The Wars

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Wars is a 1977 novel by Timothy Findley about Robert Ross, a young Canadian who joins World War I to escape his grief after his sister Rowena’s death and the strict social rules of his time. The story is told from many voices, including a historian, and uses a collage of perspectives to trace Robert’s life during and after the war. This shifting narration makes The Wars an example of historiographic metafiction.

Plot in brief
- Prologue: A young Robert, in a ragged Canadian uniform, stands with a pistol as a train carrying horses passes by and is stopped by a fire. He helps a herd of horses escape, signaling the book’s strong animal imagery.
- Rowena’s death and guilt: Robert’s beloved sister Rowena dies after falling from her wheelchair in their barn. He feels he failed to protect her and carries guilt with him as he leaves to fight in the war.
- Enlistment and training: Robert enlists to escape his pain. He meets Eugene Taffler, a famous war hero who becomes a sort of mentor. At a brothel, Robert witnesses a troubling scene involving Taffler, which unsettles him.
- War experiences begin: Robert sails to England, then France, where he leads a convoy and faces danger, near-drowning in a muddy sinkhole, and forming bonds with comrades like Rodwell, who cares for injured animals. He also loses a friend, Harris, who dies during the voyage.
- The human and animal bonds: Rodwell’s care for animals and Robert’s affection for Rowena’s memory deepen. Taffler remains an important, though complicated, figure in Robert’s life.
- Hospital and personal crises: Robert’s war experiences culminate in brutal moments at a hospital and in hospital-like settings. He learns more about fear, power, and the fragility of life. Juliet d’Orsey, a nurse, becomes a confidante and helps tell Robert’s story.
- Désolé and the front lines: Robert endures a brutal stretch at Désolé, a grim place where he faces assault and fear. He returns to the front, where chaos and death surround him.
- The turning act: In a major battle, Captain Leather refuses to release horses to save them, and Robert shoots Leather to protect the animals. He frees about 130 horses from a train, but the escape ends in tragedy as the barn catches fire and many animals perish. Robert is badly burned and is forced to abandon the horses.
- Aftermath and end: He is offered euthanasia but refuses. He is sent to England for long-term treatment, living with Juliet by his side until his death in 1922. Mr. Ross attends Robert’s burial, and the family’s ties are finally acknowledged.

Characters (brief)
- Robert Ross: The compassionate, idealistic young man whose inner guilt and resolve drive the story.
- Rowena: Robert’s older sister whose death haunts him throughout the book.
- Eugene Taffler: A celebrated war hero who becomes a complicated influence on Robert.
- Juliet d’Orsey: A nurse who knows Robert and acts as a key confidante.
- Harris: A friend from the ship who dies in France.
- Rodwell: A fellow soldier who cares for animals and forms a bond with Robert.
- Mr. Ross: Robert’s father, who offers quiet support.
- Marian Turner: A nurse who cares for Robert during his recovery.
- Barbara and Juliet d’Orsey: Family connections that intersect with the story’s emotional life.

Themes and style
- The title’s plural “Wars” points to many battles: external wars in the world and internal conflicts within Robert.
- The book blends scenes and voices to resemble memory and history, highlighting how different people remember the same events.
- Animals, especially horses, symbolize life, mercy, and the pull of Rowena’s memory.
- The novel also explores masculinity, fear, guilt, love, and the difficult line between heroism and violence.

Adaptations
- A film adaptation was released in 1983, directed by Robin Phillips.
- The play adaptation by Dennis Garnhum premiered in 2007 at Theatre Calgary.

The Wars is widely praised for its compressed, powerful storytelling and its lyrical, troubling portrayal of the costs of war on one young man and those around him.