Master Georgie

Beryl Bainbridge has to be one of the greatest of all English authors. All of her books are superb and Master Georgie, her third book of historical fiction, is different, but no less superb, than the two preceeding. I think Master Georgie has not been praised quite highly enough because its subject matter may be less familiar to Americans than Bainbridge's two previous historicals. As a European, however, Master Georgie is definitely my favorite. It is quieter and more subtle, but I think it has much more emotional depth.Bainbridge is always a little cryptic with her subject matter and Master Georgie is no exception. Don't let this put you off the book, though--the undercurrents of energy and intrigue make this short book riveting and well worth anyone's time.The protagonist, Master Georgie, is actually George Hardy, a Victorian English dissolute and surgeon who, one day, decides to pack up his family and head for Turkey. Although his intentions are to provide medical care to the wounded during the Crimean war, we all know things rarely go as planned. Suffice it to say that Murphy's Law holds just as true for Master Georgie as it does for us.The battlefield scenes are some of the best I have ever read, not surprising with Bainbridge. Although the scenes are brutal and sometimes even gruesome, this marvelous author has managed to infuse them with a sardonic wit that rivals anything I have ever read. Bainbridge is true to her subject matter in these scenes. Bainbridge chooses to forgo romanticism in favor of the reality of confusion and futility that surely must have existed on the battlefields of the Crimea. Lest you think she's making fun of her subjects, let me tell you she most assuredly is not. She is compassionate, but she wisely keeps that compassion from coloring the facts. I think she is simply interpreting events with her own brand of intelligence and irony. Master Georgie can meander at times, but Bainbridge has even this meandering under complete control. She also tempers it with vivid details. We really feel as if we are reading an actual eyewitness account to the war.Master Georgie is a short book, really more of a novella than a novel, and you can easily read it in one sitting if you so desire. Don't let its length fool you, though. Master Georgie is a dark book and one that really packs a punch. It is stylish, sophisticated and sardonic. In short, it is a book that is worthy of all the praise it has garnered.

A masterful evocation of a time and a war that took place 150 years ago and life's little ironies that brought these characters together in the first place to determine their fate.

How does she do it? That's what I asked myself when I finished reading Master Georgie. The descriptions are compact, yet they bring the scenes to life so that I can see them in my mind. I love this kind of visual writing. Other authors offer long drawn out description that tells us nothing (see Cold Mountain) while Bainbridge hardly seems to be describing anything and yet shows so much. This book is completely absorbing. If it were longer it might not be as good, but because I like the writing so much, I was sorry to see it end.

Beryl Bainbridge is certainly one of the most imaginitive and moving writers of our time. MASTER GEORGIE is beautiful--it is amazing how much Bainbridge can pack into so short a work. Her characters, however historically grounded, are always intensely human. Nothing is ever perfect or easy, and therein lies the beauty of her story. And her choice to let three voices tell their separate--and shared--stories is wonderful. For everyone who has not yet treated themselves to one of her gems, MASTER GEORGIE is a great place to start. Like browsing a collection of sepia-colored photos, Bainbridge will leave you wanting to know more about lives beyond the almost blurred figures.