Tuesday, April 18, 2006

March-ing Forward

I love it when I'm midway through a book that I just pulled off a bookstore shelf because it looked interesting, and - bam! - it wins a big prize. Here I am, smack in the middle of Geraldine Brooks' March, and low and behold, it's honored with the Pulitzer. It beat out Doctorow's The March, which I read last year.

Both Marches take place during the American Civil War. Doctorow's, about Sherman's big-time march, was readable but unremarkable to me. A nice read, but I don't remember much about it except that it acts as a sort of prequel to Ragtime, introducing us to Coalhouse's forebears, etc.

Brooks' book, though, really intrigued me when I saw it at the bookstore. It's about Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March's father, who - if you remember - was away at war during Little Women. As I read this book, I feel that Alcott's characters are fleshed out even more in seeing them through the eyes of the absent father. His war experience and the backstory he provides about Marmee add another dimension to the much-loved story.

Good book. Glad it won the Pulitzer. But it's not as good as Brooks' Year of Wonders - wow! - about the plague village, Eyam. Terrific story - grab it and read.

I'm on the countdown to my big move. Still so much to do. I know it will happen, but it ain't gonna be easy. Sigh.

5 comments:

Liz Hinds said...

Little Women was my favouritest book as a girl. I shall look out for this one.

Unknown said...

Eyam being just ten miles from where I sit right now ..... in the Derbyshire Dales.

[It's pronounced 'EEM' if any of you visit it by the way.]

Now - have I got the book to which you refer ........

chux said...

I do love reading and have been through 3 books in the last 2 weeks. One was a novel called Incompetance by Rob Grant (Red Dwarf fame if you've heard of it)

Unfortunately the other 2 were graphic novels that I chose to read as I was wanting something different to read, that and I obviously cant read a book that doesn't have pictures :)

Chris said...

I've been to Eyam but didn't know about this book. Just off to Amazon now to buy it.

Liz Hinds said...

Happy Birthday to you and the Queen, Mary!