Product Description

Set in the First World War, Journey's End concerns a group of British officers on the front line and opens in a dugout in the trenches in France. Raleigh, a new eighteen-year-old officer fresh out of English public school, joins the besieged company of his friend and cricketing hero Stanhope, and finds him dramatically changed ... Laurence Olivier starred as Stanhope in the first performance of Journey's End in 1928; the play was an instant stage success and remains a remarkable anti-war classic.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12166 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Customer Reviews

Emotion, Friendship juxtaposed with Pure Horror and Brutality
'Journey's End' opens in the bleak environment of the Western Front as a new arrival James Raleigh comes to join a group of soldiers in the trench system. The 'journey' on which the soldiers embark upon is contains two human attributes, the first being emotional attachment, the second being the power of perceiverance.

Sherriff does not need to go into the graphic details of what happens when the men 'go over the top', however he builds up a number of passionate friendships that both move and endear the reader. The first of these relationships is between Commander Stanhope and Officer Osborne who is 'the only man who could understand me' as described by the company commander at the moment of Osborne's demise. Their relationship is one of two brothers as they look after each other on the Front line - 'what would I ever do without you old chap' exclaims Stanhope, 'I do not know' responds Osborne - inferring the loving relationship the two characters share. At the moment of Osborne's death I was shocked at the anger that welled up inside Stanhope as he responded to the comments from the survivors of the daylight raid on 'the Boche'. He shouts at Hibbert - 'What did you say!...Get out of my sight!' in anger at losing his 'most trusted friend' and the sense of loss is only solidified by the explosion of emotion that feels his dialogue whilst conversing with Raleigh (the soul commanding survivor of the raid).

The audience can fully understand the sense of anger that is perpetuated by Stanhope at the loss of his comrade. The loss moves the reader as the emotional outpouring fills six pages of intense dialogue between the commanding officer and the other soldiers.

The opposite reaction can be found at the climax of the performance. Stanhope must deal with another loss, this time of his school friend and new arrival Raleigh. The young officer's death is one of immense sadness and brutality as the 'young boy's' dignity is ripped from him as 'he cannot walk sir' - though the most sombre moment comes when Raleigh asks 'is there something on my legs, I cannot move them' unbeknown to him that he is in fact paralysed from shrapnel breaking his spine. This horrific brutality is finalised with the death of 'that fine soldier'. This moment is devoid of anger or confusion, but bears down to the horrific truth of war time conflict. Sherriff highlights the horrific truth with the final dialogue between another officer and Stanhope. Stanhope must leave his fallen friend, 'I'm coming now', as he is called to duty. The audience is left feeling immense for the soldier who thought 'it awful nice of you to bother' when Stanhope fetches him a blanket and a candle as his last dying wish.

Sherriff allows two redeeming features to the two horrific deaths of the soldiers lie with the ignorance of Raleigh and the rapid death endured by Osborne whilst 'waiting for Raleigh on the Front line'. However this only adds to the brilliance of the play as a piece of anti war artwork.

Sherriff is fantastic at delivering a dialogue that not only amuses in places and heartens the audience but also plunges them to the depths of dispair at the brutality and senselessness of war. Two young men die in the play, along with six nameless others, however Sherriff only touches the tip of the iceberg with the play, but my does this tip deliver a piercing cut to the audience. It is emotive and passionate in its description of the group of men in the trenches, but accompanying this is a forceful message that highlights the stupid senselessness of the war effort and pays remeberance to the young souls who fell throughou the Great War.

Very Effective
This was recommended to me after I read and very much enjoyed 'All Clear On The Western Front'. It's similar in nature I suppose, looking at the human aspect of World War One, though Western Front seems to get across far more starkly just how ghastly it all was.

Some of that will no doubt be down to the fact that Journey's End concentrates on the lives of officers who had a higher standard of living even in the trenches. Also, with Journey's End being a play it is set over a far shorter timeframe which leaves less options to develop each of the characters.

The key player, Stanhope, is a young officer in charge of a company who is suffering incredible stress and keeping his head above water merely with the use of whiskey. They other key officers are all suffering in their own ways, with Raleigh a newcomer who is initially extremely optimistic though quickly shocked into the realities of the war.

There are two key characters killed during the course of the play and the loss is felt in a moving way. You do feel for each of the characters which I guess is a good example of how well written they are.

I've never really been one for reading plays, preferring to see them of course, but this reads well. Now, I must see it.

Not That Bad!
I have studied this book at a-level and it was a great read. The book allows the reader to develop an understanding of what life would have been like during the war. The book includes some sad and drastic elements, but humour is also a major part of the play. Worth buying your own copy if you're currently studying it!