a good Doctorow read
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Doctorow has created big, complex and interesting characters, with his customary wit and depth, in a roaring historical moment that captures the awful and the mundane in war.
Poor tale of Civil War times
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Doctorow writes with clear diction, but there is little else that is positive about this book. The characters are not compelling and his depiction of General Sherman hardly seems credible. The best characters in the book are a duo of opportunists, Arly and Will, who also serve to give the book some levity. There are better fictional tales of the Civil War (eg, March, by Geraldine Brooks) or the South during the period of slavery (Cane River by Letitia Tademy). Even a great novel like Uncle Tom's Cabin would be a better way to spend you time. If you are looking for a quick tale that won't strain your brain and centers on the Civil War (Sherman's march, of course), then you'll find that this suits the bill.
Mission Accomplished?
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It felt wonderful to be in the hands of this graceful, stately storyteller again. I have never been much of a Civil War buff, but this novel has made me long for Ken Burns' cellphone number. As usual with Doctorow, The March presents real events as lived by a cavalcade of fictional and real characters. Pearl, the girl who finds love for the father who is also her owner, is one of Doctorow's most complex characters since Mother in Ragtime. The real miracle of this story, however, is its invocation of a less famous march than Sherman's: the liberated people that followed in the army's wake as it laid waste to the South. No longer enslaved but not quite free either, these marchers were a liability to Sherman, but also the reason for his campaign. This is a portrait of democracy on the run and a reminder that we are not the first generation to have inadequately planned for success in battle. The Stern Librarian (I take the wiki out of reference).
Eyewitness to history
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In popular mythology, the brilliant tactician General Sherman is decried for his wide path of destruction, necessary, unfortunately, in war. This book seeks to humanize him - and succeeds admirably! - as it does a number of other colorful characters, both real and fictional. Historical fiction at its best, such as this 363-pager by the award-winning Doctorow (b. 1931), allows us to dip into history through strong storytelling. And what is more fascinating than war? Like the Iliad, we view the battle field through unsentimental eyes where characters we have come to like are dispatched in a moment.
Through the panorama of great characterization we view every segment of society - from the southern belles, to the ostentatious landowners who display extraordinary cruelty to their slaves, to the brilliant but cynical battle surgeon, to the desperate naivte and canniness of freed slaves, and the solemnity of the soldiers - and bear witness to the grittiness that was the Civil War.
Gallant moments show the tenderness capable in humanity, particularly of George Tecumseh Sherman, who, along with Lee and others, was a West Point-trained leader. He demonstrates the etiquette, persuasiveness and gratitude of a true soldier-leader, a man adored by his troops who would follow him through hell itself.
His comments about President Lincoln and Lincoln's difficult wife are portraits in compassion and sensitivity.
Put any subject in the hands of a great storyteller like Doctorow (Ragtime, Book of Daniel) and you've got a page-turner impossible to put down.
good book for historical buffs
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We read this book and my husband has purchased several copies for friends who like history as much as he does. I liked it but not as much as he.