Reviews

The Ghost Road by Pat Barker

erinbrenner's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, Medical content, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexual content, Blood, and War

Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

Minor: Rape, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Homophobia, Murder, and Sexual violence

logopolis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Death

Minor: Child abuse and Colonisation

codymorris's review against another edition

3.0

more or a scan for good quotes to use in my exam but it was good, very striking and i didn't enjoy the rivers chapters but it was definitely a different read for sure

grxce_grxce's review against another edition

dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

whoisrois's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

RIP Bisexual King 😔

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Death

Moderate: Colonisation, Medical content, and Sexual content

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape

gitli57's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective tense

5.0

destinylmw's review against another edition

3.0

definitely the worst in the series. I hated dr. Rivers story line in this book and think the overall story would've been better had it ended with the previous book. Although most of this book wasn't great I do think the ending was amazing and the use of diary entries for prior's story line was the perfect way to foreshadow it. I loved /hated watching them countdown to armistice day knowing he probably wouldn't make it.

ericfheiman's review against another edition

4.0

I usually avoid historical fiction, but I somehow got looped into Barker’s WWI trilogy some years ago and I’m glad I finally finished it.

The Ghost Road, like all the books in this series, is not flashy. It’s a muted meditation on the intimate human costs wrought by war—mentally, physically, societally. At first, the book seems too muted. But as it builds towards its devastating climax, one begins to understand Barker’s play here. Even across the many years I read this trilogy, the characters soon felt like close confidants, which makes the final conclusion all the more haunting.

There’s the wonder of fiction: making abstract history from almost a century ago feel richly, frighteningly, sadly real.

jkwriting24's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

4.25

mrslsmith's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

4.0