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39th out of 166 books
—
93 voters
The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War
by
Howard Bahr
On a spring day in 1865 Gawain Harper trudges toward his home in Cumberland, Mississippi, where three years earlier he had boarded a train carrying the latest enlistees in the Mississippi Infantry. Unmoved by the cause that motivated so many others, he had joined up only when Morgan Rhea’s father told Gawain that he would never wed his beloved Morgan unless he did his part...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
May 4th 2001
by Picador
(first published 2000)
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Others have outlined this story in their reviews, and I agree with them, so I am not going to delve into the characters and their conflicts and qualities.
The first chapter of this book gives an account of an attack by raiders under 'King' Solomon Gault told from the point of view of a blind boy. It is a horrific attack, and all the more chilling because you are reading it filtered through a blind boy's perception and through your own.
Characters come and go, some of them out of legend - Molochi F...more
The first chapter of this book gives an account of an attack by raiders under 'King' Solomon Gault told from the point of view of a blind boy. It is a horrific attack, and all the more chilling because you are reading it filtered through a blind boy's perception and through your own.
Characters come and go, some of them out of legend - Molochi F...more
The Year of Jubilo, set in Cumberland, Mississippi, in the summer of 1865, is the account of some who passed through that smoke.
A reluctant soldier, Gawain Harper was goaded into joining the Confederate forces in 1862 by the rabid secessionist Judge Rhea, father of the woman Harper loves. After three years of fighting the Union, the former professor of literature is now trudging home defeated and confused, weighed down by the thought that he is "walking through someone else's memory." The South...more
A reluctant soldier, Gawain Harper was goaded into joining the Confederate forces in 1862 by the rabid secessionist Judge Rhea, father of the woman Harper loves. After three years of fighting the Union, the former professor of literature is now trudging home defeated and confused, weighed down by the thought that he is "walking through someone else's memory." The South...more
May 15, 2013
Smita
is currently reading it
Passages I Love:
"How could anyone explain...the random violence of a burning, or the joy that great acts of destruction brought to the sould? When a soldier, Gawain himself knew the exhiliration of torching a house, of watching the flames rise to his bidding, and in those moments (so frightening because they were so rational) he would gladly have burned buildings, towns, cities, whole civilizations--would have laid waste the earth with flames and artillery if he could" (21-2). So Faulkneresque
"T...more
"How could anyone explain...the random violence of a burning, or the joy that great acts of destruction brought to the sould? When a soldier, Gawain himself knew the exhiliration of torching a house, of watching the flames rise to his bidding, and in those moments (so frightening because they were so rational) he would gladly have burned buildings, towns, cities, whole civilizations--would have laid waste the earth with flames and artillery if he could" (21-2). So Faulkneresque
"T...more
Sep 24, 2007
SarahC
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
books that transcend their genre
Shelves:
transcendsthegenre
This was a beautiful book that was way more than a post-Civil War piece of fiction. I can still remember passages from the book that make me cry. Bahr allows us to not just see but to know his characters. I have met him once a long time ago and keep missing chances to go to his book talks recently. I would love to hear him do a reading.
Is "The Year of Jubilo" better than "Cold Mountain" or "Andersonville?" No. Is it better than "The Black Flower?" I don't know? I definitely enjoyed reading it and respected the way Bahr treated his themes of freedom and honor and just what exactly it would have meant to be a Northerner vs. a Southerner. All throughout my childhood I equated the North as "good." School taught me (and I believe still teaches) that the North freed the slaves, fought for humanity and civil rights and anything else...more
This is a beautifully written, haunting novel of one southern solier's return to Mississipi after the surrender. The author portrays the conflicting emotions of the defeated rebels in a quite intelligent and poignant way.
I'll be frank, if I hadn't already read The Black Flower, I probably wouldn't have liked this book and Howard Bahr as much as I do. That being said, this is another wonderful addition to Bahr's list. He included gut-wrenching images and unforgettable characters. I have to admit, I was a little wary starting this one because although its subtitle calls it a "novel of the Civil War," the story takes place after the war's end. I was afraid that too much of the novel would be spent in flashbacks. Ne...more
This is the 2nd book in the Civil War trilogy that Bahr has written. He is an amazing writer and paints pictures with his words, and I found reading the first book, easy and enjoyable. I think if I had taken a break between reading the first and THE YEAR OF JUBILO I would have liked it more. Bahr continues his incredible "command" of the english language and the book is beautifully written but I got bored with all the descripive narrative and slow pace of the story. I will wait a while to read t...more
Howard Bahr is a master of the English language! I am sure that a lot of the low ratings are because it was too descriptive for most modern readers. But for anyone who wants more than just a good story this is a great book. It is slow in a good way. Take your time and let the writing soak into your soul. I read parts of it two or three times just because it was so well done.
