Vol. I, No. 4: 1. The Book Worm: Invisible Wounds -- Regeneration by Pat Barker

The Book Worm ...
Invisible Wounds: Regeneration by Pat Barker
Review by Laura Wisniewski

'They'

The Bishop tells us: 'When the boys come back
'They will not be the same; for they'll have fought
'In a just cause: they lead the last attack
'On Anti-Christ; their comrades' blood has bought
'New right to breed an honourable race,
'They have challenged Death and dared him face to face.'

'We're none of us the same!' the boys reply.
'For George lost both his legs; and Bill's stone blind;
'Poor Jim's shot through the lungs and like to die;
'And Bert's gone syphilitic: you'll not find
'A chap who's served that hasn't found some change.
' And the Bishop said: 'The ways of God are strange!'

Siegfried Sassoon

Approximately 8 million people died in World War I. Twice as many were wounded. The techniques of warfare in the “Great War” produced unimaginable carnage. And the War to end all wars set the stage for the next World War and shattered a system of beliefs and values, leaving entire societies economically, politically and spiritually shell-shocked.

Regenration by Pat Barker makes the horror of WWI real and powerful by focusing on a British psychiatric hospital that treated soldiers with “war neurosis,” what we now call post traumatic stress disorder. This a completely engaging and deeply moving book that pits what is most noble and compassionate about human beings against what is most heartless and hypocritical about society.

The story turns around an actual historical event. In July 1917, Siegfried Sassoon, a decorated war hero, threw his medal away, refused to fight and made a formal statement against continuation of Britain’s role in the War.

I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that had this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation … also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realize.

Convinced by friends, including poet Robert Graves, to be reviewed by a military medical board, Sassoon was found to be “shell-shocked” and sent to Craiglockhart Hospital to be “cured.” Most of this novel takes place in and around Craiglockhart, where there are many more patients than Sassoon. It is Dr.W.H.R. Rivers, distinguished neurologist and social anthropologist, who treats them all and is, in fact, the central character of the novel.

“I encountered the figure of Rivers, the doctor, through my husband, who is a neurologist and familiar with his experiments on nerve regeneration," said author Pat Barker. “Rivers is intended to be the central consciousness in the book, not Sassoon."

Rarely in fiction do we get to meet a character so kind, so selfless, so thoughtful. An heir to the new Freudian psychology, Rivers was known for his unique therapeutic approach. He believed that men had to recover repressed memories of their war trauma in order to get well. Through the treatment of the patients at Craiglockhart, we see the horror in the trenches and the irreparable damage that war can inflict on the human psyche.

It’s Rivers’ job to convince Sassoon to go back to the Front, to fulfill his duty as an Englishman in spite of his beliefs. In the process, Rivers' own beliefs are challenged. But even as Rivers' own beliefs and attitudes falter, he remains a steadying and nurturing force for all around him. Barker explores this theme of men as nurturers. Because of Rivers’ tremendous sympathy, as readers, we can’t turn away from the intense suffering of the patients. In a short but unforgettable scene, Sarah, a young woman from the nearby town, stumbles upon a row of amputees, hidden at the back of the hospital. "If the country demanded that price, then it should bloody well be prepared to look at the result,” she thinks. Dr. Rivers looks at it all without distortion, and, therefore, so do we.

Barker’s writing is straightforward and unobtrusive. She gives us the details -- sights, sounds, smells -- and lets them speak for themselves. And there are moments of beauty, but they are always set against the constant reality of the Great War. Although not all her characters are fully developed, we feel we know them intimately because we’ve seen them at their most vulnerable.

Regeneration is the first book in a trilogy following Dr. Rivers. The title is double-edged. Rivers' work on nerve regeneration and his work to bring his patients back to health were positive and hopeful. But his mission was to turn men damaged by war back into soldiers. And since the war to end all wars, this tragedy has been recreated for every generation to follow.

If you're interested in more information about WWI, including literary history, you can visit any of the following sites:

An Introduction to WWI Poetry ... This is very easy to navigate out of Oxford and it loads quickly. Organizes WWI poetry by poet and by theme. Includes a photo of the poet, links for more about the poet, and several poems by each poet.
World War I (1914-1918) ... Part of the Information Resource Centre, Canadian Forces College, this site offers an extensive list of WWI websites. It, too, loads quickly and is easy to navigate. Downside: Some pages cannot be found. Organized by category. Lists author of websites when info is available.
The Great War ... This is the PBS site for the 8-part series -- The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century. It is easy to navigate, but some pages take awhile because there are lots of graphics (photos) ... includes an interactive timeline, interactive map, highlights from each episode, and links to other resources. Very interesting, both historically & visually.

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