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jennyluwho's review against another edition
3.0
I saw a book blogger recently say that she’s had enough of WWII fiction, but I’m on the other side of the fence and will always be interested in the human stories behind this and any war. Bonus points to Sarah Waters for trying to shed light on more infrequently shared experiences...but then I’m gonna subtract said points bc I felt like the stories didn’t ring true to what I’d assume life was like in the 40s.
Oh, yeah, and damn was it too long.
Oh, yeah, and damn was it too long.
iriwindel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Gore, Abortion, Suicide, Blood, and Infidelity
Moderate: Vomit, Sexual content, Self harm, Pregnancy, Violence, and Medical content
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Homophobia
kyra_c_c's review
3.0
Sarah Waters' characters are meticulously drawn and always fill me with intrigue and empathy: the characters in The Night Watch are no exception. This novel is an intimate portrait of (barely) intertwining lives, told backwards. The absurdity and tragedy of war hangs overhead (quite literally, with several bombings of London described in visceral detail). Not my favourite of Waters' books, as I found it was more a series of meandering anthologies than a plot.
jrmarr's review against another edition
3.0
A reasonably good book that I got through easily, but ultimately a little frustrating. Despite its length and the depth of detail included, it felt unfinished to me. This was possibly because of its backwards chronology (which I enjoyed as a narrative device) but I'm not sure it was as successful as it could've been. And a week later I don't actually recall much of it, which is a sign in itself.
ninaheinmann's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
maggiebook's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book I have read from Sarah Waters. I found her writing very vivid and beautiful. She has a knack of putting you in the place and the mood of the chapters. So much so that I felt at time that I was walking through London during the Blitz.
Her characters are very well developed and believable. She gives you their strengths and flaws without judgement.
The story is very open in that it takes you backwards from 1947 to 1944 to 1941 so you don't get a tied up ending. It is just a glimpse into 4 people's lives for a brief time and how their lives are affected by war, relationships and society.
I was engrossed from the beginning. Recommend this book for people who appreciate well researched historical fiction and complex, well-developed characters.
Her characters are very well developed and believable. She gives you their strengths and flaws without judgement.
The story is very open in that it takes you backwards from 1947 to 1944 to 1941 so you don't get a tied up ending. It is just a glimpse into 4 people's lives for a brief time and how their lives are affected by war, relationships and society.
I was engrossed from the beginning. Recommend this book for people who appreciate well researched historical fiction and complex, well-developed characters.
patiolinguist's review
4.0
I've loved all of Sarah Waters' books, and I enjoyed this one thoroughly. Waters certainly knows how to paint a vivid picture and communicate to the reader the atmosphere of wartime London. Even so, I couldn't help but feel a bit cheated at the end - I really wanted the narrative to jump back into the year 1947 because I felt that that would all tie up nicely, and also I was curious to know what happens to the characters. Really, I was looking forward to an ending that would do justice to the characters but instead was left with a whole lot of loose ends.
spongebobnopantss's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
abbieleigh85's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5