The latest from the prolific Kate Thompson, The Wartime Book Club, is an adventurous World War II novel that feels to be, on one hand, thorough and tense, and on the other, dull and prone to stereotype.
Set in 1943, in Jersey under brutal occupation, the narrative tracks the escapades of Grace and Bea. Grace is the island’s last librarian, ordered to adhere to the stringent censorship of the Nazi regime. Grace, of course plucky and moral as any good wartime heroine is, keeps her own stash of banned literature. From this kernel, the book’s narrative and thematic focus springs.
The Wartime Book Club is advertised as a ‘love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times’ and you can certainly feel that is what it’s going for from the word go. Books are everywhere, they’re talked to, descriptions of real banned books open each chapter – and this is both a strength and one of the novel’s great weaknesses.
The tone with which books are talked about is sometimes nuanced and considered, while at other times it is unbearably twee. This is everywhere from the narrative to the chapter starters. Occasionally the chapters begin with a concise snippet of history, focusing on a lesser-known book, and occasionally an American in the narrative is handed a copy of Huck Finn with what feels to be the literary equivalent of a wink at the camera – Americans! They love Huck Finn!
Perhaps the most egregious instance of the book’s sometimes overly sunny attitude is the aforementioned instance of Grace talking to the books she keeps. Very early in the novel she imagines Jane Austen talking to her, ‘Come on Grace, pull yourself together,’ she says, with Agatha Christie looking down at her ‘knowingly’.
Though, in speaking of genre fiction – and this is certainly genre fiction – it’s important to remember that “literary” measures are often useless metrics.
While the dialogue can sometimes feel unrealistically affected (as if it is begging to be made into a BBC series), it is also pleasantly camp, which is enjoyable and often an allure for readers. Every character feels as if they’re pointedly from a different time and, while in sections it’s over the top, the novel is based on a true story for a reason, rather than being direct history.
The substance of this effect is bolstered by Thompson’s thorough research, which is evident throughout. Jersey is vividly portrayed, and the logic of events and places is crisply clear, with a significant section at the back of the book detailing real people who inspired the novel.
Read: Book review: One Another, Gail Jones
Ultimately, perhaps more so than for other books, appreciation of The Wartime Book Club will be dependent on taste. As mentioned, Thompson is prolific; if you are a fan of her other work, there is much to like here. The same is true for fans of war fiction and for those looking for a thrilling vacation read.
The Wartime Book Club, Kate Thompson
Publisher: Hachette
ISBN: 9781399714952
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320pp
Release date: 13 February 2024
RRP: $32.99
