Why are wartime novels unpopular with contemporary audiences ?

Older readers relate to stories set in the Second World War; but do younger readers experience the same connection with our recent past?

War narratives that examine bravery, resilience — and the consequences of hardship brought about by conflict— deliver captivating historical perspectives and thrilling stories. So why don't younger readers enjoy war stories?

Well-crafted wartime tales provide readers of any age with valuable insights into important historical events and offer diverse viewpoints, making history easier to understand.

Readers of any age can experience powerful emotions when learning about war, frequently developing empathy and compassion for those impacted by conflict.

War stories offer readers difficult themes: of loss, deprivation, and political tension, encouraging critical thinking.

So, why do contemporary readers find wartime novels less appealing? Why are wartime novels unpopular with contemporary audiences?

• We already have too much exposure to war! Books about war, shows about war, and the daily news about war are unavoidable. Everything is about war!

• War possesses a level of complexity and lots of details that are difficult to fathom. Engaging with certain aspects of conflict presents a real challenge.

• Younger readers prefer uncomplicated stories about friendship and romance. It's thought that wartime narratives will lack personal connections.

• War is over-loaded with boring statistics and too many facts!

• Today’s audiences prefer up-to-date stories; past events hold little interest for contemporary readers

• The settings, scenarios, and ideas in war stories are often tired, predictable, and unoriginal. War stories are considered to be joyless and formulaic!

• Many war stories are essentially sermons against the dangers of war and this sermonising gets tedious!

• Modern people cannot grasp the scale of war

• War stories tend to romanticize the horrors and fatalities of war... and those things shouldn’t be romanticized

• Millions of innocent people died tragically and needlessly because of the last war; should we still be glorifying it?

• War is a stressful competition. Young people don't like to compete! Competition is stressful to read about, let alone contemplate

What do you think? Are you a young reader that likes to read war stories? Or do you think wartime stories are boring?

English author NEIL MACH is currently working on a novel that recounts the experiences of a group of land army women in Dormansland (near Lingfield, Surrey) during the final months of the Second World War, 1945.

He's now offering a slideshow talk titled : Surrey Farmland Girls - Triumph on the Land - a history of the Women's Land Army 1945.

If you'd like to learn more about Neil Mach and his community history talks go to SpeakerNet:

https://speakernet.co.uk/speaker/1888/neil-mach

If you'd like to know when his wartime novel becomes available please follow Neil's blog!