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1914

a Novel
Jun 19, 2014bibliofinn rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book is humane, beautifully crafted, and not a moment too long --everything the First World War was not. In a succession of concise chapters, Jean Echenoz tells the story of five friends who leave the idyllic Loire region in the summer of 1914 as volunteers and march into the hell of trench warfare. What awaits them is indescribable, but Echenoz conjures it up with memorable scenes powered by cool, understated prose. 100 years on, this novel is more than another ccentenary reminder of the folly and horror of war --it transports us into the swirl of the pre-war period and shows how easily even the finest can succumb to war fever.