War Horse Review

War Horse
by Michael Morpurgo
In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?

I read this book while I was in the middle of season two of Downton Abbey and on a major WW1 kick. The end result was a lot of tears over the course of my watching/reading. I picked up this book some time ago intending to read it and then see the movie. I still haven't seen the movie but I want to even more now.

This book ripped out my heart, cut it in half, put it back together, stomped on it until it shattered, and then tried to pick up the pieces again. There wasn't a single moment when I wasn't crying or close to it. I actually cried with joy at one point. I don't think that's ever happened to me before. I cried over characters that I barely knew like they were my best friends. The characterization from Joey to the smallest secondary character was fantastic.

The writing was great, but the dialogue was a little cumbersome in spots. It's fairly repetitive in a way that's almost a little too natural.

Overall: Great book! I definitely don't recommend reading it in public, though.

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