Interesting to compare with City of God, more straightforward and transparent. ( )

Doctorow is a fabulous writer -- he makes this war story bearable. He paints a gruesome scene as he traces the path of Sherman from the burning of Atlanta to the sea and up the coast fight rebel troops.

Historical, funny, incredible meaningful underlying themes, sad. What else do you need? ( )

The story of General William Tecumseh Sherman's campaign from Atlanta to the sea is an American epic, with elements of tragedy and heroism strongly intermingled - all the greater a story because it is a true piece of history from the conflict that had the greatest impact on the American nation and people. E.L. Doctorow's novel is but the latest attempt by writers of fiction to capture this narrative from the historians for their own genre.

Such an endeavor is not new to Doctorow who has based a number of his novels upon historical events, places, and times. In this work, as he has often in the past, the great event of Sherman's march becomes background and context within which his characters move, act, talk, and attempt to survive the experience of the march. The author's narration brings together individuals and stories from within the ranks of the armies contending with each other as well as from the civilian population, both white and black, through which the armies moved.

This is not "War and Peace" and the cast of characters is not vast, focusing on about a dozen individuals. Given that a number of them are clearly also iconic representations of the soldiers of both armies, the Southern civilians, and the freed or soon-to-be freed slaves - it is not surprising that the character development is sometimes uneven, but those individuals whose stories form the backbone of this novel are not so disadvantaged.

The result is a rather picaresque adventure for all of the characters lives are traced against the overall progress of the march. This focus upon the stories of these characters prevents the book from becoming the epic novel of the war, but it held my interest to the end, even knowing how the story ends. Doctorow offers something for everyone - skirmishes and battles; clashes between Sherman's foraging and marauding 'bummers' and Southern soldiers, militia, and civilians; slaves dealing with the approach of liberation and defining its impact on their futures; and the struggles of Confederate civilians to survive and find a new way of living in war's aftermath.

I do not think that this the great novel of the American Civil War, though it should rank among the recommended ranks of fiction on the war (though I'm likely to reread "Killer Angels" before I have another go at Doctorow). ( )

A Quick Doctorow Read: Those not familiar with Doctorow's style may have an initial problem with this book. Doctorow is infamous for paragraph-long sentences and multitudes of characters (both factual and fictional). Once the appreciation is realized that the author's style is more impressionist than photographic, The March becomes a moving picture in words and provides the reader a sensual experience, bringing the reader into the story as a participant in events, rather than an observer.

Having read and enjoyed some of his other works, Ragtime (The March's Coalhouse Walker's son featured as a key character), Billy Bathgate, Loon Lake and World's Fair, The March is far less `difficult' a read. Doctorow remains true to using words as Renoir brush-strokes, myriad touches of color that together make an amazing picture, but moves the story more quickly. The March is the blur of experience one might have had being part (or a victim) of Sherman's march to the sea.

This is a great read for Doctorow or Civil War fans.

I approached this book with mixed feelings. I've loved the previous Doctorow books I've read, but having been raised in the South knew that the story was likely to be painful.
I should have known that I could trust Doctorow to create fully-realized characters on both sides of this terrible conflict .
This is a beautifully written, important book for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the impact this event in American history. ( )

Very good historical fiction focusing on Sherman's destructive path through the south at the tail end of the Civil War. The story is told through the eyes of multiple characters both real and imagined as their lives intersect and intertwine on this march that begins to take on a life of its own.

It was a bit hard to get into at first as there are numerous characters and the storyline flits amongst them frequently. But it all begins to come together righteously despite some storylines coming to an end and other new ones spinning off. Throughout the gruesome, ridiculous, horrific realities of war are made clear in an original an artful format.

It fell short of 5 stars as some characters whom I found most compelling were dropped -- such as Emily Thompson and the fate of Mattie Jameson and her one remaining son. And others such as Pearl, who did not ring true for me, were the most enduring.

Overall though, quite good -- I would definately read more by this author and will continue my exploration of the historical fiction of this tragic, yet fascinating time in my own country. ( )

The March is classic Doctorow, starting with a notable historic event (in this case Sherman’s march to the sea during the Civil War) and a handful of historic characters (Sherman, Grant, the Lincolns, Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, Confederate General Joseph E Johnston). On this framework, Doctorow hangs a wild assortment of fictional characters, who do whatever is necessary to survive under the extraordinary circumstances in which they find themselves.

