The Night Watch

Sarah Waters

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emotional impact of war

women's relationships

post world war ii london setting

reverse chronological storytelling

interconnected lives

historical fiction with lgbtq

intricate character exploration

war torn london backdrop

complex and relatable characters

lyrical and evocative writing

building suspense

blitz aftermath

troubled past

'The Night Watch' by Sarah Waters is a novel set in post-World War II London, focusing on the interconnected lives of four Londoners - three women and a young man with a troubled past. The book delves into their secrets, relationships, and struggles, moving backwards in time to reveal the events that shaped them during wartime. Waters skillfully portrays the emotional impact of the characters' experiences, particularly highlighting women's relationships and the aftermath of the Blitz.

Characters:

The characters are complex and human, shaped by their wartime experiences, making them relatable yet imperfect.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is lyrical and evocative, blending historical detail with deep character exploration.

Plot/Storyline:

An intricate exploration of lives intertwined by war and secrets, using reverse chronological storytelling to unravel connections and pasts.

Setting:

Set in a war-torn London, the setting serves as both a backdrop and a catalyst for character development.

Pacing:

Pacing is reflective and gradual, building suspense through a reverse chronological structure.

So this, said Kay to herself, is the sort of person you’ve become: a person whose clocks and wrist-watches have stopped, and who tells the time, instead, by the particular kind of cripple arriving at ...

Notes:

The Night Watch is set in London during World War II, spanning from 1941 to 1947.

It features a unique narrative structure that tells the story backward, starting in 1947 and moving to 1944, and finally to 1941.

The main characters include Kay, Helen, Viv, and Duncan, each with connections that are gradually revealed.

The novel explores themes of love, loss, and the impact of war on personal relationships.

Kay is portrayed as a masculine lesbian who drives an ambulance during the Blitz, reflecting the diverse sexual identities of the time.

Duncan, another central character, has a mysterious past involving imprisonment.

The book depicts the emotional struggles of its characters against the backdrop of wartime London, capturing the atmosphere of fear and resilience.

Waters's writing style is noted for its historical detail and character depth.

Some readers found the backward storytelling intriguing, while others felt it removed suspense from the plot.

The novel includes explicit scenes that some reviewers found unnecessary, though they contributed to understanding character relationships.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for The Night Watch include depictions of war violence, themes of mental health and trauma, discussions related to suicide, and sexual content.

Has Romance?

The Night Watch presents a high level of romance, particularly focusing on lesbian relationships between the characters, with a significant exploration of love and romantic entanglements.

From The Publisher:

"[A] wonderful novel…Waters is almost Dickensian in her wealth of description and depth of character."-Chicago Tribune

Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked-out streets, illicit partying, and sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch tells the story of four Londoners-three women and a young man with a past-whose lives, and those of their friends and lovers, connect in tragedy, stunning surprise and exquisite turns, only to change irreversibly in the shadow of a grand historical event.

Ratings (7)

Incredible (2)
Loved It (3)
Liked It (1)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (25):

Read It (6)
Want To Read (13)
Not Interested (6)

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About the Author:

Sarah Waters is the New York Times bestselling author of The Paying Guests, The Little Stranger, The Night Watch, Fingersmith, Affinity, and Tipping the Velvet. She has been shortlisted three times for the Man Booker Prize, has been a finalist twice for the Orange Prize, and was named one of Granta's best young British novelists, among other…

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