I enjoyed this audio book immensely. It was off-putting to see the number of discs – 30! But once I began to listen to the story and laugh out loud at times, I began to settle in for the long haul. I found myself deeply enjoying Ford’s description of the times – pre WW1, during WW1 and post WW1 and the characters he introduces. I was thinking this was Victorian sensibilities but I guess it would technically be considered Edwardian by that time frame. The main character that everything is either about or that happens to or because of is Christopher Tietjens. Christopher Tietjens is the son of a wealthy landowner and has grown up in priviledged English society with those oh so strict carry overs from Victorian times when one had to be just so and carry one’s self just so at all times and always be known for doing the correct thing regardless of the pain or emotional damage always doing the correct thing in society’s eyes might cause. Christopher marries a woman who turns out to be a horrendous floozy, yet, bearing up for polite society’s sake, Christopher endures his wife, Sylvia’s, utter disdain for him and her wanton flaunting of her illicit affairs. No matter how many times she commits adultery, Christopher will not divorce her nor drag her name through the dirt. He even takes her back after she has a child that is likely not his. He never says a word against her though his brother, Mark, and his best-friend try constantly to get him to divorce her. It just isn’t done is Christopher’s answer. Not that it was against his religion, only that it was against polite society’s etiquette. Sylvia treats him so mean throughout but spoiler alert – you find out she was just trying to get a rise out of him to stand up to her, even punish her for her sins. When he wouldn’t it made her hate him and disrespect him even more. The hateful thing isn’t even bothered by the local priest chastising her for her huzzy ways. She goads the priest and enjoys exchanging witty repartee with him over her actions. And she and her mother are Catholics! I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed Sylvia and the priest’s conversations – they were hilarious. At first Sylvia was funny in her dealings with Christopher but then she just got vile and evil toward the middle to end. Even when Christopher was going off to war it didn’t matter a bit to her she still treated him badly. Ford’s explanation of the war and what the soldiers were going through was brilliant. He even broached the psychological effect all of it had on Christopher describing the deaths of men in his regiment or the awful wounds delivered through the bombing and snipers. Through it all, Tietjens’ feelings were never of any concern to his superiors (one being his own godfather) and those who did not know or understand his circumstances were left to believe the lies being spread all over the world by Sylvia who said terrible things about him and his character which he never addressed nor denied to save face. Tietjens was just too darn nice for his own good. Every one in their social strata sided with Sylvia and thought him the bad guy. Everyone including his father believed the worst about him. His father commits suicide over some of the lies Sylva tells. When Tietjens learns that his father thought so ill of his character that he believed Sylvia’s venomous lies that Christopher would actually do such debauchery as Sylvia’s lies conveyed, Christopher refuses to accept the money and property left to him in his father’s will. Over the years, his brother, Mark tries to talk sense into him but Christopher won’t hear reason. Pride goeth before a fall it is written. Much more happens. Sylvia’s child grows up, property rights are bandied about, Christopher’s brother does not want Sylvia taking over their family lands and Sylvia is up for anything that will discredit Christopher. Come hell nor high water Christopher keeps a stiff upper lip. Love enters for the brothers and twists come. Independent women and confidant suffragettes. Will anything ever change Christopher’s ideas? Will Mark get his way? Is there any hope for a bright future? All this and more is answered but I don’t want to spoil it for you. It was enjoyable and a real sense of what English life was for the different classes, their perceptions of one another, and the effects of the First World War on English life and how it affected the times and the future. A good read.
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