Forest of the Hanged: A Novel (Casemate Classic War Fiction)

I KIND OF FIGURED HOW THE BOOK WOULD END BEFORE I WAS VERY FAR INTO IT, BUT THAT DID NOT RUIN MY OVERAL TAKWAWAY. THE AUTHOR HAS VIVIDLY DESCRIBED THE HORRORS OF WAR AND WHAT MAN WILL DO IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO AVOID IT. if ONLY MANKIND COULD LEARN FROM WHAT HAS GONE ON BEFORE.

A man seems to rush headlong to what he feels is his fate, ignoring the needs and concerns of friends lovers and family. A single event makes him apply what he felt to all his past and future feelings based on that one event. Depressing in a behaviorist way but well written and atmospheric making you feel you are there at times.

What a splendid piece of work! Although occasionally filled with melodramatic-sounding dialogue and somewhat artificial scenes, it nevertheless powerfully and emotionally captures the many conflicting loyalties which arose in the multinational conflict involving the polyglot - and soon to be rivened - Austro-Hungarian Empire. Forest of the Hanged also deals effectively as well with the multitude of demands any state places on individuals under its control during wartime. Apostol Bologa is a Romanian sub-lieutenant in the Austro-Hungarian army of World War I. He fights bravely and loyally for the Austrian Empire when they are fighting the Russians, even voting in a court martial to hang a fellow Romanian who is caught trying to defect. But in 1916, when Romania unwisely joins the Russians (and the Allies) after their one successful offensive, the Austro-Hungarian army then turns its attention to the Romanians and, with German help, rapidly captures much of the country. In the process, Bologa's unit is ordered to the Romanian front. Eventually, Bologa tries to defect, is captured and he too is hung, his sad tale starkly underscoring irony and tragedy of war. In reality, the brother of the author suffered a similar fate, refusing to fight against fellow Romanians despite the powerful dictum of the establishment: "A soldier's duty in wartime is to do any job that comes to hand. That's why war is war." Poignant and disturbing.

Great book about the duality between personal beliefs and duty as a soldier.

Read it as a child, was given as a present, the receiver loved it!

It was meant to be a present for someone special.