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Anatomie d'un soldat
Le jeune capitaine britannique Tom Barnes est envoyé en mission dans une zone de conflit. Au retour d’une patrouille nocturne, il marche sur un engin explosif improvisé et est immédiatement rapatrié en Angleterre. Débute alors un autre combat tant psychologique que physique durant lequel le héros va parvenir à surmonter « ce à quoi l’on ne pouvait survivre » grâce à l’aide non seulement des médecins, mais aussi de sa famille ainsi que de l’être aimé.
Raconté tour à tour par quarante-cinq objets – garrot, sac à main, gilet pare-balles, verre de bière, prothèse, miroir, sac d’engrais, vélo, pile électrique, basket blanche… – conçus pour assister, observer ou nuire, ce récit est un tour de force qui nous fait découvrir de manière inédite le destin et les pensées profondes des acteurs du conflit et de leurs proches, qu’ils soient patriotes ou fanatiques, cyniques ou manipulés, bienveillants ou éblouis par l’idéalisme de la jeunesse. Chronique singulière et néanmoins réaliste, Anatomie d’un soldat est en outre un témoignage saisissant et chargé d’émotion : celui de la reconquête de soi-même, de cette dignité et de cette force qui sont le propre de l’Humain.
Raconté tour à tour par quarante-cinq objets – garrot, sac à main, gilet pare-balles, verre de bière, prothèse, miroir, sac d’engrais, vélo, pile électrique, basket blanche… – conçus pour assister, observer ou nuire, ce récit est un tour de force qui nous fait découvrir de manière inédite le destin et les pensées profondes des acteurs du conflit et de leurs proches, qu’ils soient patriotes ou fanatiques, cyniques ou manipulés, bienveillants ou éblouis par l’idéalisme de la jeunesse. Chronique singulière et néanmoins réaliste, Anatomie d’un soldat est en outre un témoignage saisissant et chargé d’émotion : celui de la reconquête de soi-même, de cette dignité et de cette force qui sont le propre de l’Humain.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2016
84 people are currently reading
2259 people want to read
About the author
Harry Parker
4 books15 followersHARRY PARKER grew up in Wiltshire and was educated at University College London. He joined the British Army when he was twenty-three and served in Iraq in 2007 and Afghanistan in 2009. He now lives in London. He’s also a painter, attends art school, and has completed a postgrad degree at the Royal Drawing School. He sea-kayaks in his spare time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
March 21, 2016
We follow the story of a young British soldier name Tom who is posted to a war zone where the threat of injury is constantly looming. At the very beginning of the novel we learn that Tom has had to have his leg amputated after he stepped on a camouflaged bomb. Over the course of the novel we flick back and forth between present day and the time just before Tom encounters the bomb. Alongside Tom's story we also follow that of the terrorists and civilians in the nearby village.
I struggled to connect with any of the characters throughout the entirety of this novel. The reason for that is way the story is told. We are guided through the events via the perspective of objects that are near or on the person at the time (for instance Tom's boots or rucksack). This separation from the mind of the protagonist left me with very little to connect with - I wish I had been able to see more of the characters thoughts and feelings rather than the observations of his prosthetic leg!
All in all it was an interesting read and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about conflict or recovery from war.
I struggled to connect with any of the characters throughout the entirety of this novel. The reason for that is way the story is told. We are guided through the events via the perspective of objects that are near or on the person at the time (for instance Tom's boots or rucksack). This separation from the mind of the protagonist left me with very little to connect with - I wish I had been able to see more of the characters thoughts and feelings rather than the observations of his prosthetic leg!
All in all it was an interesting read and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about conflict or recovery from war.
June 7, 2016
"I was made carefully on a wooden table with buckled legs that rested against a dry mud wall. I was made by two men silhouetted in moonlight from the doorway behind them and the jaundiced beam of a torch placed over me and sweat glistened on their temples."
That was narrator number four, an improvised explosive device that changed Tom Barnes' life when he stepped into a field to lead his men back to camp after an exhausting mission. Barnes, a British captain, known mainly as BA5799 by the 45 narrators in this book, stepped onto the spot where the IED was buried and his body shattered, but not his mind or his will to live.
I wanted to read this book mainly because I was curious about a story that had forty-five inanimate objects as narrators. How would the author treat them? Would he personify them? Would the story, despite its promise of being literary, become something silly because it was told though the viewpoint of objects such as a helmet, dog tags, a bed, and a catheter? I had to find out. But when I went online to learn exactly where and when this story was set, I discovered a whole new reason to read this book. I came across an interview with the author. It turns out that this story was based upon the author's true life experiences when fighting in Afghanistan in 2009 where he sustained catastrophic injuries that might have leveled most other people. In the interview, Mr. Parker said how he did not want to write his story in his own voice. It would have been too raw of an experience, I gathered. He needed the distance that his inanimate narrators created so he could tell it from their perspective. This put a whole new spin on the premise for this book which I now know wasn't based upon a gimmick, and the results were dead serious.
The reader will listen to inanimate objects speak dispassionately, though at times poetically, of not only Captain Barnes' experiences, but of those whose lives he touched and of those who touched his, before deployment, in battle, directly after his injuries, and during recovery from them. The narrators tell of what they observed and how those they came into direct contact with felt and what they were thinking. The reader must go with the flow and not question any of this in order to gain the biggest benefit from this book.
"He was already waking before his alarm clock rang. It was the brightening sky that made him turn over on me, and the chill that made him pull his sleeping bag up. It was a half-conscious bliss, being elsewhere, and the day ahead didn't exist, only dreams of home that slowly corroded as he woke and realized he was lying on me, inside the netting, and a different sun was rising above him."
Narrator number 21, an army cot.
This book also tells a larger story than that of one man. It tells the story of the people living in the region Captain Barnes and his men were fighting in, both those who supported their presence and those who fought against it. But again, the narrators merely relayed what they saw and heard, and they did not give their opinions or make judgments. It was for the reader to collect all the information and see the smaller or larger pictures they wished to see.
This was an ambitious debut novel that I had high hopes for and was intrigued by. I learned much from this painfully honest account of a soldier injured not only physically, but emotionally. Not knowing how much of this story was fact or fiction didn't matter. It was real in all the ways that mattered.
But the book fell short in some areas that prevented my total immersion. I wished for a more linear storyline that would have made this into an even more powerful novel. As it stands, the novel jumps around in time and place quite a bit which made it confusing, though that's what the author was aiming for since little made sense to him during that time. And while I appreciated the importance of other people's experiences besides those of Captain Barnes, those other experiences diluted what could have been a more concentrated effect of the captain's story. And some sections became repetitive when attempting to show more than one side to the story. This grew tiring at times when those sections provided little new information from others already presented. Also, some narrators didn't seem to serve much purpose and their sections were dull in comparison to others. The best narrators were those that interacted with humans and didn't just observe. But each section was brief, so none were a burden to get through and many were poignant such as the ones narrated by a woman's purse, a bed, a catheter, and a beer glass, among others.
So as a whole, this is a gritty and occasionally poetic and sometimes graphic book. A very worthwhile novel that is more than a novelty. This is one man's story and many people's stories by association and by representation. But above all, this is an important book for anyone wanting to contemplate the cost of war.
In closing, here are a few more quotes from some of the narrators:
"The falling rain was foreshortened to white rods against the stone sky."
