Welcome to a slow read of Pat Barker’s Regeneration. This is a novel about the treatment of shell-shocked soldiers at Craiglockhart War Hospital during the First World War. In 1917, two of the patients at the hospital were the poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. This is a book about trauma, recovery, and the power and limits of language to express the horrors of war.

This is the first novel in a trilogy, and I hope to bring you guides and read-alongs for The Eye in the Door and The Ghost Road in the future.

Below is the reading schedule for the slow read.

The read-along begins on 3 April and runs for 7 weeks.

Every Friday, you will receive a post from me with discussion and resources for that week’s reading, and you can join the conversation in the comments section of each post.

To receive these posts, turn on notifications for “2026 Regeneration” in your settings.

The first post is always free. To access the rest of the read-along, you’ll need to be a paid subscriber to Footnotes & Tangents. This costs £5/month or £50/year. There are discounts for groups and complimentary subscriptions for readers on low or no income. Read more about membership and testimonials from slow readers.

Everything related to the slow read can be found here:

Week 1: Part 1, Chapters 1 – 4

Friday 3 April – Thursday 9 April

Week 2: Part 1, Chapters 5 – 7

Friday 10 April – Thursday 16 April

Week 3: Part 2, Chapters 8 – 10

Friday 17 April – Thursday 23 April

Week 4: Part 2, Chapters 11 – 13

Friday 24 April – Thursday 30 April

Week 5: Part 3, Chapters 14 – 16

Friday 1 May – Thursday 7 May

Week 6: Part 4, Chapters 17 – 19

Friday 8 May – Thursday 14 May

Week 7: Part 4, Chapters 20 – 23

Friday 15 May – Thursday 21 May