies war time stories. Instead The Night Watch, although set in London between 1941 and 1947, did not focus on the war but explored the stories of a small group of individuals whose fates intertwine by chance against the backdrop of the London bombings.
And as it turns out, The Night Watch is one of the finest character studies I have ever encountered.
In fact, I guess the story could have been written against the backdrop of other eras and other societies and still maintain its relevance as a depiction of the struggle of moral integrity surrounded by betrayal - however small it may be - and of acts of kindness in a world of destruction.
“She supposed that houses, after all - like the lives that were lived in them - were mostly made of space. It was the spaces, in fact, which counted, rather than the bricks. �
As with Waters' other books, the writing is compelling. The pace of the narration thrives on detail. Detail is important.
“Helen opened her eyes and gazed into the luminous blue of the sky. Was it crazy, she wondered, to be as grateful as she felt now, for moments like this, in a world that had atomic bombs in it—and concentration camps, and gas chambers? People were still tearing each other into pieces. There was still murder, starvation, unrest, in Poland, Palestine, India—God knew where else. Britain itself was sliding into bankruptcy and decay. Was it a kind of idiocy or selfishness, to want to be able to give yourself over to the trifles: to the parp of the Regent’s Park Band; to the sun on your face, the prickle of grass beneath your heels, the movement of cloudy beer in your veins, the secret closeness of your lover? Or were those trifles all you had? Oughtn’t you, precisely, to preserve them? To make little crystal drops of them, that you could keep, like charms on a bracelet, to tell against danger when next it came? �
I do not often re-read books, but this one will be one of the few that I will be sure to come back to. It is also one of those very few books where I really wish the main character was real.
Amazing book.
Review first posted on BookLikes:
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July 14, 2021 less relevant bit
I really enjoyed this one, in contrast to which I respected but which I was glad to finish so I could escape the head space of its narrator.
Some reasons for my enjoyment are peculiar, but since it is a book that delights in the queer, perhaps that is all right. For instance "The boys were in battledress: khaki & baby blue & every shade between - the uniforms of Poland, Norway, Canada, Australia, France." (P.298) reminded me of working in a warehouse for a certain retailer, picking orders for stores - men's trousers were the worst part of any order, because some bastard, or more probably some bastards, had invented twenty or more shades of colour between khaki and blue, so to pick the right coloured trousers you had to haul out pairs and check their codes until you found the right one. Ah sweet unhappy days . While a woman impaled on railings reminded me of another job, being on a course to do risk assessments on public housing and one of the trainers repeating in his west Midlands accent that such cast iron railings were "vertical spears". I had long thought that the legend was that such railings had been removed during WWII to be recast in for the war effort - certainly you can see the stumps of such railings all round London (and maybe other cities too) so I was a bit surprised that some apparently were still in place in 1944, even in a novel.
Another peculiar reason was because this was very much a London novel and on account of my grievous sins in apparently many previous lives I was born in South London and I spent much of the novel stretching my hypothalamus like a trainee London Black cab driver following along in my head as the characters wandered on foot from Shepherds Bush down to the River or round with an ambulance, someone goes along Doughty street for a time and for some time the stiff clogs in my head turned until the penny dropped and I remembered that is where the Dickens House museum is.
The description of a house whose neighbours had been destroyed during the war reminded me of the film "The Ladykillers", as did the old Lady who remembered seeing Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the park, so a brief mention of Lavender Hill put me in mind of another Ealing Comedy
hopefully slightly more relevant bit
All of which is mostly by the by. I say mostly because it occurs to me that this might be deliberate. Waters will know or assume her (British) readers will have very definite ideas of what war time and post war London was like and I wondered if she was playing with the readers ideas of stability and familiarity on one side, and queering the pitch on the other. Because this is mostly a story of relationships, mostly about loving the wrong people that cast a harsh light on how different mid 20th century London and Britain were compared to the same places 60 or so years later?
So we have the cruel and ridiculous theatre of the only heterosexual couple in the story and the hoops they have to jump through to actually simply commit adultery and for a reason the desire of two people to have sex together comes to a not unfamiliar end which is a major problem for unmarried couples in the days before the decriminalisation of a part of the Offences against the Person Act (1861) - this was the most moving part of the novel for me.
At more or less the same time that woman's brother is in prison, Waters plays with time in this novel - so the novel begins with a section set in 1947, and is followed by a piece set in 1944 and ends with a few chapters that take place in 1941. This allowed waters to trick me as I thought the brother was in prison
The other characters are principally Lesbian women and the main focus seemed to me to be on Kay who was an ambulance driver during the war. In 1947 her ex-lovers Helen and Julia are a couple, and Helen is particularly anxious about the relationship. These characters reminded me of Arthurian Romance - Kay in particular, is a knight errand (& bears an Arthurian name), roaming the streets of London rescuing damsels (and some non-damsels) in distress on her faithful steed, alert to it's dodgy clutch and gently washing it after each adventure, while the romantic entanglements brought to mind the sexual triangle of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot which will bring down the kingdom in the end - but maybe all (fictional) love triangles tend to be like that.
Taking a break to drink cocktails on a houseboat in 1944 those women dream of settled lives, being able to have children and live publicly with their lady loves, again emphasising the distance from the often heroic and idealised world of war time Britain. By implication Waters suggests that there is a more profound heroism to be found in the years after the end of the war among those people who led the cultural changes and pushed for the legal changes which were to come. Maybe to underline this her depiction of the war includes black marketeers and on the other side petty and perhaps pointless bureaucracy involved in assisting those who were bombed out.
On the other hand this might all be a nonsense and perhaps this is a novel all about class, and indeed studies show that 96.7% of English novels are about social class. The women on the houseboat can imaging marrying Liberal MPs and having Lavender marriages, they can live life as they will - although not to the extent they would like, for the lower class characters however, if they try to live in accordance with their feelings - prison is waiting. The rich can have their pleasures, while for the poor there is always the prison he naturally falls on his feet again afterwards.
Although the relationships go awry, and because the novel's structure we gradually learn the hinterland of those relationships and understand something of the dynamic, this did for me stress that life goes on, when one door closes, another opens, and their seemed to me to be some signs of hope in the beginning
A third way of looking at things comes courtesy of the late Arthur Marwick who I recall explained war as something destabilising, that mixes up the social order. In this novel we can see in the first section where everybody has been left in 1947 after the tide of war has ebbed, while in the earlier section we see them caught up in the rush of war, in jobs which they would never had access to before the war, meeting people that they would otherwise never have come into contact with, or forced into situations which in peacetime would never have occurred. What we are left then at the beginning is the question of how they will progress in this brave new world.
