#fiction 2023; ISBN: 9780241567821
In Memoriam tells a gripping love story between two schoolboys in the context of The Great War. Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood are students in Preshute, a fictional school in the English countryside. While the war starts, they are fighting their own secret battle. Gaunt, who is half-German, enlists quickly to prevent the anti-German sentiment towards his family, and also to avoid his overwhelming affection for Ellwood. However, Ellwood, with more obvious feelings for Gaunt, follows in his footsteps and joins the army soon. Experienced the destruction, loss, and separation caused by war, they ultimately speak out their love for each other bravely.
This book begins and ends with the “In Memoriam” for the soldiers killed in the war, which sets an intimate atmosphere of war for the whole story. Winn’s successful depiction of people’s real emotions in the war is especially heartfelt and heartbreaking at the same time. The patriotism for own country and the king, the despair after losing a lover, the concern for enlisted sons, the fear before browsing the casualty lists, the anxiety of waiting for a letter from a beloved one, and the heroism. The war amplifies the hardship of pursuing love for two teenagers in that era when homosexuality is not yet recognised, but simultaneously teaches them to cherish their relationship.
What also impresses me is that this book not only narrates a story and characters but also involves deep thinking about war and human history. Winn conveys her reflection on the war through Gaunt’s long letter to Ellwood:
“…we were making the war humane, and now it has broken down and they (i.e. the conquered and colonised people) are dragged into hell with us. We have doomed the world with our advancements, with our democracy that is so much better than whatever they’ve thought of, with our technology that will so improve their lives…”
Followed by Gaunt’s poetic and beautifully written recalling of the nature of England, the brutality and inequality brought about by war are shown clearly. This is what makes this debut more than a novel – it reminds people of why we fought fiercely – for the peace we long yearn for, and for the people we long love.
Comments