This one is … sad. And tender and true and bloody and awful. I can’t remember the last war novel I read - have a I read one? All Quiet on the Western Front, perhaps. I enjoyed reading this, and especially her acknowledgements, because I felt I was learning about the war through two very endearing, dynamic characters.

This reminded me a lot of Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy but it had more heart I think. It helped that Winn was not hindered to historical figures (Sassoon and Owen).

Very strongly recommended if you are interested in WW1, historical fiction, and/or queer romance.

This book was beautifully written and also incredibly emotional. I feel like there are a lot of historical fiction novels set during the war that are sad in nature, so it can sometimes be hard for new ones to stand out from the crowd, but this one did for me and I think will for others.

Although it was slightly slow moving at first, I quickly found myself enraptured by the prose and by the characters and their relationships to one another. I did find the “they’re dead, actually they’re not!” plot line to be slightly overused and annoying, but the characters and writing were so strong that I’m willing to overlook that. The ending was also slightly too neat for me, if that makes sense, but overall, I cannot recommend this book enough.

WOW! WOW! The BEST book I have read in a long time! I think this is a masterpiece! I am in awe! This book will stay with you.

Clearly, it’s the year for gays in war, and I’m not talking about current legislation being drafted around the country, I’m talking about two of the best books I’ve read this year both claiming the phrase, ‘love is a battlefield’ literally.
First was Aleksander Hemon’s sweeping epic #TheWorldandAllThatItHolds and now comes Alice Winn’s simply breathtaking debut, #InMemoriam

Winn’s story begins simply enough at a picturesque English boarding school where two young men, Sidney Ellwood and Henry Gaunt have entered into a tenuous game of not so much will they or won’t they, but, are you or aren’t you? For Sidney it’s less about questioning his sexuality, it being common fodder among the schoolmates that this charming, and charmed beautiful young man is an invert. However despite what feels like a mutual attraction, Sidney can’t quite determine if Henry feels the same, and like many great love stories, we wonder if our two protagonists will figure it out. But World War I is well underway, and as the casualties mount more men are enlisted. So it’s not long before Gaunt volunteers moving to the carnage of the frontlines. Desperate to not lose the fragile but powerful connection to him, Ellwood enlists as well, joining Gaunt and setting up, if it were a play, a tremendous act one ending.
Winn brilliantly writes between the sensual and the savage the sheer horrific brutality of the war countered by the beauty of Tennyson’s poetry that Gaunt loves so much and that Ellwood regularly quotes to him.
‘Another man asked every passing soldier to describe his wound to him-“Please, I don’t want to look at it!” The truth was his entire body was stuck with metal splinters, too many to count, like a pincushion. Next to Gaunt, Elmwood twitched. He had not yet built up that remorseless indifference to pain that was a prerequisite to survival at the front.’
I can’t express how much I loved this story. It had me weeping at points and not necessarily where you’d expect. Winn has written a modern classic, a love story, a war story, and an unforgettable hero(s) journey. Big thank you to Alrefknopf for the advance copy.

When 2023 is all said and done, I will be shocked if this is not the book sitting atop my “best of” list.

This is my favorite historical fiction (that takes place explicitly in the past) novel of all time. I’m not a history buff by any means, but this book brought out every single emotion in me. Alice Winn’s writing managed to humanize WW1 in a light I’ve never seen. In hindsight, it’s easy to look back on major historical events like wars and realize that everyone fighting was human. This book made you FEEL the realities these people faced. I’m honestly struggling with how to articulate everything I felt because sometimes books can affect you in ways that are so profound yet indescribable. I’m sure as the book continues to shimmer it’ll bring out even more emotions, and to me that’s indicative of the power this book holds.

The “In Memoriam” tidbits located throughout the book were placed so well and had me continuously wiping my eyes. The brevity of some of these characters was so skillfully weaved into the story which really highlighted the realities these soldiers faced and it’s honestly just so hard to comprehend.

Ellwood and Gaunt. I love these two boys so much. The intense love, the mutual pining, the emotions they evoke in one another, everything about their relationship was so beautiful and heart-wrenching. They each showed their bravery in different ways, with different personal motivations, but ultimately keeping the other at the forefront of everything. They have taken a special place in my heart and I don’t know if they’ll ever leave.