"I am a desert combat boot. I have BA5799 written on my tongue and he walked me across the tarmac towards a city of white tents and cream hangers, floating on that shimmering desert mirror."
"I had become part of him, another layer of courage that let him step out of the gate."
"He thought of the destruction required to create peace."
That was narrator number four, an improvised explosive device that changed Tom Barnes' life when he stepped into a field to lead his men back to camp after an exhausting mission. Barnes, a British captain, known mainly as BA5799 by the 45 narrators in this book, stepped onto the spot where the IED was buried and his body shattered, but not his mind or his will to live.
I wanted to read this book mainly because I was curious about a story that had forty-five inanimate objects as narrators. How would the author treat them? Would he personify them? Would the story, despite its promise of being literary, become something silly because it was told though the viewpoint of objects such as a helmet, dog tags, a bed, and a catheter? I had to find out. But when I went online to learn exactly where and when this story was set, I discovered a whole new reason to read this book. I came across an interview with the author. It turns out that this story was based upon the author's true life experiences when fighting in Afghanistan in 2009 where he sustained catastrophic injuries that might have leveled most other people. In the interview, Mr. Parker said how he did not want to write his story in his own voice. It would have been too raw of an experience, I gathered. He needed the distance that his inanimate narrators created so he could tell it from their perspective. This put a whole new spin on the premise for this book which I now know wasn't based upon a gimmick, and the results were dead serious.
The reader will listen to inanimate objects speak dispassionately, though at times poetically, of not only Captain Barnes' experiences, but of those whose lives he touched and of those who touched his, before deployment, in battle, directly after his injuries, and during recovery from them. The narrators tell of what they observed and how those they came into direct contact with felt and what they were thinking. The reader must go with the flow and not question any of this in order to gain the biggest benefit from this book.
"He was already waking before his alarm clock rang. It was the brightening sky that made him turn over on me, and the chill that made him pull his sleeping bag up. It was a half-conscious bliss, being elsewhere, and the day ahead didn't exist, only dreams of home that slowly corroded as he woke and realized he was lying on me, inside the netting, and a different sun was rising above him."
Narrator number 21, an army cot.
This book also tells a larger story than that of one man. It tells the story of the people living in the region Captain Barnes and his men were fighting in, both those who supported their presence and those who fought against it. But again, the narrators merely relayed what they saw and heard, and they did not give their opinions or make judgments. It was for the reader to collect all the information and see the smaller or larger pictures they wished to see.
This was an ambitious debut novel that I had high hopes for and was intrigued by. I learned much from this painfully honest account of a soldier injured not only physically, but emotionally. Not knowing how much of this story was fact or fiction didn't matter. It was real in all the ways that mattered.
But the book fell short in some areas that prevented my total immersion. I wished for a more linear storyline that would have made this into an even more powerful novel. As it stands, the novel jumps around in time and place quite a bit which made it confusing, though that's what the author was aiming for since little made sense to him during that time. And while I appreciated the importance of other people's experiences besides those of Captain Barnes, those other experiences diluted what could have been a more concentrated effect of the captain's story. And some sections became repetitive when attempting to show more than one side to the story. This grew tiring at times when those sections provided little new information from others already presented. Also, some narrators didn't seem to serve much purpose and their sections were dull in comparison to others. The best narrators were those that interacted with humans and didn't just observe. But each section was brief, so none were a burden to get through and many were poignant such as the ones narrated by a woman's purse, a bed, a catheter, and a beer glass, among others.
So as a whole, this is a gritty and occasionally poetic and sometimes graphic book. A very worthwhile novel that is more than a novelty. This is one man's story and many people's stories by association and by representation. But above all, this is an important book for anyone wanting to contemplate the cost of war.
In closing, here are a few more quotes from some of the narrators:
"The falling rain was foreshortened to white rods against the stone sky."
"I am a desert combat boot. I have BA5799 written on my tongue and he walked me across the tarmac towards a city of white tents and cream hangers, floating on that shimmering desert mirror."
"I had become part of him, another layer of courage that let him step out of the gate."
"He thought of the destruction required to create peace."
January 14, 2018
Millanta anni fa per un esame all'Università dovetti leggere un libro di filosofia della mente abbastanza complicato Uno sguardo da nessun luogo di tale Nagel Thomas.
Il filosofo diceva che possiamo pensare ad uno sguardo sul mondo che non sia esclusivamente umano, togliendo all'umanità il privilegio di essere l'unica prospettiva (valida) da cui osservare la realtà, così da ridimensionare la centralità dell’uomo e del suo modo di rappresentare le cose.
Un nuovo sguardo sul mondo che diventa uno sguardo proveniente come da nessun luogo.
Il libro di Harry Parker non ha alcuna pretesa filosofica ma in un certo modo fa eco inconsapevolmente a ciò che quel filosofo disse, e che allora tanto mi colpì, e lo utilizza come procedimento stilistico narrativo per raccontarci la sua storia, lo fa assumendo il punto di vista di alcuni oggetti che entrano in relazione con un arco di tempo della vita di Tom, un militare britannico in missione in Afganistan che durante una ricognizione salterà in aria a causa dell’esplosione di un ordigno bellico e subirà l’amputazione di due gambe.
Ogni capitolo, dei 45 di cui è composto il libro, è dedicato ad un oggetto diverso e, all’inizio di ognuno, si prova come un fremito di spaesamento quando sulla riga si legge quell’io sono, pronome personale, usato quasi sgrammaticalmente dall’autore perché riferito non ad una persona ma ad una cosa, quell’io sono pronunciato da un oggetto è di fortissimo impatto emotivo.
E dunque io chi sono?
Io sono il tuo anfibio destro
Io sono la sega che il chirurgo brandirà e farà oscillare sul tuo osso ridotto in poltiglia:
ll chirurgo chiese la sega oscillante.
Gli consegnarono me. Lui impugnò la mia maniglia e piazzò un dito guantato sul mio pulsante di metallo. Mi teneva in mano come un’arma, e all’estremità della mia “canna c’era una lama piatta di acciaio inox, con i denti affilati che puntavano in avanti a file sovrapposte. Premette il grilletto e il mio motore ronzò, e il filo della lama si fece sfocato.
Fu in quel momento che diventai utile.
Il chirurgo disse che era pronto ad amputare
Sono la bicicletta di un ragazzino afgano
Uno zaino
Sono la tua piastrina di riconoscimento
Io sono una ricetrasmittente
Io sono la sacca di plasma che sta nutrendo il tuo corpo devastato:
Io ero appesa sopra di te. Sono una miscela di globuli bianchi e rossi, fattori coagulanti, plasma e piastrine. La forza di gravità faceva scendere il mio contenuto lungo un tubo. Il liquido gocciolava attraverso il cilindretto della regolazione del flusso e la cannula, fino a entrare dentro di te per sostituire quello che avevi perso quando ti avevano sfigurato.
Ero appesa a un sostegno attaccato al tuo letto..
Sono il proiettile scagliato dal caricatore che segue la sua parabola discendente se non incontrerà ostacolo
Sfrecciai fuori dalla canna a 940 metri al secondo, volando via dall’arma […]La mia traiettoria era prestabilita: su di me agivano contemporaneamente la gravità, la pressione atmosferica, un leggero vento da sud e la rotazione della terra sul suo asse. L’attrito mi riscaldò fino a 135 gradi mentre praticavo un buco silenzioso nell’aria, creando un centro di pressione davanti a me. Il rumore continuo che producevo mi seguiva in un cono di fragore e turbolenza, si dilatava in un’onda d’urto che colpiva tutto ciò che avevo in scia.
