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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I hate to do it, but this book is only 3.5 stars for me. I love Little Women so so much, and because of that (plus the fact that it won the Pulitzer) I had higher hopes. It’s a well-written Civil War novel that doesn’t do a bad job of filling in the life of the Mr. March that is absent from Little Women.
My biggest qualm, though, is how Marmee is written! In Little Women, she is a strong and independent individual who existence goes beyond her relationship with her husband, which was a revolutionary idea at the time of writing. And in the beginning of this book, the author makes it very clear that her Marmee is the same. But by the end, Marmee is merely a jealous wife whose biggest concern is not the health of her husband but her jealousy of another successful woman. That just doesn’t sound like the Marmee I know and love.
I also can’t say I’m a huge fan of war books in general, so the first 60% of this was pretty slow and hard to read. Again, though it was beautifully written, it seemed sort of plot-less, and Mr. March spent the whole time serving himself and his own ego rather than helping the people he set out to save.
The whole thing made me realize that I should never meet my heroes, because meeting this version of Mr. and Mrs. March made me very upset.
My biggest qualm, though, is how Marmee is written! In Little Women, she is a strong and independent individual who existence goes beyond her relationship with her husband, which was a revolutionary idea at the time of writing. And in the beginning of this book, the author makes it very clear that her Marmee is the same. But by the end, Marmee is merely a jealous wife whose biggest concern is not the health of her husband but her jealousy of another successful woman. That just doesn’t sound like the Marmee I know and love.
I also can’t say I’m a huge fan of war books in general, so the first 60% of this was pretty slow and hard to read. Again, though it was beautifully written, it seemed sort of plot-less, and Mr. March spent the whole time serving himself and his own ego rather than helping the people he set out to save.
The whole thing made me realize that I should never meet my heroes, because meeting this version of Mr. and Mrs. March made me very upset.
Another great read from one of my favourites. I'll have to go back now and read Little Women, which this book is woven around. It takes the missing life of the absent father of the little women and tells a new story of the life of a chaplain in the civil war. Early on I did find the character of March a little distant, but that didn't last. The sign of a truly good book I was so disappointed to get to the end. Tonight, looking forward to a good read again I had to remind myself I wouldn't be returning to the world of March and his lovely girls.
I loved this book. It really adds some real dimension to these familiar characters, tells it's own original story, and delves into the civil war from an interesting viewpoint. It also has a lot of gray areas, who's a hero and who isn't? Who's a villain and who isn't? Could we all be at different times depending on the situation? How useful are good intentions when people are fighting for their lives? This book had everything for me, combining the beautiful historical writing of Geraldine Brooks that I love along with a classic novel I love. It led to a very interesting and lively book club discussion. It was interesting to read about the often ineffective, ideological abolitionists of the North as opposed to the characters going down there and seeing what this is like for themselves. There's quite a difference between believing in a cause and fully experiencing it and understanding it firsthand.
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book surprised me with how good it was. Brooks wrote _Nine Parts of Desire_, I think, and I have that but haven't read it. (It's nonfiction.) This one tells what happens when the missing Mr. March from _Little Women_ is away at War during the Civil War. Great read.
I really wanted to like this, but found March a difficult character to identify with.
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER: 2006
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3.5 rounded down
Solid and interesting read. Like a lot of people, Little Women holds a special place in my heart, and it was really interesting reading a book from a different perspective. A bit bleak, which generally isn't really my jam, but enjoyable overall.
===
3.5 rounded down
Solid and interesting read. Like a lot of people, Little Women holds a special place in my heart, and it was really interesting reading a book from a different perspective. A bit bleak, which generally isn't really my jam, but enjoyable overall.