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The Road Between Us
1939: In a hotel room overlooking Piccadilly Circus, two young men are arrested. Charles is court-martialled for 'conduct unbecoming'; Anselm is deported home to Germany for 're-education' in a brutal labour camp. Separated by the outbreak of war, and a social order that rejects their love, they must each make a difficult choice, and then live with the consequences.
2012: Edward, a diplomat held hostage for eleven years in an Afghan cave, returns to London to find his wife is dead, and in her place is an unnerving double - his daughter, now grown up. Numb with grief, he attempts to re-build his life and answer the questions that are troubling him. Was his wife's death an accident? Who paid his ransom? And how was his release linked to Charles, his father?
As dark and nuanced as it is powerful and moving, The Road Between Us is a novel about survival, redemption and forbidden love. Its moral complexities will haunt the reader for days after the final page has been turned.
2012: Edward, a diplomat held hostage for eleven years in an Afghan cave, returns to London to find his wife is dead, and in her place is an unnerving double - his daughter, now grown up. Numb with grief, he attempts to re-build his life and answer the questions that are troubling him. Was his wife's death an accident? Who paid his ransom? And how was his release linked to Charles, his father?
As dark and nuanced as it is powerful and moving, The Road Between Us is a novel about survival, redemption and forbidden love. Its moral complexities will haunt the reader for days after the final page has been turned.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2012
14 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
About the author
Nigel Farndale
14 books19 followersNigel Farndale was born in Ripon, North Yorkshire, in 1964. He is the author of six books, including The Blasphemer (shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award) and Haw-Haw: The Tragedy of William and Margaret Joyce (a biography shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize). His latest novel is The Road Between Us.
As a journalist he has interviewed a host of celebrities and public figures from Mick Jagger, Woody Allen, the Dalai Lama and Henry Kissinger to Elton John, Prince Charles, Hillary Clinton, Paul McCartney, George Best, and Stephen Hawking.
He writes for various newspapers and magazines, including The Observer, FT, Spectator and Country Life, and has won a British Press Award for his interviews in the Sunday Telegraph.
His appearances on Radio 4 have included Loose Ends, Broadcasting House and Between Ourselves, a programme in which he and Lynn Barber compared notes on the art of the celebrity interview.
Before becoming a writer, Farndale read philosophy for a Master’s degree at Durham University.
He is the son of a sheep and dairy farmer from Wensleydale, and worked as a farmer there himself for a few years. He now lives on the Hampshire-Sussex border with his wife Mary and their three children.
As a journalist he has interviewed a host of celebrities and public figures from Mick Jagger, Woody Allen, the Dalai Lama and Henry Kissinger to Elton John, Prince Charles, Hillary Clinton, Paul McCartney, George Best, and Stephen Hawking.
He writes for various newspapers and magazines, including The Observer, FT, Spectator and Country Life, and has won a British Press Award for his interviews in the Sunday Telegraph.
His appearances on Radio 4 have included Loose Ends, Broadcasting House and Between Ourselves, a programme in which he and Lynn Barber compared notes on the art of the celebrity interview.
Before becoming a writer, Farndale read philosophy for a Master’s degree at Durham University.
He is the son of a sheep and dairy farmer from Wensleydale, and worked as a farmer there himself for a few years. He now lives on the Hampshire-Sussex border with his wife Mary and their three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
September 12, 2016
This is a troublesome book to read and even more troublesome to review. I really loved it, but I can't say much without spoiling. It has all the elements I love in a book - many of which don't often go together but work very well together here.
It's got -
1. Star-crossed lovers to make you swoon.
2. Injustice to make you shake your fist at the sky.
3. Suspense to make you lose sleep.
4. Oogie sexual themes to make you say, "Eww."
What it does not have is a neatly tied-up ending. I was a bit frustrated by this, but it actually fit the book very well. A little ambiguity and some unanswered questions never hurt anybody.
Thanks to Alona, my literary four-leafed clover.
It's got -
1. Star-crossed lovers to make you swoon.
2. Injustice to make you shake your fist at the sky.
3. Suspense to make you lose sleep.
4. Oogie sexual themes to make you say, "Eww."
What it does not have is a neatly tied-up ending. I was a bit frustrated by this, but it actually fit the book very well. A little ambiguity and some unanswered questions never hurt anybody.
Thanks to Alona, my literary four-leafed clover.
May 31, 2016
Stop whatever you're doing!
Put away whatever book you're reading!
READ IT!!!
NOW!
5+++ stars.
Review might come.
If not, Nick is your man.
Put away whatever book you're reading!
READ IT!!!
NOW!
5+++ stars.
Review might come.
If not, Nick is your man.
April 26, 2017
"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices and trade-offs. I have had to trade a lesser freedom for a greater one: a life free from guilt, from moral responsibility, from choices – free from that capricious organ, the heart."
It starts in 1930s with two young men, who love each other, being arrested in a hotel room in London. One is English, the other German. Moving to the modern day where a British diplomat, who has been a hostage for 11 years in Afghanistan , is finally is release to see his family. His wife has died while he was in captivity and his daughter is now a woman. Stepping back and forth between the two time streams, both are equally complex and engaging, will meet together at the end. Several questions will be arise. A journalist are investigating whether the English government paid a ransom for Afghan realization. A mysterious German banker lets the diplomat and his daughter straighten in his chateau in France. All sorts of perspective on relationships and love will be appeared and revealed (until almost the very last page), exploring their complexity and unconventionality.
It's a unbearably brutal in some parts, but I couldn't put it down. It's solid, rich and utterly compelling. It's sensitively well-written and researched.
This book will be to me as a old friend in every sense of the word ,who is not possible to know over a night. He is engaging and poly-layered. Returning to him later on will give me tools to dive deeper and stay down there longer.
