I really don't know how to describe how I feel about The Backwash of War. This book is an arresting and vicious critique of war. La Motte's writing is steeped in meticulously constructed sarcasm and irony that thoroughly scours the war machine in a visceral way. And as deeply uncomfortable as certain passages are to read I couldn't help but sit in awe at La Motte's mastery of craft and argumentation.

But there are moments in this book that didn't feel like social critique but a genuine reflection of Ellen La Motte's worldview. Her writings on disabled war veterans especially turned my stomach. Some people may argue that she simply reflects the beliefs of others at the time and therefore her horrific cruelty toward disabled people is in itself a critique. But the way she describes disabled bodies as subhuman and monstrous and disabled people as less worthy of life was so consistent throughout it felt less like a dark mirror reflecting society and more like a plain window into La Motte's sincere beliefs.

I really don't know how to describe The Backwash of War. The feeling of violent immersion in a sickening perspective was never pleasurable but it was cathartic on a level beyond enjoyment. I rated this book 4-stars but never has a rating felt more arbitrary and meaningless in capturing my thoughts. I haven't felt this way about a piece of media since I watched American Psycho and that movie still lives under the surface of my skin. So if that's any indication I think The Backwash of War is going to stick with me for a good long while.