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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Not bad, but after I had set it down for a week or so, I never felt compelled to go back to it and see how it ended.
I cannot imagine the real Mr March was anything like as dull or wet. At least I hope not. While Brooks may have something buried in here about the naivete of Northern abolitionists who know nothing of the realities of slavery, her message gets lost in a dull sequence of words and Civil War cliches.
And while it says in an author interview that she never liked Marmee in Little Women, she's has done her a disservice here. Brooks has grabbed the character trait we know of, her quick temper, she's taken this and gone far too far with it, making her not only quick tempered but also appallingly rude, which doesn't sit well at all.
Perhaps if you'd jot read a Civil War novel before this might be ok, but I couldn't warm to it. As Bernard Black would say, "it's dreadful but it's short."
And while it says in an author interview that she never liked Marmee in Little Women, she's has done her a disservice here. Brooks has grabbed the character trait we know of, her quick temper, she's taken this and gone far too far with it, making her not only quick tempered but also appallingly rude, which doesn't sit well at all.
Perhaps if you'd jot read a Civil War novel before this might be ok, but I couldn't warm to it. As Bernard Black would say, "it's dreadful but it's short."
Historical fiction with a powerful grounding in both the fictive world of Louisa May Alcott ("Little Women") as well as the real history of the American Civil War. A pitiable and complicated main character (March) leaves his family to fight in the war as a committed abolitionist. As the father of Jo and Beth and Amy from Little Women, we get to hear his side of what was happening in this critical period in U.S. history.
I found the premise more intriguing than the execution, but I liked the way in which his life and decisions had complicated outcomes, not predictable ones that were clearly heroic. The story reflects the complications and horror of the Civil War itself, and capably demonstrates the terrible life of slavery and its affects on human beings in that period.
I found the premise more intriguing than the execution, but I liked the way in which his life and decisions had complicated outcomes, not predictable ones that were clearly heroic. The story reflects the complications and horror of the Civil War itself, and capably demonstrates the terrible life of slavery and its affects on human beings in that period.
Read my full review here: http://thepulitzerblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/entry-13-march-by-geraldine-brooks-2006/
I loved all of Geraldine Brooks’ other books. I own hard copies of most of them. But I couldn’t get into this one. I think if you’re interested in the civil war period and seeing what life was like in this time and place, this would be the book for you. Otherwise, I felt it dragged and lacked that magical, immersive quality I experienced in Brooks’ other novels.
Glad I did a re-read of Little Women right before this. Really interesting way to add depth to Mr. And Mrs. March. Also the info regarding Alcott's true Galt history and the way Brooks incorporated some of her father's letters was really fascinating!
Couldn't believe how seamless a "sequel" and how well this book dovetailed with its "predecessor," Little Women. March, of course, had much sharper edges and the writing was spare but well-done. An excellent read.
I cannot tell you the years this book has sat on my shelf. As we were leaving for an extended trip I was trying to pick books and my 3 year old walked up so I asked her what I should read. She picked this one out and I'm glad she did. This was easy to read in the car and in hotels. It was deep enough to be thought-provoking, but not something that required a lot of thought or attention to read. I read this pretty quickly. Now I need to re-read Little Women.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix