Reviews

Centennial by James A. Michener

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beckca03's review against another edition

5.0

Holy moly – where to begin… This was required reading in my High School AP US History class and I’ll never forget touring the Southeast for colleges with my mother, knowing that this mammoth book had to be read before August. We alternated between listening to the audiobook version (my first real introduction to audiobooks) and cramming in some nighttime reading in various cities such as Richmond, Nashville, Winston-Salem, Raleigh - Durham, and so on.

Centennial is the kind of book that will make you want to gouge your eyes out at its tediousness, however it is also the kind of book that will force your respect by its attention to detail and intricate (and subtle) plot developments. I have never read any other Michener, however nothing can possibly top this. You follow cowboys, fur trappers, Native Americans, etc., through time and eventually Michener’s story weaves together to form a fantastic and cohesive description of Americana. It’s beautiful and depressing, yet it’s a personification of all of us.

rwrohlfing's review against another edition

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Couldn’t get into the historical fiction at the time.

eclark93's review against another edition

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Maybe I’ll pick it up again someday, but the narration of beaver drama wasn’t really enough to pull me in.

fictionista3's review against another edition

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adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

dstanford91's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

b0hemian_graham's review against another edition

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5.0

wow, this was a pleasant surprise. I was admittedly a bit bored at first, but once we got to Lame Beaver, the story sucked me in, and I always disliked when I had to stop reading for sleep or work. Michener was more enjoyable that Follett as his novel seemed more realistic, and was less sensationalised