This is an INSANE debut novel and I’m so thankful I got the chance to read it. Give it all the awards.

A heart-wrenching romance set during World War I. Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood are two friends that love each other but are unable to admit their feelings. Once the war breaks out and they both end up enlisted in the same regiment, they realize there may not be much time and they find solace in their relationship as the wartime atrocities occur around them. After a mission goes awry, Sidney thinks Henry has been killed and reflects on his love for Henry, while Henry was actually taken prisoner of war and attempts to recover and escape from the prisoner camp to get back to Sidney. Eventually they are reunited but have to deal with the aftermath of injuries and trauma and face the fact that they've both changed, but ultimately still love each other. This is by no means a light-hearted read and at times is downright depressing and horrific with the trench war descriptions, but the devotion and resilience of Henry and Sidney keeps you going in hopes that they will finally be able to be together.

How best to review this book? Should I describe the 4 or 5 separate times I cried while reading? Or explain how I wanted to highlight and preserve entire portions of the text because they were so beautiful, or how it put me in a daze for a week after finishing?
In Memoriam literally felt like a book tailor-made for me. I know it won’t be for everyone-it’s quite violent and heavy, obviously- but I was shocked at how quickly and deeply I fell in love with the characters and the story. It’s been a long time since I couldn’t put a book down. I had to know what happened to Ellwood and Gaunt no matter what. It’s devastating, haunting, gutwrenching to the point where I felt genuine stomach cramps while reading, but it’s so, so lovely and powerful and tender too. I’m already thinking of rereading. And buying a copy as soon as it hits the shelves. And pressuring all my friends to read it. What an incredible debut!!!!!!

Hi, this book absolutely wrecked me. This is one of the best historical fiction books I've read, one of the best war books I've read (and I took two classes on war literature in college!), and one of the best romances I've read. As Lev Grossman aptly said, it is "dazzling and wrenching, witty and wildly romantic." I sobbed every time I picked it up.

The novel follows two young men, Sidney Ellwood and Henry Gaunt, best friends and students at the prestigious Preshute School. Ellwood is handsome, romantic, poetic, charmed and charming - imagining himself as the next Tennyson, hopelessly in love with his ever-serious best friend who he thinks would never reciprocate. Gaunt is big and dour, an avid Classics student, reserved, "always fine," and plagued by his one-sided love for his best friend, who could have anyone in the world.

The book opens right as the Great War is starting up in Europe, with young men heartily eager to enlist and do their part. Henry's mother is Bavarian and he grew up in Munich, and others have been casting aspersions on his family as possible German spies. His mother urges him to enlist to prove their patriotism, so Henry does so and quickly encounters the horrors of this devastating war. Soon after, Sidney follows Henry to the Western Front. Their romantic relationship blossoms, but under the dark and doomed pallor of senseless, massive death all around them.

Winn's writing is absolutely gorgeous - I can't count how many passages I highlighted. She perfectly captures the meaninglessness and devastation of war: you meet so, so many young men who die soon after, often in completely random and heartbreaking ways. You see the very real effects that war - especially this uniquely savage war - takes on an entire generation of very young men who turn from patriotic to terrified to angry to complete shells of themselves.

This book would make me feel hopeless and bleak if not for the gorgeous, precious romance between Sidney and Henry. I'm always a huge fan of these written-in-the-stars romances that bring together true soulmates over the most unlikely, doomed circumstances. The prospect of seeing their love bloom and both of these beautiful, beloved characters eke out that bit of happiness they so deserve - that kept me going.

I could go on and on - clearly, I haven't been succinct in describing my love for this book even in this review! You will not regret reading this book. Have a box of tissues handy.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC via Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
In Memoriam is a clearly very well-researched queer historical novel. It's so clear how much work Alice Winn put into this novel and the result is absolutely amazing. A love story set in horrible circumstances. The author doesn't sugarcoat the tragedy of the war. You are well aware of it during the read.
The romance between Elly and Henry is stunning. The war affects them very deeply and these consequences change their relationship in many ways. There are moments when one of them is their worse self and the other is able to understand and endure. They aren't always likeble, but they are always loved.
You don't want to miss out this one!

