Johnny One-Eye: A Tale of the American Revolution
by Jerome Charyn
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 115)
Read in June, 2008
The last novel I read about the Revolutionary War was Johnny Tremain (more recently, visits to Saratoga battlefield and hearing about Benedict Arnold's exploits, Ron Chernow's excellent Hamilton biography, and HBO's John Adams have fleshed out my imagination of the period). Jerome Charyn writes about a young Johnny, too - a few years older, I believe, at 17 in 1775 - but he moves the action from Boston to his home city of New York, to the side of George Washington as he flits around Manhattan, s...more
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Read in April, 2008
Normally, this is just the kind of book I love. I've been on an American history/Presidents kick since reading David McCullough's masterful "1776" - I'm a fan of picaresques - I'm a fan of novelizations of historical events that are not literal re-tellings of those historical events (Raising Holy Hell, Texaco) - novels where characters and events shift and reshape.... but, this one left me cold. I went back to it time and again hoping that somehow I'd find myself emotionally engaged on...more
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Read in March, 2008
Okay, here's what I wrote when I started this book:
So far I'm absolutely confused at the author's style of writing and find that I am saying "what?" quite a bit. I have only read about 20 pages but will allow at least 50 total before I decide to chuck it or not.
Now, after 90 pages, here's what I have to say:
It is with much regret that I have to say that I must be a total moron because I cannot follow this auther AT ALL. I keep plodding away but to no avail. I was just going ...more
So far I'm absolutely confused at the author's style of writing and find that I am saying "what?" quite a bit. I have only read about 20 pages but will allow at least 50 total before I decide to chuck it or not.
Now, after 90 pages, here's what I have to say:
It is with much regret that I have to say that I must be a total moron because I cannot follow this auther AT ALL. I keep plodding away but to no avail. I was just going ...more
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Read in June, 2008
The NYT Book Review really pimped this novel as hilarious. I didn't find it that funny. It had some very funny moments (funny enough to make me giggle aloud), and the plot was good-I found myself hurrying to up to finish.
I generally LOVE this kind of comic retake on historical events, especially when centered around the American Revolution, one of my favorite time periods in history, so I was predisposed to enjoy the events and characters. This was my first book by Charyn, so maybe I just mi...more
I generally LOVE this kind of comic retake on historical events, especially when centered around the American Revolution, one of my favorite time periods in history, so I was predisposed to enjoy the events and characters. This was my first book by Charyn, so maybe I just mi...more
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Read in June, 2008
Wow, I'm a little surprised at all the negative reviews here! I guess it's not for everyone, but I found Johnny One Eye so funny and so clever - it was a blast to read. It explores the psychology of history, which is fascinating to me. Much of the story is fictional, of course, but from what I understand, quite a few details are accurate. I found it by chance in the New Books section at my library - I had never even heard of Jerome Charyn. I now plan to read everything he's every written!
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
High School freshman & up
If you like the history of the Revolutionary War in the U.S. then this is the book for you. It is well researched. The hero, Johnny, bounces among War greats such as Benedict Arnold, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton to name a few. Despite the fact that the author jumps around a great deal, he still tells an impelling story. His description of being tarred and feathered makes your skin crawl.
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Read in June, 2008
The idea is interesting but the author uses archaic grammar forms inconsistently or incorrectly, so that it disrupts reading and irritates one of my pet peeves. I'm going to give it a few more chapters, but I have a feeling I won't be finishing this.
Okay, can't stand it anymore. The language is too distracting.
Okay, can't stand it anymore. The language is too distracting.
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It reminded me of the Decemberists because it was whimsical. However, the book just couldn't engage my attention or my interest in the characters long enough to finish it. I didn't really particularly care about what happened to Johnny, the main character, which means it just wasn't worth it to continue.
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Read in June, 2008
A completely different view of the Revolutionary War. Set in Manahattan for the most part, Johnny One-Eye narrates a fresh perspective of the war by the son of a prostitute.
The agonizing difficulty Johnny has in declaring for either side is explored, as well as his accidental forays into espionage.
The agonizing difficulty Johnny has in declaring for either side is explored, as well as his accidental forays into espionage.
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
dudes, I guess?
I have to be honest. This book was a chore to read. NPR went crazy over it, so I thought I'd take a break from my Victorian addiction to read something contemporary, yet about my founding fathers. Wholly unsatisfying, yet not unpleasant. I can't really describe it. I'm just happy it's over.
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Read in April, 2008
Really funny historical fiction novel about the whorehouses of York Island during the American Revolution. I enjoyed the characters in the book and was really excited to see a story about this time period told from the prospective of a "Tory spy." I recommend this one to anyone.
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Read in April, 2008
3.7 Pretty good, engaging, fun book, just not really my style. It goes though a nice fictional bawdy romp of the history of New York City during the American Revolution. I would love to hear about how much of its history was accurate though. Anyone?
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Read in April, 2008
This was a fun historical romp. It takes place at the onset of the Revolutionary War, focusing on a young man who grew up in a brothel. He is tied to George Washington and seems to have loyalties on both sides of the conflict.
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I saw this on display at Penn Books last Friday and snapped it up. It looks very promising. The bits of it I've glimpsed are entertaining as get-all.
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Read in March, 2008
I suspect this book will be a love-it-or-hate-it for a lot of readers. For me it was mostly just odd, didn't draw me in particularly.
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Read in May, 2008
An interesting, if scattered, account of the American Revolution, through the eyes of a young man raised in a brothel.
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Read in May, 2008
Goes nowhere in the first several chapters. I gave up on it.
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recommended by Choice booklist for historical fiction '08
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Read in April, 2008
Just OK for me--did not live up to the hype.
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