Together in Spirit

An online reading group ('TIS a reading group!) to bring together friends, and friends of friends, who aren't able to be in a conventional reading group due to constraints of time or geography.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

The Siege

Yes, liked it. The description of the suffering endured by people facing cold and starvation, the knock on effects on health, strength and behaviour were all very well done. Some amazing bits of prose. If I was to be a bit picky I would say only Anna is a fully developed character, the deaths were predictable, and some shifts were a bit disconcerting - they seemed to go from having lots of potatoes to starvation in the turn of a page and likewise back to relative normality just as fast. I agree with Emily about Pavlov. It lacked shock factor for me as I had already read The Bronze Horseman which is also about the siege of Leningrad; would recommend it if anyone can face more ...