I really enjoyed this one, in contrast to which I respected but which I was glad to finish so I could escape the head space of its narrator.
Some reasons for my enjoyment are peculiar, but since it is a book that delights in the queer, perhaps that is all right. For instance "The boys were in battledress: khaki & baby blue & every shade between - the uniforms of Poland, Norway, Canada, Australia, France." (P.298) reminded me of working in a warehouse for a certain retailer, picking orders for stores - men's trousers were the worst part of any order, because some bastard, or more probably some bastards, had invented twenty or more shades of colour between khaki and blue, so to pick the right coloured trousers you had to haul out pairs and check their codes until you found the right one. Ah sweet unhappy days . While a woman impaled on railings reminded me of another job, being on a course to do risk assessments on public housing and one of the trainers repeating in his west Midlands accent that such cast iron railings were "vertical spears". I had long thought that the legend was that such railings had been removed during WWII to be recast in for the war effort - certainly you can see the stumps of such railings all round London (and maybe other cities too) so I was a bit surprised that some apparently were still in place in 1944, even in a novel.
Another peculiar reason was because this was very much a London novel and on account of my grievous sins in apparently many previous lives I was born in South London and I spent much of the novel stretching my hypothalamus like a trainee London Black cab driver following along in my head as the characters wandered on foot from Shepherds Bush down to the River or round with an ambulance, someone goes along Doughty street for a time and for some time the stiff clogs in my head turned until the penny dropped and I remembered that is where the Dickens House museum is.
The description of a house whose neighbours had been destroyed during the war reminded me of the film "The Ladykillers", as did the old Lady who remembered seeing Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the park, so a brief mention of Lavender Hill put me in mind of another Ealing Comedy
hopefully slightly more relevant bit
All of which is mostly by the by. I say mostly because it occurs to me that this might be deliberate. Waters will know or assume her (British) readers will have very definite ideas of what war time and post war London was like and I wondered if she was playing with the readers ideas of stability and familiarity on one side, and queering the pitch on the other. Because this is mostly a story of relationships, mostly about loving the wrong people that cast a harsh light on how different mid 20th century London and Britain were compared to the same places 60 or so years later?
So we have the cruel and ridiculous theatre of the only heterosexual couple in the story and the hoops they have to jump through to actually simply commit adultery and for a reason the desire of two people to have sex together comes to a not unfamiliar end which is a major problem for unmarried couples in the days before the decriminalisation of a part of the Offences against the Person Act (1861) - this was the most moving part of the novel for me.
At more or less the same time that woman's brother is in prison, Waters plays with time in this novel - so the novel begins with a section set in 1947, and is followed by a piece set in 1944 and ends with a few chapters that take place in 1941. This allowed waters to trick me as I thought the brother was in prison
The other characters are principally Lesbian women and the main focus seemed to me to be on Kay who was an ambulance driver during the war. In 1947 her ex-lovers Helen and Julia are a couple, and Helen is particularly anxious about the relationship. These characters reminded me of Arthurian Romance - Kay in particular, is a knight errand (& bears an Arthurian name), roaming the streets of London rescuing damsels (and some non-damsels) in distress on her faithful steed, alert to it's dodgy clutch and gently washing it after each adventure, while the romantic entanglements brought to mind the sexual triangle of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot which will bring down the kingdom in the end - but maybe all (fictional) love triangles tend to be like that.
Taking a break to drink cocktails on a houseboat in 1944 those women dream of settled lives, being able to have children and live publicly with their lady loves, again emphasising the distance from the often heroic and idealised world of war time Britain. By implication Waters suggests that there is a more profound heroism to be found in the years after the end of the war among those people who led the cultural changes and pushed for the legal changes which were to come. Maybe to underline this her depiction of the war includes black marketeers and on the other side petty and perhaps pointless bureaucracy involved in assisting those who were bombed out.
On the other hand this might all be a nonsense and perhaps this is a novel all about class, and indeed studies show that 96.7% of English novels are about social class. The women on the houseboat can imaging marrying Liberal MPs and having Lavender marriages, they can live life as they will - although not to the extent they would like, for the lower class characters however, if they try to live in accordance with their feelings - prison is waiting. The rich can have their pleasures, while for the poor there is always the prison he naturally falls on his feet again afterwards.
Although the relationships go awry, and because the novel's structure we gradually learn the hinterland of those relationships and understand something of the dynamic, this did for me stress that life goes on, when one door closes, another opens, and their seemed to me to be some signs of hope in the beginning
A third way of looking at things comes courtesy of the late Arthur Marwick who I recall explained war as something destabilising, that mixes up the social order. In this novel we can see in the first section where everybody has been left in 1947 after the tide of war has ebbed, while in the earlier section we see them caught up in the rush of war, in jobs which they would never had access to before the war, meeting people that they would otherwise never have come into contact with, or forced into situations which in peacetime would never have occurred. What we are left then at the beginning is the question of how they will progress in this brave new world.
June 21, 2012
It is perhaps not the best of signs that, unprompted and without my copy of this book beside me (because I am writing review at work.... naughty, naughty), I can barely remember the names of any of the principal characters.
This may be a sign of two things:
1. My ailing memory due to incipient old age
2. The fact that this books characters were not potentially striking or memorable enough to lodge them firmly within grey matter like a sort of post-reading word shrapnel.
Because no one likes to admit getting old, I am going to go for option number two m’lud and plead that despite having previously enjoyed and Tipping the Velvet, both of which are by Sarah Waters, this will not stand out for me as the most memorable example of her award winning literary outputs
Set during the London Blitz of WWII the book moves around in time like Bill and Ted on their excellent adventure. Instead of picking up Socrates-dude, or Napoleon, we’re on a mission to meet Viv, Kay, Helen and their selected group of LGB friends and relatives, all of whom are doing more than ducking for cover in the black-out. This is an alternative look at life in war-time London and a reminder that despite the whole “stiff upper lip� and the advice to keep calm and carry on, people were still living their lives, falling in love, having affairs and suffering from all the neuroses of social conscience that plague us today.
This may be a sign of two things:
1. My ailing memory due to incipient old age
2. The fact that this books characters were not potentially striking or memorable enough to lodge them firmly within grey matter like a sort of post-reading word shrapnel.