Molti altri proiettili erano in movimento attorno a me, e l’aria ribolliva di energia cinetica. Alcuni mi sorpassarono ma la maggior parte erano o davanti o dietro di me, e convergevano sul bersaglio. Io volavo verso l’obiettivo finale descrivendo un arco schiacciato.
Sono la tua protesi ipertecnologica, fatta di metallo, bulloni, tubi di carbonio, plastica e gomma
Il catetere vescicale che scorrerà dentro la tua uretra per aiutarti a svuotare la vescica,
Il tappeto persiano intrecciato da alcune donne afgane
Sarò il primo boccale di birra che berrai dopo essere tornato alla vita
Sarò una busta,frusta da un lungo viaggio che contiene una lettera per te
Sono la tua sedia a rotelle
Io sono…
E questi oggetti si animano, osservano, commentano, descrivono il reale senza retorica né sentimentalismo, descrivono se stessi, non giudicano, non soffrono, ci offrono una prospettiva imparziale, quel punto di vista quasi da nessun luogo.
Con queste coordinate oggettuali, come nel gioco del “cosa apparirà” della Settimana Enigmistica che, dopo aver unito tanti punti insieme da bambina mi restituiva una immagine chiara e soddisfacente, Parker ricostruisce il reticolo del racconto del Capitano Tom, nome in codice BA5799, di Faridun ragazzino afgano (un civile) e di Latif un giovane ribelle, tre destini che si incrociano confluendo nell’esatto punto dove l’ordigno nascosto esploderà.
Anatomia di un soldato è un’opera vivida, profonda, che mi ha commosso, catturata, che mi ha lasciato con il fiato sospeso, mi ha restituito il contesto della vita militare con i suoi addestramenti, i suoi acme di tensione e i lunghi momenti di pigrizia indolente, la paura del pericolo e dell’agguato, la prossimità con la morte, la sofferenza fisica di corpi che saltano in aria rimbalzati e scaraventati a terra, sfigurati in un nugolo di polvere sangue e carne macellata.
A quasi fine libro ho scoperto che l’autore non ha fatto altro che raccontare la sua storia, che dunque è una storia verosivilmente vera, ancora una volta il balsamo lenitivo della scrittura che cura chi legge e mai, come in questo caso, anche l’autore che al ritorno dal deserto afgano non sarà più lo stesso soldato, né lo stesso uomo e con dentro di sé un concetto nuovo di quello che è il nemico.
Cioè, che cosa faresti se quelli che hanno costruito la bomba entrassero qui nel pub in questo momento? Cazzo, io li impalerei con quello sgabello».
Tom lo fissò. «James, mi sa che tu non capisci», disse, e cominciò ad alzarsi.
«Dove stai andando?»
Tom si tirò su dalla sedia e si chinò un po’ in avanti, facendo leva sulle gambe per mettersi in piedi, riaccostò la sedia al tavolo e guardò l’amico.
«Se le persone che mi hanno fatto questo entrassero qui adesso gli offrirei da bere>> .
E’ il suo primo libro, un esordio d’eccezione.
Il filosofo diceva che possiamo pensare ad uno sguardo sul mondo che non sia esclusivamente umano, togliendo all'umanità il privilegio di essere l'unica prospettiva (valida) da cui osservare la realtà, così da ridimensionare la centralità dell’uomo e del suo modo di rappresentare le cose.
Un nuovo sguardo sul mondo che diventa uno sguardo proveniente come da nessun luogo.
Il libro di Harry Parker non ha alcuna pretesa filosofica ma in un certo modo fa eco inconsapevolmente a ciò che quel filosofo disse, e che allora tanto mi colpì, e lo utilizza come procedimento stilistico narrativo per raccontarci la sua storia, lo fa assumendo il punto di vista di alcuni oggetti che entrano in relazione con un arco di tempo della vita di Tom, un militare britannico in missione in Afganistan che durante una ricognizione salterà in aria a causa dell’esplosione di un ordigno bellico e subirà l’amputazione di due gambe.
Ogni capitolo, dei 45 di cui è composto il libro, è dedicato ad un oggetto diverso e, all’inizio di ognuno, si prova come un fremito di spaesamento quando sulla riga si legge quell’io sono, pronome personale, usato quasi sgrammaticalmente dall’autore perché riferito non ad una persona ma ad una cosa, quell’io sono pronunciato da un oggetto è di fortissimo impatto emotivo.
E dunque io chi sono?
Io sono il tuo anfibio destro
Io sono la sega che il chirurgo brandirà e farà oscillare sul tuo osso ridotto in poltiglia:
ll chirurgo chiese la sega oscillante.
Gli consegnarono me. Lui impugnò la mia maniglia e piazzò un dito guantato sul mio pulsante di metallo. Mi teneva in mano come un’arma, e all’estremità della mia “canna c’era una lama piatta di acciaio inox, con i denti affilati che puntavano in avanti a file sovrapposte. Premette il grilletto e il mio motore ronzò, e il filo della lama si fece sfocato.
Fu in quel momento che diventai utile.
Il chirurgo disse che era pronto ad amputare
Sono la bicicletta di un ragazzino afgano
Uno zaino
Sono la tua piastrina di riconoscimento
Io sono una ricetrasmittente
Io sono la sacca di plasma che sta nutrendo il tuo corpo devastato:
Io ero appesa sopra di te. Sono una miscela di globuli bianchi e rossi, fattori coagulanti, plasma e piastrine. La forza di gravità faceva scendere il mio contenuto lungo un tubo. Il liquido gocciolava attraverso il cilindretto della regolazione del flusso e la cannula, fino a entrare dentro di te per sostituire quello che avevi perso quando ti avevano sfigurato.
Ero appesa a un sostegno attaccato al tuo letto..
Sono il proiettile scagliato dal caricatore che segue la sua parabola discendente se non incontrerà ostacolo
Sfrecciai fuori dalla canna a 940 metri al secondo, volando via dall’arma […]La mia traiettoria era prestabilita: su di me agivano contemporaneamente la gravità, la pressione atmosferica, un leggero vento da sud e la rotazione della terra sul suo asse. L’attrito mi riscaldò fino a 135 gradi mentre praticavo un buco silenzioso nell’aria, creando un centro di pressione davanti a me. Il rumore continuo che producevo mi seguiva in un cono di fragore e turbolenza, si dilatava in un’onda d’urto che colpiva tutto ciò che avevo in scia.
Molti altri proiettili erano in movimento attorno a me, e l’aria ribolliva di energia cinetica. Alcuni mi sorpassarono ma la maggior parte erano o davanti o dietro di me, e convergevano sul bersaglio. Io volavo verso l’obiettivo finale descrivendo un arco schiacciato.