It starts in 1930s with two young men, who love each other, being arrested in a hotel room in London. One is English, the other German. Moving to the modern day where a British diplomat, who has been a hostage for 11 years in Afghanistan , is finally is release to see his family. His wife has died while he was in captivity and his daughter is now a woman. Stepping back and forth between the two time streams, both are equally complex and engaging, will meet together at the end. Several questions will be arise. A journalist are investigating whether the English government paid a ransom for Afghan realization. A mysterious German banker lets the diplomat and his daughter straighten in his chateau in France. All sorts of perspective on relationships and love will be appeared and revealed (until almost the very last page), exploring their complexity and unconventionality.
It's a unbearably brutal in some parts, but I couldn't put it down. It's solid, rich and utterly compelling. It's sensitively well-written and researched.
This book will be to me as a old friend in every sense of the word ,who is not possible to know over a night. He is engaging and poly-layered. Returning to him later on will give me tools to dive deeper and stay down there longer.
August 7, 2013
I’ve just finished reading this amazing book and then after a few minutes just began to sob, as the complexities of what I had just finished reading all sank in. I’m not going to outline the plot because the book blurb does that but just to say that two stories one set in 1940’s and one in 2012 seem so unconnected at first, then there are tenuous links and then they rush together at the end, with the full impact of them combining and hitting you.
To read the book is almost effortless, it’s like a story being told to you by an old friend. It has an almost autobiographical feel to it, like the author really lived and saw these scenes he describes. The writing is captivating, even though at times the storyline is gruesome and too vivid and gory to want to read, you do read it because it draws you in. I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it.
I couldn’t put this book down and read it over 4 days whilst travelling to and from work – which is my usual reading time, but then in the evenings too as I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
I’ve never read anything by this author before, but I am now going to search out his other work, because if it is as good as this, it should not be missed.
To read the book is almost effortless, it’s like a story being told to you by an old friend. It has an almost autobiographical feel to it, like the author really lived and saw these scenes he describes. The writing is captivating, even though at times the storyline is gruesome and too vivid and gory to want to read, you do read it because it draws you in. I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it.
I couldn’t put this book down and read it over 4 days whilst travelling to and from work – which is my usual reading time, but then in the evenings too as I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
I’ve never read anything by this author before, but I am now going to search out his other work, because if it is as good as this, it should not be missed.
June 9, 2013
The first Nigel Farndale novel I read was The Blasphemer. Like it, this new novel concerns itself with Great Britain at war. This is a novel of two stories, both stories of true uninhibited love.
The earlier story is of two Slade students of Art, Charles Northcote and Anselm his dear friend and lover who is from Germany. Their love and the war sees both tried and found guilty of homosexual acts. Charles is discharged from the airforce and Anselm is sent to a re-education camp. In their new circumstances these two will struggle to meet again, but the attempt to be reunited makes a great story. Both continue to be outsiders in society, attempting to blend in.
The contemporary story is of Edward, Charles' son. Edward has been married to the love of his life Frejya and they have a daughter, Hannah. Ten years ago Edward's work with the Foreign Office lead to him being kidnapped in Afghanistan. He has now been found. His wife has died in sad circumstances and his daughter has discovered she still has a father. The strength of love permeates this story too, with Frejya a continual ghost in Edward and Hannah's lives.
Edward doesn’t know his father’s story but life has a way of revealing things we are connected with. The gay love story and the modern story of terrorism and politics blend to make for a great read.
The earlier story is of two Slade students of Art, Charles Northcote and Anselm his dear friend and lover who is from Germany. Their love and the war sees both tried and found guilty of homosexual acts. Charles is discharged from the airforce and Anselm is sent to a re-education camp. In their new circumstances these two will struggle to meet again, but the attempt to be reunited makes a great story. Both continue to be outsiders in society, attempting to blend in.
The contemporary story is of Edward, Charles' son. Edward has been married to the love of his life Frejya and they have a daughter, Hannah. Ten years ago Edward's work with the Foreign Office lead to him being kidnapped in Afghanistan. He has now been found. His wife has died in sad circumstances and his daughter has discovered she still has a father. The strength of love permeates this story too, with Frejya a continual ghost in Edward and Hannah's lives.
Edward doesn’t know his father’s story but life has a way of revealing things we are connected with. The gay love story and the modern story of terrorism and politics blend to make for a great read.
February 28, 2021
Tengo sentimientos encontrados en cuanto a este libro.
La parte histórica de los dos protagonistas a través de la II Guerra Mundial me parece realmente buena, pero la parte actual no me gustó mucho sobre todo la relación padre-hija que al principio es tolerable pero poco creíble hacia el final no la entiendo.
La parte histórica de los dos protagonistas a través de la II Guerra Mundial me parece realmente buena, pero la parte actual no me gustó mucho sobre todo la relación padre-hija que al principio es tolerable pero poco creíble hacia el final no la entiendo.
June 5, 2017
I might normally have given only three stars, because of the somewhat irregular time shifts, for the slightly unconvincing sex scenes (particularly gay sex), and for another reason (see spoiler), but a lot of the writing is so very beautifully executed I felt it deserved recognition. The articulation of emotions, the wonderfully evocative descriptions of place (pleasant and unpleasant), and the finely drawn characters make for a very involving book. I enjoyed it immensely, despite the niggles.
SPOILER: there's a weird and seemingly unnecessary incest twist, which I suppose adds to the overall portrayal of unconventional relationship, but I felt was just too 'squirmy.'
SPOILER: there's a weird and seemingly unnecessary incest twist, which I suppose adds to the overall portrayal of unconventional relationship, but I felt was just too 'squirmy.'
