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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Well...Hooker certainly isn't a writer. He had a good story and went with it but beyond that...? This book about drove me crazy with how many "said" phrases it used, though I realize this was common at the time this book was published. I am a huge fan of the MASH tv show and knew it was an adaptation but goodness...I've never seen one with so many changes! Hawkeye married? No BJ? Winchester? Potter? Or Kliger? Even so the book was amusing and aside from a football game that lasted much too long, I enjoyed it.
I went into this book with a deeply rooted love for the TV show. The book was similar, but different enough that it didn't strike the same chords so I'm more or less rating this on its own merits.
I have some trouble with accepting racial terms like "Spearchucker" as a nickname and rape jokes as a matter of course. There is some leeway given the time period is was written in and for, but they would still have been somewhat scandalous at the time. The book would have been better with a little more tact added to it, and I won't be going further into the series.
But there were some interesting points and the writing style itself isn't bad. Thus it is a midline book and gets a three star rating.
I have some trouble with accepting racial terms like "Spearchucker" as a nickname and rape jokes as a matter of course. There is some leeway given the time period is was written in and for, but they would still have been somewhat scandalous at the time. The book would have been better with a little more tact added to it, and I won't be going further into the series.
But there were some interesting points and the writing style itself isn't bad. Thus it is a midline book and gets a three star rating.
I loved the TV show, so I decided to read the book. I knew going in, there was no way I would appreciate the book like I did the TV show. I really enjoyed the book though. I knew not to expect the character development that the TV show was able to provide, but the characters were still characters in the true sense of the word. Read it knowing that there were changes made for television, that probably wouldn't have worked in the book and you will appreciate the book as I did.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Very witting and loving. If you liked the TV show, you'll probably enjoy the novel. The chapters are episodic in a slice-of-life kind of way, which I enjoyed.
Beware of some humor that wouldn't fly today
Beware of some humor that wouldn't fly today
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Minor: Ableism
I don't know how much the TV series (which I love) colored my experience with the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was like listening to lost episodes of the show.
I found this book amusing in plenty of places, and I think that it really conveyed the endless boredom followed by almost an influx of injured, however most of the characters were very 2D, and the writing style felt almost amateurish.
This books contains a lot of casual racism and misogyny that is sometimes played for laughs, but these jokes mostly fall flat, and generally haven't aged well. I suppose this could be an attempt at period typical attitudes, but generally they just made me uncomfortable.
But one aspect which I enjoyed which some others have criticised is the episodic nature of the chapters. They made it easier to digest, and meant that if I was distracted during reading, I could pick up the book a week after putting it down and instantly know what's going on.
I would recommend this novel to a fan of the MASH tv show or film who wants to know the origins of the characters they know and love, however otherwise this is not a must-read by any stretch, and in fact is possibly best left as a relic of the past.
This books contains a lot of casual racism and misogyny that is sometimes played for laughs, but these jokes mostly fall flat, and generally haven't aged well. I suppose this could be an attempt at period typical attitudes, but generally they just made me uncomfortable.
But one aspect which I enjoyed which some others have criticised is the episodic nature of the chapters. They made it easier to digest, and meant that if I was distracted during reading, I could pick up the book a week after putting it down and instantly know what's going on.
I would recommend this novel to a fan of the MASH tv show or film who wants to know the origins of the characters they know and love, however otherwise this is not a must-read by any stretch, and in fact is possibly best left as a relic of the past.
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No