The Night Watch
Book description
I thought everything would change, after the war. And now, no one even mentions it. It is as if we all got together in private and said whatever you do don't mention that, like it never happened.
It's the late 1940s. Calm has returned to London and five people are…
Why read it?
3 authors picked The Night Watch as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
As most fans of Sarah Waters will already know, this book has a clever plot device that doubles the magic–it's told backward. It has a wide cast of characters which slowly narrows down to a doomed sapphic love affair that struggled to blossom amid the terror of the London Blitz.
From both a reader's and a writer's perspective, this story has lodged itself firmly in my heart. It examines the why and how–what events brought these two lovers to this point when everything had otherwise seemed perfect? It's not necessarily happy, but it's intricate and untidy, and in…
From Jo's list on Sapphic Romances set in the 30s and 40s.
The Night Watch is a chilling, atmospheric book that shows us the lives of a group of Londoners through the air raids of the 1940s. The story is told backwards from a point shortly after the war and reveals the motivations and characters of the story slowly, painfully, and with great care. A group of lesbian women, a woman entangled with a married man, and a young man punished for his part in a desperate pact: their personal stories are played out against a backdrop of fear and destruction. Perhaps my favourite of all Sarah Water’s fabulous novels, The Night…
From Janet's list on family secrets, trauma, and loss in wartime.
It was interesting to read about life in London during the Blitz, and Kay, Helen and Viv’s stories are powerfully told. I’m fascinated by writers who experiment with form, and in telling the story backwards, in piecemeal fashion, Waters conveys a profound message about the messy and fragmented nature of life.
From Gill's list on World War Two featuring strong women.
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