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pbraue13's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Racism
book_concierge's review
2.0
2.5 stars
It was a controversial best seller when published because of the language and overt sex. But I'm bored by it. The repetition may be Jones's way of introducing the numbing effect of military drill, but it just drove me crazy. The book could have been half the length and still given the message. What disturbed me even more, though, is that at base I do not think Jones likes the American soldier. And that just turned me off.
It was a controversial best seller when published because of the language and overt sex. But I'm bored by it. The repetition may be Jones's way of introducing the numbing effect of military drill, but it just drove me crazy. The book could have been half the length and still given the message. What disturbed me even more, though, is that at base I do not think Jones likes the American soldier. And that just turned me off.
terrypaulpearce's review
5.0
Amazing book. Should be more widely known. Just completely took me into the characters' heads. Deserves to be more of a classic.
ajreader's review
1.0
Read my full thoughts over at Read.Write.Repeat.
I cannot for the life of me understand why this book is on the Best Novels list. Unlike Ulysses, it had no deeper symbolism that I could recognize. Maybe it just wasn't my genre, but even still, I wish there had been more plot to focus on. To me, bar hopping and saving money for the whorehouse counts little for a real plot.
I cannot for the life of me understand why this book is on the Best Novels list. Unlike Ulysses, it had no deeper symbolism that I could recognize. Maybe it just wasn't my genre, but even still, I wish there had been more plot to focus on. To me, bar hopping and saving money for the whorehouse counts little for a real plot.
jamesdanielhorn's review
4.0
From Here to Eternity was for me worth the time it took to read. This is long as hell and not for everyone. The book details army life in the late 30’s for those stationed in Hawaii in exquisite detail and there is some absolutely stunning prose throughout. There is also tons of misogyny, racism, and toxic masculinity, but to me it never feels like the author believes in those things as much as he’s reporting on what the people around him were like during his time there. I’ve been a little sick of books with anti-hero protagonists as of recent, but this one didn’t bother me. I genuinely got to like and felt connections with many of them despite their flaws. Keeping all this in mind is the best way to decide whether to invest in this novel or not, but for me, it was quite enjoyable.
tac107's review
5.0
Wow, what a story. I always assumed that Catch-22 was my favorite war novel because it was so darkly funny. This book is, in some ways, funny, but it's even darker than Catch-22. It's like that book but maybe half as funny and twice as upsetting. But it's great, and it's a journey, and the ending is so satisfying and appropriate for the story. I can see that some people might be turned off by the length (800+ pages) but it's really worth going through that journey with the characters.
sam_el's review against another edition
3.0
Jones was clearly a fine writer, but he was in desperate need of a good editor. He's entirely too self-indulgent in this novel and he has clearly never met an adverb he didn't like. He often uses two adverbs in a row. He uses them liberally unsparingly. The self-indulgence comes from overly purple descriptions and an obnoxious habit of repeating himself for effect, but so much to the point of driving the reader crazy.
Nevertheless, this is a good look at the Army just before Pearl Harbor and a good editor would have made this novel fantastic.
Nevertheless, this is a good look at the Army just before Pearl Harbor and a good editor would have made this novel fantastic.
brdgtc's review
3.0
Read this immediately after The Naked and the Dead, so I'm about done with books about soldiers and their thoughts on women for a while. If you want to be disabused of some of your rose-colored beliefs on "The Greatest Generation" I suggest the combo, however.