Just Finished Reading: Unbroken – An Extraordinary True Story of Courage and Survival by Laura Hillenbrand (FP: 2010)

I have so many books still sitting in piles salted around my house (thankfully much bigger than I actually need – apart from serving as a library that is) that it’s a rare thing indeed that I borrow books from other people. For one thing if I see a book that looks interesting I normally buy it straight away and for another my tastes are rather individual shall we say and leave it at that. This particular book was leant to me by my Big Boss at work after her husband enjoyed it on holiday (being practically unputdownable apparently) so she thought I’d enjoy it too especially after seeing me read other WW2 books which must have seemed pretty similar.

Anyway – the book is about Louis Zamperini who spent his young year’s one step ahead of the law and one act away from juvenile hall. He was a terror to the neighbourhood he grew up in and a constant test to his parents. Luckily for Louis he discovered his gift – he could run faster than any one he knew and he liked to win. Entering the 1936 Olympics he gave a creditable performance and was tipped to be the first man to break the 4 minute mile. Unfortunately his chance ended when the 1940 Olympic Games – scheduled to take place in Tokyo – had to be cancelled because of a much bigger event called World War Two. Louis did the only thing he could think of – join the Air Force – and ended up flying in B-24’s in the Pacific War. In 1943 his luck ran out and the plane he was in ditched in the Pacific ironically during a search and rescue mission for another lost bomber. Far exceeding the existing record for survival in an inflatable raft Louis and his two companions where eventually picked up by a Japanese warship and ended up in a prisoner of war camp until wars end in 1945. Needless to say his time in camp was far from pleasant. After years of physical and mental torture at the hands of his captors Louis returned to the States seemingly untouched by his ordeal yet was suffering increasingly from what we now call Post Traumatic Stress. In an act of desperation before their marriage fell apart his new wife introduced him to charismatic preacher Billy Graham whose words turned his life around.

On the face of it this should have made a gripping story. After all it’s a huge best seller and has just been made into a movie which will, no doubt, make buck loads of money. But it honestly left me cold. I found the whole troubled youth thing laid on far too thick (and for too long) and just wanted the author to move the story on a bit. Likewise the harrowing treatment at the hands of several Japanese guards went on for so long that it frankly became boring – there’s only so many beatings you can take – and I was probably as grateful that the war ended and Louis could go home as he was. Lastly the fact that he managed to overcome yet another hurdle in the shape of PTSD – with the help of God no less – whilst true left me deeply unmoved. Despite all of the troubles heaped upon poor Louis he was just too good, too unbroken, to be true (despite the truth of the tale). The whole book read like a modern version of Job being pushed by God to lose his faith only for it to deepen instead. No doubt this man went through hell and came out the other side but by the end of the book I frankly didn’t care. There are many people out there who will, no doubt, love this book which will be a real inspiration to them in their own difficult times. I, however, am not one of them. Definitely not recommended.