Because no one likes to admit getting old, I am going to go for option number two m’lud and plead that despite having previously enjoyed and Tipping the Velvet, both of which are by Sarah Waters, this will not stand out for me as the most memorable example of her award winning literary outputs
Set during the London Blitz of WWII the book moves around in time like Bill and Ted on their excellent adventure. Instead of picking up Socrates-dude, or Napoleon, we’re on a mission to meet Viv, Kay, Helen and their selected group of LGB friends and relatives, all of whom are doing more than ducking for cover in the black-out. This is an alternative look at life in war-time London and a reminder that despite the whole “stiff upper lip� and the advice to keep calm and carry on, people were still living their lives, falling in love, having affairs and suffering from all the neuroses of social conscience that plague us today.
August 6, 2024
This was my last Waters ranked I'd probably say :
1. The Paying Guests (definitely) a favourite of all time!
2. The Little Stranger
3. Tipping The Velvet
4. Affinity
5. The Night Watch
6. Fingersmith
I found this a very intriguing historical book, loving the ending and characters � The format of telling it backwards was something I've never seen before and it worked so well! x
I hope we get a new Waters soon 😅
1. The Paying Guests (definitely) a favourite of all time!
2. The Little Stranger
3. Tipping The Velvet
4. Affinity
5. The Night Watch
6. Fingersmith
I found this a very intriguing historical book, loving the ending and characters � The format of telling it backwards was something I've never seen before and it worked so well! x
I hope we get a new Waters soon 😅
November 24, 2014
Spoilers
Really loved the first third of the novel, the rest not so much, it wasn't bad, it was just unsatisfying. There wasn't a proper ending to where the main characters were left off in part one of the story, I wanted an epilogue or something to tie up the many loose ends.
-What's What: Split into three sections, the first part of the story set in 1947 London, the next in 1944, and the final part set in 1941. Focuses on four main characters (Kay, Helen, Viv, Duncan) who have survived the war and are in some way connected to each other.
-The POV characters were decent enough, I found them all at least somewhat engaging, not all of them were likeable though. Helen especially was irritating and hard to like, her jealousy and obsessiveness when it came to Julia was ridiculous. I wouldn't blame Julia if she had been having an affair so she could escape from Helen's needy-suffocating-controlling ways. It also would have been karma if Helen was cheated on after what she did to Kay.
Viv was a total idiot, her years long affair with Reggie was appalling. I was quite shocked she stayed with Reggie after he knocked her up, took her to a back street abortionist and left her when she was bleeding to death. How could she take him back when he'd done that to her? It was unforgivable that he ran when she was pretty much dying. How could she think he loved and respected her after that? He did nothing to show it, she was such a fool to keep seeing him. It was also distasteful how little Viv cared about Reggie's wife and kids, she really didn't give a thought about them. I hope she got a spine and some self respect and finally ditched the loser. I did like Viv's relationship with her brother though, it was sweet how she stuck by him when the rest of the family didn't really want to know.
-I had mixed feelings for the structure of the story, what with it unfolding backwards. It was great to read how each character related to one other and how they came to be where they were. However, I was disappointed with not knowing what happened to the characters after 1947, as interesting as some of the characters pasts were, I was actually far more curious about where they were heading and whether they would find some peace and happiness. Did Viv finally dump Reggie and find someone new? Did she find a job she enjoyed? Did Kay ever get over the war? Did Duncan escape Mr Mundy and do something with his life? Did Helen stay with Julia even though she knew she was no longer loved? Was Julia actually having an affair? Did Helen keep self harming? I wanted to know more about their futures, their stories felt unfinished.
-The various wartime jobs the characters had were one of best elements of the book for me, I especially loved reading about Kay's ambulance/paramedic sort of job, her going out on call outs and interacting with the injured/the wardens/the police etc, her work was rather fascinating.
-Loved the wartime and London setting, it gave the atmosphere and relationships more gravitas and urgency. If the story had been told in modern day, I probably would have found most of the relationships shallow and ridiculous.
-There were parts which were far too slow and detailed, all of Helen/Julia's interactions (particularly in 1944) were needlessly drawn out. I kept rolling my eyes at Helen's descriptions of Julia, at one point I actually shouted out 'just fuck already' - it was just so unbelievably painful to read about Helen's excessive longing for Julia.
All in all, I liked and hated the backwards sort of narrative. I enjoyed guessing how all the characters ended up where they were and how they were connected to one another, but I really wasn't impressed with the main characters more or less being left in the middle of their present day (1947) story. I needed at least some resolution to the many issues and problems they were all facing.
Really loved the first third of the novel, the rest not so much, it wasn't bad, it was just unsatisfying. There wasn't a proper ending to where the main characters were left off in part one of the story, I wanted an epilogue or something to tie up the many loose ends.
-What's What: Split into three sections, the first part of the story set in 1947 London, the next in 1944, and the final part set in 1941. Focuses on four main characters (Kay, Helen, Viv, Duncan) who have survived the war and are in some way connected to each other.
-The POV characters were decent enough, I found them all at least somewhat engaging, not all of them were likeable though. Helen especially was irritating and hard to like, her jealousy and obsessiveness when it came to Julia was ridiculous. I wouldn't blame Julia if she had been having an affair so she could escape from Helen's needy-suffocating-controlling ways. It also would have been karma if Helen was cheated on after what she did to Kay.
Viv was a total idiot, her years long affair with Reggie was appalling. I was quite shocked she stayed with Reggie after he knocked her up, took her to a back street abortionist and left her when she was bleeding to death. How could she take him back when he'd done that to her? It was unforgivable that he ran when she was pretty much dying. How could she think he loved and respected her after that? He did nothing to show it, she was such a fool to keep seeing him. It was also distasteful how little Viv cared about Reggie's wife and kids, she really didn't give a thought about them. I hope she got a spine and some self respect and finally ditched the loser. I did like Viv's relationship with her brother though, it was sweet how she stuck by him when the rest of the family didn't really want to know.
-I had mixed feelings for the structure of the story, what with it unfolding backwards. It was great to read how each character related to one other and how they came to be where they were. However, I was disappointed with not knowing what happened to the characters after 1947, as interesting as some of the characters pasts were, I was actually far more curious about where they were heading and whether they would find some peace and happiness. Did Viv finally dump Reggie and find someone new? Did she find a job she enjoyed? Did Kay ever get over the war? Did Duncan escape Mr Mundy and do something with his life? Did Helen stay with Julia even though she knew she was no longer loved? Was Julia actually having an affair? Did Helen keep self harming? I wanted to know more about their futures, their stories felt unfinished.