The book is in three parts, covering Sherman’s progress through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Most characters are described in the third person, but Doctorow attempts to get inside Sherman’s head, treating him more sympathetically than most portrayals. Doctorow takes a few liberties with the facts - misplacing in time Sherman’s breakdown earlier in the war, referencing the wrong Confederate general in the defense of Atlanta, and inserting a fictional account of an assassination attempt on Sherman. These diversions cause unnecessary distraction to a reader who expects the segments involving real characters to be reasonably factual.

Other than these minor faults, the story rolls along inexorably, with freed slaves, displaced Southern belles, deserters, Army surgeons, wounded soldiers, British observers, and others following in Sherman’s wake. Although the story is awful, Doctorow is brilliant in giving the reader a real sense of the horror of war. ( )

I have read most of Doctorow's books (all but his first two, and one later one), and this one is I'd say one of my least favorite. It lacks something that the others have, though I am hard pressed to say what that is exactly. Doctorow often writes about historical events, but typically those events are just backdrops or settings that allow for interesting situations and speculations. Here though, the background events are, I think, too large to just stay in the background, and the foreground characters and events are never as interesting as those in, say, "Billy Bathgate," "The Book of Daniel," or "Ragtime."

The only compelling thing that I really found here was the doctor. The character seemed to know more than he could possibly know - not in a bad storytelling way, but in an uncanny metaphysical way. I wish that there had been more of the doctor, but at the same time, I think that if the character had been more drawn out, whatever it is that makes him uncanny and compelling would likely be lost.

That being said, it was certainly an enjoyable read. A only halfway decent Doctorow novel is still a very good book. ( )

I haven't enjoyed a Doctorow novel this much since I first read Ragtime. The structure is similar: the story is told from the points of view of a diverse group of characters who have one thing in common, their participation--willing or unwilling--in events surrounding Sherman's march. The characterizations were fascinating. Someone posted that his atittude towards Sherman was hostile, but I didn't read it that way. In fact, he tempered it with Sherman's sadness about his son's death and his subsequent sympathy for other children and for parents who have also lost children. And he seems to have a moment of insight when he meets Johnston near the end of the novel. I loved Pearl and Stephen Walsh, Calvin, Sartoris, Arly--all of whose lives had been changed forever by the experience of war--some for the better, others much worse. A solid and engaging work. ( )

Imagine that, in the middle of the night, word comes that the enemy army is a few miles down the road and you must flee in the night, after burning your crops and slaughtering your animals so the army will not benefit from destroying your home. Imagine that you are an army doctor who spends most of your time amputating the shattered limbs of the young soldiers. Imagine that you are a soldier without a real allegiance to either side of the war but with a huge drive to stay alive. Imagine that you are a freed slave with the snow white skin of your father. Imagine that, because of this civil war, you are now homeless and the only place you seem to belong is tagging along behind the marauding union army under the leadership of General Sherman. Imagine one of the darkest chapters of the American Civil War as seen through the eyes of characters trying to survive "the March" ( )

The March is not bad book, Doctorow is a talented writer. But it did not have a feel of verisimilitude for me. The characters seemed thin. The Civil War was just a backdrop for the story. It could have been a story of displaced people anywhere.

Better Civil War fiction is available: Red Badge of Courage, Ambrose Bierce, Lincoln by Gore Vidal. ( )

A collection of intertwined tales surrounding Sherman's march through the South during the Civil War. Touching overall but a bit boring or overly cliched at times. ( )

Doctorow paints a heartbreaking picture of the devastation of the Civil War while following the experiences of several well-developed characters.

This book is mostly very readable & not too gruesome. A few parts get philosophical. Some of it didn't make a lot of sense -- like why did Emily Thompson end up in bed with the doctor -- who of those 2 would have initiated that coupling? It didn't seem to me to fit either character. Was it just a device to show him surgically deflowering her so it wouldn't hurt, to give another piece of his character? The nutty Rebel, Arly, was another, a little too crazed for the logical moves he took & a lot too lucky to survive all her survived...Anyway, it was fun to read.

Key quotes:

"In this strange country down here, after generations of its hideous ways, slaves were no longer simply black, they were degrees of white...if the South were to prevail, theoretically there could be a time when whiteness alone would not guarantee the identity of a free man. Anyone might be indentured and shackled and sold on an auction block, the color black having been a temporary expedient, the idea of a slave class itself being the underlying premise." (p 188)

"This was not war as adventure, nor war for a solemn cause, it was war at its purest, a mindless mass rage severed from any cause, ideal, or moral principle." (p 298)

"There was this about the end of a war, that once the cheering was over, you were of two minds. Yes, your cause was just. Yes, you could drink your flagon of pride. But victory was a shadowed, ambiguous thing. I will go on wondering about my actions. Whereas General Johnston and his colleagues of the unjust cause, now embittered and awash in defeat, will have sublimed to a righteously aggrieved state that would empower them for a century." (p 348)