Sono la tua protesi ipertecnologica, fatta di metallo, bulloni, tubi di carbonio, plastica e gomma
Il catetere vescicale che scorrerà dentro la tua uretra per aiutarti a svuotare la vescica,
Il tappeto persiano intrecciato da alcune donne afgane
Sarò il primo boccale di birra che berrai dopo essere tornato alla vita
Sarò una busta,frusta da un lungo viaggio che contiene una lettera per te
Sono la tua sedia a rotelle
Io sono…
E questi oggetti si animano, osservano, commentano, descrivono il reale senza retorica né sentimentalismo, descrivono se stessi, non giudicano, non soffrono, ci offrono una prospettiva imparziale, quel punto di vista quasi da nessun luogo.
Con queste coordinate oggettuali, come nel gioco del “cosa apparirà” della Settimana Enigmistica che, dopo aver unito tanti punti insieme da bambina mi restituiva una immagine chiara e soddisfacente, Parker ricostruisce il reticolo del racconto del Capitano Tom, nome in codice BA5799, di Faridun ragazzino afgano (un civile) e di Latif un giovane ribelle, tre destini che si incrociano confluendo nell’esatto punto dove l’ordigno nascosto esploderà.
Anatomia di un soldato è un’opera vivida, profonda, che mi ha commosso, catturata, che mi ha lasciato con il fiato sospeso, mi ha restituito il contesto della vita militare con i suoi addestramenti, i suoi acme di tensione e i lunghi momenti di pigrizia indolente, la paura del pericolo e dell’agguato, la prossimità con la morte, la sofferenza fisica di corpi che saltano in aria rimbalzati e scaraventati a terra, sfigurati in un nugolo di polvere sangue e carne macellata.
A quasi fine libro ho scoperto che l’autore non ha fatto altro che raccontare la sua storia, che dunque è una storia verosivilmente vera, ancora una volta il balsamo lenitivo della scrittura che cura chi legge e mai, come in questo caso, anche l’autore che al ritorno dal deserto afgano non sarà più lo stesso soldato, né lo stesso uomo e con dentro di sé un concetto nuovo di quello che è il nemico.
Cioè, che cosa faresti se quelli che hanno costruito la bomba entrassero qui nel pub in questo momento? Cazzo, io li impalerei con quello sgabello».
Tom lo fissò. «James, mi sa che tu non capisci», disse, e cominciò ad alzarsi.
«Dove stai andando?»
Tom si tirò su dalla sedia e si chinò un po’ in avanti, facendo leva sulle gambe per mettersi in piedi, riaccostò la sedia al tavolo e guardò l’amico.
«Se le persone che mi hanno fatto questo entrassero qui adesso gli offrirei da bere>> .
E’ il suo primo libro, un esordio d’eccezione.
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August 22, 20176/10 Last Year's Novels module
June 19, 2019
Ho finito il libro ed ho digitato Harry Parker su un motore di ricerca. Senza che ponessi domande, il primo risultato ha confermato quanto immaginavo:
Harry Parker (1983), figlio di un generale inglese che è stato vicecomandante delle forze Nato in Afghanistan, si è arruolato a sua volta nell’esercito britannico a 23 anni e ha prestato servizio col grado di capitano nel 2007 in Iraq e nel 2009 in Afghanistan, dove in seguito all’esplosione di un ordigno ha perso entrambe le gambe. Vive a Londra, dove ora si dedica alla scrittura e al disegno.
Anatomia di un soldato oltre ad essere una storia vera è raccontata da chi l’ha vissuta sulla propria pelle. Durante la mia infanzia mi capitava di immaginare che gli oggetti avessero un’anima e che io rappresentassi il loro destino. Ero più grande quando gli stessi pensieri mi assalivano di fronte ad una scatola di ferramenta. Perché una vite veniva usata prima di un'altra? Era preferibile per la specie perforare il legno, finire nell'alloggio di una bussola o rimanere il più a lungo possibile nella scatola? Last in first out? io ero il destino che interferiva su questo criterio e paragonavo il momento in cui alle viti veniva assegnata una destinazione a quello in cui un ragazzo abbandona la casa in cui ha vissuto con i genitori per cercare una propria collocazione nel mondo. Ho scoperto anni fa che vi è una concezione filosofica e religiosa primitiva di cui avrei potuto essere esponente che si chiama animismo. In realtà essa è qualcosa di assai più elaborato dei miei pensieri infantili, ai quali già il primo capitolo del libro mi ha ricondotto. La sua peculiarità è che a raccontare i fatti sia un oggetto, un laccio emostatico. Il secondo capitolo verrà raccontato da un sacco di fertilizzante, il terzo uno scarpone militare e via di seguito. 45 capitoli per 45 oggetti diversi.
«Gli oggetti mi hanno consentito di mantenere un maggiore distacco e di evitare qualche virata verso il sentimentalismo. […] Ho scoperto che cominciavo a pensare agli oggetti in maniera diversa: a come vengono creati, come si muovono per il mondo, che valore hanno per la gente, di quanta ritualità e quanto significato vengono investiti».
Parker si è servito degli oggetti perché raccontassero il modo in cui un ordigno artigianale lo ha dilaniato. Agli oggetti ha fatto raccontare anche la preparazione di quell’ordigno da parte dei ribelli senza mai fare riferimenti specifici ai luoghi dove la vicenda era ambientata. Per numerose pagine si riferirà a sé stesso solo come BA5799, ad esplosione avvenuta si darà un nome e un cognome.
La struttura narrativa è senz’altro originale, arrivati allo scoppio però si ha un calo inevitabile della tensione. Parker consapevole di ciò da quel momento in poi alterna flash back e riabilitazione, vi sono delle pagine molto dure da leggere nelle quali viene descritta un’ulteriore amputazione decisa a causa di un’infezione che si sta diffondendo con rapidità. Gli oggetti raccontano il dramma di BA5799 ma anche il dramma più esteso della guerra che non risparmia i civili neppure se si sforzano di rimanere neutrali.
La mutilazione sarà la protagonista dell’ultima parte del libro, l’ingombrante assenza che presuppone farà del capitano BA5799 una persona nuova, che trarrà forza dall’aver accettato la propria condizione. L’ultima è anche la parte che ho faticato a leggere, mi pareva che il romanzo non avesse più niente da offrire, avrei rinunciato volentieri ai flash back che ormai mi apparivano solo ripetizioni.
Harry Parker (1983), figlio di un generale inglese che è stato vicecomandante delle forze Nato in Afghanistan, si è arruolato a sua volta nell’esercito britannico a 23 anni e ha prestato servizio col grado di capitano nel 2007 in Iraq e nel 2009 in Afghanistan, dove in seguito all’esplosione di un ordigno ha perso entrambe le gambe. Vive a Londra, dove ora si dedica alla scrittura e al disegno.
Anatomia di un soldato oltre ad essere una storia vera è raccontata da chi l’ha vissuta sulla propria pelle. Durante la mia infanzia mi capitava di immaginare che gli oggetti avessero un’anima e che io rappresentassi il loro destino. Ero più grande quando gli stessi pensieri mi assalivano di fronte ad una scatola di ferramenta. Perché una vite veniva usata prima di un'altra? Era preferibile per la specie perforare il legno, finire nell'alloggio di una bussola o rimanere il più a lungo possibile nella scatola? Last in first out? io ero il destino che interferiva su questo criterio e paragonavo il momento in cui alle viti veniva assegnata una destinazione a quello in cui un ragazzo abbandona la casa in cui ha vissuto con i genitori per cercare una propria collocazione nel mondo. Ho scoperto anni fa che vi è una concezione filosofica e religiosa primitiva di cui avrei potuto essere esponente che si chiama animismo. In realtà essa è qualcosa di assai più elaborato dei miei pensieri infantili, ai quali già il primo capitolo del libro mi ha ricondotto. La sua peculiarità è che a raccontare i fatti sia un oggetto, un laccio emostatico. Il secondo capitolo verrà raccontato da un sacco di fertilizzante, il terzo uno scarpone militare e via di seguito. 45 capitoli per 45 oggetti diversi.