Really well written book with graphic and disturbing scenes emphasizing the theme about the horrors of the Civil War, and its aftermath. Interesting characters, although the the number of mentally disturbed characters was somewhat unsettling; again that imbalance seemed to push the theme that war breaks people down and changes them forever.
audiobook - Beautiful language, evocative setting, very interesting odd-ball characters, well-read. The title is somewhat misleading, as the story itself only covers about 3 days as Garwin Harper returns home to Cumberland, Mississippi after the Civil War. Lots of thoughts on death, loss, honor, good/evil, rebirth, and how to adjust to extreme social/personal change from many different points of view.
It is a fiction book dealing with a country in Tennessee right after the end of the American Civil War. I found it a little hard to stay focused the first half. However, the last half really brought the characters together.
Another terrific novel by Howard Bahr. I don't understand why Mr. Bahr isn't better known. I love the way he blends beautifully descriptive prose, symbolism, the supernatural and raw emotion to tell his stories. I would love to see what a talented film director like Steven Spielberg could do with this book.
The author has an unusual writing style and is heavy on description; this at times had me drifting mentally a bit. Interesting characters. I'm not sure I liked it enough to try his other books, but may change my mind.
This is another 'must read' Civil War novel. Howard Bahr makes things real and messy as real life and events are. No nice tidy generalities here.
Growing up in Virginia, the flagship of the Confederacy, I have a passionate interest in the Civil War. This book is the last of the trilogy (read out of order) I have enjoyed. The three books inform the reader of the pain, heartache, and brutality of that war without romanticizing it. I loved it. Howard Bahr is a beautiful, thoughtful, and poetic writer.
Man this sucker is damn near a master piece. It hooked me and took me for a ride and made e feel: happy, sad, revulsed...
Thought I'd add this now because I'm surprised by it. It's a pick for my book club this month and, not generally being a fan of historical fiction, I expected to struggle through it. But I like the writing quite a bit and so far the story has kept me interested.
The real reason I want to post, though, is to say this: Whether you want to read Year of Jubilo or not, find it next time you're in the library and read the first chapter (which I think is a prologue). It's a writing lesson: how a blind b...more
The real reason I want to post, though, is to say this: Whether you want to read Year of Jubilo or not, find it next time you're in the library and read the first chapter (which I think is a prologue). It's a writing lesson: how a blind b...more
Howard Bahr is an amazing writer. I haven't finished this yet, and so far am not as in love with it as I was The Black Flower, still--he places you so well in the period, and his quirky characters are well realized and deep. Why isn't the man better known?
I LOVED this book. I will find and read every other book by Howard Bahr that I can find. His prose at times read more like beautifully written poetry. Amazing.
Marvelous writer. Great study of Civil War and the human condition.
A novel exploring the challenges of surviving in 1865 Mississippi among physically and emotionally crippled soldiers of both sides. The South where they returned bore little resemblance to the one they left. A painful reading experience, The Year of Jubilo puts the reader right into the scene of death, broken minds and hearts, a world turned upside down. Read it, if you dare.
This is one of the books that stays on my bookshelf.
I really like novels of the civil war & especially Howard Bahr. But I found this one rather confusing at the end.
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Very enjoyable. It was philosophical, spiritual, historical, and the prose was beautiful. Very enjoyable story of life in south immediately after the civil war.
Another excellent piece of Civil War fiction from Bahr. Beautiful prose and a plot that begins with a long slow burn into a raging fire.
Four instead of five stars because I didn't quite understand a few pieces of the conclusion, and it's not quite as perfect as The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War was. But still a great read.
Four instead of five stars because I didn't quite understand a few pieces of the conclusion, and it's not quite as perfect as The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War was. But still a great read.
Howard Bahr is a wonderful author and he just weaves the story so smoothly...to me its really like poetry at times...
One of the truly gifted writers of our times. A vivid description of the people and events surrounding the lesser known battle of Franklin.
Read this because of the author - very different, loved the ending.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Howard Bahr (1946- ) is an American novelist, born in Meridian, Mississippi. Bahr, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and then worked for several years on the railroads, enrolled at the University of Mississippi in the early 1970s when he was in his late 20s. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Ole Miss and served as th...more
More about Howard Bahr...
Jump to: navigation, search
Howard Bahr (1946- ) is an American novelist, born in Meridian, Mississippi. Bahr, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and then worked for several years on the railroads, enrolled at the University of Mississippi in the early 1970s when he was in his late 20s. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Ole Miss and served as th...more
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