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ruthypoo2's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This story encapsulates the horror of battle during the US Civil War, where violent hand-to-hand combat was commonplace, and the destructive weapons of the time could destroy a human body without immediately killing the person. Civil War warfare was horrifying and bloody, and the stuff nightmares are made of.
In this novella, author Philip Fracassi tells the story from the perspective of Henry, who’s describing the victories and despair of the Battle of Shiloh, fought with twin brother, William, by his side. As a tourist, I’ve visited Civil War battlefields and learned war history at museums, from graveyards, and through books and movies. The eloquent, and often frenzied, narrative coming from Henry feels genuine and is frightening to imagine how authentic it probably is to what Civil War soldiers actually experienced.
There’s a lot of legend and mythology associated with battlefield experiences, such as seeing the Angel of Death, probably originating from the minds of men sick with delirium, pain, regret, fatigue, physical illness, and fear. This novella builds on a handful of these myths and presents a supernatural story where demons and angels intermingle with humans during battle, and miracles mix with manic behavior. While reading this story, I wondered how much was really taking place versus what was more likely to be a fit of fantasy fueled by grief and straight up madness.
I found the prose to be poetic and impactful. Henry and William come from a well-to-do and educated family, so it’s no surprise Henry has an impressive vocabulary and is well spoken. The overly descriptive and detailed prose is in line with historic examples of personal letters and diaries written by officers and soldiers during the Civil War, and I enjoyed the writing very much.
In this novella, author Philip Fracassi tells the story from the perspective of Henry, who’s describing the victories and despair of the Battle of Shiloh, fought with twin brother, William, by his side. As a tourist, I’ve visited Civil War battlefields and learned war history at museums, from graveyards, and through books and movies. The eloquent, and often frenzied, narrative coming from Henry feels genuine and is frightening to imagine how authentic it probably is to what Civil War soldiers actually experienced.
There’s a lot of legend and mythology associated with battlefield experiences, such as seeing the Angel of Death, probably originating from the minds of men sick with delirium, pain, regret, fatigue, physical illness, and fear. This novella builds on a handful of these myths and presents a supernatural story where demons and angels intermingle with humans during battle, and miracles mix with manic behavior. While reading this story, I wondered how much was really taking place versus what was more likely to be a fit of fantasy fueled by grief and straight up madness.
I found the prose to be poetic and impactful. Henry and William come from a well-to-do and educated family, so it’s no surprise Henry has an impressive vocabulary and is well spoken. The overly descriptive and detailed prose is in line with historic examples of personal letters and diaries written by officers and soldiers during the Civil War, and I enjoyed the writing very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Minor: Animal cruelty
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