It's a shame this book isn't more popular than it is. It's more of a shame that the rest of Ryan's work is even less accessible, because if his other books have even 10% the skill of this, they are well worth reading. While not as good as Catch 22 (which is damn near impossible to beat), it runs a close second in my opinion as far as WW2 satires are concerned. I spent most of this book unable to finish chapters in one sitting because I needed to find someone to tell how much I was enjoying that It's a shame this book isn't more popular than it is. It's more of a shame that the rest of Ryan's work is even less accessible, because if his other books have even 10% the skill of this, they are well worth reading. While not as good as Catch 22 (which is damn near impossible to beat), it runs a close second in my opinion as far as WW2 satires are concerned.
I spent most of this book unable to finish chapters in one sitting because I needed to find someone to tell how much I was enjoying that particular chapter, and I found myself incapable of finishing this book as quickly as I usually do because I didn't want it to end. What started as a book I picked up from idle curiosity because John Lennon played a minor part in the movie, ended with me reading one of the funniest books I've come across in recent years. Lvds to dvi converter board. Pick it up if you have a chance, as it's well worth a read. And hopefully, if the Universe is kind, the rest of his work will become more available in the future. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, I'd watched the movie (against my better judgement) before reading the book.
The film may have made more sense if I'd proceeded in reverse order! How I won the war is a very 'British' satire, clearly the precursor of Dad's Army and similar satirical denunciations of the absurdity of war. Ryan's writing is clean and taut: the epigraphic beginnings of each chapter, taken from the memoirs and writings of senior politicians and WW2 officers, is a constant reminder of the reality of war's farcical na I'd watched the movie (against my better judgement) before reading the book. The film may have made more sense if I'd proceeded in reverse order! How I won the war is a very 'British' satire, clearly the precursor of Dad's Army and similar satirical denunciations of the absurdity of war.
Ryan's writing is clean and taut: the epigraphic beginnings of each chapter, taken from the memoirs and writings of senior politicians and WW2 officers, is a constant reminder of the reality of war's farcical nature. The narrative and main characters are fictional but suddenly we're reminded that the British, German, Italian, Greek, Russian and other armed forces to one extent or another had to live it. Ryan holds the absurdities together well, with only one or two lapses into farce. If anything annoyed me, it was reading what seemed at times an uncritical depiction of some of the sexual politics of the time. Nevertheless, Ryan succeeds in writing a novel that is a welcome relief from decades of Hollywood gung ho self-importance, with only extremely rare dalliance into insight and commentary. Then watch the film. And remember How I won the war was written and filmed in the 1960s, a very different time and place.
Funny as hell. Humor worked in every single chapter, paragraph, sentence and word. Even when you read through initial episodes and you more or less know what to expect 12th Musketeers platoon makes your day every single moment. It's a real mystery to me how was the author able to keep the repetitive theme of Goodbody's dumbness and inaptitude throughout the whole book and keep it soooo humorous. Still I can't stop laughing remembering the Greek campaign and the pursuit of tram no 7 or cunning Afg Funny as hell. Humor worked in every single chapter, paragraph, sentence and word.
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Even when you read through initial episodes and you more or less know what to expect 12th Musketeers platoon makes your day every single moment. It's a real mystery to me how was the author able to keep the repetitive theme of Goodbody's dumbness and inaptitude throughout the whole book and keep it soooo humorous. Still I can't stop laughing remembering the Greek campaign and the pursuit of tram no 7 or cunning Afghans:)).