«Gli oggetti mi hanno consentito di mantenere un maggiore distacco e di evitare qualche virata verso il sentimentalismo. […] Ho scoperto che cominciavo a pensare agli oggetti in maniera diversa: a come vengono creati, come si muovono per il mondo, che valore hanno per la gente, di quanta ritualità e quanto significato vengono investiti».
Parker si è servito degli oggetti perché raccontassero il modo in cui un ordigno artigianale lo ha dilaniato. Agli oggetti ha fatto raccontare anche la preparazione di quell’ordigno da parte dei ribelli senza mai fare riferimenti specifici ai luoghi dove la vicenda era ambientata. Per numerose pagine si riferirà a sé stesso solo come BA5799, ad esplosione avvenuta si darà un nome e un cognome.
La struttura narrativa è senz’altro originale, arrivati allo scoppio però si ha un calo inevitabile della tensione. Parker consapevole di ciò da quel momento in poi alterna flash back e riabilitazione, vi sono delle pagine molto dure da leggere nelle quali viene descritta un’ulteriore amputazione decisa a causa di un’infezione che si sta diffondendo con rapidità. Gli oggetti raccontano il dramma di BA5799 ma anche il dramma più esteso della guerra che non risparmia i civili neppure se si sforzano di rimanere neutrali.
La mutilazione sarà la protagonista dell’ultima parte del libro, l’ingombrante assenza che presuppone farà del capitano BA5799 una persona nuova, che trarrà forza dall’aver accettato la propria condizione. L’ultima è anche la parte che ho faticato a leggere, mi pareva che il romanzo non avesse più niente da offrire, avrei rinunciato volentieri ai flash back che ormai mi apparivano solo ripetizioni.
September 17, 2016
BABT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07v03fcDescription: Captain Tom Barnes is leading British troops in Afghanistan. Two boys are growing up there, sharing a prized bike and flying kites, before finding themselves separated once the soldiers appear in the countryside.
On all sides of this conflict, people are about to be caught up in the violence - from the man who trains one boy to fight the infidel invaders to Barnes' family waiting for him to return home. We see them not as they see themselves, but as all the objects surrounding them do - shoes and combat boots, wheelchairs and wheelbarrows, a bag of fertiliser, an exploding IED and the medical implements that are subsequently employed.
Anatomy of a Soldier is based on the author's experience of being in a war zone and his journey of survival against all the odds.
November 29, 2016
Forma diferente de escrever um romance sobre a guerra. O narrador, que muda a cada capitulo, é sempre um objeto diferente. Curioso porque ficas naquela de tentar saber o que é nalguns casos. Já noutros é bem fácil. Mas se isso é giro ao inicio, lá para o meio aborrece. Tudo o que é demais enjoa e creio que é o caso. You get the bigger picture...mas não era preciso tanto. Valeu o esforço. Gostei particularmente da mina!
December 1, 2017
Very interesting perspective. A British soldier's experience is told from the point of view of 46 objects that impact his life. Sometimes you have to figure out what the object is, other times the object introduces itself.
August 16, 2016
Incredibly moving story told by 45 different objects (including energy and water/snow and a fungus) related to a soldier's life and near death. The soldier is known as BA5799 by most of the objects though not all are used by him. I struggled for a while with the voice of the objects - they are all the same - and have a flat reporting voice that is totally emotionless, though some of the objects do know the feelings of BA5799, which at first seemed unlikely but then I warmed to the idea that a helmet might know the feelings of its owner. I took the voice to be that of BA5799 (he is a soldier's soldier) but also it seemed like the objects were making police statements which in a way they all were as they all related to a traumatic incident involving BA5799. I know I'd have been keen to give each thing a different voice (45 would have been a challenge) but the point of the story is not the objects' characters but their unemotional witness statements, which are incredibly moving, possibly more so for their lack of emotion.
The objects give a surprising insight into the detail of a soldier's life, more so than any other soldiering story I've read.
Have the tissues ready.
The objects give a surprising insight into the detail of a soldier's life, more so than any other soldiering story I've read.
Have the tissues ready.
October 11, 2016
An unforgettable reading experience - living a soldier's tragedy and triumph through 45 inanimate objects. Anatomy of a Soldier is breathtaking and features an extremely original narrative technique from this gifted writer, Harry Parker. Fortunately, it does not moralize. Rather it describes coldly and brutally and realistically the horrors of war and the trials of recovery. A beautiful and important book.
Read
September 13, 20178/10 Last Year's Novels module
March 5, 2016
I have never read a novel quite like Anatomy of a Soldier. It is original and clever and told in voices that are savage and brutal, yet beguiling and beautiful at the same time.
Harry Parker recounts Tom Barnes's story of survival, and the stories of the young boys who are reaching maturity in a homeland that is a battlefield by using inanimate objects as the narrative voices. This unusual and intriguing structure and style has enabled him to tell the story without any human emotional baggage, or viewpoint or bias. We all have objects that remind of us certain things, and it is often the inanimate thing that plays a large part in the memories that shape our world, this is so evident in this story of life, and death on the battlefield.
I cried before I reached the end of page two of Anatomy of a Soldier, as Tom Barnes suffers the injury that will shape the rest of the book. The words are brutal and savage, and the reader is not spared from the full horror of what humans do to each other, on a daily basis, all over the world.
After the initial horrific incident, the reader is taken back and forth. We learn about Tom Barnes before he was blown up, and about his recovery. He meet his family, and his friends, even the woman who always quite fancied him, but doesn't know what to say to him now. But this is not a one-sided story, it also looks deeply at the lives of the insurgents; the people who were born and raised in the land that is now littered with bombs and land mines, where tanks and guns and soldiers march pass front doors and gardens every day. We see the human side of the so-called enemy, we meet their parents and friends, we share their joy at riding a bicycle and flying a kite. Harry Parker gets under the skin of his characters, allowing the reader to take a good look at what makes men become enemies and how death and injury can impact feelings and beliefs.
There are times when the novel feels disorientating, it switches quickly, from place to place, from time to time and from one viewpoint to another, but having read an interview with the author, I now realise that this was his intention. Anatomy of a Soldier is about a bomb exploding, it's about opening your eyes and wondering where you are, and what is happening and he creates that feeling with his words and structure.
Anatomy of a Soldier is brilliantly written, it certainly shows rather than tells, and the horror and brutality is there in every detail. Yet it is also a story of hope and new beginnings, of tenacity, determination and stamina. The words are creative and artistic, yet genuine and so very very important.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
Harry Parker recounts Tom Barnes's story of survival, and the stories of the young boys who are reaching maturity in a homeland that is a battlefield by using inanimate objects as the narrative voices. This unusual and intriguing structure and style has enabled him to tell the story without any human emotional baggage, or viewpoint or bias. We all have objects that remind of us certain things, and it is often the inanimate thing that plays a large part in the memories that shape our world, this is so evident in this story of life, and death on the battlefield.
