Review of Tour of Duty
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Review of Tour of Duty
[Following is a volunteer review of "Tour of Duty" by William H. Coles.]
It’s not very often that you come across a good book with no protagonists, no antagonists, and no general plot. However, Williams H. Coles does exactly that in his novel, Tour of Duty. Based in France in the 1960s, the story is contextualized around the multiple wars and holocausts that occurred beforehand. In between these conflicts, we are introduced to a diverse troupe of characters. Miles, a medical graduate from America, works as a physician for a general. His friend, Oliver, is a doctor himself, and they both have their individual opinions on the army. Ingrid is a strong-headed but sweet individual who strives to know more about her Jewish ancestors while pursuing a career in art. Alyce is the daughter of a general and a freelance journalist. Narrated in chronological order with the lives of these folks interlinking, the author tells multiple minor stories about the separate, and sometimes conjoined, lives of these characters. Each chapter delves into a different character as they laugh, cry, argue, and fall in love with each other. Whether it may be a friendly conversation between Oliver and Miles or a life-threatening crisis in the clinic, this novel is a brilliant piece of work.
First off, I’d like to say that I really enjoyed this novel. For one, it was very historically accurate. The author subtly alluded to historical events, like the Jewish Holocaust and Hiroshima, in such a way that it never overshadowed the main narrative but was still enough to immerse me in the past. In addition, for a book written last year, the tenor of the novel was superb. It’s written in the sort of archaic English common to the time; it reads like a book published straight out of the 1950s. It’s consistent throughout the story, and it really put the finishing touches on the book for me. The characters themselves were wonderfully written. They were all affected in some way due to their identities and respective histories; they all had motives for their actions, and their backgrounds were fully explained. Moreover, these characters changed throughout the story due to these experiences. Miles, for example, first strived to be a successful surgeon. However, after several incidents, he felt like his help with individual patients was rather inconsequential and pointless in the grand scheme of things. So he shifted his career path and now aspires to provide general health to the general population in aspects like mental health and wellbeing. This character growth made the characters relatable and much more likable.
A few other notable points include the frequent use of descriptive words, which helped paint a beautiful picture of France and its various sights. Plotwise, the writer does a brilliant job tying the lives of these various characters together. Miles is the friend of Oliver and also a friend of Ingrid due to her and Oliver being married. Alyce gets to know Oliver and Ingrid through Miles, who is the designated physician for her father, the general. Although lighthearted, the book is a very complex piece of work. If there’s any negative I could add, it would have to be the complexity of the language used in the book; sometimes it’s hard to understand what’s being said.
In all, I think this book is deserving of 5 out of 5 stars. It’s an exceptionally well-written and well-edited piece of literature. The writer took up the challenge of manufacturing a plotless story and has done so brilliantly. The characters were compelling, creative, and all of equal importance to the story. It’s an inventive glimpse into the past and a joy to read. Aside from the complex language, I feel this book is deserving of its rating.
I recommend this book to teens and above who may be interested in old-fashioned literature set in the past. It would also be a good read for those interested in literature.
******
Tour of Duty
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
It’s not very often that you come across a good book with no protagonists, no antagonists, and no general plot. However, Williams H. Coles does exactly that in his novel, Tour of Duty. Based in France in the 1960s, the story is contextualized around the multiple wars and holocausts that occurred beforehand. In between these conflicts, we are introduced to a diverse troupe of characters. Miles, a medical graduate from America, works as a physician for a general. His friend, Oliver, is a doctor himself, and they both have their individual opinions on the army. Ingrid is a strong-headed but sweet individual who strives to know more about her Jewish ancestors while pursuing a career in art. Alyce is the daughter of a general and a freelance journalist. Narrated in chronological order with the lives of these folks interlinking, the author tells multiple minor stories about the separate, and sometimes conjoined, lives of these characters. Each chapter delves into a different character as they laugh, cry, argue, and fall in love with each other. Whether it may be a friendly conversation between Oliver and Miles or a life-threatening crisis in the clinic, this novel is a brilliant piece of work.
First off, I’d like to say that I really enjoyed this novel. For one, it was very historically accurate. The author subtly alluded to historical events, like the Jewish Holocaust and Hiroshima, in such a way that it never overshadowed the main narrative but was still enough to immerse me in the past. In addition, for a book written last year, the tenor of the novel was superb. It’s written in the sort of archaic English common to the time; it reads like a book published straight out of the 1950s. It’s consistent throughout the story, and it really put the finishing touches on the book for me. The characters themselves were wonderfully written. They were all affected in some way due to their identities and respective histories; they all had motives for their actions, and their backgrounds were fully explained. Moreover, these characters changed throughout the story due to these experiences. Miles, for example, first strived to be a successful surgeon. However, after several incidents, he felt like his help with individual patients was rather inconsequential and pointless in the grand scheme of things. So he shifted his career path and now aspires to provide general health to the general population in aspects like mental health and wellbeing. This character growth made the characters relatable and much more likable.
A few other notable points include the frequent use of descriptive words, which helped paint a beautiful picture of France and its various sights. Plotwise, the writer does a brilliant job tying the lives of these various characters together. Miles is the friend of Oliver and also a friend of Ingrid due to her and Oliver being married. Alyce gets to know Oliver and Ingrid through Miles, who is the designated physician for her father, the general. Although lighthearted, the book is a very complex piece of work. If there’s any negative I could add, it would have to be the complexity of the language used in the book; sometimes it’s hard to understand what’s being said.
In all, I think this book is deserving of 5 out of 5 stars. It’s an exceptionally well-written and well-edited piece of literature. The writer took up the challenge of manufacturing a plotless story and has done so brilliantly. The characters were compelling, creative, and all of equal importance to the story. It’s an inventive glimpse into the past and a joy to read. Aside from the complex language, I feel this book is deserving of its rating.
I recommend this book to teens and above who may be interested in old-fashioned literature set in the past. It would also be a good read for those interested in literature.
******
Tour of Duty
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Reconfigurement by E. Alan Fleischauer
