I normally don't read war books and would have never picked this up if it hadn't been for my Canadian Literature course. Now that I have read it, I am happy that it is part of the readings because it is an awesome book. It also allows me to forgive my professor (only slightly) for leaving Atwood off the reading list.
It takes place during World War I. The narrator has no name and is both the "every-man" and the author (Harrison) who served as a machine gunner himself during that same war. The book goes through the experience of life in the trenches and is an open critique of war and the military. The imagery is pretty horrifying. **SPOILER** At one point the reader gets the awful descriptive experience of having a bayonet stuck in between an opposing soldier's ribs. Without going through all the gory details, the book is filled with horrors like this that inexperienced young soldiers were forced to go through during the war. At no point do you feel coerced into believing that these descriptions are over the top or exagerated. The book feels honest, and that makes it so much sadder.
This book is a good fictional read, but also feels like a documentary about the hell that is war. Harrison removes the "other" that is often present in stories that glorify and romanticize war, putting all men forced to fight for their country in the same boat. As a soldier and an author, Harrison extends sympathy to his ground "enemies" and instead confronts the real enemies in war; those at the top of the chain of command, lice, and God.
Even if you are not a fan of war books, I would recommend this book to you for its thought provoking political commentary and great storytelling. Generals Die in Bed is a book that should be taught in schools and read by book clubs. It is an important glimpse at history and an all around good read.
Book Information
Title: Generals Die in Bed
Author: Charles Yale Harrison
Year of publication: Originally published as newspaper sectionals, circa 1929?
Publisher: Annick Press
Pages: 168
Rating: 5/5
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