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Life Class

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( 5,343 ratings, 697 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Life Class by Pat Barker is a compelling novel set in the tumultuous backdrop of World War I. It follows the journey of art students in London as their lives and relationships are deeply altered by the war. The story explores themes of love, passion, and the transformative impact of conflict on personal and artistic expression.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy stories set against the backdrop of World War I, as it delves into the lives of a group of art students facing the challenges and transformations brought by the war. With its rich exploration of personal and historical themes, it offers a captivating look at how art and life intertwine during times of upheaval.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The breathtaking novel from the Booker Prize-winning author of the Regeneration trilogy.

In the Spring of 1914, a group of students at the Slade School of Art have gathered for a life-drawing class. Paul Tarrant is easily distracted by an intriguing fellow student, Elinor Brooke, but when Kit Neville—himself not long out of the Slade but already a well-known painter—makes it clear that he, too, is attracted to Elinor, Paul withdraws into a passionate affair with an artist's model. As spring turns to summer, Paul and Elinor each reach a crisis in their relationships until finally, in the first few days of war, they turn to each other.

Paul's new life as a volunteer for the Belgian Red Cross is a world away from his days at the Slade. The longer he remains in Ypres, the greater the distance between himself and home becomes, and by the time he returns, Paul must confront the fact that life, and love, will never be the same again.

Series: Penguin Essentials

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Life Class by Pat Barker is praised for its sharp writing and elegant construction, described as breathtaking by the Guardian. It is considered a compelling read by the Literary Review and noted for being thoughtful, ambiguous, and powerful by the Sunday Telegraph.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241986493

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 June 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 112.0mm

Height: 182.0mm

Weight: 144g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Pat Barker was born in Yorkshire and began her literary career in her late thirties, when she took a short writing course taught by Angela Carter. She has published sixteen novels, including her masterful Regeneration Trilogy which includes the Booker Prize-winning The Ghost Road. The Silence of the Girls was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and won an Independent Bookshop Award 2019. The Women of Troy was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. The Voyage Home continues the series.

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  • The Regeneration Trilogy
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