Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Noonday / Pat Barker, 307 pp.

The final volume in the trilogy which includes Life Class and Toby's Room ends the story of artists Elinor, Paul and Kit, whose story began during the First World War and ends years later, during London's blitz.

I so thoroughly enjoy Barker's writing style that I'm not totally objective; I have to say that this would be a difficult read without having read the first two.  The plot of this is rather thin, extending the dynamics of the love triangle that's existed between the three characters these many years.  A side character of a spirit medium called Bertha feels incomplete here, although she ultimately plays an important role.

The period detail is terrific.  Barker is obviously well-acquainted with first-person accounts of the blitz and the reader has a strong 'you were there' sensation.

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