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stacykins78's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the writing in this book. It was written in the late 40s and published in 1950. It takes place up at Schofield Barracks and in various places around Oahu. Every single character in this book is flawed and there are quite a few tragedies that befall them. There are different storylines going at the same time and for me, when the plotlines finally intertwined, it left me wanting something bigger and something more. I read the original version...not the censored one that was initially published. All in all a good read. A little taxing at times, but it was good.
dogearedandfurry's review against another edition
3.0
My Kindle copy says 957 pages - it's the longest thing I can remember reading, but I'm finally done.
greenan26's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual content, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Homophobia, Blood, Biphobia, Suicide, Violence, Outing, and Misogyny
erin_oriordan_is_reading_again's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, Prew, you big idiot. Why did you ever listen to Maggio? Maggio's just a dumb kid. You shouldn't have let him talk you into getting put in the hole and moved to the second bunkhouse. But it was inevitable, I suppose.
I keep wanting to compare this book to [b:Gone With the Wind|18405|Gone With the Wind|Margaret Mitchell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328025229s/18405.jpg|3358283], but that's really an apples-to-oranges comparison. GWTW is a sweeping epic that follows Scarlet O'Hara from the age of sixteen up into her 30s, while FHTE all takes place in 1941 and January 1942. Even though it spans only a year, though, it feels like a big, sweeping epic. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor doesn't come in until the last 200 pages or so, but since we're reading it through the lens of history, Pearl Harbor looms over the whole novel.
The heroes, Robert E. Lee Prewitt and Milton Warden, are both flawed, but by the end, we love them, flaws and all. The women - Lorene and Karen - are also flawed, but all they really want is to be in love without being pushed around by love. One might surmise that James Jones took too pessimistic a view of love, and harbored an uncalled-for sympathy for alcoholics. Still, his story rings incredibly true. Like GWTW, this is an imperfect novel that will stay with me long after I've closed the back cover.
Now, on to the sequel, [b:The Thin Red Line|92417|The Thin Red Line|James Jones|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171247310s/92417.jpg|994495]. Prew and Warden will be reincarnated as Witt and Welsh.
I keep wanting to compare this book to [b:Gone With the Wind|18405|Gone With the Wind|Margaret Mitchell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328025229s/18405.jpg|3358283], but that's really an apples-to-oranges comparison. GWTW is a sweeping epic that follows Scarlet O'Hara from the age of sixteen up into her 30s, while FHTE all takes place in 1941 and January 1942. Even though it spans only a year, though, it feels like a big, sweeping epic. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor doesn't come in until the last 200 pages or so, but since we're reading it through the lens of history, Pearl Harbor looms over the whole novel.
The heroes, Robert E. Lee Prewitt and Milton Warden, are both flawed, but by the end, we love them, flaws and all. The women - Lorene and Karen - are also flawed, but all they really want is to be in love without being pushed around by love. One might surmise that James Jones took too pessimistic a view of love, and harbored an uncalled-for sympathy for alcoholics. Still, his story rings incredibly true. Like GWTW, this is an imperfect novel that will stay with me long after I've closed the back cover.
Now, on to the sequel, [b:The Thin Red Line|92417|The Thin Red Line|James Jones|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171247310s/92417.jpg|994495]. Prew and Warden will be reincarnated as Witt and Welsh.
zenithharpink's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh. This book was pretty awful, in my estimation. While I read this, I could sort of understand why others may enjoy this book as much as the ratings would indicate, and based on ratings and the length of this book, I had really high hopes. I like big books and I cannot lie! Unfortunately, I actually ended up hating this book.
I am not what you would call a sophisticated reader-I'm not looking for much in a book. A consistent plot, engaging/likable characters, maybe an engaging circumstance or environment-that's really all I'm looking for. This book delivered none of those things. I didn't give a shit about any of the characters, and I wasn't given the impression that I was supposed to. There was no discernible plot, this was more a shadow of a group than a continuous (or interesting) story line.
By the end of this, I really didn't care how things were wrapped up-the length of this book was entirely unjustified, it felt like half the book were long-winded diatribes on random subjects, that added no value to what was already an incoherent storyline.
This book was exhausting, and based on my estimation of this book, I can't recommend to anybody. I've read better WWII books, both fiction and nonfiction, both of which are better uses of a reader's time.
I am not what you would call a sophisticated reader-I'm not looking for much in a book. A consistent plot, engaging/likable characters, maybe an engaging circumstance or environment-that's really all I'm looking for. This book delivered none of those things. I didn't give a shit about any of the characters, and I wasn't given the impression that I was supposed to. There was no discernible plot, this was more a shadow of a group than a continuous (or interesting) story line.
By the end of this, I really didn't care how things were wrapped up-the length of this book was entirely unjustified, it felt like half the book were long-winded diatribes on random subjects, that added no value to what was already an incoherent storyline.
This book was exhausting, and based on my estimation of this book, I can't recommend to anybody. I've read better WWII books, both fiction and nonfiction, both of which are better uses of a reader's time.
dwhite1174's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
kristin_lapos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
k5tog's review against another edition
3.0
Set at the Scofield barracks in Honolulu during the years leading up to and the months immediately following Pearl Harbor, this incredibly long book follows the interconnected lives of two service men, Private Pruett and First Sergeant Warden. Both men are flawed but with signs of heroism and redemption.
I enjoyed the story, but I despised the long winded, internal monologues by characters regarding everything from the machine that the world has become to the entrapment of marriage. It reminded me of an Ayn Rand novel - too much trying to get an underlying point across to the reader. I feel like the book could have used a good editor to chop away much of the self-analysis.
I enjoyed the story, but I despised the long winded, internal monologues by characters regarding everything from the machine that the world has become to the entrapment of marriage. It reminded me of an Ayn Rand novel - too much trying to get an underlying point across to the reader. I feel like the book could have used a good editor to chop away much of the self-analysis.
fourtriplezed's review against another edition
5.0
I nowadays rarely read novels but did this one after seeing the film The Thin Red Line and reading various reviews of James Jones novels. I could not put this down. Wonderful story and great writing that had me loving every word and moment.