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Seen The Glory: A Novel Of The Battle Of Gettysburg (2009)

by John Hough Jr.(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1416589651 (ISBN13: 9781416589655)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Simon & Schuster

review 1: Every summer I'm tasked with reading books that are under consideration for the book program my library runs in the spring semester. Although I joke around about how it forces me to read "book club" books that I'd never read on my own, I do appreciate being forced to give books a chance that I wouldn't otherwise. Seen the Glory is on the list this year and at first it seemed like it was a no-brainer that I'd like it: a Civil War novel revolving around brothers from Martha's Vineyard. If it weren't a selection for the program I'd never have finished; there were several moments that annoyed me a great deal. Mainly they were the cliched moments-when Rose turns out to be a Magic Minority/Magic Servant (you know, how people who aren't white or are from a lower class than t... morehe privileged classes always seem to have better instincts, sixth senses, wisdom, and live life more fully) as well as some of the plot twists that made me groan-really, we're going to have the Secret Love and the Rape as Plot Device? I felt the novel was at its best when dealing with the boys at the front, the battle itself, although at times the "at home" story was good as well, even if elements were tired/anachronistic. It's a decent read even if I'd never recommend it to be the book we select.
review 2: I have no idea how many books in the United States revolve around the Civil War, but it must be in the tens of thousands by now. How many movies? How many t.v. mini-series? I almost didn't want to read this one. Once I read it, I wished I hadn't.The battle gore I suppose I expected. I even expected to read about soldiers sneaking off to visit prostitutes. I expected to witness one of the two Chandler brothers to die at the battle. I anticipated the ambivalent feelings of other characters about why they were fighting; are they fighting against slavery or against secession, are they fighting for blacks or whites, etc. It wasn't just a difficult war physically, it was a difficult war ideologically.What I didn't care for, was the seeming preoccupation with sex. Do soldiers think about sex when they aren't fighting? Probably. I didn't need to know about the erotic stories they read around the campfire, I didn't need to know about the nudie ambryotype pictures circulating, and I didn't need to know about the older Chandler boy having an affair with the negro housekeeper before he left for the war. I don't have a problem with a black person and a white person falling in love with each other; I have a problem with a young boy who was half raised by a woman ten years his senior having sexual relations with her out of wedlock.However one feels about the War Between the States, I think there are better books on the subject. I don't think this one is worth recommending for anyone, teens or adults regardless. less

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