The Wars By Timothy Findley (9)

Having just finished Timothy Findley's novel, "The Wars" I must say that I throughly enjoyed it.  The story had it's ups and downs, and with each twist it was slowly able to pique my engagement.  The story's epilogue was, I felt was a bit weak but, that might be because of the change in pace.    For anyone, who doesn't know, the novel, is essentially a tragedy, as the protagonist suffers and watches others suffer through out the course of the story.  You might say that Robert Ross, the protagonist, suffers from taedium vitae.   All the same, I throughly enjoyed the novel, albeit with small amounts of lassitude due to transitional stages that Robert goes through.

I recommend this novel to any major reader who has yet to read it.  Very thought provoking and historically relevant.  8/10

The Wars By Timothy Findley (8)

Having almost completed Timothy Findley's novel, "The Wars," I have to say that while it is not my favorite book, nor the most action packed book, it definitely a good read, and it is a great read. Many parts through out the book have caught my interest and many parts are thought provoking.  However, with the good, also comes that bad, and as such, there are many dark parts of the book.  Many things that would be horrible experiences, are experienced by the protagonist, Robert Ross. I think that I might just recommend this book to my friends who haven't read it yet, because of it's eye opening ability and it's though provoking story.
I am working on the last chapter now, and so, I will write another post once I have finished it, and had time to think about it.  Thanks for reading. 

The Wars by Timothy Findley (7)

Tragedy is a dominant theme through out Timothy Findley's novel, "The Wars". The book starts with the main character's sister dying and through out the novel, Robert, loses friends to the war. Eventually, through a series of complex events, he ends up in a struggle against the very people he was suppose to be fighting for. And throughout the entire novel, Robert takes a very naive and pessimistic view on life. Even though he is badly burnt near the end of the book, he still refuses to give up on life. One major cause of his problems is his naive view on life which is corrupted by the horrors he has to witness. Because of this, he loses his temper over many things and takes his rage out on the people around him. However, it's not just Robert Ross who has to undergo traumatic events, as many of the people that he knew have also been injured. For example, Taffler, someone who Robert respected, tried to commit suicide because Taffler lost both his arms during the war.
However, as much as tragedy is part of the story, there is still some happiness in the story. Not much sure, but it is there.

The Wars by Timothy Findley (6)

While reading Timothy Findley's novel, "The Wars" several questions have been dancing around at the back of my mind. The first thought is about what life must have been like during the war. During my life, the war in the Middle East took place, and although it was a serious conflict, it didn't require the same amount of sacrifice as the First World War. Robert had to go through an incredible amount of stress and hardship. His friends are killed, he lives in horrible conditions and almost gets killed many times. Even through all of it, Robert manages to hold onto his sanity, although he does struggle. I think that it is a testament to Robert's ability to survive, and to struggle on, even though it doesn't look like he can.