May 25, 2017
The overall structure of The Road Between Us employs this currently seemingly popular device of weaving together two stories set in two different eras. In this case, however, after a series of twists and revelations, those two apparently separate strands become one single story.
At a more detailed level, I think this weaving is a little clumsy. It's not always balanced and certainly not systematic (there isn't a specific rhythm to it) and towards the end the story becomes quite fragmentary, and I think overly complex, with each section becoming shorter and shorter. I think Farndale could have found more straightforward ways of revealing how everything ties up together.
For something that forms an important part of the plot, I found the depictions of homosexuality a tad unconvincing or at least half-hearted. It felt very much like something written from a heterosexual perspective. For example, when the gay/bi characters consider heterosexual intercourse we get fairly detailed descriptions of the female body but when they are in homosocial situations, even when nudity is involved, those same characters don't seem particuarly interested in what is on display and we certainly don't get descriptions of the male physique (apart perhaps in the opening scene, and then again...)
The book remains an enjoyable and reasonably original read, even it is perhaps a little slow to get started. The twists are, I think, not too obvious even if nothing, in the end, really comes as a great shock.
SPOILERS ALERT
- The episode in the camp where a prisoner is stripped naked, has a bucket put on his head and is devoured by dogs is actually true. Something like this happened in the Struthof camp and is told by Pierre Seel (only French out gay survivor) in his autobiography. The twist in the real story is that the victim was Seel's lover whom he discovered to be interned in the camp as well as him at the same time as he saw him killed.
- I am rather intrigued and unconvinced by the inclusion of an implicity incestuous plot line. I'm not sure what point the author is trying to make here and it doesn't feel like it's ever really explained. Unless as the promotion for the book claims it is about forbidden loves and this is only another example of it...
At a more detailed level, I think this weaving is a little clumsy. It's not always balanced and certainly not systematic (there isn't a specific rhythm to it) and towards the end the story becomes quite fragmentary, and I think overly complex, with each section becoming shorter and shorter. I think Farndale could have found more straightforward ways of revealing how everything ties up together.
For something that forms an important part of the plot, I found the depictions of homosexuality a tad unconvincing or at least half-hearted. It felt very much like something written from a heterosexual perspective. For example, when the gay/bi characters consider heterosexual intercourse we get fairly detailed descriptions of the female body but when they are in homosocial situations, even when nudity is involved, those same characters don't seem particuarly interested in what is on display and we certainly don't get descriptions of the male physique (apart perhaps in the opening scene, and then again...)
The book remains an enjoyable and reasonably original read, even it is perhaps a little slow to get started. The twists are, I think, not too obvious even if nothing, in the end, really comes as a great shock.
SPOILERS ALERT
- The episode in the camp where a prisoner is stripped naked, has a bucket put on his head and is devoured by dogs is actually true. Something like this happened in the Struthof camp and is told by Pierre Seel (only French out gay survivor) in his autobiography. The twist in the real story is that the victim was Seel's lover whom he discovered to be interned in the camp as well as him at the same time as he saw him killed.
- I am rather intrigued and unconvinced by the inclusion of an implicity incestuous plot line. I'm not sure what point the author is trying to make here and it doesn't feel like it's ever really explained. Unless as the promotion for the book claims it is about forbidden loves and this is only another example of it...
January 6, 2014
One of my favourite novels last year was Nigel Farndale's 'The Blasphemer'. This year I started off with his equally brilliant 'The Road Between Us'. The book is set in two time-frames, the first from 1939 until almost the end of World War 2, the second in the present. In 1939 Charles Northcote is dishonourably discharged from the RAF after he is caught in flagrante with his German lover, Anselm, who is sent back to Germany, there to undergo a similar trial, but resulting in his being sent to a work camp in Alsace-Lorraine, just after the start of the war. Charles manages to become involved in the war effort as an official war artist, and upon discovering Anselm's whereabouts begins to search for his lover.
In the present, Charles's diplomat son Edward has just been released, having been abducted and held for ransom in Afghanistan for 11 years. Returning home, barely able to see, as he has been held in almost constant darkness in a cave underground, suffering both physically and mentally after his ordeal, he is looked after by his 20 year old daughter, Hannah. Eventually he is told that his wife Frejya is dead, but whether by accident or suicide, no-one can say for sure.
The two stories exist side by side, conveying themes of stolen identity, suffering at the hands of others, discrimination and loss. There are secrets too, which bring various other characters into the story, revealed in the end and bringing some resolution to their shattered lives. One of the most effective links to all the characters, however, is the power of the natural world upon their lives, whether it be the cold, damp hole in the ground that is Edward's cell, the storm that cuts short his recuperation in France (unknown to him at the site of the former concentration camp), the butterflies that exist there across the generations, or the cliffs in Cornwall that witness Frejya's death. The inference is that no matter what we do to each other, good or bad, the earth provides its own dangers and delights, giving us enough to contend with, without us inflicting more pain and suffering on those we share our lives with.
A profound, inspiring and moving book.
In the present, Charles's diplomat son Edward has just been released, having been abducted and held for ransom in Afghanistan for 11 years. Returning home, barely able to see, as he has been held in almost constant darkness in a cave underground, suffering both physically and mentally after his ordeal, he is looked after by his 20 year old daughter, Hannah. Eventually he is told that his wife Frejya is dead, but whether by accident or suicide, no-one can say for sure.
The two stories exist side by side, conveying themes of stolen identity, suffering at the hands of others, discrimination and loss. There are secrets too, which bring various other characters into the story, revealed in the end and bringing some resolution to their shattered lives. One of the most effective links to all the characters, however, is the power of the natural world upon their lives, whether it be the cold, damp hole in the ground that is Edward's cell, the storm that cuts short his recuperation in France (unknown to him at the site of the former concentration camp), the butterflies that exist there across the generations, or the cliffs in Cornwall that witness Frejya's death. The inference is that no matter what we do to each other, good or bad, the earth provides its own dangers and delights, giving us enough to contend with, without us inflicting more pain and suffering on those we share our lives with.
