Be Specific About Books In Pursuance Of A Midnight Clear
| Original Title: | A Midnight Clear |
| ISBN: | 1557042578 (ISBN13: 9781557042576) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | France,1944 Ardennes,1944(Belgium) |
William Wharton
Paperback | Pages: 256 pages Rating: 4.18 | 1456 Users | 72 Reviews
Particularize Containing Books A Midnight Clear
| Title | : | A Midnight Clear |
| Author | : | William Wharton |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 256 pages |
| Published | : | June 30th 1999 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published August 12th 1982) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. War. World War II |
Description Concering Books A Midnight Clear
Set in the Ardennes Forest on Christmas Eve 1944, Sergeant Will Knott and five other GIs are ordered close to the German lines to establish an observation post in an abandoned chateau. Here they play at being soldiers in what seems to be complete isolation. That is, until the Germans begin revealing their whereabouts and leaving signs of their presence: a scarecrow, equipment the squad had dropped on a retreat from a reconnaissance mission and, strangest of all, a small fir tree hung with fruit, candles, and cardboard stars. Suddenly, Knott and the others must unravel these mysteries, learning as they do about themselves, about one another, and about the "enemy," until A Midnight Clear reaches its unexpected climax, one of the most shattering in the literature of war.Rating Containing Books A Midnight Clear
Ratings: 4.18 From 1456 Users | 72 ReviewsCritique Containing Books A Midnight Clear
I enjoyed this.Wharton writes like he's sat there telling you a story: "I've got mud all over my boots and I'm slipping in the snow as I try to get to the foxhole" - that kind of thing. I like that approach.The story is a sad one, it's a short journey for the reader from "Band of Brothers"-style opening in the Ardennes, through an almost fairy tale period of snow-covered woodland and a ruined chateau, to a shocking conclusion which leaves the reader thinking "yeah, I can imagine how that's justHemmingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, and A Farewell to Arms will forever be regarded classic modern American literature. And then there is William Wharton's remarkable war tale, A Midnight Clear, which will never climb the lofty ranks of its literary brethren. Personally, I found this book much better than Hemmingway's novels. I found Wharton's prose more profound and compelling enough to write down simply because I loved the way the sentences looked on paper. I've discovered, to my surprise
This book is so wonderfully written, and so heartbreaking. It is not exactly satire, but I often think of this book when thinking of Catch-22....I guess its more about the humanity of war (and lack thereof). As a sidenote, this movie (starring Ethan Hawke) does an excellent job of doing this novel justice. I highy recommend it.
William Wharton brings the reader into the trenches with a small group of teenage and twenty year old soldiers in world war II at Christmas time. They run into a small group of German soldiers who want to communicate and ultimately want to surrender to the US after a few nights of hesitant snowball fights and Christmas carols. Wharton shows you the horror of war and the humanity of the boys (on both sides) fighting it. Especially timely with my nephew in Afghanistan right now...
So far, quite funny and gripping. Intellectuals at war has always been a good bit for my tastes. The Angst and justifications lead to raw humor. Keeping me chuckling and reading quickly.
The author knows the horror of war as well as how to put his readers into the moment. I was at once in Germany in 1944, enduring the teeth rattling cold, all the while fearing that each breath could easily be my last. Will Knott finds himself with the rank of sergeant by virtue of still being alive and is sent with what remains of his unit to the bowels of the forest to check on enemy movement . The author makes sure we know all the main characters as they try to puzzle out why they find
Spend the Christmas season in the Ardennes Forest in a plundered, isolated chateau with the enemy paying strange (friendly?) visits while you try to escape the war. But for six bright young U.S. soldiers stationed in a lonely outpost to keep an eye on the Germans, World War II, seriously winding down in late 1944, must ultimately keep intruding.1982's "A Midnight Clear" kept William Wharton, himself a World War II veteran, on a nice run after the excellent debut "Birdy" and "Dad." Like "Birdy,"
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.