I cried before I reached the end of page two of Anatomy of a Soldier, as Tom Barnes suffers the injury that will shape the rest of the book. The words are brutal and savage, and the reader is not spared from the full horror of what humans do to each other, on a daily basis, all over the world.
After the initial horrific incident, the reader is taken back and forth. We learn about Tom Barnes before he was blown up, and about his recovery. He meet his family, and his friends, even the woman who always quite fancied him, but doesn't know what to say to him now. But this is not a one-sided story, it also looks deeply at the lives of the insurgents; the people who were born and raised in the land that is now littered with bombs and land mines, where tanks and guns and soldiers march pass front doors and gardens every day. We see the human side of the so-called enemy, we meet their parents and friends, we share their joy at riding a bicycle and flying a kite. Harry Parker gets under the skin of his characters, allowing the reader to take a good look at what makes men become enemies and how death and injury can impact feelings and beliefs.
There are times when the novel feels disorientating, it switches quickly, from place to place, from time to time and from one viewpoint to another, but having read an interview with the author, I now realise that this was his intention. Anatomy of a Soldier is about a bomb exploding, it's about opening your eyes and wondering where you are, and what is happening and he creates that feeling with his words and structure.
Anatomy of a Soldier is brilliantly written, it certainly shows rather than tells, and the horror and brutality is there in every detail. Yet it is also a story of hope and new beginnings, of tenacity, determination and stamina. The words are creative and artistic, yet genuine and so very very important.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
March 3, 2016
Wow.
I heard some hype online from some fellow book bloggers, so decided to hunt this book down. The concept sounded intriguing - a story told from the perspectives of a series of inanimate object. The result far surpassed my expectations.
The author never tells you which objects are narrating the chapter, he shows you. I loved stringing together the clues and working out what the object was. I was amazed by how different each objects voice was, from the factual military objests such as the main character's helmet, to the caring medical objects such as the call buzzer.
The story is told in non linear fashion, jumping back and forth in time and retelling sections of scenes from a different perspective. I read an interview with the author where he said "You could chuck the chapters into the air and read them in any order – that’s what it’s like to be blown up." He certainly achieved that. This technique also added to the build up of suspesne as the full story was slowly unveiled. The story didn't feel slow though, as I often find with literary style writing..
This was more than a literary tale, it was: a collection of short stories, a tragedy, a romance, a personal growth story, a story of grief, brutal, tender, a British story, a Middle Eastern story, a story that made me smile, a tale that brought a tear to my eye. It's the story of a soldier, but it's so much more than that. It's a story that has me talking.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I heard some hype online from some fellow book bloggers, so decided to hunt this book down. The concept sounded intriguing - a story told from the perspectives of a series of inanimate object. The result far surpassed my expectations.
The author never tells you which objects are narrating the chapter, he shows you. I loved stringing together the clues and working out what the object was. I was amazed by how different each objects voice was, from the factual military objests such as the main character's helmet, to the caring medical objects such as the call buzzer.
The story is told in non linear fashion, jumping back and forth in time and retelling sections of scenes from a different perspective. I read an interview with the author where he said "You could chuck the chapters into the air and read them in any order – that’s what it’s like to be blown up." He certainly achieved that. This technique also added to the build up of suspesne as the full story was slowly unveiled. The story didn't feel slow though, as I often find with literary style writing..
This was more than a literary tale, it was: a collection of short stories, a tragedy, a romance, a personal growth story, a story of grief, brutal, tender, a British story, a Middle Eastern story, a story that made me smile, a tale that brought a tear to my eye. It's the story of a soldier, but it's so much more than that. It's a story that has me talking.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2017
“I was making you die and when that happened I would die too. But I had no option, only oblivion. I had to persist and would consume you to do it.”
The unusual way of telling a story was the main reason why I read this book.
It was a bit of a challenge for me in the beginning, but after awhile, this new way of writing became normal, and I really enjoy it.
A series of inanimate objects are telling the story of Captain Tom Barnes and his fellow soldiers in a warzone. Through these objects we get access to the develop of the main character, his interior conflicts and the way he deals with the fact that
This was a simultaneously fascinating and devastating reading about a man who been trough hell and back, returning to a brand new life with a different perspective on the world around him.
October 21, 2019
A heart-wrenching tale of courage and fear, loss and hope. With themes and experiences instantly recognizable by war-fighters of every era.
June 15, 2020
"Я - не герой, я звичайний невдаха, який наступив не туди. Ніхто не має аплодувати невдахам".
Гаррі Паркер - бувший військовий Британії, який у 2009 році у Афганістані наступив не туди, і у наступні півроку змушений пристосуватися до нового життя. Життя без обох ніг та з понівеченою лівою рукою. Чи вдалося це йому - відповідає книга.
Розповідь йде не лінійно і у кожній главі - новий головний герой, який від першої особи розповідає свою історію. Турнікет, яким стягнули куксу лівої ноги після вибуху. Мішок із добривами, які перетворили на саморобний вибуховий пристрій. Краплина води, яка народилася у Атлантиці, а потім стала сніжкою у містечку, де Том Барнс вчиться ходити на протезах. Грибна інфекція, яка змусила лікарів ампутувати і праву ногу Тома. Військовий жетон, який чекав, що його одна половина буде похована із своїм померлим власником, але той вижив. Кухоль пива, який підслухав розмову ампутанта із старим другом, що дивується, як це тому вдається жити далі таким. Велосипед, автомат, тачка, гільза нового протезу, циркулярна пила хірурга, купюра у сто доларів, похідне ліжко, супутникова фотографія, дрон - безліч їх.
Гаррі Паркер точно знає, про що пише, адже Том Барнс - це він, 25-річний військовий, що поїхав у далеку пустельну країну, де ніхто не чекає нічого доброго від чужоземних "спричинювачів миру". Це він наступив не туди, це він кілька місяців виборював власне нове життя у лікарні, то здаючись і впадаючи у кому, то знов повертаючись до свого тіла із новими пропорціями, це він вчився вправлятися із протезами, це він - "дивний робот, в якого з-під шортів виглядають сірі штукенції замість тіла" і який привертає увагу покупців у супермаркеті.
Це була одна з найнезвичніших книг, які я прочитала. Це було одне з найсильніших почуттів, які взагалі здатна принести книга. Це була просто неймовірна пригода на кожній її сторінці, яких майже 400.
І знов дякую Фабула за надзвичайну якість видання та перекладу. 10 з 10 і почесне місце на полиці книжок про війну.
Гаррі Паркер - бувший військовий Британії, який у 2009 році у Афганістані наступив не туди, і у наступні півроку змушений пристосуватися до нового життя. Життя без обох ніг та з понівеченою лівою рукою. Чи вдалося це йому - відповідає книга.
Розповідь йде не лінійно і у кожній главі - новий головний герой, який від першої особи розповідає свою історію. Турнікет, яким стягнули куксу лівої ноги після вибуху. Мішок із добривами, які перетворили на саморобний вибуховий пристрій. Краплина води, яка народилася у Атлантиці, а потім стала сніжкою у містечку, де Том Барнс вчиться ходити на протезах. Грибна інфекція, яка змусила лікарів ампутувати і праву ногу Тома. Військовий жетон, який чекав, що його одна половина буде похована із своїм померлим власником, але той вижив. Кухоль пива, який підслухав розмову ампутанта із старим другом, що дивується, як це тому вдається жити далі таким. Велосипед, автомат, тачка, гільза нового протезу, циркулярна пила хірурга, купюра у сто доларів, похідне ліжко, супутникова фотографія, дрон - безліч їх.