A profound, inspiring and moving book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2016
For now, I'm drained.
August 26, 2017
A really good book. Had it on my shelf for years - I'm gutted I didn't read it sooner! A few loose ends I'd have like to seen resolved but on the whole a great read.
August 30, 2013
I really want to give this 4.5 stars, it's a really good book.
There are two distinct threads to this story. The first concerns two artists, a young English RAF Officer Charles, and his German lover Anselm, who are caught naked together in a hotel room in Piccadilly just as the Second World War is about to break out.
Charles is court-martialled and dishonourably discharged for conduct unbecoming an officer, while Anselm is sent back to Germany where he is 'tried' and sent to an 'Education Camp', an Erziehungslager.
The second thread revolves around Edward Northcote, grandson of Charles, who was captured by the Taliban and held underground in a cave for 11 years. We meet Edward at the moment of his release.
There are many different layers to this story, and each layer is a compelling story on its own, but the threads that entwine and link the layers add depth and meaning.
The story of Charles and Anselm is first and foremost a story of pure love and devotion as Charles continues to search for Anselm and plots ways of getting to Germany to rescue him. It is also a story of war and the evil inherent in man. The 'crime' that Charles and Anselm were supposed to have committed is contrasted with the evil of the Nazis and the acts that Charles is forced to commit in order to survive.
Edward's story is also one of love and loss, but in a very different way from that of Charles and Anselm. The one thing that kept Edward alive throughout his captivity was his love for his wife Frejya, but Freyja died, possibly by her own hand, a year before Edward's release. He is left with her doppelganger, his daughter Hannah, who was nine years old when he was captured, but is now twenty, and his aged father Charles who has dementia and does not recognise him.
There are also questions surrounding Edward's long captivity and subsequent release which do not appear to have any easy answers and which seem to involve a rich German entrepreneur called Frederick Walser.
So we have the timeless themes of love & war, good & evil, past & present, wrapped up in a mystery. The clues to the mystery of Edward's release are revealed through our discovery of the history of Charles and Anselm. The torment that Anselm was subjected to in the Nazi camp is contrasted with the torment that Edward underwent in the cave at the hands of the Taliban.
The love between Charles and Anselm, considered to be gross indecency, is contrasted with the twisted emotions that Edward and Hannah grapple with as they try to lay the ghost of Freyja to rest and rebuild their relationship.
The resolution of the novel reveals the hidden threads linking the generations and the characters.
This is a well written, compelling novel that raises uncomfortable questions and forces the reader to consider things from a new perspective. It's also a really good story with memorable characters.
I highly recommend this book.
There are two distinct threads to this story. The first concerns two artists, a young English RAF Officer Charles, and his German lover Anselm, who are caught naked together in a hotel room in Piccadilly just as the Second World War is about to break out.
Charles is court-martialled and dishonourably discharged for conduct unbecoming an officer, while Anselm is sent back to Germany where he is 'tried' and sent to an 'Education Camp', an Erziehungslager.
The second thread revolves around Edward Northcote, grandson of Charles, who was captured by the Taliban and held underground in a cave for 11 years. We meet Edward at the moment of his release.
There are many different layers to this story, and each layer is a compelling story on its own, but the threads that entwine and link the layers add depth and meaning.
The story of Charles and Anselm is first and foremost a story of pure love and devotion as Charles continues to search for Anselm and plots ways of getting to Germany to rescue him. It is also a story of war and the evil inherent in man. The 'crime' that Charles and Anselm were supposed to have committed is contrasted with the evil of the Nazis and the acts that Charles is forced to commit in order to survive.
Edward's story is also one of love and loss, but in a very different way from that of Charles and Anselm. The one thing that kept Edward alive throughout his captivity was his love for his wife Frejya, but Freyja died, possibly by her own hand, a year before Edward's release. He is left with her doppelganger, his daughter Hannah, who was nine years old when he was captured, but is now twenty, and his aged father Charles who has dementia and does not recognise him.
There are also questions surrounding Edward's long captivity and subsequent release which do not appear to have any easy answers and which seem to involve a rich German entrepreneur called Frederick Walser.
So we have the timeless themes of love & war, good & evil, past & present, wrapped up in a mystery. The clues to the mystery of Edward's release are revealed through our discovery of the history of Charles and Anselm. The torment that Anselm was subjected to in the Nazi camp is contrasted with the torment that Edward underwent in the cave at the hands of the Taliban.
The love between Charles and Anselm, considered to be gross indecency, is contrasted with the twisted emotions that Edward and Hannah grapple with as they try to lay the ghost of Freyja to rest and rebuild their relationship.
The resolution of the novel reveals the hidden threads linking the generations and the characters.
This is a well written, compelling novel that raises uncomfortable questions and forces the reader to consider things from a new perspective. It's also a really good story with memorable characters.
I highly recommend this book.
February 20, 2017
So I managed to get through this on the second try. The prose is pretty ugly, with lots of descriptions of things that just couldn't happen. For instance, on page one there is an inanimate object that appears to be moving, possibly because of a heat haze. But it's night time, in London, so there's just no way there could be a heat haze. Then on page four there is a character with a German accent who says "zank you" instead of "thank you", but nobody ever says "zank you", since the "th" in thank is voiceless, so the alveolar equivalent is "sank you". You could argue that this is nitpicking, but I don't read looking for these things, they interrupt my flow as I'm reading. If a description is impossible, it adds nothing to the scene and casts doubt on the rest of the description. There is no particular wit or style to the prose, either.