-The various wartime jobs the characters had were one of best elements of the book for me, I especially loved reading about Kay's ambulance/paramedic sort of job, her going out on call outs and interacting with the injured/the wardens/the police etc, her work was rather fascinating.
-Loved the wartime and London setting, it gave the atmosphere and relationships more gravitas and urgency. If the story had been told in modern day, I probably would have found most of the relationships shallow and ridiculous.
-There were parts which were far too slow and detailed, all of Helen/Julia's interactions (particularly in 1944) were needlessly drawn out. I kept rolling my eyes at Helen's descriptions of Julia, at one point I actually shouted out 'just fuck already' - it was just so unbelievably painful to read about Helen's excessive longing for Julia.
All in all, I liked and hated the backwards sort of narrative. I enjoyed guessing how all the characters ended up where they were and how they were connected to one another, but I really wasn't impressed with the main characters more or less being left in the middle of their present day (1947) story. I needed at least some resolution to the many issues and problems they were all facing.
March 21, 2020
4.25/5. This was my fifth book by Sarah Waters and another wonderful novel that captivated and moved me. It's been quite some time since I last read a book set during World War II, since it's not a time period I'm particularly drawn to when reading historical fiction, mainly because I feel like I've read so much about it already. However, in true Sarah Waters fashion, she managed to find an angle that I hadn't read before, focusing on four characters (three women, one man) whose lives intersect in London in the 1940s. None of them actually fight in the war, but this book still perfectly captures how the effects of the war steer the direction of their lives in more indirect, less dramatic ways.
Moreover, The Night Watch feels wholly original in its narrative structure. It's told backwards � the first section is set in 1947, the second in 1944, the last in 1941 � which made for an entirely unique reading experience. Getting to find out where characters end up first and then slowly unravelling how they got there feels reminiscent of the whydunit (as a twist on the classic whodunit) and completely subverts how we usually think about character development and narrative structure. It also made me think a lot about how unstable the chronology in which we traditionally learn about history is. I love historical novels that question how history is told (and who gets to tell it) in a really clever way and this seems to be Sarah Waters' trademark. (I wrote my BA thesis on another one of her novels, Affinity, which is set in the Victorian era and in which she also focuses on the instability of historical records.) Like all of Sarah Waters' other books, this is a rather slow read and like all her books, it could've benefitted from a stricter editor in my opinion, which is my only real critique of this book. I think this would've packed more of a punch overall had it been a little shorter.
To end on a positive note, let's talk about the ending. To me, The Night Watch proved once and for all that Sarah Waters is exceptionally skilled at writing endings. I'm not saying the rest of her books are bad (duh!), but so far, I've always found that in each of her novels, the ending elevates the entire book somehow. And these endings aren't even necessarily good in the same way � some are really dark and twisted, some are bittersweet and encapsulate the complexity and nuance of her narratives. I'm obviously not going to say which of her books fit in which category. You'll just have to find that out for yourself and I urge you to do so!
Moreover, The Night Watch feels wholly original in its narrative structure. It's told backwards � the first section is set in 1947, the second in 1944, the last in 1941 � which made for an entirely unique reading experience. Getting to find out where characters end up first and then slowly unravelling how they got there feels reminiscent of the whydunit (as a twist on the classic whodunit) and completely subverts how we usually think about character development and narrative structure. It also made me think a lot about how unstable the chronology in which we traditionally learn about history is. I love historical novels that question how history is told (and who gets to tell it) in a really clever way and this seems to be Sarah Waters' trademark. (I wrote my BA thesis on another one of her novels, Affinity, which is set in the Victorian era and in which she also focuses on the instability of historical records.) Like all of Sarah Waters' other books, this is a rather slow read and like all her books, it could've benefitted from a stricter editor in my opinion, which is my only real critique of this book. I think this would've packed more of a punch overall had it been a little shorter.
To end on a positive note, let's talk about the ending. To me, The Night Watch proved once and for all that Sarah Waters is exceptionally skilled at writing endings. I'm not saying the rest of her books are bad (duh!), but so far, I've always found that in each of her novels, the ending elevates the entire book somehow. And these endings aren't even necessarily good in the same way � some are really dark and twisted, some are bittersweet and encapsulate the complexity and nuance of her narratives. I'm obviously not going to say which of her books fit in which category. You'll just have to find that out for yourself and I urge you to do so!
June 1, 2008
I had this book pushed on me from someone in my building. I didn't really mind because I saw it was by Sarah Waters who wrote Tipping the Velvet, but I wasn't particularly excited to start this one. I finally cracked it open because said neighbor is moving out soon and I wanted to get it back to him before he left. Now I feel sad that I have to part with it.
I loved this book. It follows the lives of four people backwards through World War II. It begins post-war, in 1947, and you meet these characters who all have some sort of secret or mystery from their pasts. Rather than have the secret "come out" as the story progresses, Waters takes you literally back in time so that you see how the past unfolded while knowing what the consequences ended up being in the future. The result is that you stay strangely in the moment and have a sad sense of premonition as you read the ending first. Although most of the characters are gay, Sarah isn't writing a novel about the "gay" experience of World War II, just quietly illuminating the lives of gay people living through the war like everyone else. Sarah pays special attention to the nuances of desire, guilt, and regret. Her characters are carefully and finely drawn and her dialog is heart-wrenching in its honesty. Sarah's writing has matured so much that, as much as I liked Tipping, it feels like pure fluff next to this.
I loved this book. It follows the lives of four people backwards through World War II. It begins post-war, in 1947, and you meet these characters who all have some sort of secret or mystery from their pasts. Rather than have the secret "come out" as the story progresses, Waters takes you literally back in time so that you see how the past unfolded while knowing what the consequences ended up being in the future. The result is that you stay strangely in the moment and have a sad sense of premonition as you read the ending first. Although most of the characters are gay, Sarah isn't writing a novel about the "gay" experience of World War II, just quietly illuminating the lives of gay people living through the war like everyone else. Sarah pays special attention to the nuances of desire, guilt, and regret. Her characters are carefully and finely drawn and her dialog is heart-wrenching in its honesty. Sarah's writing has matured so much that, as much as I liked Tipping, it feels like pure fluff next to this.
April 27, 2018
"Jon, this is about lesbians." Such was my stepmom's drawly voice on the phone one afternoon. I had bought The Little Stranger for her birthday a month before. I then read that novel and discovered it was rubbish or at least a muddled effort to be a class-conscious ghost story. I ran out the following day and bought her The Night Watch which I had read months before and liked considerably. I never thought that this single detail would elicit a literary discussion over the phone. This was in fact the closest to a literary conversation I have ever had with any of my family over the phone or otherwise.
