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94th out of 962 books
—
1,171 voters
A Soldier of the Great War
by
Mark Helprin
From acclaimed novelist Mark Helprin, a lush, literary epic about love, beauty, and the world at war
Alessandro Giuliani, the young son of a prosperous Roman lawyer, enjoys an idyllic life full of privilege: he races horses across the country to the sea, he climbs mountains in the Alps, and, while a student of painting at the ancient university in Bologna, he falls in love....more
Alessandro Giuliani, the young son of a prosperous Roman lawyer, enjoys an idyllic life full of privilege: he races horses across the country to the sea, he climbs mountains in the Alps, and, while a student of painting at the ancient university in Bologna, he falls in love....more
Paperback, 880 pages
Published
June 1st 2005
by Mariner Books
(first published May 6th 1991)
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Jun 10, 2010
David Johnson
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to David by:
Dustin
“My father wanted me to join him in the practice of law, but I saw how greatly he suffered the requirement of being clever. It separated him from his soul, and it didn’t get him anything other than a living.”
I suppose it is always true that we gain from books what we can relate to. The themes that dominate our daily lives in our teens, our 20’s, 30’s, and so forth vary radically. These themes are filters over what we read and absorb, creating a different experience for us each time we read. So i...more
I suppose it is always true that we gain from books what we can relate to. The themes that dominate our daily lives in our teens, our 20’s, 30’s, and so forth vary radically. These themes are filters over what we read and absorb, creating a different experience for us each time we read. So i...more
A Soldier of the Great War is a compelling read and I was left with a marvelous portrait of a thoughtful man whose life has been horribly distorted and, despite his heroism and accomplishments, and his own longevity, largely wasted by the experience of meaningless war. This is mankind's history ... over and over again, from time immemorial to the present day.
Helprin's writing technique (at least in this book and Refiner's Fire, which I read a year or so ago) is to tell a sequence of what seem t...more
Helprin's writing technique (at least in this book and Refiner's Fire, which I read a year or so ago) is to tell a sequence of what seem t...more
Whatever I could possibly say cannot do justice to this book. How Helprin uses language is magnificent - the dialogue, the thoughts he evokes, the humor, the beauty he paints for the reader. I have to give this book five stars, although I have only read half. Well now I have completed the book and this makes me so sad - I don't want it to end.
When we first meet Alessandro, the soldier from the title, he’s an elderly but still vital man who takes a principled stand against a streetcar driver who refused to stop for a would-be rider giving chase. Alessandro ends up getting off as a kind of protest and faces a distant journey on foot with the impressionable young man who’d been left behind. Along the way, Alessandro tells him (and us) quite a story. It’s filled with events and perspectives prior to the war that hint at the kind of soldi...more
This book puts Erich Maria Remarque to shame. Beautiful prose highlights a forgotten front of a forgotten war as a student of aesthetics becomes a soldier of World War I in the Italian army. The characters brought to life by Mark Helprin are perfectly tragic in their hope and optimism. As you read, you desperately try to connect yourself to Alessandro, but as you press on, you come to realize that we are all Nicolo, his companion on the road away from Rome in 1964, ignorant and selfish, thinking...more
Never was I MORE RELIEVED to be done with reading a book as I was with this one. This tale, in which Alessandro Giuliani, an aging First World War veteran in his dotage, speaks about his life to a young lad (Nicolo) in his late teens while the 2 make their way on foot from the countryside to Rome during August 1964, is ponderous and tiresome. Alessandro, who grew up and lived a life of ease and comfort up til the First World War, loves to pontificate on just about any subject. In this respect, h...more
You win, Mr. Helprin. Your fine novel transcends my smart-ass review. Even so, I give you five out of five pitons driven into the rock face of an impossible cliff in the Italian Alps by a soldier we have come to love on his way to rescue his friend who we hope is not dead. You get extra credit for your humorous inclusion of the roller-coaster decorating profession.
My pick for the best American novel of the late 20th century. Dramatic, engrossing, a long and poignant read, an amazing journey in the midst of war, the discovery of love, all anchored by hearlbreakingly beautiful prose.
From the Mark Helprin web site (used with permission)
In the summer of 1964, Alessandro Giuliani, an old and partially lame professor of aesthetics —white hair and mustaches, white suit, cane— is thrown off a trolley on the outskirts of Rome after he comes to the defense of a yo...more
From the Mark Helprin web site (used with permission)
In the summer of 1964, Alessandro Giuliani, an old and partially lame professor of aesthetics —white hair and mustaches, white suit, cane— is thrown off a trolley on the outskirts of Rome after he comes to the defense of a yo...more
It's taking me a long time to read this. Not because it's bad. Just the opposite. The writing is so exquisite that my heart is breaking over and over again and I realize I'm not making the time to read. Yet I'm drawn back every day, and then wonder why I'm avoiding it. Against the backdrop of the brutality and idiocy of war, the beauty of life and the spirit are awesome, awesome as in the mysterious majesty that raises us to ecstasy.
100 more pages and I don't want it to end.