The characters are the best aspect of the book. Most of them are fairly coherent, although somewhat simplified. The dialogue is inconsistent, with some of it flowing quite well and some of it forced.
The plot is entertaining but definitely rather problematic, with an excessively elaborate connection that doesn't actually add much to the tension or the meaning of the events. The queer themes are not dealt with in a particularly interesting or sensitive way. About a hundred pages in I had a peek at the author bio in the front of my paperback copy to check my suspicion that the author is not queer, as there was a deadness to the sections involving queer characters that was in contrast to the more energetic descriptions of straight relationships. Obviously the fact that the author is married to a woman doesn't mean he's not queer, but this is not a queer novel. In fact, this novel serves as a interesting illustration of the difference between "gay" or "homosexual" and queer. Yes, there are gay characters here, but there is nothing radical or challenging about it.
I did enjoy this book a bit, but I skimmed some sections and didn't find any interesting ideas or emotional responses within its pages.
The characters are the best aspect of the book. Most of them are fairly coherent, although somewhat simplified. The dialogue is inconsistent, with some of it flowing quite well and some of it forced.
The plot is entertaining but definitely rather problematic, with an excessively elaborate connection that doesn't actually add much to the tension or the meaning of the events. The queer themes are not dealt with in a particularly interesting or sensitive way. About a hundred pages in I had a peek at the author bio in the front of my paperback copy to check my suspicion that the author is not queer, as there was a deadness to the sections involving queer characters that was in contrast to the more energetic descriptions of straight relationships. Obviously the fact that the author is married to a woman doesn't mean he's not queer, but this is not a queer novel. In fact, this novel serves as a interesting illustration of the difference between "gay" or "homosexual" and queer. Yes, there are gay characters here, but there is nothing radical or challenging about it.
I did enjoy this book a bit, but I skimmed some sections and didn't find any interesting ideas or emotional responses within its pages.
May 17, 2017
I did not like this book at all and it's hard to say why. The writing is pretty good, some parts beautifully written. Nigel Farndale is definitely a talent--I have also read his The Blasphemer.
This story connects 3 men, one British, the other German, who are arrested at the beginning of WWII for "indecency" ie, homosexuality, one being sent to prison in England the other to a "Education Camp" in Germany and later France. The Englishman, Charles, vows to find his lover and makes various efforts throughout the war once he's released from prison, volunteering for duty at Dunkirk, D-Day, and as a war artist during which time he also sees action.
Present day: His grandson,Edward,the 3rd man in the story,is released from a 10 year bondage by Afghanistani terrorists and returns to Britain to find his 9 year old daughter grown up, his wife mysteriously dead.
Farndale is too good a writer to parade before us the cliches that have become the Holocaust, so he writes some of his own--all of them horrible, nauseating even, including a lot of sex, which obviously Farndale could not resist. These are intertwined with Edward's recuperation, his acceptance of his 9 year old daughter as a grown woman the spitting image of his wife, now dead. Her death is a mystery and not cleared up very well. One is never told what his wife went through during the 10 years of his imprisonment. However, the incestuous feelings Edward now has towards his grown daughter are hard to take, but beautifully written. Despite all the good writing I could not wait to finish and put it down. Simply too, too much. I will be on the lookout for Nigel Farndale's new books, because he's good, but I'll be very wary of what I choose next of his to read.
This story connects 3 men, one British, the other German, who are arrested at the beginning of WWII for "indecency" ie, homosexuality, one being sent to prison in England the other to a "Education Camp" in Germany and later France. The Englishman, Charles, vows to find his lover and makes various efforts throughout the war once he's released from prison, volunteering for duty at Dunkirk, D-Day, and as a war artist during which time he also sees action.
Present day: His grandson,Edward,the 3rd man in the story,is released from a 10 year bondage by Afghanistani terrorists and returns to Britain to find his 9 year old daughter grown up, his wife mysteriously dead.
Farndale is too good a writer to parade before us the cliches that have become the Holocaust, so he writes some of his own--all of them horrible, nauseating even, including a lot of sex, which obviously Farndale could not resist. These are intertwined with Edward's recuperation, his acceptance of his 9 year old daughter as a grown woman the spitting image of his wife, now dead. Her death is a mystery and not cleared up very well. One is never told what his wife went through during the 10 years of his imprisonment. However, the incestuous feelings Edward now has towards his grown daughter are hard to take, but beautifully written. Despite all the good writing I could not wait to finish and put it down. Simply too, too much. I will be on the lookout for Nigel Farndale's new books, because he's good, but I'll be very wary of what I choose next of his to read.
February 5, 2017
This book has a really high rating on Goodreads and rave reviews from other readers. Just not from me!
I really wanted to love this book - its a novel set during world war II, it has mystery, two different alternating storylines and was supposed to be an emotional and thought-provoking read. All things that I love in a book.
I had read rave reviews of this novel and I have never read any of Nigel Farndale's work so I was keen to get stuck in.
But I just didn't love this.
I think if the book had only focused on Anselm and Charles it would have been a stronger read for me because I loved these characters and their relationship. However their storyline was only one aspect of this book, and whilst my interest was held throughout the book - it wasn't an amazing read and I was glad to finish it.
I can see why people loved this book but it wasn't for me.
3*
I really wanted to love this book - its a novel set during world war II, it has mystery, two different alternating storylines and was supposed to be an emotional and thought-provoking read. All things that I love in a book.
I had read rave reviews of this novel and I have never read any of Nigel Farndale's work so I was keen to get stuck in.
But I just didn't love this.
I think if the book had only focused on Anselm and Charles it would have been a stronger read for me because I loved these characters and their relationship. However their storyline was only one aspect of this book, and whilst my interest was held throughout the book - it wasn't an amazing read and I was glad to finish it.
