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Fortunes of War: The Balkan Trilogy
Fortunes of War: The Balkan Trilogy | Olivia Manning
15 posts | 9 read | 16 to read
"The Balkan Trilogy" is the story of a marriage and of a war, a vast, teeming, and complex masterpiece in which Olivia Manning brings the uncertainty and adventure of civilian existence under political and military siege to vibrant life. Manning s focus is not the battlefield but the cafe and kitchen, the bedroom and street, the fabric of the everyday world that has been irrevocably changed by war, yet remains unchanged. At the heart of the trilogy are newlyweds Guy and Harriet Pringle, who arrive in Bucharest the so-called Paris of the East in the fall of 1939, just weeks after the German invasion of Poland. Guy, an Englishman teaching at the university, is as wantonly gregarious as his wife is introverted, and Harriet is shocked to discover that she must share her adored husband with a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Other surprises follow: Romania joins the Axis, and before long German soldiers overrun the capital. The Pringles flee south to Greece, part of a group of refugees made up of White Russians, journalists, con artists, and dignitaries. In Athens, however, the couple will face a new challenge of their own, as great in its way as the still-expanding theater of war."
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sisilia
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I‘m giving myself a pat on the back for finishing these two. I read Book 1 of the Balkan Trilogy last year, and stopped without reason. Luckily, I have someone to buddy-read with this year… and I completed Balkan in Oct, Levant this morning 🤓 I had quite a journey with the Pringles; from Romania to Greece to Egypt and its surrounding countries. Overall 3.5⭐️ with preference to Balkan Trilogy

BarbaraBB A well deserved pat on the back! 👍🏽 1y
TheBookHippie Well done!!! 💙 1y
See All 9 Comments
Ruthiella Great job! 👏👏👏 1y
Leftcoastzen Wow ! 1y
quietjenn Hurrah! I ordered both of these during the last NYRB book sale and seeing how large they are in the flesh did give me a slight pause when the box showed up! You will be my inspiration 😉 1y
batsy Well done! 👏🏽 1y
Amiable Excellent job! 1y
46 likes1 stack add9 comments
review
sisilia
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Pickpick

4⭐️ This chunky novel is super readable. What you need is just lots of allocated reading time and no phone nearby 😝 If you like stories during WWII era, this one is for you. I learned a lot about Rumania from Book 2, and I wonder what the Levant Trilogy would bring me.

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sisilia
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My kind of beach read 😆

Leftcoastzen I‘m with you! beautiful setting! 1y
Liz_M Oh, I want to be there. 1y
quietjenn *swoon* 1y
See All 10 Comments
BarbaraBB Gorgeous 😍 1y
Cathythoughts Beautiful ♥️ 1y
batsy Bliss! 1y
erzascarletbookgasm Envy! 😍 1y
LeahBergen Happy Birthday! 📚❤️📚❤️ 1y
batsy Happy birthday!! 🎂📚🎈 1y
61 likes10 comments
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sisilia
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It‘s public holiday here in Singapore, which means I have time to read 💃🏻

Leftcoastzen Another book you are reading I want to read . Hope your holiday is great. 1y
sisilia @Leftcoastzen Thanks Linda 😄 I think you‘ll love this… Book 1 is a bit slow but things get sooo much better in Book 2 1y
BarbaraBB Great pic! 1y
48 likes3 comments
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sisilia
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Back to reading this book…. after a year 🙈 I finished Book 1 of the trilogy last year, and was somehow distracted by other, more pressing reads 🤪

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Bookbuyingaddict
The Balkan Trilogy | Olivia Manning
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Found this great 👍 old recording on BBC‘s podcasts from 1970 the year before I was born , sadly it‘s only short , funny how everyone sounded so very English and posh then , I‘m sure our voices have dropped a few octaves since then 😆anyway not enamoured of any of the characters so far but it‘s my #bookclubbingo March read so preserving!

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Bookbuyingaddict
The Balkan Trilogy | Olivia Manning
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Started reading 📖 my #bookspinbingo last night #spin no 19 in Harry Potter ⚡️slipper socks 🧦 😀

Soubhiville Yay! Those look 🤩 cozy ❤️ 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
12 likes2 comments
review
emmaturi
The Balkan Trilogy | Olivia Manning
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Pickpick

This is the last in this trilogy, Guy and Harriet are in Athens, Greece. They continue their lives as best as possible with the war going on. Guy tries to get a work in a school, Harriet also finds some work. There is lots about the politics of the time and I found it very informative. There is another trilogy based on the next part of their journey where they end up in Cairo, Egypt.

31 likes1 stack add
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sisilia
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Book 1. The start of Olivia Manning‘s two sets of trilogy, we follow Harriet and Guy Pringle to Bucharest in the early set of WWII. My head spins as characters are introduced one after another. Nothing much plot-wise, as they are all just waiting anxiously, wondering if Germany is going to attack Rumania while they are all there

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sisilia
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Juggling these three

erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve only read Revenge 👍. Hope you‘ll enjoy. 4y
BarbaraBB I have Revenge lined up for next week! 4y
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
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sisilia
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Blame my restless mind, I keep jumping from one book to another. Starting a new one before I finish my current read. So this is my new pick

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Dajashby
The Balkan Trilogy | Olivia Manning

Reading this because we recently streamed the BBC series.

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CarolynM
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This is the best I can do for #Croatia #AugustIsATrip

batsy I love the series ❤️ I need to read the books. 6y
vkois88 I don't think I've heard of this, but it sounds good 6y
CarolynM @vkois88 The TV series in the 80's was pretty good. I found the books really slow, I never read the second part, 6y
51 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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CarolynM
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#MarchIntoOz #TheHoneymoonIsOver

The honeymoon didn't last long for Guy and Harriet Pringle. This edition doubly relevant since Ken and Em met on the set of the TV adaptation. I'm playing catch up because I really want to do all of this challenge!

batsy This series is so amazing 💜 I really need to read the books. 6y
Cinfhen @minkyb this book is a hidden surprise 924 pages😱 #BigBookMonitor #Alert 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 6y
CarolynM @Cinfhen To be fair there are 3 novels in there so that's only 308 pages each😂 6y
39 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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darby3
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Enjoying.

2 likes1 stack add