Human Traces - Sebastian Faulks

English author and former literary editor of The Independent Sebastian Faulks is possibly best known for his intriguing First World War novel `Birdsong` published in 1993. In 2005 another of his novels was published, this being `Human Traces`. Yet again Faulks has set his sights on providing readers with another captivating if not complicated tale that is set back in the mid 1800`s. Human traces centres around the lives of two young men who not only have their own personal issues with life but feel that they can make significant inroads into introducing change in how mental illness is perceived and dealt with. Jacques Rebiere , the son ...  Read the complete review

This is a beautifully written book. As well as that, its depth of scholarship is, in so far as it clearly involved, inter alia, a great deal of research into the causes and symptoms of mental illness, quite remarkable for what is, after all, a fictional work. The story is about the lives of two men, both who, through their childhood experiences, are drawn and indeed impelled towards a career in medicine, in particular towards psychiatric medicine Their aim, essentially, is to find a cure for madness. This quest takes each of them on a long and, at times, despairing journey. But bear in mind that this is not a story about a pair of doctors in any ...  Read the complete review