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jacksontibet's review
4.0
Fantastic historical novel that focuses on the people involved. The events that serve as the backdrop and impetus for the characters involved are all seemingly historically accurate (at least according to the cursory research I did into many of them, like the Spanish-American War which kinda comes across as a warm up for Vietnam, and the race riots of Wilmington). The only downside is that he has so many main characters over the course of 950 pages, and so many minor characters, that some of the ones that might come to be your favorites lose face time to others. There are also some surprising guest appearances from fairly notable historical figures, which makes the reading fun. It never felt like a slog, and I don't usually like historical fiction, so take that as a massive complement.
bennought's review
5.0
An expansive, beautiful, fascinating look into the world of early American imperialism. Though I felt it sometimes played into some stereotypes and tropes of the period, Sayles did so on purpose and with a point. The book follows a number of different characters from across the US, as well as the racial and socio-economic spectrums as they are caught up in the most important events and movements of the last decade of the 19th century--Spanish American War, Yukon Gold Rush, Jim Crow, early stirrings of the Great Migration. An absolutely fantastic read that, despite its length, will keep you engaged throughout. It was also pretty interesting seeing a movie director's perspective/mind-set via one of the characters (I won't say who, so as to not spoil that aspect).
canadiantiquarian's review against another edition
3.0
A Moment in the Sun isn't so much a novel as it is a fictionalized account of a real period rife with turmoil. It's a tome focused on setting and scene over story. It incomparably sets the reader into this time period, bringing short blurbs of history to life in a greater context, but it does so at the cost of narrative. The characters are little more than the pawns of context, one that is enriching as a history lesson, but not a creative exploration.
yourfriendtorie's review against another edition
5.0
John Sayles is a master at character development, and his perspective as a filmmaker meant that the cinematic quality of this epic novel was breathtaking. It's incredible to think about the amount of research that went into writing this book, spanning prospector culture in the Yukon, the history of cinema, the reverberations of the Spanish-American War, post-Reconstruction violence and insane Jim Crow injustices in the South...all of it happening in the span of the same few years. Some story lines were more compelling than others, but the reading was deep and involved nonetheless. This 900-some-odd page chunk of a book made for awkward transport, but yes, I even took it with me traveling, not willing to wait days at a time for the next chapter.
natesea's review against another edition
4.0
A Moment in the Sun certainly takes more than a moment to read given its 955 pages, but it is an epic journey through turn of the century America well worth the effort. Sayles explores American Imperialism and post-civil war domestic "progress" through the lives of characters living it. The book is so well researched, it's easy to forget you're reading fiction. In fact, there is a website dedicated to take the reader chapter by chapter through Sayles' historical research that helps map the way. McSweeney's has a knack for publishing incredible giant tomes that engross the reader from start to finish. Though I didn't devour this one as voraciously as McSweeney's last giant, The Instructions, it is no less engrossing and worth your time. Besides, you may gain some muscle lugging the thing around in the process.
carolynf's review against another edition
Much too big, with too many character to keep track of. Stopped reading after 100 pages with no interaction between main characters yet. Excellent writing style, but too much of a time investment for now.
gslife's review against another edition
4.0
Even with a huge cast of characters, every one of them is distinct. It's fat, but not bloated, unlike some other 700+ page authors I can think of (GRRM).
denaedivo's review against another edition
5.0
Simply said, this should be required reading for every American.
firerosearien's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good read, but I'm not sure it was a 955-page good read, if that makes sense.
Of the only loosely connected stories (Hod, Royal, Diosdado) the character that I felt the most emotional for was Jessie, and despite everything that she is put through I can imagine a reality even worse.
Sayles was tremendous at evoking atmosphere, at having characters interact in manners you'd expect for someone of their class/station/whatever you want to call it, with true-to-the-time dialect, and wonderful imagery of the Yukon, Philippines and various places in the US.
Of the only loosely connected stories (Hod, Royal, Diosdado) the character that I felt the most emotional for was Jessie, and despite everything that she is put through I can imagine a reality even worse.
Sayles was tremendous at evoking atmosphere, at having characters interact in manners you'd expect for someone of their class/station/whatever you want to call it, with true-to-the-time dialect, and wonderful imagery of the Yukon, Philippines and various places in the US.