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4.0étoiles sur 5
Carry on Soldiering, Avril 4 2004
This is fifth book I have read by Evelyn Waugh. I have come to appreciate his style of writing and his style of humor. Both of those reasons would justify, in my opinion, reading any and all of his novels. However, for those expecting a lot more, the author doesn't always deliver. That is the case of "Men at Arms". I came away wondering what the point of the book was meant to be. I also came away wondering where all of the emotion behind the advent and early days of WWII were. Maybe the author, who lived through that time, gave us a better view of reality than the Winston Churchill "Finest Hour" image that we all hold. Then again, I don't want to criticize this book, or any book, for not being what it never intended to be. What we do get is a humorous look at a collection of individuals coming together to become British officers from scratch. The various ways they act, react, and interact is what makes the book enjoyable. The main character, Guy Crouchback, comes from a somewhat fallen aristocratic family and feels the need to make something of himself as war seems imminent. Being in his early 30's makes it difficult for him to find his spot until he meets up with an old associate who gets him into a newly forming brigade. To try and explain any more of the plot might make it seem dull. In fact, it moves along well; not because of action but because of the interaction. Guy Crouchback is like all of Waugh's main characters that I have come across so far; they have a certain detachment from what's happening around them. That aspect gives for a keener insight but can tend to leave the reader a bit detached as well. If you've read Waugh before then you know what you're getting in. If not, this may not be the book to start with. I'd suggest "A Handful of Dust" instead.
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4.0étoiles sur 5
A lighthearted look at British military life, Fév 16 2002
This is the first in the 'Sword of Honor' trilogy of novels by Waugh, describing one man's experience in the British military establishment. At the onset of WWII, divorced thirty-something Guy Crouchback anxiously longs to serve his country in its time of need, but can't find a branch of service that wants him. By the end of this book, his training completed, he begins to wonder if his country (represented by its armed forces) really knows what's good for it. This book is a fairly realistic and often rather lighthearted look at the training received by an officer of the Halberdiers during the early days of WWII, before the true terrors and horrors of that conflict had become apparent. This volume contains some fine portraits and vignettes from British army life, after which an officer's death and the questions of responsibility it raises cause Crouchback to doubt the wisdom of his beloved leaders. Some of the more humorous moments include the incidents involving Apthorpe's port-a-john (not as disgusting as you might fear), Crouchback's attempted reconciliation with his wife, and the ego-driven absurdities that lead to the Brigadier's reconnaissance mission, but the humor is of the dry British
sort, with few of the belly laughs that make books like Catch 22 so unforgettable. Rather more to the point is the mildly biting satire exposing how ill prepared for war Britain really was at the time, particularly in light of the high price Europe paid for that negligence. While this reviewer certainly enjoyed the book, its target audience is probably not as broad today as it would have been forty years ago. Veterans of the armed forces who are interested in a nostalgic look back at this era will probably get the most out of it, followed by admirers of the gentle art
of British humor, while on the other hand, women looking for romantic adventure will find very little femininity in the book, and Gen-Xers hoping to read another 'Catch 22' or 'MASH', will likely find the story dry and insipid. So don't go into this book looking for a comedy - it stands better as a fictionalized portrayal of a particular time and place in history.
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Good one for a reading, Fév 15 2002
Men at Arms keeps on surprising the reader with funny anecdotes throughout its reading.
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