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Comments (41)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 41 items
Apr 17, 2022NPEdmonds rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A well written story - with some of the most harrowing description of war time events I have ever read.
Jan 18, 2022thefalcon0 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
i found it to be a remarkable book. it is very graphic. what i marveled at, was the authors ability present different ways of thinking about their pasts and how they sometimes over came it. i will want to read more of his work.
Dec 13, 2021WGregTaylor rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Alternatingly melancholic and harrowing, multiple perspectives and timelines center around the Siam Burma Death railroad of the Second World War...a worthy Man Booker Prize winner.
Feb 10, 2021posie12 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
World wide young men joined the military for various reasons, mainly to have a job and paycheck. They were the ones who ended up in POW camps and so maltreated. The officers didn't have to work and even received some pay. I don't know…
Jan 18, 2021jeanie123 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Parts of this are very well-written but it is overly long and dragged out. The plight of the Australians in a Japanese POW camp in Burma is shocking and that level of cruelty and suffering is difficult to understand or relate to in the…
Aug 17, 2019wcvanvoorhis rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This was such a great book. I could barely put it down.
Apr 08, 2019
good- a bit gruesome at times
Feb 06, 2019
Prose. A deeply introspective novel about the silent experiences and fractured memories of war. Winner of the Man Booker Prize.
Jan 01, 2019Uverness rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A grisly dark and tragic story or romance, war, weakness and greatness. Not a light cookie with a cup of tea. The very best of writing itself, and an experience to read.
Dec 01, 2018LindNor11 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A wonderful book, at its core a love story, but also describes life in a WW2 prisoner of war camp (Thailand). Painful to read at times. Gets inside the head of the prisoners and guards. Frequently poetic. This is the second read for me. I…
Nov 20, 2018
Perhaps one of the most powerful books I have ever read. An immersive experience. You will be emotionally drawn into the story probably against your will. Not for the squeamish though.
Sep 26, 2017
Not sure why this author is so "celebrated" and wins so many awards. Because he's from Tasmania, therefore "exotic" and unusual? This was the second book of his I tried to read...I say "tried" because I just couldn't stick with it, ended…
Jun 11, 2017
Did not enjoy this book at all. Found it overwritten, pretentious and the descriptions of the woman just comical, maybe because I don' t have wondrous nipples. The protagonist, DorrIgo Evans stumps around like a YA hero. Enough said, just…
May 17, 2017cshamm1 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed the book but not more than 3.5 stars. The biggest shortcoming was the main character. Without giving too much away, he's a tortured soul without a good reason. He leads an easier life than almost any other character. In fact,…
May 07, 2017mantecond rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I am a book connosieur and this is one of the best books I have ever read! An historical fiction about the Burma Thai death railway, but so much more! Complex details of lives on both sides of the POW Japanese camps, the Australian…
Jan 16, 2017Pisinga rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The first 7-10 pages of the book are a bit confusing. But then - in the book there are "Love in the Time of Cholera", and the unbearable suffering of people in captivity, and description about capability of human been endure all the…
Dec 30, 2016elaxminn rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An excellent novel that is riveting from the first page to the last. On one level it's about a horrific world war 2 POW experience and how that affects everyone involved for the rest of their lives. On another level it is about the…
Oct 09, 2016becker rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A densely written, emotionally demanding read, but worth every page. What a powerful story.
Jul 31, 2016Jeanneknits2 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a difficult book to read. The depiction of the POWs building the Siam/Burma railway and enduring the sadistic cruelties of their Japanese guards is heart-wrenching. It brought me to tears more than…
Jun 04, 2016TSCPL_ChrisB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Narrow Road... contains some of the most beautiful and poignant war writing I have ever read. Although its focus is on Australian prisoners of war during WWII, the novel tells both sides of the war with comparative heart. As a complete…
Apr 14, 2016uncommonreader rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dedicated to his father, who was a POW on the Thai-Burma Death Railway, this novel tells two contrasting stories. The narrative about the building of the railway is harrowing and the characters are authentic; this story makes the book…
Feb 12, 2016wiltonsugiyama rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This knocked me for a loop - what an impact this story had. There is imagery here that has stayed with me for months after - definitely plan to read again, you know, when I want to lighten the mood haha. Make no mistake, this is dark stuff.
Nov 20, 2015jazpur rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The deep ironies of War.I admired the even handedness with which Richard Flanagan built his devastating story . Beautifully written.
Cas22
Nov 10, 2015Cas22 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a powerful and, at times, harrowing story that explores the complexities and contradictions of human nature and experience. The novel is at its strongest when describing the appalling situation of POWs on the Burma railway and at…
Sep 30, 2015ShannanwithanA rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I spent 6 months reading this book, leaving it, returning to it. Flanagan is a gifted writer brave in his story construction. If you are a writer, read this book. It's instructive in following one's instincts and trusting the character's…