I can see why people loved this book but it wasn't for me.
3*
June 29, 2013
One among the better books that I have read, painfully true and dramatic, story of men and women that love for all their life ,of sacrifices by fathers for their sons. A complex plot, amazing characters, words that goes straight to hearth , without forget the mind, in the truth of facts of history. Once you start you don't can stop to read...but really, there is much more in this book of that I have told ,because is always difficult traslate in words strong emotions.
July 27, 2016
An excellent story. you will be taken in to a believable journey. I highly recommend women and men readers to read this story. Edward is captured in Afghanistan . After he has rescued he writes his memoir. This story is full of drama. I do not wish to spoil the reading. I f you would like to read more on this bok I have a full review on my word press site ireadnovels wordpress com
June 10, 2016
A great read that was at times disturbing given the subject matter. My interest was held throughout the entire book as I was desperate to discover the fate of everyone concerned. When all was said and done I did feel a little disappointed. I felt the book skimmed over 'the big reveal' and I was left feeling unsatisfied with the conclusion. Still a good read though.
August 5, 2014
If I could give this book 10 stars I would! If you are a WWII fan, you will devour it! Brilliant with a lovely twist in the last 20 pages or so.
May 27, 2016
Perfection
March 19, 2021
4.3/5
Loss is a hard subject to deal with in all its guises, from gone people to people still here that you just can't reach anymore, and guilt, whether it comes from them or because of yourself. This book is emotionally hard, like some people's lives, and I find it astonishing that a writer could set this down so beautifully, successfully, and with such empathy, without being that person.
"You would fake your own death for me?"
"Without you, I am dead man anyway"
Charles, an art student turned RAF pilot, and his German lover Anselm, also an artist, are found in a hotel room in compromising circumstances and arrested. Charles is stripped of his commission but eventually finds work as a war artist. Anselm, on the other hand, is sent back to Germany, where, as someone the Nazis would classify as 'degenerate', he is sent to a concentration camp. Back in England, Charles vows that whatever happens he will somehow find Anselm and free him. And with the D-Day landings, it seems he has his chance. Charles and Anselm's story runs parallel to that of Charles's son Edward, who has been held hostage for 11 years in Afghanistan and returns home to find his wife Frejya dead, and his daughter (who he remembers as a nine-year-old child) a beautiful young woman who closely resembles her mother. As Edward struggles to come to terms with his new life and with the loss of Frejya, he becomes increasingly curious about how he was freed - and about why the Foreign Office is being so secretive about his release.
"Anselm accepts that God has no dominion in the camp, yet he still has hope and he still prays, not to God but to Charles. Charles will come and save him one day soon. Charles will descend into this underworld, this manmade hell. Charles will rescue him from his tormentors with their whips."
Two different centuries; two different wars. As is always the case in such novels I found that one story was much more powerful than the other one. As far as I am concerned I loved Charles and Anselm's stories and however disturbing the scenes at the concentration camp where Anselm is incarcerated. Not so unfortunately with Edward's half of the tale. I don't really know what it was but right from the start I felt detached and couldn't come to care for Edward or his daughter. Later on, I grew uneasy with the turn their story was taking. The sexual ambiguity between father and daughter, the fact that it seemed Hannah was willing to take her dead mother's place in full really unsettled me. The whole however is definitely worth reading and the prose is often quite beautiful. A gripping well-written book, especially the way it ends up.
"The short walk up the road is steep and winding and, once she reaches the crest, she catches her breath. There are no cars. Cornwall is empty. She shines her torch at the familiar signs marking the way to Doyden and noticNational Trust oak leaves are the same as those worn by Nazi officers on their collars. It gives her a sense of being connected; of how the ways that the silver orld reveals its own connections, in its own time."
Loss is a hard subject to deal with in all its guises, from gone people to people still here that you just can't reach anymore, and guilt, whether it comes from them or because of yourself. This book is emotionally hard, like some people's lives, and I find it astonishing that a writer could set this down so beautifully, successfully, and with such empathy, without being that person.
"You would fake your own death for me?"
"Without you, I am dead man anyway"
Charles, an art student turned RAF pilot, and his German lover Anselm, also an artist, are found in a hotel room in compromising circumstances and arrested. Charles is stripped of his commission but eventually finds work as a war artist. Anselm, on the other hand, is sent back to Germany, where, as someone the Nazis would classify as 'degenerate', he is sent to a concentration camp. Back in England, Charles vows that whatever happens he will somehow find Anselm and free him. And with the D-Day landings, it seems he has his chance. Charles and Anselm's story runs parallel to that of Charles's son Edward, who has been held hostage for 11 years in Afghanistan and returns home to find his wife Frejya dead, and his daughter (who he remembers as a nine-year-old child) a beautiful young woman who closely resembles her mother. As Edward struggles to come to terms with his new life and with the loss of Frejya, he becomes increasingly curious about how he was freed - and about why the Foreign Office is being so secretive about his release.
"Anselm accepts that God has no dominion in the camp, yet he still has hope and he still prays, not to God but to Charles. Charles will come and save him one day soon. Charles will descend into this underworld, this manmade hell. Charles will rescue him from his tormentors with their whips."
Two different centuries; two different wars. As is always the case in such novels I found that one story was much more powerful than the other one. As far as I am concerned I loved Charles and Anselm's stories and however disturbing the scenes at the concentration camp where Anselm is incarcerated. Not so unfortunately with Edward's half of the tale. I don't really know what it was but right from the start I felt detached and couldn't come to care for Edward or his daughter. Later on, I grew uneasy with the turn their story was taking. The sexual ambiguity between father and daughter, the fact that it seemed Hannah was willing to take her dead mother's place in full really unsettled me. The whole however is definitely worth reading and the prose is often quite beautiful. A gripping well-written book, especially the way it ends up.
