Just noticed this on iPlayer: BBC iPlayer - Birdsong: Episode 1

Like most screen adaptations, its not entirely faithful to the book, and it would also help to have read the book before watching, but its still worth a look at.

Shame they only thought it was worth two episodes.

Tell me about it, it doesn't really do the book justice, I'd have thought that Birdsong would need at least 3 episodes to get the whole story across.

I'm Sky+ ing both episodes to watch at once,so is it worth watching or a waste of 4 hours?

Originally Posted by spike7451

I'm Sky+ ing both episodes to watch at once,so is it worth watching or a waste of 4 hours?

.

It's a bit of a poncey (looking all mysterious into the foreground) love story, with a bit of tunneling scenes tbh.

I read the book a while back - thought at the time it followed the well know 'lions lead by donkeys' war weary cynicism path much beloved by novelists - which might have had some bearing in 1917 but in 1916 before the first battle of the Somme? Naah not impressed - trying too hard to press all the right buttons

The military side was the usual BBC liberal luvvie gash; they obviously spent a shed load of money on the trench scenes, yet seem to have neither looked at a few photos of what trenches actually looked like, nor consulted anyone who has served in the army and who might be able to illuminate how officers and ORs functioned together in the typical busy trench routine of the time. Instead we get the usual BBC portrayal of effete, arrogant, distant officers, forelock-tugging noble ORs, and an emphasis on class war rather than war against ze Germans....

All a bit fey. As a bit of a sucker (hur hur) for boobies I have this on. What was the short stabby thing he pulled on the semi-naked brass? Didn't look too like the bayonet of the time.

Next scene -Move on to a red arsed Lt giving a lefty appreciation of why the first day of the Somme failed. "We will be attacking uphill." To be shocked at that prospect, he'd obviously never been to [name a range/dry trg area] then.

I tried to read the book, but gave up after several goes, so hopefully the film will inspire me to try again.

It must hsve something going for it, Chef's law of books states;

'The better a book is, the less likely you are to find it in a charity shop.'

You won't very often find Robert Rankin or Prachett in the charity shops, but Dan Brown, McNab et al, they have shedloads of the stuff.

I quite liked the bit where that bird had her tits out. What's it about?