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Sherston's Progress

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"Sherston's Progress" is the third and final book of Siegfried Sassoon's fictionalized accounts of what he experienced during WWI. At times the events hue so closely to what Sassoon actually experienced that it is hard to tell fact from fiction. This only helps to add to the enigma surrounding the life and legacy of Sassoon, a soldier-poet who denounced the war only to return to the front as a way to find out who he really was.

Picking up where "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer" left off, "Sherston's Progress" begins with George Sherston's time spent in the Slateford War Hospital in Edinburgh where he is declared to be suffering from shellshock. To all outward appearances, Sherston is fine and his doctor, Rivers, allows Sherston to work through his own thoughts until he decides what it is he wants to do. Having essentially been forgiven for denouncing the war, Sherston decides to go back to the front. The second section is filled with his preparations for returning to battle, as well as some sidetracks into fox hunting in Ireland, reminiscent of the first book in the series "Memories of a Fox Hunting Man". The third section, which can be a little monotonous at times, is in diary entry format as Sherston records his daily experiences in Egypt and France. The final section offers the character's (and author's) final thoughts on war and all that he has experienced.

Because of its fictionalized reality, "Sherston's Progress" is an interesting read, especially for those who know about Sassoon's life and experiences. This account is very straightforward, with Sassoon as Sherston speaking directly to the reader as he questions his actions and motivations. It shows the progression of how a man who did not think it was an honor to fight for his country could learn to accept why war had to occur even if he did not agree with it. Throughout, and especially at the end, Sassoon still questions the purpose of war and the cost of life that it requires. And while he can somewhat reconcile himself with its necessity, he doesn't necessarily have any satisfactory answers to offer.