Talk:Birdsong (novel)

Characters
This article needs a list of characters as especially during the war sections so many people are dying you lose track of who is who. I promise to get round to writing this section sometime soon. 172.159.244.74 12:47, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

If you would like to read some primary source material of the war experiences of an English soldier who fought at Messines Ridge - the location of one of the battles in the book - try http://www.wwar1.blogspot.com

Fair use rationale for Image:Birdsong.jpg
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German Jews
The writer of the artcile states "12,000 German Jews fought and died" in ww1. I dare say much more fought as this is just the number that died in Action/uniform MVC 4/11/08  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 211.30.161.96 (talk) 12:57, 3 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Changed on the basis that 'fought and died' is tautological. 82.10.116.209 (talk) 16:25, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

Trilogy
The article mentions the other two novels but doesn't give any further information, even where Birdsong fits into the trilogy. I'd have thought this might be pertinent. Gwladys24 (talk) 17:54, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

Title
I came to the article to find why it was called "Birdsong". Nothing is mentioned about this. Can this information be added to the article? Softlavender (talk) 10:21, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

I've removed Plot text mistakenly placed in the Character section.
I've removed this text because there is already a Plot section and this was in the Character section:


 * Stephen Wraysford - The protagonist of the novel, Stephen goes to Amiens in France to learn more about the manufacturing process at René Azaire's factory. He becomes attracted to Azaire's wife, Isabelle. One night he hears Azaire beat Isabelle and is determined to make her see that true love exists elsewhere. Stephen and Isabelle embark upon a passionate affair which culminates in their leaving Azaire's house together. Stephen is abandoned by Isabelle once she learns that she is carrying his child.
 * Our next encounter with Stephen occurs when he is an officer in the British Army during the War. Stephen is not a popular officer, seemingly because he does not love his men enough. It is said of him that he "blows hot and cold." Stephen catches Jack Firebrace sleeping on duty one night and orders him to report the next morning to be charged. Jack fears that he will be executed and endures a sleepless night, only for Stephen to claim no recollection of the incident the following morning. As the war develops, so too do the intricacies of Stephen's personality. He develops a kind of love for the men under his command, refusing the offer of leave or a staff job, preferring instead to remain at the front with his men. At one point, he is badly wounded and is left for dead, thrown naked onto a pile of corpses behind the trenches, only to come stumbling, frenzied and delirious, into the arms of Jack Firebrace. He becomes known as a lucky charm, having survived where many others fell on numerous occasions.
 * Stephen has a close relationship with Captain Michael Weir, the commander of the miners. Weir is sexually inexperienced and Stephen brings him to a prostitute so that he may experience a woman for the first time. He also fixes tarot cards for Weir in order to instill in his friend a sense of hope and optimism. Stephen is stricken upon hearing of Weir's death, as he has lost his closest friend, the one person with whom he shared the tragedies of war.
 * On leave at Amiens, Stephen is reunited with Isabelle and is lost for words at her appearance, though he has seen much worse during his time at the front. Isabelle still ignites passion in him, and he is desperate to learn if she is still in love with him, though upon hearing from Jeanne that Isabelle has left once more to be with her Prussian, his curiosity is satisfied. Stephen develops a close friendship with Jeanne, depending on her letters while he is at the front. She keeps him going, though he is reluctant to admit this to her.
 * When forced to take a staff job for six months, Stephen becomes increasingly despondent. He feels guilty that he has survived while so many others have died needlessly, and feels the war is likely to continue although it has seemed to serve no purpose thus far. He is continually amazed at the sheer determination and courage of his men, dumbstruck by how much they will endure. He confides in Jeanne who urges him to persevere.
 * On his return to the front, Stephen becomes trapped in an underground tunnel with Jack Firebrace. He helps to free Jack, whose legs and ribs are broken, from the earth, and for six days endures the horrendous conditions while he endeavours to free both himself and a delirious Jack. Close to death due to thirst and starvation, he manages to blow a hole in the earth and is rescued by three German soldiers, not before promising the dying Jack that he will have children for him.
 * Stephen marries Jeanne Fourmentier in 1919. He does not speak for two years after the war, however one day he announces that they will go to London later that day in order to go to the theatre. Stephen dies at the age of forty-eight, never having fully got over that which he experienced during the war.

Softlavender (talk) 05:20, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Birdsong (novel). Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20080115132207/http://www.bloomsbury.com:80/ReadersGroups/ReadersGuides.asp?isbn=9780099387916 to http://www.bloomsbury.com/ReadersGroups/ReadersGuides.asp?isbn=9780099387916

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Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 12:03, 9 January 2016 (UTC)