"In Memoriam" by Alice Winn

I don't remember where I first heard about "In Memoriam," the debut novel by Alice Winn -- but I have been hearing good (even great) things about it since it was published this past spring. In fact, I've seen several comments along the lines of "best book I've ever read." (It currently has an average rating of 4.56 on Goodreads, based on more than 9,600 reviews.)  

I'm not sure I would go *quite* that far -- and the subject matter may not be everyone's cup of tea -- but this really was an excellent book, and especially impressive for a first novel!  (The author is just 30 years old!)  

The book moves back and forth in time and place, mostly between Preshute, a traditional upper-class boys' boarding school in England  in the years before and during the First World War, and the Western Front during the war. The central characters are two teenaged Preshute students -- Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood -- who harbour secret, unrequited passions for each other.  

Ellwood is romantic, given to quoting poetry at every opportunity (Tennyson, Shakespeare, Keats -- he writes it, too);  Gaunt is repressed, a man of few words.  Ellwood comes from a wealthy Jewish family;  Gaunt's family is German and he's being pressured by them to enlist to demonstrate their patriotism. Confronted with a white feather (a symbol of cowardice, handed out by young women to men not in uniform) -- and with his forbidden feelings for Ellwood -- Gaunt finally, reluctantly enlists (even though he's underage).  One by one, his classmates follow.  

The story requires a bit of suspended disbelief in some parts (would that many boys from the same school wind up fighting in the same trenches together?).  And the horribly senseless loss of young life -- scene after scene of it, casually and graphically described -- can be difficult to read about. Also difficult to read: excerpts from the school newspaper, The Preshutian, with lengthy casualty lists of dead and injured alumni, including the names of characters we've come to know (especially the very last edition of the war, which forms the last chapter of the book). Most of those listed are no older than 21. It's sobering, infuriating and incredibly moving.  For me, at least, Kleenex was required, especially near the end.  (Although there is some humour too, to offset the hard things a little bit!) 

Overall, this is beautifully written. I've read other books and seen movies/TV shows about the carnage of the Great War, and this reminded me of some of those (the movie "1917," for one).  "In Memoriam" will rank highly among them.  

4.5 stars on StoryGraph, and I debated whether that should be rounded down to 4 or up to 5 for Goodreads. I'm giving it 5 stars, because I really did think it was a wonderful book. 

(As I was finishing the book, I came across an interview with the author in the Guardian from this weekend.  I was especially interested in her comments on the differing reactions from British and American readers!)   

This was Book #44 read to date in 2023 (and Book #4 finished in November), bringing me to 98% of my 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 4 books ahead of schedule. :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2023 tagged as "2023 books."