"The short walk up the road is steep and winding and, once she reaches the crest, she catches her breath. There are no cars. Cornwall is empty. She shines her torch at the familiar signs marking the way to Doyden and noticNational Trust oak leaves are the same as those worn by Nazi officers on their collars. It gives her a sense of being connected; of how the ways that the silver orld reveals its own connections, in its own time."
October 8, 2018
I just don't know how to review this book as I feel this book was bitter sweet. Most parts I loved but a small part made me feel uncomfortable, hence only 4 stars. I really did like the story itself and how it all come together at the end. I do recommend this book and would be interested of others opinion has they certainly will have one.
January 23, 2019
i felt i had to give this book a five star rating, it was so good, if at times harrowing and almost painful to read. It has elements of a wartime scenario, a more modern captivity, a long ago forbiden relationship and a very dificult modern relationship.
June 13, 2017
I know, I know....
Maybe it deserves more than 3 Stars. It's well- written and well- researched.
It's just that I expected the events towards the end to have been composed differently.
At some point I was only interested in Charles and Anselm's story.
It is expectedly moving, at times desperate, overall beautiful.
But I didn't really care much about present day events. I get why they are there, how past resonates with present in the characters' lives.
However if there was any hidden parallel between WWII crimes, and modern day terrorism, or if the book somehow revealed a new aspect of what the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan actually aims for, I didn't see it...
Therefore, I was entirely uninterested in Edward....And especially indifferent to Hannah or Neil.
Maybe it deserves more than 3 Stars. It's well- written and well- researched.
It's just that I expected the events towards the end to have been composed differently.
At some point I was only interested in Charles and Anselm's story.
It is expectedly moving, at times desperate, overall beautiful.
But I didn't really care much about present day events. I get why they are there, how past resonates with present in the characters' lives.
However if there was any hidden parallel between WWII crimes, and modern day terrorism, or if the book somehow revealed a new aspect of what the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan actually aims for, I didn't see it...
Therefore, I was entirely uninterested in Edward....And especially indifferent to Hannah or Neil.
July 29, 2013
I wrote a review for Goodreads back in January 2011 for Nigel Farndale’s book The Blasphemer. Overall I loved it, but I did have some niggles, mainly around the modern story line. However, others plainly loved it too, because the book was shortlisted for the 2010 Costa Novel Award and (perhaps an even greater accolade?) was selected for the Richard and Judy Bookclub. But I had absolutely no reservations about this one – it absolutely blew me away.
The structure is broadly similar – a modern story and a wartime one, running side-by-side but not in strictly alternating chapters. The opening is striking – two naked young men, in a hotel room overlooking Piccadilly Circus, one an English pilot officer (Charles Northcote), the other a German artist (Anselm). The year is 1939, and their night is ended by the arrival of two RAF police officers. The story then moves to the present day – Kandahar province, present day, and an English man (Edward Northcote) released after over eleven years in captivity.
The wartime story is a harrowing one – Charles loses his commission for “conduct unbecoming”, his lover Anselm is sent home to Germany and sentenced to a labour camp. The modern story is equally strong – Edward struggles to come to terms with the end of his captivity, finds that his wife has died, and he has a complicated relationship with his daughter Hannah.
Charles’ ongoing story unfolds – he does everything possible to track down Anselm, and it’s an engrossing story, crossing war torn Europe, touched with horror, cruelty and disturbing images. Meanwhile Edward wrestles with the relationship with his daughter, and with the knowledge that a ransom might have been paid to secure his release.
This is an incredibly moving book, dealing in essence with forbidden love and the strength of the human spirit, with a complexity of structure and narrative that makes it an absolutely compelling read. The drawing together of the two stories towards the end is heartbreaking and very deftly handled, and the writing throughout is enthralling and perfectly paced. With its brave handling of the very difficult subject matter – the moral issues are addressed but never with a heavy hand - this book will stay with me for a very long time.
My thanks to netgalley and Transworld for the advance reading copy.
The structure is broadly similar – a modern story and a wartime one, running side-by-side but not in strictly alternating chapters. The opening is striking – two naked young men, in a hotel room overlooking Piccadilly Circus, one an English pilot officer (Charles Northcote), the other a German artist (Anselm). The year is 1939, and their night is ended by the arrival of two RAF police officers. The story then moves to the present day – Kandahar province, present day, and an English man (Edward Northcote) released after over eleven years in captivity.
The wartime story is a harrowing one – Charles loses his commission for “conduct unbecoming”, his lover Anselm is sent home to Germany and sentenced to a labour camp. The modern story is equally strong – Edward struggles to come to terms with the end of his captivity, finds that his wife has died, and he has a complicated relationship with his daughter Hannah.
Charles’ ongoing story unfolds – he does everything possible to track down Anselm, and it’s an engrossing story, crossing war torn Europe, touched with horror, cruelty and disturbing images. Meanwhile Edward wrestles with the relationship with his daughter, and with the knowledge that a ransom might have been paid to secure his release.
This is an incredibly moving book, dealing in essence with forbidden love and the strength of the human spirit, with a complexity of structure and narrative that makes it an absolutely compelling read. The drawing together of the two stories towards the end is heartbreaking and very deftly handled, and the writing throughout is enthralling and perfectly paced. With its brave handling of the very difficult subject matter – the moral issues are addressed but never with a heavy hand - this book will stay with me for a very long time.
My thanks to netgalley and Transworld for the advance reading copy.
July 13, 2013
This powerful and moving novel interweaves two time frames. It starts in 1939 when military police burst into a hotel room and arrest English RAF Officer Charles and German art student Anselm for “gross indecency”. Anselm is deported and ends up in a Nazi labour camp in France. Charles is, inevitably, dishonourably discharged and spends the rest of the war desperately trying to find a way to rescue his lover.