This was a hard (but wonderful) read, showing both the horrors of war experienced by what really was just school boys as well as the power of friendships that blossom into more, despite the emotional damage they've experienced.

I was thankful that the book focused on Gaunt and Ellwood - while the other characters were important (and I did like them), the whole book would have quickly become a complicated, overly spread out mess if more focus was put on others.

Unlike a lot of other books I'll fly through, this one was not a quick read - it almost felt overwhelming with the amount of horrors going on at times, but yet was so beautifully written, I wanted to soak in the story, not rush through it o get to something more "neutral" feeling.

I will say, however, as someone with extreme claustrophobia, there were two scenes that were written so well, I had to skim them. I could literally feel the panic.

In Memoriam
Alice Winn
In Memoriam is a remarkable novel. Incredibly researched and detailed descriptions make the novel one of the best written books about World War I- she describes its soldiers, the battles and the mental and physical scars that it left on the men who fought.
The novel shows the relationships between the public-school friends and classmates who go to war and the impact those friendships have throughout the war, battles and the aftermath. Basically, most were boys going to war who were forced to grow up very quickly.
The descriptions of trenches and trench warfare are the best I’ve ever read. The courage, the fear and the grief are very vivid as one reads.
This book will stay with me for a long time.

I had gone back and forth as to whether this is a 4 star book or a 5 star, but by the end of this novel there’s no doubt in my mind it’s a 5 star. This is a heart wrenching, beautifully articulated and overwhelmingly deep book that I cannot recommend enough.

The story is very character-driven, making the sad parts soul-crushing. The two main POVs tell the tragic love story of two boys caught in a devastating world war- obviously this book made me cry, there’s no denying that. Real tears, I tell you.

The book is very graphic at times, as it is a war book, but the prose is also so beautiful and poetic. Nothing is romanticized, it’s all very real to the time it was set in. If you’re looking for a gushy m/m book, this is not it. But if you’re looking for a REAL love story, one with loss and heartbreak and passion and healing and true love, this is for you.

The beginning was a bit hard to get into, but by the end I was completely infatuated and captivated, wishing it wouldn’t end so I could stay with this story for longer.

I learned more about WWI, especially about shell-shock, that I had not known before from this book. I mainly read WWII novels, so this was a great switch up that taught me more about a time in history I didn’t know enough about. Well researched; I felt like I was right in that time period with them.

This book is an instant classic, one that I hope will be read for years to come. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for allowing me to read this book.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review (I don't know how to phrase these? Or if they are really necessary?). Anyways.

I loved this book. I have no idea how to describe my feelings beyond this. I am pretty sure I cried, and I never cry over books. Or at least, I very rarely cry over books. So many so very horrifying things happened, and Gaunt and Ellwood were broken and put back together with so many cracks, so many times, but this book still managed to make me laugh, in between the tears. I feel shattered, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. Who knew that arrogant public school boys could grab my heart and rip it up so thoroughly.

I had a hard time keeping track of some of the minor characters, but honestly, that was more due to my reading like 8 other books at the same time as this one. And it didn't detract at all in any way from my enjoyment of In Memoriam.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but be ready to feel all the feelings because boy will it make you hurt. All my love to Ellwood and Gaunt, I wish for their every happiness.

There's probably a poem for this feeling inside me out there somewhere but not in my head, which is utterly empty and numb.

This book. What a masterpiece.

I've read many fictions about wars. Depending on the author's prose and the theme of the story, the same war can be portrayed with different focuses and in different ways. But I've never read a version of WWI that is as bleak, gloomy, heart-wrenching, and horrific as this book. In this story, we follow a bunch of English boys in an elite boarding school. When we first met them, they were spoiled, annoying, boyishly gallant, and so, so full of life. They spent their days squandering money, hitting each other, writing bad poems, and their greatest agony in life was catching feeling for their friend. After all, homosexuality was still illegal in England at the time. Still, to the boys, England was the best nation in the world that should rightfully colonize everyone else, and these boys just can't wait to be in the front line, fighting for their country, becoming the heroes they only ever read about in classics and romantic poems.