"It is always now." (p 356) ( )

4140 The March A Novel, by E. L. Doctorow (read 10 Mar 2006) (National Book Critics Circle fiction award for 2006) This book was read because it won the indicated prize. It is about Sherman's march and is in three parts, one re the time in Georgia, the next about the time in South Carolina, and the third re the North Carolina time. For much of the book I thought: what is the point of these episodic accounts? But towards the end, as the march was winding down in North Carolina, I thought the prose powerful and the action meaningful, so I conclude the book, to my surprise, is a success. The book ended up to be considerably more enjoyable than I had anticipated. ( )

This novel revolves around William Tecumseh Sherman's march to the sea, from Atlanta to Goldsborough, N.C. the story is told in the 3rd person from different points ov view; the participating characters range from Pearl, a half-black child of a Georgia plantation owner to her former mistress to soldiers from both Union and Confederate armies to Sherman himself.

Doctorow's treatment of Sherman, which is hostile, depends heavily on Sherman's high-strung temperament, his restless activity and at times lapses from the historical record. In the process, Doctorow makes some minor historical errors--placing Sherman's breakdown after First Bull Run when in reality it happened months later in St. Louis. The description of the breakdown itself is startling, since I know of no historical record that shows that Sherman had such an episode during or after Bull Run, which Doctorow implies.

Another, far more startling error is quoting Sherman as saying he didn't understand why the defence of Atlanta had been given to 'that stupid Frenchman Beauregard". He might indeed wonder, since to anyone else's knowledge, it was John Bell Hood who lost Atlanta. How did an editor let that slip by? The story is in no way enhanced by it. Another perfectly legitimate literary device is a fictional account of an assassination attempt on Sherman after the Battle of Bentonville. What is bothersome about this, however, is that there is no afterward, as is usual in the case of fiction placed in a historical context, explaining the liberties taken with the facts. This is a major and unwelcome departure from normal custom.

That said, the book is brilliant, especially at the end, particularly at the Battle of Bentonville. Doctorow evokes the chaos of battle, the horror of war. Through the character of Dr. Wrede Sartorius, Doctorow shows the terrible cost and human suffering of the most wasteful of human endeavors, war.

There is a section where Pryce, the English journalist, is looking down from a crotch in a tree at hand-to-hand combat, describing; "This was not war as adventure nor war for a solemn cause, it was war at its purest, a mindless mass rage severed from any cause, ideal or moral principle". (p. 298) The brilliance of the book is in showing how people manage to survive and go on with their lives in the middle of and despite the "mindless mass rage". Despite the really serious--and irresponsible--lapses noted above, the book is an outstanding work. ( )

Read for a book club - was not prepared for the graphic descriptions of civil war surgery/injury. Perfered Sharra's Gettysburg - more history less fiction. ( )

"War is hell."

The Union march through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina utilized one of the oldest military tactics - burn civilian houses, steal their food, rape their women and leave them with nothing. Demoralize the enemy by getting them wear it hurts the most - at home.

This novel follows several characters whose lives were turned upside down by Sherman's "March to the Sea" (and up the coast). From freed slaves to Southern belles to crazed Rebel soldiers to the high Army brass, this novel shows how the pain and suffering of war is not only confined to those in actual battle. War is also hell for the wives, mothers and children on the homefront, for the journalists trying to get the story, for the politicians whose policies impact the very reason for fighting. It's simply hell for all.

If you enjoy Civil War fiction, Doctorow's book is a smart, fast and entertaining read. ( )

Heros and villains, mostly confederate during Sherman's march to the sea and beyond. Trust Doctorow to take the view of the losing side (white southerners0 and the underdog (black former slaves). Still not his best work. ( )

This book moves slowly, like the march in its title, but has an immediate substance from the first page. I think I may have to re-read it one day and decide whether to remove that half star or turn it into a full fifth star. ( )

Powerful. Docotorw makes real the brutal tidal wave that was Sherman's March to the Sea. I was completely absorbed from the first page. Doctorow gives us individual dramas, defeats and survial stories swept along by the largest, most devastating act of war-revenge to ever happen American soil. ( )

http://forreststokes.com/wordpress/?p... ( )

After reading other Civil War fiction (see my list) this reads like a great writer notching his belt - Civil War novel, ka-ching. The story is mildly interesting and the descriptions are passable. Given the works Doctorow has produced, i.e. Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, etc. this won't be the one he's remembered for. ( )