Birdsong - Hardcover
Sebastian Faulkss emotionally charged story of love, death, sex and survival follows a young Englishman from his arrival in Amiens in 1910, where he stays with the Azaire family and falls in love with a married woman, Isabelle, to the trenches of the Western Front. First published in 1993.
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Review:
Readers who are entranced by the sweeping Anglo sagas of Masterpiece Theatre will devour Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks's historical drama. A bestseller in England, there's even a little high-toned erotica thrown into the mix to convince the doubtful. The book's hero, a 20-year-old Englishman named Stephen Wraysford, finds his true love on a trip to Amiens in 1910. Unfortunately, she's already married, the wife of a wealthy textile baron. Wrayford convinces her to leave a life of passionless comfort to be at his side, but things do not turn out according to plan. Wraysford is haunted by this doomed affair and carries it with him into the trenches of World War I. Birdsong derives most of its power from its descriptions of mud and blood, and Wraysford's attempt to retain a scrap of humanity while surrounded by it. There is a simultaneous description of his present-day granddaughter's quest to read his diaries, which is designed to give some sense of perspective; this device is only somewhat successful. Nevertheless, Birdsong is an unflinching war story that is bookended by romances and a rewarding read.
From the Publisher:
Birdsong was voted one of the best books of the century in a poll conducted by Waterstone's booksellers and Channel Four TV in the United Kingdom. Here's a selection of the praise that has been pouring in:
"Birdsong moved me more profoundly than anything I've read in years ... A deeply compassionate, utterly thrilling work by a master of the form."
-- Frank Conroy
"The accounts of combat are among the finest I have ever read ... so powerful as to be almost unbearable ... a tribute to the author's remarkable skill and tact and dazzling virtuosity."
-- Los Angeles Times
"An amazing book ... among the most stirringly erotic I have read."
-- The Daily Mail (London)
"Magnificent -- gorgeously written, deeply moving, rich in detail."
-- The Times (London)
"Superb storytelling and craftsmanship ... a tribute to the durability of the human soul."
-- People
"Vividly imagined ... this strenuous and poignant effort to shore up memory deserves our gratitude."
-- Newsday
"Superb ... a genuinely cathartic description of the war's last days."
-- New York Times Book Review
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- PublisherCollector's Library
- Publication date1873
- ISBN 10 1909621013
- ISBN 13 9781909621015
- BindingHardcover
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Birdsong
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ISBN 10: 1909621013
ISBN 13: 9781909621015
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Birdsong
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Book Description hardcover. Condition: VeryGood. A well-cared-for item that has seen limited use but remains in great condition. The item is complete, unmarked, and undamaged, but may show some limited signs of wear. Item works perfectly. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine is undamaged. Seller Inventory # 4BQGBJ00TEH8_ns
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. Seller Inventory # 1909621013-2-3
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Birdsong
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Collector's Library
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ISBN 10: 1909621013
ISBN 13: 9781909621015
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Book Description Condition: Good. Book is in Used-Good condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting. Seller Inventory # 1909621013-2-4
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ISBN 10: 1909621013
ISBN 13: 9781909621015
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. Very Good condition. Shows only minor signs of wear, and very minimal markings inside (if any). Seller Inventory # 353-1909621013-vrg
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Birdsong (Collectors Library)
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Birdsong (Collectors Library) This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9781909621015
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9781909621015
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Birdsong * A SIGNED copy *
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London. Collector's Library/CRW Publishing. 2013.
(1873)
ISBN 10: 1909621013
ISBN 13: 9781909621015
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Book Description First edition of this Collector's Library edition. Book and dust jacket are in Fine gift condition. SIGNED by the author, without dedication, to the title page. 623pp. Gilt closed page edges and red marker ribbon. Jacket fitted with a new removable clear cover. Securely packaged. Seller Inventory # 36589
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