In the spring of 1914, a group of young students gather in an art studio for a life-drawing class. Paul Tarrant and Elinor Brooke are two components of a love triangle, and at the outset of the war, they turn to each other. After volunteering for the Red Cross, Paul must confront the fact that life, love, and art will never be the same for him. Pat Barker is unrivaled in her ability to convey simple, moving human truths. Her skill in relaying the harrowing experience of modern warfare is matched by the depth of insight she brings to the experience of love and the morality of art in a time of war. Life Class is one of her genuine masterpieces.
Reviews
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In one of the most brilliant novels of the past decade (by a previous winner of the Booker Prize), a group of young artists studies under Britain's most acclaimed master. They go out after class, forming friendships they think will last forever. Then WWI breaks out. Some become orderlies or work on ambulances. None stop drawing and painting. The novel is broken into short sections, and listeners are treated to a vision of art in a wartime that no one could have been prepared for. It's difficult to imagine anyone but Russell Boulter reading this. Nothing escapes him. He knows how to create suspense and when breathiness is called for, and he understands the frequent need for a moment's silence. R.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
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