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Loading... A Soldier of the Great War (1991)by Mark Helprin
This is an incredible, epic novel about a man looking back at his life and revealing his story to a young man. Mark Helprin is one of my favorite writers and A Soldier of the Great War is a must read for those who love language, storytelling, and fantastical adventures. (  ) Kammbia1 | Dec 16, 2012 |  What a wonderful story...I believe this would make an epic, classic movie...it so beautifully written and eloquent. I loved the characters and beautiful descriptions & visions of Italy that came into my head while reading, the themes of family, friendships, love lost and won, the adventures, tragedies and triumphs of War...I could relate in many ways..maybe because of my love of history and because I am Italian and some of the topics and conversations seemed familiar to me in some way. I found the book very interesting...being of a time period, location and subject matter not often written or talked about. I do have to say...I was certainly a bit disappointed at how the the author chose to end the book...it jumped around too quickly toward the end...I wanted more I suppose...but the journey was magnificent!:) ( ) joegande | Nov 26, 2012 | Probably my favorite book and one of very few that I've reread just to refresh the images and memories of my initial read almost 10 years ago. For any of us with any association with Italy during WW I, this wonderfully written story is a must read. ( ) BFiabane | Dec 18, 2011 | His writing is often beautiful. I liked this book. Some parts were so good they are to be read over and over. Lacked the humor and self-effacing tone of Don Quixote which I compare it to. A thoughtful and challenging book none the less. (  ) SamTekoa | Jan 2, 2011 | One of my all-time favorite books! Interesting, and beautifully written, "A Soldier of the Great War" brings laughter and tears each time I read it. ( )1  AmberA | Nov 29, 2010 | no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0156031132, Paperback)From acclaimed novelist Mark Helprin, a lush, literary epic about love, beauty, and the world at war
Alessandro Giuliani, the young son of a prosperous Roman lawyer, enjoys an idyllic life full of privilege: he races horses across the country to the sea, he climbs mountains in the Alps, and, while a student of painting at the ancient university in Bologna, he falls in love. Then the Great War intervenes. Half a century later, in August of 1964, Alessandro, a white-haired professor, tall and proud, meets an illiterate young factory worker on the road. As they walk toward Monte Prato, a village seventy kilometers away, the old man—a soldier and a hero who became a prisoner and then a deserter, wandering in the hell that claimed Europe—tells him how he tragically lost one family and gained another. The boy, envying the richness and drama of Alessandro's experiences, realizes that this magnificent tale is not merely a story: it's a recapitulation of his life, his reckoning with mortality, and above all, a love song for his family. (retrieved from Amazon Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:22:04 -0500) "For Alessandro Giuliani, the son of a prosperous Roman lawyer, trees shimmer in the sun beneath a sky of perfect blue, and at night the moon is amber as Rome seethes with light. He races horses across country to the sea, climbs in the Alps, and is a student of painting and aesthetics. And he falls in love, deeply and eternally. Then the Great War intervenes. Half a century later, in August of 1964, Alessandro, a white-haired professor, finds himself unexpectedly on the road with an illiterate young factory worker. During a walk over days and nights, the old man tells the story of his life. How he was a soldier, a hero, a prisoner, and a deserter. And how he tragically lost one family, but gained another. Dazzled by the action and envious of the richness and color of the story, the boy realizes that the old man's magnificent tale of love and war is more than just a tale: It is the recapitulation of his life, his reckoning with mortality, and above all, a love song for his family."--BOOK JACKET.… (more) |
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