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The Choice
Set in occupied Germany during the immediate post-war period, this book presents a disturbing story of lost illusions and the conflict faced by a young British soldier who is forced to choose between love and conscience.
Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
4 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Forbes
52 books10 followersBryan Forbes CBE (born John Theobald Clarke) was an English film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor and novelist, described as a "Renaissance man" and "one of the most important figures in the British film industry".
He directed the film The Stepford Wives (1975) and wrote and directed several other critically acclaimed films, including Whistle Down the Wind (1961), Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), and King Rat (1965). He also scripted several films directed by others, such as The League of Gentlemen (1960), The Angry Silence (1960) and Only Two Can Play (1962).
Forbes wrote two volumes of autobiography and several successful novels, the last of which, The Soldier's Story, was published in 2012.He was a regular contributor to The Spectator magazine.
He directed the film The Stepford Wives (1975) and wrote and directed several other critically acclaimed films, including Whistle Down the Wind (1961), Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), and King Rat (1965). He also scripted several films directed by others, such as The League of Gentlemen (1960), The Angry Silence (1960) and Only Two Can Play (1962).
Forbes wrote two volumes of autobiography and several successful novels, the last of which, The Soldier's Story, was published in 2012.He was a regular contributor to The Spectator magazine.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 29, 2009
The Choice is a novel dealing with life in post-war West Germany, written by the director and novelist Bryan Forbes. The narrator of the story is British soldier Alex Seaton, who has survived the war and who now finds himself picking up the pieces in a country devastated by the Nazi regime. Much of the story involves Seaton’s relationship with a young German girl, Lisa, with a shadow hanging over their love.
This is a first-person story and the pacing never flags for a moment. There are gripping plot twists aplenty and the author isn’t afraid to tackle the darker side of human nature. Forbes writes in an instantly accessible style and throughout the book, everything – including the often complex relations between countries and the activities of the men working in Intelligence - is clearly explained in easily-readable prose. The novel is populated by a cast of entertaining supporting characters and the often colourful language flies off the page. Dealing with spies, the Nuremberg trials, love, sex, the theatre and life back in England, The Choice is a real page-turner with plenty going on at all times.
This certainly isn’t an uplifting book and, in dealing with concentration camps, poverty and death, it isn’t an easy read. Yet Forbes is writing a work of realism, so the downbeat nature of the story is entirely appropriate. My only complaint is that the text is littered with unnecessary typographical errors which can be fairly distracting. A little proof-reading goes a long way.
This review was first published in The Self-Publishing Magazine.
This is a first-person story and the pacing never flags for a moment. There are gripping plot twists aplenty and the author isn’t afraid to tackle the darker side of human nature. Forbes writes in an instantly accessible style and throughout the book, everything – including the often complex relations between countries and the activities of the men working in Intelligence - is clearly explained in easily-readable prose. The novel is populated by a cast of entertaining supporting characters and the often colourful language flies off the page. Dealing with spies, the Nuremberg trials, love, sex, the theatre and life back in England, The Choice is a real page-turner with plenty going on at all times.
This certainly isn’t an uplifting book and, in dealing with concentration camps, poverty and death, it isn’t an easy read. Yet Forbes is writing a work of realism, so the downbeat nature of the story is entirely appropriate. My only complaint is that the text is littered with unnecessary typographical errors which can be fairly distracting. A little proof-reading goes a long way.
This review was first published in The Self-Publishing Magazine.
Displaying 1 of 1 review