Гаррі Паркер точно знає, про що пише, адже Том Барнс - це він, 25-річний військовий, що поїхав у далеку пустельну країну, де ніхто не чекає нічого доброго від чужоземних "спричинювачів миру". Це він наступив не туди, це він кілька місяців виборював власне нове життя у лікарні, то здаючись і впадаючи у кому, то знов повертаючись до свого тіла із новими пропорціями, це він вчився вправлятися із протезами, це він - "дивний робот, в якого з-під шортів виглядають сірі штукенції замість тіла" і який привертає увагу покупців у супермаркеті.
Це була одна з найнезвичніших книг, які я прочитала. Це було одне з найсильніших почуттів, які взагалі здатна принести книга. Це була просто неймовірна пригода на кожній її сторінці, яких майже 400.
І знов дякую Фабула за надзвичайну якість видання та перекладу. 10 з 10 і почесне місце на полиці книжок про війну.
May 6, 2016
The entire book of Anatomy of a Soldier is written from the perspective of inanimate objects: a bag of fertilizer, a boot, a backpack, a mother's purse, a surgeon's saw. Each object gets its own, single chapter (there are no duplicates), and all of the chapters are connected. Together they form a story about soldier BA5799, a.k.a Tom Barnes.
Tom is a captain in the British armed forces, and he's pretty good at his job. He's not totally sure of himself, but he cares about his men, he cares about his mission. He's a good leader. Unfortunately, his good luck in the field runs out, and he steps on the wrong patch of ground. Now he's missing body parts. The story follows him in real time, struggling to survive, and it also gives backstory, showing the events that led to his current situation.
It's hard to know how to describe this book. It's unexpected, unsettling. When inanimate objects do the narrating, everything becomes an object--even humans, even pain. You get an eerie feeling when you're reading, like people don't matter. Not in a cruel way, but in an ambivalent "we are so small in this universe; our lives are so short" sort of way. And there's no arguing with it, really, because, it's true. In the grand scheme of things, we may be important to each other, but we aren't actually important.
I like that this book made me feel something. It made me see the world and people and war in a different way, and I appreciate that. I do think I would have appreciated a bit more variety, since the "object narrator" gimmick, though effective, gets old about halfway through. But I still enjoyed reading Anatomy of a Soldier. Author Harry Parker has definitely brought something new to the table. I'll be interested to see what he writes next.
ARC provided by Amazon Vine. See more of my reviews at www.BugBugBooks.com.
Tom is a captain in the British armed forces, and he's pretty good at his job. He's not totally sure of himself, but he cares about his men, he cares about his mission. He's a good leader. Unfortunately, his good luck in the field runs out, and he steps on the wrong patch of ground. Now he's missing body parts. The story follows him in real time, struggling to survive, and it also gives backstory, showing the events that led to his current situation.
It's hard to know how to describe this book. It's unexpected, unsettling. When inanimate objects do the narrating, everything becomes an object--even humans, even pain. You get an eerie feeling when you're reading, like people don't matter. Not in a cruel way, but in an ambivalent "we are so small in this universe; our lives are so short" sort of way. And there's no arguing with it, really, because, it's true. In the grand scheme of things, we may be important to each other, but we aren't actually important.
I like that this book made me feel something. It made me see the world and people and war in a different way, and I appreciate that. I do think I would have appreciated a bit more variety, since the "object narrator" gimmick, though effective, gets old about halfway through. But I still enjoyed reading Anatomy of a Soldier. Author Harry Parker has definitely brought something new to the table. I'll be interested to see what he writes next.
ARC provided by Amazon Vine. See more of my reviews at www.BugBugBooks.com.
June 22, 2016
This is a gripping tale of Afghanistan told in a measured and well-judged tone. Parker has found a unique way of unweaving the story, with each short chapter being recounted from the point of view of an object: a gun, an army beret, a tourniquet, a kit-bag and so on. At first I found this distracting as we have to re-orient ourselves every few pages and work out what the object is which is 'speaking' to us (and they're not always obvious) but once settled into the story this just felt natural.
In some ways, Captain Tom Barnes is an Everyman, his experience both individual and general, so this isn't a book particularly interested in character development. Instead, it tells what is a tragically common tale with insight, compassion and a kind of dry humour that makes it very fitting to the subject matter.
Without recourse to over-plotting or unrealistic drama this feels authentic and sincere in a quiet, unassuming kind of way, a fitting tribute to the soldiers who have lived through (or not...) the events of this book. This is wonderfully unflashy story-telling that packs an emotional punch precisely through its reticence.
In some ways, Captain Tom Barnes is an Everyman, his experience both individual and general, so this isn't a book particularly interested in character development. Instead, it tells what is a tragically common tale with insight, compassion and a kind of dry humour that makes it very fitting to the subject matter.
Without recourse to over-plotting or unrealistic drama this feels authentic and sincere in a quiet, unassuming kind of way, a fitting tribute to the soldiers who have lived through (or not...) the events of this book. This is wonderfully unflashy story-telling that packs an emotional punch precisely through its reticence.
May 28, 2017
This was really different and unique. Every one of the 45 chapters is written from the point of view of an inanimate object such as a gun cartridge, wheelchair, dog tags, even snow. Takes some getting used to as it sometimes takes a while to work out what the object is and the story dots about between characters/perspectives/places (even countries) and in timescale it doesn't all run in order. By about halfway through I was hooked, though - it is so realistic and could only have been written by someone who had been there (author was a serving soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan). Very powerful telling of the central message that everyone loses from war.
December 11, 2017
Een meer dan bijzonder boek, a.h.v. 45 objecten/voorwerpen/‘dingen’ wordt het verhaal van Kapitein Barnes verteld. Hij vocht voor het Britse leger in Afghanistan.
Er zijn hoofdstukken met de ‘ik’ persoon als bloedzak, kogel, nachtkijker, prothese, veldbed etc. Zeer interessant!
Er zijn hoofdstukken met de ‘ik’ persoon als bloedzak, kogel, nachtkijker, prothese, veldbed etc. Zeer interessant!
October 8, 2022
this was such an interesting concept,, i really recommend reading!
July 6, 2025
4.5 stars
May 17, 2023
LOVED IT. 6 stars.
March 29, 2017
This is a daring novel, narrated from the point of view of various objects, phenomena etc. which contribute to Tom the soldier's story of his time in an unspecified war zone (possibly Afghanistan), but its major selling point, and greatest asset, is also its biggest flaw.
Due to the neutral moral position of items like guns, bombs and so, one can see the ambiguity in the real world of war when the polarising view of humanity is striped away, but it also makes much of this novel, which feels like a couple of short stories strung together through differing viewpoints, seem cold and austere, with much being told to the reader rather than being shown.
There are some scenes, particularly between Tom and his parents after his accident, which are genuinely moving, and others that in their graphic, unflinching brutality bring home the true cost of conflict.
My main gripe with this novel is the sub-plot involving two young men, Latif and Faridun, which feels underwritten, with undeveloped stock characters (bloodthirsty terrorist, mindless drone), with only the final two chapters in dealing with their families eliciting any genuine pathos or emotion.