December 1, 2021
The Mookse and the Gripes group is revisiting the 2006 longlist this month, and this was one of the only two books on it I had not already read (though I am also planning to a number of books from the longlist and reread a couple from the shortlist). My only previous experience of reading Waters was (which I enjoyed), but although both have historical settings the two books are very different.
This time the setting is London during and immediately afterwards. The most interesting element of the structure is that the story is told backwards, starting in 1947 and moving back to 1944 and eventually 1941, so that we first meet the four main protagonists after the war and their back stories are hinted out and sketched, then explored in more detail later.
As in Fingersmith this gives Waters plenty of space to explore her interest in social history - three of her protagonists are women, and the only straight one experiences an illegal abortion, and the fourth, the male, is a loner who has spent three years in jail for his part in a suicide pact in which his best friend died rather than face life as a soldier, and his cellmate in jail is a conscientious objector. Another is part of one of the ambulance crews that helped deal with the consequences of the blitz.
Overall this is a very enjoyable book, with a surprising degree of depth and artistry, and it is easy to see why it was shortlisted.
This time the setting is London during and immediately afterwards. The most interesting element of the structure is that the story is told backwards, starting in 1947 and moving back to 1944 and eventually 1941, so that we first meet the four main protagonists after the war and their back stories are hinted out and sketched, then explored in more detail later.
As in Fingersmith this gives Waters plenty of space to explore her interest in social history - three of her protagonists are women, and the only straight one experiences an illegal abortion, and the fourth, the male, is a loner who has spent three years in jail for his part in a suicide pact in which his best friend died rather than face life as a soldier, and his cellmate in jail is a conscientious objector. Another is part of one of the ambulance crews that helped deal with the consequences of the blitz.
Overall this is a very enjoyable book, with a surprising degree of depth and artistry, and it is easy to see why it was shortlisted.
March 17, 2021
I spent the first 100 pages or so trudging through this, wanting to like it more than I actually did. Somewhere after that point it clicked into place and I flew through the rest with ease. I liked the idea of working backwards, getting to know the characters in reverse. I wonder if I were to go back and reread those earlier pages I struggled with if I would enjoy them more?
I always find it interesting to learn more about the aftermath of a war, especially in the case of women, were allowed to step up and do things while the men were away, but were then expected to return to their earlier roles when they returned. Some of the characters missed the war in some ways and I found that relatable really --- for a brief time they had a kind of freedom, albeit with a heavy price, and then it was taken away again.
Viv's relationship with Reggie was the most frustrating aspect of the book. I couldn't work out why she stuck with him, and when we finally get to the start of their relationship I was more baffled than ever. What was his appeal? His nice teeth? That it was wartime and he was there? How long can you sustain a relationship with someone based on... nothing much at all? I think that was the point of course, but I found him so irritating, and though I liked Viv, that she continued this ridiculous affair with this man for so long did test my patience. I do understand that there is a lot of truth to that as well though. People make poor decisions, and often continue to make them, and there often isn't much of a reason behind it. They just do. The low point is his cowardice when he just slips off to let her deal with everything, caring more for himself than whether or not she lives --- but several years later he is still in her life! Why?
The other characters were as interesting as I have come to expect from Sarah Waters, but this book made less of an impression on me than Fingersmith, which so far remains my favourite.
I always find it interesting to learn more about the aftermath of a war, especially in the case of women, were allowed to step up and do things while the men were away, but were then expected to return to their earlier roles when they returned. Some of the characters missed the war in some ways and I found that relatable really --- for a brief time they had a kind of freedom, albeit with a heavy price, and then it was taken away again.
Viv's relationship with Reggie was the most frustrating aspect of the book. I couldn't work out why she stuck with him, and when we finally get to the start of their relationship I was more baffled than ever. What was his appeal? His nice teeth? That it was wartime and he was there? How long can you sustain a relationship with someone based on... nothing much at all? I think that was the point of course, but I found him so irritating, and though I liked Viv, that she continued this ridiculous affair with this man for so long did test my patience. I do understand that there is a lot of truth to that as well though. People make poor decisions, and often continue to make them, and there often isn't much of a reason behind it. They just do. The low point is his cowardice when he just slips off to let her deal with everything, caring more for himself than whether or not she lives --- but several years later he is still in her life! Why?
The other characters were as interesting as I have come to expect from Sarah Waters, but this book made less of an impression on me than Fingersmith, which so far remains my favourite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2023
I was drawn to The Night Watch a decade ago, as it touched upon life in the UK during World War II (a subject in which I have a special interest from having read one of Patrick Hamilton's novels from 1947, The Slaves of Solitude) - but in a fashion that was somewhat unusual. That is, the novel proceeds backwards in time, starting in postwar Britain in 1947, then moving on to 1944 Britain, and finally back to Britain in 1941, when it was a nation virtually alone in the war against Nazi Germany.
All through these temporal shifts, the reader is able to see how the main characters cope with the various challenges set before them across time. That was the part of the novel that I liked a lot, though I feel that the 1941 segment was a bit rushed. Otherwise, The Night Watch is a terrific, compelling, well-written novel.
All through these temporal shifts, the reader is able to see how the main characters cope with the various challenges set before them across time. That was the part of the novel that I liked a lot, though I feel that the 1941 segment was a bit rushed. Otherwise, The Night Watch is a terrific, compelling, well-written novel.
February 11, 2018
An ambitious, clever concept, just ever so slightly muddled in places.
I love Sarah Waters' writing style. She has this uncanny knack of bringing characters to life by using the unsaid as much as the said - and that's an impressive thing to carry off. Most of her books I've really enjoyed, and this was no exception, though I did have some minor reservations.
Firstly, let's outline the story. It travels backwards through time (from the aftermath of the Second World War to the start of it), and follows several characters: Kay, who is ever the gentleman and seems destined to be taken the p*ss out of by her girlfriends, Helen, who seems anchorless and rather lost, Julia the enigmatic, cold author, Duncan, who is painfully vulnerable and relatively defenseless in virtually all situations, and Viv, who is having an affair.
All the lives seem woven into one another, as we travel back in time, learning how they met / separated, and the traumas and trials they've endured in the past.
It's an enormously clever approach to a novel, and as always, Waters' rich cast of characters and locations pulled me in right from the start. Every aspect of London in the 1940s is portrayed with confidence and conviction, leaving the reader feeling as though they're right there in the action.