The second strand happens in 2012, when Charles’s son Edward, a diplomat, is finally rescued after 11 years’ captivity by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Back in the UK we follow him – and suffer with him – as he adjusts to life and learns to cope with his freedom after his ordeal.
The novel moves effortlessly and expertly between the two narratives and the two time frames, gradually revealing how the stories are linked. There’s a lot to juggle here, but Farndale’s skill as a novelist is well up to the task. With extensive research and a wealth of historical detail, this is a totally absorbing and often harrowing book. It deals with difficult themes but always with empathy and compassion, and avoids sensationalism at all times.
On a personal level I found the descriptions of Edward’s ordeal in captivity particularly hard to read, and felt I gained new insight into what such a fate must be like. The war scenes too are gripping and realistic, as are the scenes in the camp. Psychologically and emotionally all the characters are believable as are the ways they learn to deal with trauma and dislocation.
This is a story of love and grief, of how the choices we make haunt us down through the years, and how the repercussions of those choices have to be faced every day.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am grateful to Netgalley for sending it to me. I might well have missed it otherwise. Highly recommended.
The second strand happens in 2012, when Charles’s son Edward, a diplomat, is finally rescued after 11 years’ captivity by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Back in the UK we follow him – and suffer with him – as he adjusts to life and learns to cope with his freedom after his ordeal.
The novel moves effortlessly and expertly between the two narratives and the two time frames, gradually revealing how the stories are linked. There’s a lot to juggle here, but Farndale’s skill as a novelist is well up to the task. With extensive research and a wealth of historical detail, this is a totally absorbing and often harrowing book. It deals with difficult themes but always with empathy and compassion, and avoids sensationalism at all times.
On a personal level I found the descriptions of Edward’s ordeal in captivity particularly hard to read, and felt I gained new insight into what such a fate must be like. The war scenes too are gripping and realistic, as are the scenes in the camp. Psychologically and emotionally all the characters are believable as are the ways they learn to deal with trauma and dislocation.
This is a story of love and grief, of how the choices we make haunt us down through the years, and how the repercussions of those choices have to be faced every day.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am grateful to Netgalley for sending it to me. I might well have missed it otherwise. Highly recommended.
December 25, 2016
This was a difficult book to read, and equally difficult to review. I enjoy books that do not shy away from confronting subject matter, and I felt that, psychologically, the plot and characters were well drawn, the history was well researched, and the settings vividly rendered. On one level, the book really rang true as a depiction of the time, which I very much appreciate as a history lover.
That being said...well. Despite enjoying the novel, I feel like there was a huge emotional disconnect for me. I couldn't really empathise with the characters, and the author failed to convince me of any of the crucial aspects of the story: that Anselm and Charles were in love, that Niall felt guilty, that Edward was grieving for his wife or in love with his daughter. I'm not sure precisely why, but it was as if the feeling was missing from the book, and as such it seemed very flat to me. Part of that was due to authorial style, I think - I can understand it as a deliberate choice, because when dealing with something so overwhelming as WWII it can be cheapened by an excess of emotionalism. Still, part of it was also due, perhaps, to Farndale's inability to concretely render the characters' emotions so that the reader could feel alongside them. There were times when the narrative seemed to degenerate into mere lists, or a recitation of facts, rather than a human reaction to events, which seemed to anaesthetise the whole subject and lessen its impact. Overall, while it was a good read, it lacked the spark of genius that would have made it truly great. Three stars from me.
That being said...well. Despite enjoying the novel, I feel like there was a huge emotional disconnect for me. I couldn't really empathise with the characters, and the author failed to convince me of any of the crucial aspects of the story: that Anselm and Charles were in love, that Niall felt guilty, that Edward was grieving for his wife or in love with his daughter. I'm not sure precisely why, but it was as if the feeling was missing from the book, and as such it seemed very flat to me. Part of that was due to authorial style, I think - I can understand it as a deliberate choice, because when dealing with something so overwhelming as WWII it can be cheapened by an excess of emotionalism. Still, part of it was also due, perhaps, to Farndale's inability to concretely render the characters' emotions so that the reader could feel alongside them. There were times when the narrative seemed to degenerate into mere lists, or a recitation of facts, rather than a human reaction to events, which seemed to anaesthetise the whole subject and lessen its impact. Overall, while it was a good read, it lacked the spark of genius that would have made it truly great. Three stars from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2015
Literally breathtaking, and beautiful. Never have I read a book before that so expertly evokes feelings and places. That the subject matter is so uncomfortable in places, but that I never wanted the story to end is testament to the author's skill. He recognises that life is complex and full of joy and tragedy, love and cruelty, conformity and individualism.
My only gripe is with Goodreads - the recommendations based on this were all 'gay literature' when this brilliant book was about so much more than the sexuality of some characters. It was about love and relationships, and war and family. This book will stay with me for quite some time.
My only gripe is with Goodreads - the recommendations based on this were all 'gay literature' when this brilliant book was about so much more than the sexuality of some characters. It was about love and relationships, and war and family. This book will stay with me for quite some time.
August 18, 2013
Another well-written story of a man held hostage in an Afghani cave for many years and his struggle to reconnect with his daughter and adjust to 'normal' life. Flick back 50+ years to the war, German concentration camps and we read of another set of characters and their struggles. As the story unfolds, links are made between the two.
January 14, 2015
Good and compelling read. Huge panorama of captivity (current and WW2). painstakingly drawn with lifelong effects on family and an abundance of secrets...Vivid characterisation and curious (somewhat too clever) coincidences. Didn't spoil flow of book but stretched imagination (or "poetic" licence at times!)
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