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War: Stories of Conflict by Michael Morpurgo (view source)
Revision as of 16:17, 17 September 2011
, 16:17, 17 September 2011no edit summary
Throughout history, war has blighted society and had long lasting impacts on not only those directly involved but the innocent bystanders too. This collection of stories, edited by the magnificent Michael Morpurgo himself, looks to explore the impacts of war on individual soldiers, families and especially children. Every story approaches conflicts from a different angle and this ensures that even though there are a good number of short stories in the book, you will never feel as if it is becoming repetitive or dull. The stories do a good job of conveying just how multi-faceted and complex the concept of war is.
Michael Morpurgo kicks things off with a story about the growth of a relationship between a boy and his badly scarred grandfather that perfectly displays his characteristically lyrical writing style. While Morpurgo’s story is gentle and understated, [[:Category:Geraldine McCaughrean|Geraldine McCaughrean’sMcCaughrean's]] is pretty much the opposite of that. Vividly written, and punctuated with passion, it hammers home the contradiction that lies in the idea of 'holy war', and is a highly enjoyable read. [[:Category:Margaret Mahy|Margaret Mahy’sMahy's]] story is also beautifully written – her depiction of young Elizabeth’s awakening awareness of the tragic nature of war is really well done.
'Real Tears' by [[:Category:Celia Rees|Celia Rees]] and Robert Westall's 'Hard Ship to Egypt' are both real shockers, but it was [[:Category:Eleanor Updale|Eleanor Updale's]] quiet tragedy that left me feeling most stunned and uncomfortable, as it underlined how psychological scars and internal trauma, though not shockingly visible as some battle scars can be, destroyed men, their families and even their descendants. Finally, saving one of the best till last, we have [[:Category:Elizabeth Laird|Elizabeth Laird’s]] poignant story about a young girl who is stunned by the inhumane brutality of soldiers and a good man in a bad war.