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WARNING: SPOILERS
This book is somewhat difficult for me to review; the writing and the story in and of itself is well done. I will comment that I am quite surprised that it won the 2006 Pulitzer. I have read many books quite similar in content, style and plot. These are enjoyable reads, but not remarkable; I don't find that Geraldine Brooks' take was worth more note than others. However, it was a good read and interestingly wove several contemporary figures into the story--Thoreau, John Brown, Ralph Waldo Emerson. If I were judging on that alone, this book would have earned four stars from me.
** SPOILERS**
However, this is a story of Mr. March, the father in Louisa May Alcott's iconic novel "Little Women". The book chronicles his journey through the same time period that Little Women portrays. This had so much potential to be a wonderful companion to the original novel. Brooks, though, took some liberties with her characterization that I was sorely disappointed with. After reading the Afterword and learning that she based the character on Alcott's father (which was compatible with Alcott's original vision, since the story was based on her sisters), I was more accepting of his radical abolitionist activity (which seemed out of character to me based on impressions from the original novel). However, the fact that he had an affair while away at war; and the personality she gave Marmee as a troubled, temperamental woman who needed to learn to control herself; were both so out of character from what I internalized from Little Women that it detracted considerably from the novel. I completely disagree with both these tangents, and for me--this made it a three-star book instead of a four-star book.
In my mind, People of the Book by the same author is far more deserving of an award-winning status.
This book is somewhat difficult for me to review; the writing and the story in and of itself is well done. I will comment that I am quite surprised that it won the 2006 Pulitzer. I have read many books quite similar in content, style and plot. These are enjoyable reads, but not remarkable; I don't find that Geraldine Brooks' take was worth more note than others. However, it was a good read and interestingly wove several contemporary figures into the story--Thoreau, John Brown, Ralph Waldo Emerson. If I were judging on that alone, this book would have earned four stars from me.
** SPOILERS**
However, this is a story of Mr. March, the father in Louisa May Alcott's iconic novel "Little Women". The book chronicles his journey through the same time period that Little Women portrays. This had so much potential to be a wonderful companion to the original novel. Brooks, though, took some liberties with her characterization that I was sorely disappointed with. After reading the Afterword and learning that she based the character on Alcott's father (which was compatible with Alcott's original vision, since the story was based on her sisters), I was more accepting of his radical abolitionist activity (which seemed out of character to me based on impressions from the original novel). However, the fact that he had an affair while away at war; and the personality she gave Marmee as a troubled, temperamental woman who needed to learn to control herself; were both so out of character from what I internalized from Little Women that it detracted considerably from the novel. I completely disagree with both these tangents, and for me--this made it a three-star book instead of a four-star book.
In my mind, People of the Book by the same author is far more deserving of an award-winning status.