This was a hidden gem. So vibrantly written that it's impossible not to be moved by its pages.

I read the afterword by the author, who claims that completing the novel was a catharsis; an exorcism; a tribute they needed to write for every young man who suffered in WW1. It is not a panorama of the whole war, but a peek into a microcosm (which it performs very well). Clearly this was written with love and care. So many thoughtfully-placed moments and so much poignant dialogue.

I do feel that the writing overindulges in the horrors of the war, and although it's not without purpose, it is what generally puts me off of novels set in this era. The elaborate descriptions, in efforts to be evocative, sometimes throw the pacing off. The plot was quite predictable.

Still, 4 stars? The real merit comes from the relationship between the two main characters, and whether/how they are changed by their friendship. Side note: I thought this was an LGBT novel (which is what actually provoked me to read it) but it's quite discreet and could be read as entirely platonic. Nevertheless, I felt myself becoming invested, and turning the pages desperately for a hopeful ending.

Content warnings: war, death, blood, gore, sexism [period-accurate] ( )

http://tamaranth.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/201782-strange-meeting-susan-hill.html ( )

Short, deeply felt, and infinitely sad. What struck me about "Strange Meeting" is that it seems like such a personal book it is, particularly when one considers that the conflict that it describes represented the industrialization of wartime casualties. Hill's characters seem to be defending the last vestiges of their individuality in the face of a horror to vast for them -- or anyone -- to grasp, and its just heartbreaking to watch. It ends badly, of course, as the particulars of men's lives and experiences are reduced to nothing again and again due to what seems like nothing more than random chance and incredibly bad odds. The author depicts the relationship at the book's center beautifully. It represents, as David Barton's character does during the book's first section, an oasis of human feeling, and even, perhaps, an opportunity for emotional growth, that somehow survives in the face of positively inhuman conditions. To her credit, Hill resists the urge to shock her reader with examples of the Great War's atrocities, though I imagine that her description of an unsuccessful attempt to take a German trench will probably stay with me for a while. Her writing, though never flowery, is lyrical and understated: the novel's focus remains on the things that get her characters through their ordeal. A fine addition the already extensive canon of literature about one of modernity's defining -- and most terrible -- events. Recommended. ( )

Gave up after a few pages and returned for refund

Beautifully written story of two men during World War I. Hill explores the sense of bewilderment, futility, despair and meaninglessness in a story that while firmly rooted in the conflict manages to be much more than just a war story. It's a fairly short novel, but somehow manages to say so much more than books that are eight times it's length (such as Birdsong). One of the most moving accounts of the war I have ever read, and I can honestly say that I experienced my own sense of loss once I came to the end.

Fabulous trip down memory lane regarding some iconic (as well as some less well known) children's television series. Packed full of interesting details for enthusiasts and casual readers alike, go back to the days when British television companies took children's drama seriously, spending time crafting a quality product.

I loved this book.

© Koplowitz 2009 ( )