This is an amazing novel; it is also extremely sad. The sadness comes
not only from events concerning the characters but also from the
realization that what we revere as civilization is completely warped. At
the end of WWI, Tristan Sadler, the main character in the novel, seeks
out his friend Will's sister in order to return a packet of letters. The
story develops innocently enough, but, gradually, we become aware that
Tristan's experiences during the war were anything but innocent. Through
the eyes of Tristan and others, we are confronted not only with the
flaws and the hypocrisy of our present-day civilization but also with
contemporary attitudes towards war, killing, conscientious objectors
and, not least, homosexuality. Slowly Tristan becomes aware of the
injustice and the hypocrisy that flourished during the war, and he also
becomes aware of the part he played through either fear or ignorance or a
combination of both. Very well written, "The Absolutist" is not only an
anti-war novel but also a 'wake-up' call to those who still hold fast
to narrow-minded attitudes prevalent within our society.
Photograph: Mark Condren