And then, one-by-one, they eventually enlisted, and what followed was the kind of horror unlike anything they ever imagined. The story did not shy away from the most graphic depiction of any kinds of violence. The prose is at times very matter-of-fact and dry, which somehow makes the truth more truthful and hits that much harder. Alice Winn is a genius at using different types of proses and formats to construct the roller coaster of emotions in this story. The juxtaposition between the straightforward facts and the flowery poems gave me whiplash. The meaningful switches from standard narration to letters to newsletter managed to condition me to hold my breath in dread. It was frightfully immersive to look through the list of the deceased and wounded with one eye closed, praying that the characters you care for had not died.

Despite the immersive setting, this book is very character-driven. And it's a testament to the author's amazing skill when every character she crafted broke my heart one way or another. The protagonists, Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, had been best friends and mutually pining after each other for so many years. Their relationship, like everything else, is affected by the war and their traumas. Their emotions are ugly, their yearning raw, and their love seemingly pointless. But theirs is a love story amidst hatred, of gentleness amidst violence. It is all the ugliness that makes their story beautiful. I love them both so, so much.

I don't know how to talk about the supporting characters without having a breakdown. This book didn't turn me into a sobbing mess, but it carved a total void in my heart where some characters - even those that only appears for a half chapter - had been alive and then gone. It's the first time I understand that, if I can still cry because of a book, then I'm quite alright, because when I'm truly devastated, there's only silence, which was what happened when I turned the last page of this book. The war and the characters have all felt so real, so close. I don't think I've fully come out of it yet. And I don't know if I ever will.

What a glorious mixture this book is. This historical tale manages to combine a very realistic look at war with some visceral emotion regarding relationships.

I love when tales feel timeless and while this story is firmly set in 1914 - there's so much in it that will resonate with readers at any age.

And the relationship - from initial tentative fumbling to comradery in the trenches. My heart!

Fantastic, heart-shattering, just harrowing. I could keep going, but I'm sure you get the gist. What a great (but obviously sad) depiction of the war and the horrors that come with it. The characters were wonderful. I'll recommend this to everyone.

I loved Alice Winn's In Memoriam. I could not wait to return to reading it after work and I was horrified that it was going to end. Winn's evocation of World War I--particularly the trenches--is as good as anything I've ever read. It feels much more like a contemporary account written in the 1910s than a piece of historical fiction gazing back over 100 years. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I loved the romance. The worst experience of my week was finding out that Winn is a debut author and I'm stuck hoping that she writes something else. She had better. I will be thinking about this book for years to come.

Wow. This book moved me, astonished me, enlightened me, wrecked me. I finished it in the middle of the night, huddled around the light of my Kindle, because I simply. could. not. put. it. down.

To state the obvious: This is a difficult story, necessarily full of violence and gore and cruelty. And it's not something I would typically gravitate toward. Many years in journalism covering various conflicts, even from the safety of a newsroom half a world away, left me feeling as if I've read enough accounts of war to last a lifetime. But I'm so glad that I requested an ARC of "In Memoriam" on a trusted recommendation, because I'll remember this book not as a war story, but as a love story.

Gaunt and Ellwood's relationship is what carried me through the book, just as it carries them through the horrors they experience. I was sobbing at certain points and laughing out loud at others. For all the gravity and gruesomeness, it's also a very tender story.

The literary references alone are stunning, from Tennyson (of course), to Shakespeare, to Thucydides to George Eliot (there's a running joke about how the Red Cross keeps sending copies of "Adam Bede" to the front). And the newspaper inserts work very well and didn't, for me, interrupt the flow of the narrative.

I highlighted an absurd number of quotes that I won't share from the uncorrected proof, but the prose really is lovely. It balances bravery and cowardice, love and indifference, fate and choice, kindness and malice. I was reminded of a line from Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," one of the only war books I remember well decades after reading it:

“War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love."

And sometimes, poetry.

"How vain am I! / How should he love a thing so low?”
-Tennyson, "In Memoriam"

Hauntingly beautiful and tragic, this book is really one for the ages and I hope we get many more like it.