In short, this is a well-written, promising novel on an important subject which just falls short in its execution, though definitely worth reading for a first-hand examination of modern warfare from an author who knows his stuff.
Due to the neutral moral position of items like guns, bombs and so, one can see the ambiguity in the real world of war when the polarising view of humanity is striped away, but it also makes much of this novel, which feels like a couple of short stories strung together through differing viewpoints, seem cold and austere, with much being told to the reader rather than being shown.
There are some scenes, particularly between Tom and his parents after his accident, which are genuinely moving, and others that in their graphic, unflinching brutality bring home the true cost of conflict.
My main gripe with this novel is the sub-plot involving two young men, Latif and Faridun, which feels underwritten, with undeveloped stock characters (bloodthirsty terrorist, mindless drone), with only the final two chapters in dealing with their families eliciting any genuine pathos or emotion.
In short, this is a well-written, promising novel on an important subject which just falls short in its execution, though definitely worth reading for a first-hand examination of modern warfare from an author who knows his stuff.
March 30, 2021
Harry Parker had a clever idea here. The entire story is told from the perspective of inanimate objects, from watches to bullets to wheelchairs. I found this an original and refreshing concept.
I thought I would enjoy Anatomy of a Soldier, however I struggled more than I expected. The problem for me, was that it was very difficult to connect with the main character. It even took me a while to figure out his name. I also found it hard to reconcile with the idea that the objects knew what he was thinking and feeling.
I did eventually connect with the story, however I was around chapter twenty before this happened. I cried at one stage, so I know I connected, but it wasn’t enough to undo the deflation from the first half of the book.
I applaud the fresh thinking, but for me, it just fell short.
ABoS - Book Three
I thought I would enjoy Anatomy of a Soldier, however I struggled more than I expected. The problem for me, was that it was very difficult to connect with the main character. It even took me a while to figure out his name. I also found it hard to reconcile with the idea that the objects knew what he was thinking and feeling.
I did eventually connect with the story, however I was around chapter twenty before this happened. I cried at one stage, so I know I connected, but it wasn’t enough to undo the deflation from the first half of the book.
I applaud the fresh thinking, but for me, it just fell short.
ABoS - Book Three
December 19, 2022
This was a worthwhile effort. A soldier processes his story in novel format, using the inanimate articles around the main action to tell the story. While I loved the premise, I found the "voices" to be too similar to each other. There was nothing to distinguish, for instance, a tourniquet from a handbag. And all of the objects seemed to have the same omniscient point of view. The subject matter; war in Afghanistan was of course very sobering and the story sad. I loved the creativity of this idea. The story itself; not as much.
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February 18, 2017
To somebody who doesn't know very much about the conflict (me!), this is interesting politically and delivers a provocative "message"... I really like the idea behind it, too, as a way to tell a story. But overall I was underwhelmed, found the style frustrating and it wasn't as emotive as I expected or needed it to be. (I think that was deliberate, though!) Bottom line is that it didn't work for me but I appreciate what he was trying to do.
October 20, 2017
In "Anatomy of a Soldier," the wounding and subsequent rehabilitation of British soldier Captain Tom Barnes is told, in non-chronological order, from the perspective of the objects that come into contact with him, from the IED that rips off his legs to the prosthetics that he is eventually fitted with. Along the way we meet those who engineered the attack, the friends and family members of both sets of fighters, and the strangers who work to save Tom's life.
The conceit behind "Anatomy of a Soldier" is clever, and the subject matter is fairly gory, but the book avoids hiding behind either clever conceit or gruesome depictions of violence, whether military or medical (although the squeamish may have a hard time reading about the surgeries that Tom undergoes). Highly detailed and seemingly detached, it nonetheless conveys the pathos of both Tom's life-shattering experience, and the tragedy of the shattered lives of those on the other side.
Like a number of works about recent conflicts, the focus is not on the characters' courage and plucky fight against the odds, but on how all the courage and pluck in the world cannot, in fact, protect you from the damage caused by modern explosives. Tom had imagined getting wounded before it actually happened, but had always envisioned it as a flesh wound from a bullet, which he would bravely shrug off and lead his soldiers back to safety before seeking treatment. The reality is quite different, the catastrophic nature of his injuries rendering all possibility of courage moot.
This could be a depressing narrative, and it is indeed bittersweet, but the multiple points of view work to suggest that, far from being alone, we are all living in an animate, interconnected world, something that even war cannot, fundamentally, destroy.
The conceit behind "Anatomy of a Soldier" is clever, and the subject matter is fairly gory, but the book avoids hiding behind either clever conceit or gruesome depictions of violence, whether military or medical (although the squeamish may have a hard time reading about the surgeries that Tom undergoes). Highly detailed and seemingly detached, it nonetheless conveys the pathos of both Tom's life-shattering experience, and the tragedy of the shattered lives of those on the other side.
Like a number of works about recent conflicts, the focus is not on the characters' courage and plucky fight against the odds, but on how all the courage and pluck in the world cannot, in fact, protect you from the damage caused by modern explosives. Tom had imagined getting wounded before it actually happened, but had always envisioned it as a flesh wound from a bullet, which he would bravely shrug off and lead his soldiers back to safety before seeking treatment. The reality is quite different, the catastrophic nature of his injuries rendering all possibility of courage moot.
This could be a depressing narrative, and it is indeed bittersweet, but the multiple points of view work to suggest that, far from being alone, we are all living in an animate, interconnected world, something that even war cannot, fundamentally, destroy.
April 12, 2023
Im more set on 2.5 but 2 seemed a bit harsh
it could be a solid 3 if there were dates and maybe even some pictures of items? some things im not actually sure what they were so would have been a bonus.
I think either for this book to be a 4 for me would need to be split into 2 books focusing on soldiers and life as civilians - or make the book longer
I think it was almost like reading the bare minimum of a subject, i wish there was more detail overall.
I think also for myself the jumping back and fourth and re reading the same event from 3 different perspectives was a bit much but i understand the effect it was trying to have
Kinda sad kinda not sad
it could be a solid 3 if there were dates and maybe even some pictures of items? some things im not actually sure what they were so would have been a bonus.
I think either for this book to be a 4 for me would need to be split into 2 books focusing on soldiers and life as civilians - or make the book longer
I think it was almost like reading the bare minimum of a subject, i wish there was more detail overall.
I think also for myself the jumping back and fourth and re reading the same event from 3 different perspectives was a bit much but i understand the effect it was trying to have
Kinda sad kinda not sad
January 1, 2021
Flabbergasting.
An absolute masterclass in both different narrative points of view and voices, and in achronological story telling. It's a foregone conclusion that the central character will be severely wounded by an IED, and yet there's suspense and apprehension until the final few chapters. While his story is heartbreaking enough, just as tragic -- if not more so -- is the story of the locals who laid the bomb. The parallels between them and the soldier are breathtaking.
As is the whole book, really.
An absolute masterclass in both different narrative points of view and voices, and in achronological story telling. It's a foregone conclusion that the central character will be severely wounded by an IED, and yet there's suspense and apprehension until the final few chapters. While his story is heartbreaking enough, just as tragic -- if not more so -- is the story of the locals who laid the bomb. The parallels between them and the soldier are breathtaking.
As is the whole book, really.
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