Breathtaking. My god...more
100 more pages and I don't want it to end.
Breathtaking. My god...more
I always liked books where the protagonist confronts whatever obstacles confront him and overcomes in the end. Reading this book,and reading Mark Helprin in general, is like listening to a Mozart Symphony. I feel arrested by it's melodies until it's conclusion. Helprin's gift for prose is unparalleled. His descriptions are so vivid I felt like I was watching a film. What I don't particularly like are books, or films that try to portray "true life" as it were. These are ones where the bad guy get...more
Mark Helprin is a writer it is hard for me to get my head around. He is very into heroes, and passion, and war- in some ways kind of a grown up six year old. He's also very into beauty, love, and aesthetics. One thing is certain- he is madly inventive, brilliantly descriptive, and every sentence of his writing is life-affirming and bold. On the other hand, you get the impression reading him that he is a true believer- he is not open to anything that might disagree with his fanciful and oversimpl...more
Honestly this is the greatest book ever written! It's fact, not opinion, greatest book ever! I am currently reading it for the 3rd time. The way Alessandro Giuliani, the protagonist, views the world is truly beautiful and has become my credo (if I can be so arrogant). Mark Helprin is a gifted, profound, illustrative, comical, writer, and I would recommend this book to any reader. One thing I should mention is that I have heard that the first eighty pages are slow and hard reading. I completely d...more
This is really a beautiful and moving story, full of descriptions for all your senses and great dialogue. At times, it almost read like a screenplay for some sweeping, dramatic, big-screen film. The 800-page story moved quickly in short theatrical scenes and, like in real life, important characters could (and did) emerge at any time.
I'm still trying to figure out one of the recurring themes, and I know some symbolism was just lost on me entirely. Still, the book was full of rich stories and vig...more
I'm still trying to figure out one of the recurring themes, and I know some symbolism was just lost on me entirely. Still, the book was full of rich stories and vig...more
I tend to race through books, which was a huge mistake with this one. A Soldier of the Great War needs to be read slowly with each description and each passage savored. It is a gorgeous, almost achingly beautiful book. If someone could "paint" a book, this would be it. True art. Reading this book is like taking a drug... you walk away seeing everything from a different -- and spiritually deeper -- angle. This book makes me realize how asleep we are, and how much richer life is than we ever stop...more
*** A Soldier of the Great War, a novel by Mark Helprin: It is 1964 and Alessandro, white suit, white hair, former professor of aesthetics, exits an intercity bus in the Italian hills outside of Rome out of empathy for a young illiterate factory worker, who had been running unsuccessfully to catch the bus. Together they walk for several days to their respective destinations as Alessandro tells the story of his life; mostly of his time spent during and in World War I. He fought in the trenches ag...more
Helprin is not for everyone. He's moralistic, his female characters are an afterthought, much of his philosophy is better suited for the 19th century and his books invariably involve military conflict. That being said, he's is the most talented writer I've ever read. He can make the most mundane event sound poetic, and his gift for metaphor is staggering. There are passages within each of his books which almost literally take your breath away.
There is a relentless optimism to all of his stories....more
There is a relentless optimism to all of his stories....more
Jan 07, 2013
Rayan Najem
added it
1. What did you like about the book and what could have been better?
Well the book was in third person so it was a narrative. It was nice and smooth, not a really fast paced book, but it basically based on flashbacks throughout the whole story line. It is also quite sad as well since his wife died, and later on his child in war. It was a peaceful book like the kind you think about your own life and what you have done that made you feel stuff like that. All in the entire book was pretty good and I...more
Well the book was in third person so it was a narrative. It was nice and smooth, not a really fast paced book, but it basically based on flashbacks throughout the whole story line. It is also quite sad as well since his wife died, and later on his child in war. It was a peaceful book like the kind you think about your own life and what you have done that made you feel stuff like that. All in the entire book was pretty good and I...more
My copy of this book was 860 pages. I read 400 pages and finally came to the conclusion that it was a waste of time because I had practically no curiosity about the main or subordinate characters. I tossed it.
This book was a bestseller when it came out. I have no idea why. It is essentially a collection of 1,500 word anecdotes with a thin film of connecting glue.
Most of what came out of the characters' mouths was implausible. There's an awful lot of inflated dialogue that sounded to me like word...more
This book was a bestseller when it came out. I have no idea why. It is essentially a collection of 1,500 word anecdotes with a thin film of connecting glue.
Most of what came out of the characters' mouths was implausible. There's an awful lot of inflated dialogue that sounded to me like word...more
A friend recommended this epic book to me despite knowing I wasn't fond of Helprin's novels. Well, he certainly perceived my taste fittingly, and I am forever indebted to him for persuading me to read this beautiful, evocative, deeply resonating story of a soldier-scholar living through WW I.