However, I wouldn't say that the ingenious concept quite paid off, because there were a few times that I was a little confused (especially at the start), and also, there was information that was omitted at the start (the 'later' scenes) that didn't feel quite authentic - it seemed unlikely that it wouldn't be mentioned, and seemed to have been withheld deliberately, in order to prolong the reader's interest. Whilst this is fine, it would have been better if it hadn't been so obvious.
But overall, I thought this was a great novel - if you're a fan of her previous books, it's well worth reading.
I love Sarah Waters' writing style. She has this uncanny knack of bringing characters to life by using the unsaid as much as the said - and that's an impressive thing to carry off. Most of her books I've really enjoyed, and this was no exception, though I did have some minor reservations.
Firstly, let's outline the story. It travels backwards through time (from the aftermath of the Second World War to the start of it), and follows several characters: Kay, who is ever the gentleman and seems destined to be taken the p*ss out of by her girlfriends, Helen, who seems anchorless and rather lost, Julia the enigmatic, cold author, Duncan, who is painfully vulnerable and relatively defenseless in virtually all situations, and Viv, who is having an affair.
All the lives seem woven into one another, as we travel back in time, learning how they met / separated, and the traumas and trials they've endured in the past.
It's an enormously clever approach to a novel, and as always, Waters' rich cast of characters and locations pulled me in right from the start. Every aspect of London in the 1940s is portrayed with confidence and conviction, leaving the reader feeling as though they're right there in the action.
However, I wouldn't say that the ingenious concept quite paid off, because there were a few times that I was a little confused (especially at the start), and also, there was information that was omitted at the start (the 'later' scenes) that didn't feel quite authentic - it seemed unlikely that it wouldn't be mentioned, and seemed to have been withheld deliberately, in order to prolong the reader's interest. Whilst this is fine, it would have been better if it hadn't been so obvious.
But overall, I thought this was a great novel - if you're a fan of her previous books, it's well worth reading.
February 22, 2019
The Night watch is about sexual outsiders - a lesbian triangle, a gay young man and his sister who is having an affair with a married man. It all takes place in London from 1941 to 1946. It has an odd backwards structure which was the least successful feature of the novel for me. It begins in 1946 and ends in 1941. What best worked was how vividly the author evoked London in the war years. Her attention to detail was masterful, especially the ambulance service one of the women belongs to and her forays into the bombed London streets. It's probably a little too long - 502 pages - but, on the whole, a thoroughly rewarding read.
May 30, 2021
It took me an extraordinarily long time to finish this book. I could not get into it at first. On the top of it, discovering The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R Martin diverted my attention further away from it. When I finally came back to The Night Watch and gave it another try, that's when I started to appreciate the quiet beauty of this book. The Night Watch is absolutely different from the other Sarah Waters books I've read - Fingersmith, Affinity and The Little Stranger. There are no shocking twists and turns, no supernatural elements and no edge-of-the-seat suspense.
The Night Watch is the story of four people in WWII London. The story moves backwards starting from 1947 till 1941. I found this book to be more emotionally charged, more realistic as compared to Fingersmith or The Little Stranger. Even if this doesn't capture the reader's attention immediately, I would still say that The Night Watch is one of the best World War books I've read. The author's description of London during the second World War - the deaths, the bombed out streets and houses, the daily life - is poignant and moving. Since the story moves backwards, it was interesting to see how it began and how the characters are connected to each other; but I do wish we had been given more of how the characters ended up. Still, that's a minor complaint and doesn't spoil the book. Though not a favorite Sarah Waters book, The Night Watch is definitely worth a read, if you are interested in this time period.
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The Night Watch is the story of four people in WWII London. The story moves backwards starting from 1947 till 1941. I found this book to be more emotionally charged, more realistic as compared to Fingersmith or The Little Stranger. Even if this doesn't capture the reader's attention immediately, I would still say that The Night Watch is one of the best World War books I've read. The author's description of London during the second World War - the deaths, the bombed out streets and houses, the daily life - is poignant and moving. Since the story moves backwards, it was interesting to see how it began and how the characters are connected to each other; but I do wish we had been given more of how the characters ended up. Still, that's a minor complaint and doesn't spoil the book. Though not a favorite Sarah Waters book, The Night Watch is definitely worth a read, if you are interested in this time period.
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October 13, 2021
‘I go to the cinema,� said Kay; ‘there’s nothing funny about that. Sometimes I sit through the films twice over. Sometimes I go in half-way through, and watch the second half first. I almost prefer them that way—people’s pasts, you know, being so much more interesting than their futures. Or perhaps that’s just me…�
Sometimes, but not this time, Kay. Not when characters are so young and there's so much promise of a change.
This is a story about relationships, two lesbian, one straight and one undefined, that takes place in London in the 1941, during the Blitz, in the 1944 and then after the war is over in 1947. Only their stories are revealed backwards. So first we find out how it ended in 1947 and end with how it all started in 1941.
I've seen a lot of reviews mentioning the sluggish first 200 pages, and I felt the same way when I first read it, although I still enjoyed it. Because of the structure you're thrown into the lives of all the characters, never knowing what every relationship or interaction means, not until later. Obviously I head a completely different experience on this reread.
This time I was engrossed in the first (1947) part and I craved to know what's the next chapter for all our characters, especially for Duncan and Kay. And what I got was a little tedious melodrama (everything that has to do with Helen) and their secrets from the past that I already knew.
So I guess this means that the structure failed both times, but for different reasons.
But it's beautifully written, even if it's on the slow side, and 40s London is vividly evoked.
April 19, 2020
I consider myself to be a Sarah Waters fan, so today, it is with a heavy heart, that I am giving one of her works such a low rating. It just didn't meet any of my expectations, and to be honest, for a Waters novel, it was entirely flat.
I suspected by the end of the first chapter that this book was not going to pay off in terms of plot, and I found it almost painfully slow in parts, almost to the point I wanted to chuck it out of the window.
The characters featured in this book lacked clarity, and were almost skeletal in their form, which caused me to not care about any of them. Their so-called secrets were became blatantly obvious to me before they had actually been discovered, which meant I had nothing to look forward to.
Despite my blaring negativity, I do enjoy Waters writing style, as I found it similar to and but unfortunately, The Night Watch just totally failed to take off.
Just over halfway through the book, there was a chapter that became interesting, and it made me open my eyes a little wider, but again, it was something that I knew was coming, so it wasn't enough to save the book.
