The brutality of war is unveiled in the pages of
Bridge over River Kwai
when a struggle of wills between two military officers,
one British POW and the other a Japanese commanding officer,
comes to a head.
The officers are symbols of opposing cultures,
but are surprisingly similar in personality,
both ruled by their pride and their dedicated beliefs
about “saving face”
and military tradition.
I was impressed with how similar the perceptions of these officers
were to the ones we are seeing in the Afghan conflict today.
The timelessness is not only present in the content of these characters,
but also the author’s portrayal.
I think this book is an enjoyable read with a thrilling,
action-packed World War II storyline.
The psychological conflict between these two men
stayed with me long after I turned the last page.
January 2002
