Goodbye for Now
It’s 1914, and Europe is being torn apart as World War One gains momentum. The novel is written from the perspectives of two brothers, Joe and George Abbott, as they experience the war in differing and opposite ways. George, at 16, views war as an adventure, a chance to go beyond his home in Liverpool and prove his heroic mettle to himself and his father. His brother Joe, a few years older, refuses to enlist and stays behind as a passivist and objective observer. He is a reporter for the local newspaper who, through his writing, tries to expose the agony and tragedy of war. Joe is eventually imprisoned as a coward but stays firm to his beliefs while his brother suffers in the trenches. Despite the stoic resolution of both brothers, the war begins to take its toll on their physical and mental well-being, and uncertainly looms as to whether either will survive it.
While the novel tackles deep issues, the characters and their family dynamic fall a bit flat, at times seeming little more than a metaphor for the global effects and human cost of war itself. We learn that there are different forms of heroism and courage. Although it is clear that their father had fought in South Africa and been injured during battle, we learn little of what lies behind each boy’s choice, and the novel never really delves into the minds of the main characters. We get a generalized sense that past history plays a role in the decision of each brother, but the specifics are never truly explored. The book rings true in its philosophy, but seems a bit lacking in personal empathy. Nonetheless, a readable story for fans of the era.