For me, this was an average read, with not a lot happening. If you're looking for a grand read with an exciting plot and colourful characters then this book is not it.
I suspected by the end of the first chapter that this book was not going to pay off in terms of plot, and I found it almost painfully slow in parts, almost to the point I wanted to chuck it out of the window.
The characters featured in this book lacked clarity, and were almost skeletal in their form, which caused me to not care about any of them. Their so-called secrets were became blatantly obvious to me before they had actually been discovered, which meant I had nothing to look forward to.
Despite my blaring negativity, I do enjoy Waters writing style, as I found it similar to and but unfortunately, The Night Watch just totally failed to take off.
Just over halfway through the book, there was a chapter that became interesting, and it made me open my eyes a little wider, but again, it was something that I knew was coming, so it wasn't enough to save the book.
For me, this was an average read, with not a lot happening. If you're looking for a grand read with an exciting plot and colourful characters then this book is not it.
March 15, 2017
“Why is it we can never love the people we ought to?�
I need more of Waters historical books, she is such a talented writer her ability to showcase world war 2 through the eyes of ordinary youngsters was immersive and well executed. She propels the narrative forward by creating such vivid and disturbing scenes and raw emotions from the characters during this awful period.
The Story follows 4 perspectives set in 1940s London during world war 2.
Kay: An eccentric young girl dressed in boyish clothes who is searching and always restless
Helen: Insecure about herself and her current relationship while trying to hide her sexuality from the public eye
Viv: Hopelessly in love with her Soldier boyfriend in a very toxic relationship
Duncan: (Favourite Character) After a dark childhood he is desperately trying to normalise his adult life whilst fighting inner demons.
“life is crap but, every day is an experience�
I would warn you not to go into this book expecting a fast-paced war written narrative from soldiers but a character drove narrative with the rich complex discussion surrounding emotions, self-destruction, LGBT themes and a personal atmosphere as you follow these young humans. It was so interesting, the book didn’t pull me down when I was reading, she handles each character’s story arc very carefully. Some people were bothered by the unanswered questions but I thought it was fine, it left me thinking and made the story feel lifelike as if it was part of history. If you are interested in lesbian relationship drama with air-bombs falling in the outskirts of London then this is a book for you
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October 20, 2024
My Waters reread continues. This one is the one people seem to skip over most. It was my favorite for a long time, but I hadn't read it in at least a decade, likely more.
This book moves backwards in time. It effectively spoils everything that will happen for you. This sounds like it would take all the wind out of the book's sails, but instead it just makes everything incredibly sad. This is such a sad book. Sadness like a heavy coat. There is a kind of energy that all the characters have at the end, in 1941 even though it is the thick of the war and there is not much to be happy about. Characters often talk about when the war is over in the 1941 and 1944 sections, but you already know what happens when it's over. And the optimism that they rely on to get them through, we know is misplaced.
There's something Shakesperarean about it. Like when you already know that Romeo and Juliet have missed each other's communications and you just sit there watching it all, powerless. There is a scene near the end where Kay (oh, Kay, how I love her!) thinks someone has died though we already know they are alive. Not only that, we know where they are and the secret that took them away. Those powerless vibes are in full effect, watching Kay filled with sorrow, knowing everything she will find out between this moment and the ones ahead that we've already seen.
It is a real tightrope walk to pull this whole thing off. And for the first hundred pages I was starting to wonder what it was I'd loved about this book. But if you give it some patience it will reward you by ripping out your heart and stomping on it over and over again.
Now I can really see the path from Fingersmith to Night Watch to Little Stranger. Some big jumps between them but Waters really learns how to do a lot with a little, how to find tension in quiet and still moments. She's really exploring tragedy. Here we get out first straight protagonist and our first male protagonist in a Waters novel, but it still feels just as queer as the ones that came before.
This book moves backwards in time. It effectively spoils everything that will happen for you. This sounds like it would take all the wind out of the book's sails, but instead it just makes everything incredibly sad. This is such a sad book. Sadness like a heavy coat. There is a kind of energy that all the characters have at the end, in 1941 even though it is the thick of the war and there is not much to be happy about. Characters often talk about when the war is over in the 1941 and 1944 sections, but you already know what happens when it's over. And the optimism that they rely on to get them through, we know is misplaced.
There's something Shakesperarean about it. Like when you already know that Romeo and Juliet have missed each other's communications and you just sit there watching it all, powerless. There is a scene near the end where Kay (oh, Kay, how I love her!) thinks someone has died though we already know they are alive. Not only that, we know where they are and the secret that took them away. Those powerless vibes are in full effect, watching Kay filled with sorrow, knowing everything she will find out between this moment and the ones ahead that we've already seen.
It is a real tightrope walk to pull this whole thing off. And for the first hundred pages I was starting to wonder what it was I'd loved about this book. But if you give it some patience it will reward you by ripping out your heart and stomping on it over and over again.
Now I can really see the path from Fingersmith to Night Watch to Little Stranger. Some big jumps between them but Waters really learns how to do a lot with a little, how to find tension in quiet and still moments. She's really exploring tragedy. Here we get out first straight protagonist and our first male protagonist in a Waters novel, but it still feels just as queer as the ones that came before.
March 27, 2019
3.5 Stars
February 8, 2021
This is for every lesbian and gayboy whose heart was broken because of the pandemic. Sarah sees you, sisters.
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let me attempt of a bit of proper review. i think that sarah waters is a phenomenal writer. i have read 2.5 of her books and i want to read them all (i did not finish cuz i was a messed up young lesbian and i didn't need the further messing up that book was causing me. i loved ). Night Watch is both very gripping and very frustrating. it tells a sprawling story about four young people (they don't feel very young even tho they are in their early 20s; they feel used up and on their way out), across the span of WWII and a couple of years afterwards (in truth there are only three years covered, and the narrative jumps backward from the most recent, 1957). the story proceeds from set piece to set piece, or scene to scene, and the scenes are told in great details and over many pages. since waters is a great writer, they are delightful to read (and painful, but a delight to the reading mind). for some reason, however, waters decides in this book not to go inside the characters' minds, or lives, at all, so that we don't quite know why they do what they do, what their story is, what is going on inside them.
and i guess it's fine, the story stays on the outside, but i think that literature fails, maybe, when it's not conducive to knowing the people it describes.
so this book is a literary failure, though it was most enjoyable and gripping and i couldn't stop listening and i am sorry i no longer have it to listen to at night before i go to sleep.
i want to say something about reading about WWII during the 2021 pandemic. i will keep it short bc i don't want to think about it too much. this pandemic is happening during a catastrophic and almost irreversible worsening of global warming. scientists have connected the two but i haven't delved into the connection. when the pandemic started i had a sense of endtimes and terror, especially because t* was still president. then biden was elected and things felt better. for a while. and then people refused to wear masks and governments handled things terribly and vaccination is proceeding sloppily and the capitol was invaded by people who will get away scot free, which means that radical fascism will continue to blossom in the US and other places too, with terrible consequences for humanity. it all feels catastrophic again. so i was reading this book and getting a full sense of the deep terror and despair that grips people in the middle of a world war, and i was also thinking, but yours at least ended.