This is not like any other war novel I have read, and I've read a number of them. Although you are taken inside the reality of war--in the muddy trenches, in the grasp of grenades, marching with battalions,...more
This is not like any other war novel I have read, and I've read a number of them. Although you are taken inside the reality of war--in the muddy trenches, in the grasp of grenades, marching with battalions,...more
I'm split on this one, so I'll get the bad out of the way first. Alessandro is too static. He's the same man before, during, and after the war. He's the best at everything and everyone loves him, even when they hate him. Women and empires fall before him. It gets dull. Philosophically, it's repetitive - every hundred pages or so it'll circle back for another pointless, petty, antagonistic religious debate where we're supposed to conclude (like the superman Alessandro) that anyone who doesn't thr...more
I recently found (and read) The Best American Short Stories of 1998, edited by one Mark Helprin. I hadn't actually heard of him before I read A Winter's Tale, which I really enjoyed though I have no idea how it came to be on my bedside table. That got me thinking, though, that if he'd distinguished himself enough to edit The Best in '98, maybe I should get to know a bit more about him. And then, there I was at Housing Works, looking for a treat for myself. The book is just what I needed. Long (b...more
A SOLDIER OF THE GREAT WAR by Mark Helprin is a saga that travels a long and winding road. It may be a bit of a slow starter for some but the journey that Alesandro takes the reader on is evocative, emotional, heart-rending and stunning in its details and rich language. This is a wonderful book with which to curl up in a cozy chair on a rainy day. The following summary/review from amazon.com gives a nice little glimpse of the story:
"In summer 1964, a distinguished-looking gentleman in his sevent...more
"In summer 1964, a distinguished-looking gentleman in his sevent...more
This is the best book I've read in recent memory.
Read by me, February, 2009, as a recommendation from Doug Curtis.
This is a novel of beauty and light. Or horror and sorrow. Of loss and redemption. Of boundless love. These themes contract and expand, contract and expand musically, as on an accordion playing a sweet song that sweeps you back into your most tender, precious and painful memories.
This book is so vast and sweeping that I could not summarize it well without rewriting it, almost word...more
Read by me, February, 2009, as a recommendation from Doug Curtis.
This is a novel of beauty and light. Or horror and sorrow. Of loss and redemption. Of boundless love. These themes contract and expand, contract and expand musically, as on an accordion playing a sweet song that sweeps you back into your most tender, precious and painful memories.
This book is so vast and sweeping that I could not summarize it well without rewriting it, almost word...more
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I love to read books about war and this is a perfect example of an amazing war book. One thing i like about this book is that it is not just describing the war in real time, but describes an old Italian man reminiscing about his time in World War I. I also enjoy that the story focuses on more than just Alessandro's war relationships, but also his relationships outside of his tour. I also like that it contains life-like elements especially the spirituality that Alessandro uses to help him get thr...more
While I enjoyed every minute reading this book, I doubt all my fellow goodreads friends will feel the same. At 804 pages it is a long book. There is some language in it, that while I think is appropriately used, in context and appropriate to the characters (soldiers), it will definitely bother some. And there are some references to sex. So if those things bother you, don't read this book. You'll probably be uncomfortable.
With that said, I found this to be a really spiritual book. The book tells...more
With that said, I found this to be a really spiritual book. The book tells...more
WOW, this is the BEST novel I've read about WWI. (what a lame sentence to describe one of the best books I've ever read.)
You truly feel all of the emotions of the war hero as he recounts his life. Allesandro opens the story as an old man in 1964 looking back.
Mr Helprin is an extremely talented writer whose work should be savored by anyone with an interest in historical fiction. I think I'll read it again. Absolutely amazing
You truly feel all of the emotions of the war hero as he recounts his life. Allesandro opens the story as an old man in 1964 looking back.
Mr Helprin is an extremely talented writer whose work should be savored by anyone with an interest in historical fiction. I think I'll read it again. Absolutely amazing
I'm on the last 50 pages and have to say this is one of the best books I have ever read. It has changed me as a person and is one that I will read again. When an author can capture what is really important in life and you feel the emotions the character is going through as if they were your own then it is something beautiful. Next time I read this book it will be when I'm traveling through Italy.
I have read this book twice. It is one of the best books I have ever read. I have read several other Mark Helperin books and have enjoyed them, but this is an endearing story of a man recollecting his life, as a boy, as a soldier for Italy in the Italian Alps, as a lover who suffers profound loss, and who near the end of his life finds happiness. I will probably read this a few more times.
So...this would probably be the greatest novel ever written. It is a war story and a love story, a story about God and beauty, a story about perseverance, and it's really funny and quirky at times. Mark Helprin is our most intelligent writer, and our most underappreciated. I don't read many books more than once, but I've read this one 3 times and some of the passages countless times.
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A conservative commentator who has served in the Israeli army may not seem the likeliest source of whimsy, but Mark Helprin's tales are written from the soul of a poet. Soldiers and burglars figure prominently in his work, but the stories are not tales of intrigue; they focus more on love, morality and far-flung travels. - http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk
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“If it weren't for music, I would think that love is mortal.”
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“As long as you have life and breath, believe. Believe for those who cannot. Believe even if you have stopped believing. Believe for the sake of the dead, for love, to keep your heart beating, believe. Never give up, never despair, let no mystery confound you into the conclusion that mystery cannot be yours.”
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