[.uk] The March: A Novel (ISBN 0812976150)

Download Description:
Praise for E. L. Doctorow "E.L. Doctorow is a national treasure." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Beautifully written, meticulously plotted, scrupulously imagined." -The New York Times Book Review, about Sweet Land Stories "In the assured hands of Doctorow, City of God blooms with a humor and a humanity that carries triumphant as intelligent a novel as one might hope to find these days." -Los Angeles Times, about City of God "A ferocious feat of the imagination . . . Every scene is perfectly realized and feeds into the whole-the themes and symbols echoing and reverberating." -Newsweek, about The Book of Daniel "One devours it in a single sitting." -The New York Times, about Ragtime "Marvelous . . . You get lost in World's Fair as if it were an exotic adventure. You devour it with the avidity usually provoked by a suspense thriller." -The New York Times, about World's Fair From the Hardcover edition.

Mission Accomplished?:
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).

a good Doctorow read:
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.

Eyewitness to history:
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.

An enjoyable read:
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story. I thought Doctorow captured the essence of the period really well, and I liked the vastness of the storytelling. He's a very good writer. With that said, I thought the character development could have been better as I didn't really feel anything for any of the characters, although I found them believable. I just wanted to learn more about Dr. Sartorius, Pearl, Stephen and even Arly. Speaking of Arly, I found his switch from a goofy but likable character into this Booth-like plotter to kill Sherman, did not suspend my disbelief. I also thought Doctorow was a little heavy handed with his foreshadowing of Matte finding her sons again. It appeared that her only reason for being in the story was as a device to show the brutal side of what war did to families. On the other hand, I wanted learn more about Emily Thompson, but she was left behind when Dr. Sartorius showed his inability to love her back. I thought Bobby Brasil was just another device to show an infantryman in action, but I was disappointed in the non-action of any real battle scenes. I thought Doctorow was rather weak in this area. I prefer to know the graphic nature of a battle and Doctorow glossed over it. In sum, the reason for 4 stars is evident. Doctorow is an excellent writer and storyteller. For me if he had built into the storyline some of the previous things mentioned, I would have given this book 5 stars. For those who enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend this book.

A Good Snap Shot of the Civil War:
This book gives a good snap shot of the impact of the Civil War on civilians as well as the line of thinking of the generals and the common soldiers. The story is extremely well written. This is some gore, but the gore is realistic of what happened during the Civil War. If you are interested in the Civil War, I think you will enjoy this book.