March
by Geraldine Brooks
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Book Reviews of March
Book Review: A Wonderful Prequel to Little Women
Summary: 5 Stars
Geraldine Brook's "March" envisions the world before the classic novel "Little Women". She explores how Mr. and Mrs. March met, and why they are the people we know in "Little Women." The book also explores Mr. March's service during the Civil War, including the incidents leading to his injury and recovery.
Geraldine Brooks does an excellent job rounding out classic characters in "March" and making them into much more than what the reader of "Little Women" knows about them. She explores Mr. March's character as a young man, and creates for the reader the events that made him into an abolitionist, and eventually led him to invest his life earnings in the schemes of John Brown. She shows us Marmee, as a fiery woman with a fierce temper who is passionately committed to the Underground Railroad and the independence of women. Brooks' narrative is beautiful, and I felt transported to her locations throughout the first half of the 19th century. She also has a wonderful way of getting inside the heads of these characters that I thought I knew to give me a whole new perspective.
If you are a "Little Women" fan, I highly recommend that you read this book. I think it will reintroduce you to the world of "Little Women" a create a new perspective for you on why the novel is how it is.
Book Review: Exceptional beginning and end wrapped around some dullness.
Summary: 3 Stars
I loved A Year of Wonder and eagerly awaited this second novel by Geraldine Brooks. Her entire idea was terribly interesting - take a character from a beloved classic (the father of the girls in Little Women)and follow his story while serving as a minister to the Union troops during the Civil War. It starts out so well, Mr. March recalls his youth and how he earned his fortune peddling through the South. Here he has his first exposure to the southern plantation system and to slavery. Then the dullness begins. The author takes us back to Concord where March meets his wife Marmee and begins his family. That part in itself is not so dull, I enjoyed how she portrayed his love and devotion to his family and it is instrumental to the ending of the story and your final understanding of March himself. What are quite dull are the endless accounts of this historical figure and that historical figure and how they factored into the "lots of talk - often little action" abolishonist movement in the North. Then suddenly, it's back to the action with a mixture of war atrocities, dramatic illness and marital strife. Don't let the slow discussion of Thoreau and the other Concord cronies deter you - the book is good, but the lag in the action droped it from a solid 4 stars to only 3 in my book.Book Review: March should stand alone
Summary: 4 Stars
In the novel, "Little Women," the females are indeed the focus of the story. In "March," Geraldine Brooks takes a look at the life of that works' mostly absent father. Mr. March's early life is relayed, as are his experiences serving as a chaplain during the Civil War. These stories are created based on the character briefly portrayed in "Little Women" as well as the experiences of Louisa May Alcott's real-life father. From this foundation, Brooks allows her creativity to fill in the gaps.
Quote: "Yet I am thankful she is not here, to see what I must see, to know what I am come to know. And with this thought I exculpate my censorship: I never promised I would write the truth."
I had a very difficult time enjoying this book when I was reading it as a take-off of "Little Women"- I understand author license, but I just could not believe some of the characterization at all (and while I realize part of what the author was trying to do was make the point that those who are "sainted" do not always act saintly, I felt the March parents were just unrecognizable). However, I eventually began to read the book just as a civil war novel, forgetting my earlier associations, and I enjoyed it much more, particularly the descriptive writing style.
Book Review: March
Summary: 3 Stars
Overall I enjoyed the book, however, as a die-hard Louisa May Alcott and Little Women fan, some of the book bothered me. I thought the author took too much from Bronson Alcott's life to give to Mr. March. C'mon, Emerson and Thoreau are never mentioned in Little Women...don't you think if they really were neighbors (I know they were the Alcott's neighbors) but LMA didn't put them in Little Women at all. Nor did the Marches have a cubby for the underground railroad. I was like thinking - what about the Laurence's? And she finally put some reference to them when Mr. March was in the hospital. I can see why Ms. Brooks used those characters, as well as John Brown.
This may sound small, but the main thing that bothered me was that she made "Marmee's" name a "nickname" used from the character's real name. I was always under the impression that Marmee was spelled that way to give the reader an impression of how Mommy sounded with a New England accent! I think it would be troubling if the Alcott daughters called their mother by a nickname she earned when she was young. Seriously!
The book was written in the style of LMA and had some very interesting parts. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I wasn't such a big fan of Little Women.
Book Review: Not At All Like Little Women
Summary: 4 Stars
I very much enjoyed "March". It tells the story of a man who probably has more moral conviction than actual courage. This is very reflective of many people.
WARNING: If you are looking for a sequel to Little Women, look elsewhere. This is grittier, raunchier and is linked only by a few characters and nothing else.
It does a good job at capturing some of the basics of the Civil War especially the illustration that most Union soldiers didn't give a damn about ending slavery and also that most African Americans were treated worse after emancipation than before. Plantation owners had taken much better care of them when they were property than when they became low priced, replaceable labor.
In all I found the pace to be brisk and the emotional conflicts inside Mr. March to be compelling. He was annoying in some of his silly choices as many of us are.
In many ways, I think it's unfortunate that Brooks chose to link this story to Little Women. Many reviewers who loved "Little Women" are very distraught by the portrayal of some of their favourite characters. I think the link is a bit gimmicky and subtracts more than it adds.
It's a strong piece of writing that stands well on its own.