conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about War, Burma, John with the genre: Literature & Fiction, Contemporary?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'The Soldier's Return'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me a plot for a book about War, Burma, John.. End with the sentence '\nThe book won the WH Smith Literary Award in 2000, and was followed by three sequels.'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Soldier's Return: Sam Richardson returns to the small Cumbrian town of Wigton after fighting in Burma during the Second World War.\nThe war has given Sam's wife Ellen a newfound confidence and Sam is a stranger to his son Joe.\nSam is plagued by memories of the war and wants a new life, for himself, his wife and his son.\nThe book won the WH Smith Literary Award in 2000, and was followed by three sequels.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first two paragraphs for this book.. End with the sentence ' Or he had? Why did what was so familiar suddenly flip over into what seemed new? 'How do, Sam?''.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Soldier's Return
  Halfway through his second cigarette, he moved off. No one took much notice – and again he felt as though he were going head on into a force, a high wind which made him want to bend his head and butt his way through. Yet the day was calm and warm, High Street quiet enough, with a few cattle being driven down the cowpat-splattered street to the railway station for shipment, fresh from the small Friday auction. Only one car on the street, parked outside the Lion and Lamb. He even knew who it belonged to.
  The curious sensation persisted, as if he were walking waist deep in the sea, pushing against a tide, even a hint of panic in his breath. Hello Sam, yes, grand, glad to be back, lovely day... it never changes, the town... but in some way he could not define, it had. Or he had? Why did what was so familiar suddenly flip over into what seemed new? 'How do, Sam?'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me five more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Shaken by the unexpected meeting with Ian's father, Sam wandered down towards the bowling green and found a patch empty of crowd. He sat against a sycamore and lit up, remembering and remembering again with painful vividness the number of times in this posture leaning against the trunk of a tree he had offered, been offered, a cigarette. By Ian. 'Seeing the kiddies' faces.' The phrase had got to Sam and he drew in deeply and the smoke set off a cannonade of coughing. Tears sprang to his eyes. He looked around furtively. Nobody must assume he was crying: It was just the smoke,' he said to himself, as if excusing the tears to someone else.
  After the sports had ended, the regimental band gave a last display, marching and counter-marching, drumsticks twirling, the sergeant major hurling his mace into the air, children strutting alongside, memories of setting out for war, of returning, of those who had not returned, all mingled in the crisp harmonies of brass which clarioned across the park. 'God Save The King' was played. The men took off their hats or caps and ex-servicemen automatically clicked to attention. The women sang full throatedly and there was one final unbidden cheer.
  The crowds ebbed away through the park gates, back into the town, costumes bedraggled now, some of the floats half dismantled though a few were unblemished, preserved for competition in other carnivals throughout the summer. The scarlet regimental band clambered into a battered bus.
  Sam had asked a few of them to help him take down the tents there and then and to Joe's dismay the castles of canvas pancaked to the ground in minutes and in no time at all they were packed and stacked in the shelter ready for collecting the next morning.
  Some of the children, like Joe, were still so charged up that they could not bear to leave and as the park resumed its old contour, like a shore restored when the tide goes out, the swings and roundabouts and banana slide made their appeal. The Water Street gang, not great enthusiasts for the park as a rule, decided to stay and dominate proceedings. They hogged the American swing and then when they saw a happy crowd queuing up the steps for the banana slide they abandoned the big plank of swing and hunted across to walk up the front of the slide itself, smear it to speed with the stump of a candle someone had and climb up the stilts to the cabin at the top, thus bypassing the patient crowd on the steps. Soon they drove everyone away.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Ellen's lips could get no tighter and the tears came to her eyes but she would not let them fall. Joe stood small beside her, bewildered, close to uncomprehending tears.
  Behind him, Alex said abruptly, 'You did me a favour once, Sam. Remember? I told you I'd never thanked you enough?'
  Alex pushed Sam to one side and threw his kitbag out of the window. He leaned out, opened the door and shoved the suitcase into his hand.
  He got up and collected his kitbag and began to walk towards them. Sent by Ellen, Joe ran, though not flat out, towards him and Sam squatted down and took the impact of the small boy.
  He put the kitbag under his arm and took Joe's hand in his and together they walked towards Ellen who stood, in tears now, rooted to the spot.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Ellen's lips could get no tighter and the tears came to her eyes but she would not let them fall. Joe stood small beside her, bewildered, close to uncomprehending tears.
  Behind him, Alex said abruptly, 'You did me a favour once, Sam. Remember? I told you I'd never thanked you enough?'
  Alex pushed Sam to one side and threw his kitbag out of the window. He leaned out, opened the door and shoved the suitcase into his hand.
  He got up and collected his kitbag and began to walk towards them. Sent by Ellen, Joe ran, though not flat out, towards him and Sam squatted down and took the impact of the small boy.