No More Parades

First published in 1925, No More Parades received high praise from critics, with The Observer declaring the initial 100 pages to easily surpass in truth, brilliance, and subtlety everything else that has yet been written in England about the physical circumstances and moral atmosphere of the war. As the second novel in the Parades End tetralogy, it follows army captain Christopher Tietjens—a former civil servant and statistician—alongside his beautiful yet cruel wife Sylvia, and his jealous and tempestuous godfather, General Campion. Set in the tumultuous backdrop of Rouen, France in 1917, Christopher grapples with profound physical, mental, and moral challenges that reflect the complexities of the society he inhabits, offering insights that may surprise modern readers and listeners alike. - Summary by Peter Dann