"The Railway Man" (1995) by Eric Lomax

The Hove Book Group rode again on the evening of Thursday 13 March 2014 to discuss Don's choice:  "The Railway Man" by Eric Lomax. The book is an autobiographical account that includes Eric Lomax's experiences as a Japanese Prisoner of War during World War Two.

Don revealed that he is an ex-soldier.  Who knew?  Don described his passion for war books and how he has read billions of words about World War Two and, with this in mind, stated there is no account of the conflict that is more worth reading than "The Railway Man".  Haunting, historically important, horrifying... a fabulous book.  10/10

High praise indeed.  How would Nick view "The Railway Man"?  All eyes turned Nick-ward.  Nick made a distinction between the quality of the writing and the book's content.  Nick felt that some of the book "dragged" whilst other sections were harrowing and moving.  6/10

Keith: Scorpions are arthropod animals

The reference to a scorpion as "an insect" took the gloss off the book for Keith.  Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida, as any fule kno.  Keith felt the book was not well written, and had heard some unflattering comments about the recent film adaptation.  5/10  

Nigel stated that the Japanese treatment of their Prisoners Of War during World War Two is about as monstrous as it's possible to imagine, and yet, despite some horrific personal experiences at the hands of his captors, Eric Lomax's account is most memorable as an inspiring, humbling and remarkable reminder of much that is good about humanity.  Nigel mentioned some of the highlights of the book: early Scottish childhood memories; Eric's lifelong obsession with railways; joining a Christian sect as a teenager; travelling to India as a Royal Signals soldier; the disastrous fall of Singapore in 1942; torture and beatings by the Kempetai (the Japanese secret police); Changi, the notorious labour camp in Singapore in 1945; survival against the odds; liberation; Eric's undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Eric's eventually rehabilitation; an unlikely love story; and finally, acceptance, forgiveness, and friendship and reconciliation with one of his captors. Nigel praised the simple and accessible writing and the profound and memorable contents, before declaring it "an exceptional memoir".  10/10

Tristan and Robin

Tristan described the book as powerful and moving, and then took the opportunity to recommend "If This Is a Man" by Primo Levi, and "Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall" by Spike Milligan, before evoking the spirit of Caitlin Moran and how women were far less inclined to wage war.  Tristan also riffed on the arbitrary nature of survival and the banality of evil, before musing on the forgiving, the friendship, the sudden draining of hate and the overwhelming liberation.  6/10

Robin found it impossible not to yearn for the bleak romance of Lomax's stern Scottish youth, where he fell in love, first with steam engines and then with a young woman.  After leaving Scotland, with the Royal Signals on a steamship for Singapore in 1940, Eric would never experience such innocence again.  Despite the horror Eric describes, for Robin the book is a memoir on the power of forgiveness and, as such, is indispensable, by reminding us that a bottomless capacity for forgiveness lurks in all of us, and cannot be extinguished, even if we want it to be.  8/10

Another great discussion, another great evening.