----
let me attempt of a bit of proper review. i think that sarah waters is a phenomenal writer. i have read 2.5 of her books and i want to read them all (i did not finish cuz i was a messed up young lesbian and i didn't need the further messing up that book was causing me. i loved ). Night Watch is both very gripping and very frustrating. it tells a sprawling story about four young people (they don't feel very young even tho they are in their early 20s; they feel used up and on their way out), across the span of WWII and a couple of years afterwards (in truth there are only three years covered, and the narrative jumps backward from the most recent, 1957). the story proceeds from set piece to set piece, or scene to scene, and the scenes are told in great details and over many pages. since waters is a great writer, they are delightful to read (and painful, but a delight to the reading mind). for some reason, however, waters decides in this book not to go inside the characters' minds, or lives, at all, so that we don't quite know why they do what they do, what their story is, what is going on inside them.
and i guess it's fine, the story stays on the outside, but i think that literature fails, maybe, when it's not conducive to knowing the people it describes.
so this book is a literary failure, though it was most enjoyable and gripping and i couldn't stop listening and i am sorry i no longer have it to listen to at night before i go to sleep.
i want to say something about reading about WWII during the 2021 pandemic. i will keep it short bc i don't want to think about it too much. this pandemic is happening during a catastrophic and almost irreversible worsening of global warming. scientists have connected the two but i haven't delved into the connection. when the pandemic started i had a sense of endtimes and terror, especially because t* was still president. then biden was elected and things felt better. for a while. and then people refused to wear masks and governments handled things terribly and vaccination is proceeding sloppily and the capitol was invaded by people who will get away scot free, which means that radical fascism will continue to blossom in the US and other places too, with terrible consequences for humanity. it all feels catastrophic again. so i was reading this book and getting a full sense of the deep terror and despair that grips people in the middle of a world war, and i was also thinking, but yours at least ended.
January 21, 2021
Have rated this book 4 stars, though it's closer to a 3.5, 3.75 for me.
The book has an interesting, uncommon structure, though it doesn't completely work. Based mostly in London, we first meet our four main characters not long after the end of WWII, in 1947, in various ways still traumatized by the war. We start learning outright or otherwise guessing that their lives intersect or have intersected at various times. The next main part of the book shifts to 1944, and we learn more about what lies behind/beneath the traumas of these characters. The last part of the book shifts further into the past of these characters, to 1941.
As I mentioned, an interesting way to format the book, peeling back layers, discovering how the characters' presents were shaped by these earlier events. The reader starts making and seeing more and more connections, not just in terms of how the characters have been related to each other in the past, how some of their relationships began, but also about the traumas of war in general. The second section of the book, especially, the events taking place in 1944, are often quite harrowing and very effective. But the one DISadvantage of the author's approach is that by taking a reverse linear chronology, the traditional buildups are upended, not the worst thing, but not necessarily replaced with the stronger potential denouements that were perhaps intended. Put another way, by the time the book ends, I'd quite forgotten where our characters had ended up, so to speak, in 1947.
I'm writing all this hurriedly, so perhaps not explaining myself very well. In any event, I did like the book, especially in the middle sections, and Sarah Walters was really very good in conveying the many horrors, small and large, and even the humor, of the war years. I would recommend the book, just with the caveat that I wasn't as moved by the characters as I maybe ought to have been, both because of who they were, and because of the reverse structuring of the book. Lastly, the sadness of the characters' LGBTQ lives having to be hidden, suppressed, repressed, etc., was something that Walters wrote about especially well, and it helps me understand my "lineage" that much more, and appreciate how our "ancestors" built lives out of the chaos of the war years and in a time when to do so was illegal and outside the pale. Thank you!
The book has an interesting, uncommon structure, though it doesn't completely work. Based mostly in London, we first meet our four main characters not long after the end of WWII, in 1947, in various ways still traumatized by the war. We start learning outright or otherwise guessing that their lives intersect or have intersected at various times. The next main part of the book shifts to 1944, and we learn more about what lies behind/beneath the traumas of these characters. The last part of the book shifts further into the past of these characters, to 1941.
As I mentioned, an interesting way to format the book, peeling back layers, discovering how the characters' presents were shaped by these earlier events. The reader starts making and seeing more and more connections, not just in terms of how the characters have been related to each other in the past, how some of their relationships began, but also about the traumas of war in general. The second section of the book, especially, the events taking place in 1944, are often quite harrowing and very effective. But the one DISadvantage of the author's approach is that by taking a reverse linear chronology, the traditional buildups are upended, not the worst thing, but not necessarily replaced with the stronger potential denouements that were perhaps intended. Put another way, by the time the book ends, I'd quite forgotten where our characters had ended up, so to speak, in 1947.
I'm writing all this hurriedly, so perhaps not explaining myself very well. In any event, I did like the book, especially in the middle sections, and Sarah Walters was really very good in conveying the many horrors, small and large, and even the humor, of the war years. I would recommend the book, just with the caveat that I wasn't as moved by the characters as I maybe ought to have been, both because of who they were, and because of the reverse structuring of the book. Lastly, the sadness of the characters' LGBTQ lives having to be hidden, suppressed, repressed, etc., was something that Walters wrote about especially well, and it helps me understand my "lineage" that much more, and appreciate how our "ancestors" built lives out of the chaos of the war years and in a time when to do so was illegal and outside the pale. Thank you!
December 21, 2016
Fabulous writing as always from Sarah Waters. However, I found it really difficult to relate to any of the characters except Duncan - a troubled soul whose story I found by far the most interesting of them all. I'd have liked to have read a lot more about him and a lot less about Helen/Kay/Julia. As for Viv, I couldn't understand her being with Reg in the first place, so her relationship with him became hugely irritating.
Reading's always subjective, of course, but this one didn't work for me.
Reading's always subjective, of course, but this one didn't work for me.
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