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Submitted by Nowmi Zaman 
(Nov 13, 2005)The best piece of literature I have ever read. The characters are very lifelike. Although I did not particularly like the way the book plays with time, it is still one of the best books I have ever read. I learnt a lot about the second world war and how war can not only change circumstances but also the psychological effect war can have on people. A must read for anyone who hasn't read it.
Submitted by Steve Birch 
(Aug 01, 2005)Stick with it. This book is well worth the effort. I picked up the book from my daughter who had just completed her A's and to be honest I found it difficult to put down. To really bring out the atmosphere treat yourself to a trip to France and visit somewhere like Vimy Ridge where you can still see trenches and go underground in a mine. Try not to cry when you reach the memorial. The interplay between the various generations in the book adds to the intensity of the war scenes. A well chosen book for English Literature - even if it is a little raunchy and gory; but that is what one should expect in the passage of life and death.
Submitted by David 
(Jul 10, 2005)Boring, dull and predictable is how I describe this incredibley disapointing novel. The poor mixture of powerful and woefully inadequete imagery give it a disjointed feel and the character development is slow and lacks depth. The chapters involving Wraysford's daughter are by far the worse being completely unmoving and seem nothing more than what they are filler chapters to increase the length and occasionally lead onto part of Wraysford's experiences in the war and to finally to explain the happy ending of his life. I was asked to write a paper on this novel but refused because of its bland story line and unimaginative plot twists (I say this in the loosist possible sense as they are more slow curves than dramatic twists).
Submitted by Connie Griffiths
(Jun 19, 2005)This book is one of the most amazing pieces of literature that I have ever had the privilege of reading. When I finished I couldn't move I just lay there over come with emotion, it is the only book which has ever stirred me so. The depth of the characters, the love, passion and roar humanity of this book makes it so powerful. There is no need to read it all at once, savour and enjoy it. Birdsong is the deepest, and most amazing book I have ever read and I hope to read more of Sebastian Faulks’ works in the future.
Submitted by Tracey Butler
(Aug 01, 2003)Birdsong is only one of two books that I have ever felt compelled to read twice. I found every part of the book totally enthralling. The characters are thoroughly believable and, as is human nature, we discover new aspects to them, the better we get to know them. Faulks' (sometimes understated) descriptions completely drew me in, to the point that I felt short of breath when reading the passages where Stephen and Firebrace were trapped underground. Although, I wasn't too sure about being dragged into the 1970s, the story actually inspired me to find out more about my own grandfather who 'went over the top' on the first day of the Somme. It also inspired me to visit the battlefields around the Somme. No other book has ever had such an impact on me.
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