Marching Men

by Sherwood Anderson

Marching Men (1917) is a novel by Sherwood Anderson. Both fictional and autobiographical, Anderson’s second novel is a coming of age story that explores the individual and collective identities shaping American life. Although he is known today for his story collection Winesburg, Ohio , a pioneering work of Modernist literature admired for its plainspoken language and psychological detail, Anderson’s Marching Men is a powerful work of fiction that helped establish him as a leading realist writer of his generation. “In a country of so many varied climates and occupations as America it is absurd to talk of an American type. The country is like a vast disorganised undisciplined army, leaderless, uninspired, going in route-step along the road to they know not what end.” At a young age, Norman McGregor, a misfit dreamer, knows this to be true of his country. Fourteen-year-old Norman, ironically named “Beaut” for his homely appearance, works alongside his mother at a bakery in the town of Coal Creek. When frustration over unpaid debts leads him to close the bakery, a group of disgruntled miners nearly destroys his family’s only source of income. At the last second, a group of soldiers marches in to protect them, inspiring Norman with a sense of unity. As a young man, he leaves his hometown for Chicago, where he develops a relationship with a woman who introduces him to politics and labor organizing. Unable to shake the memory of the marching soldiers, he dedicates his life to collective empowerment. Marching Men is a story of the American Dream, for all of its difficult truths and convenient fictions. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Sherwood Anderson’s Marching Men is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Genres: Classics, American, Novels, 20th Century, Fiction

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Often autobiographical, works of American writer Sherwood Anderson include Winesburg, Ohio (1919).

He supported his family and consequently never finished high school. He successfully managed a paint factory in Elyria before 1912 and fathered three children with the first of his four wives. In 1912, Anderson deserted his family and job.

In early 1913, he moved to Chicago, where he devoted more time to his imagination. He broke with considered materialism and convention to commit to art as a consequently heroic model for youth.

Mainly know for his short stories, most notably the collection Winesburg, Ohio. One can hear its profound influence on fiction in Ernest Miller Hemingway, William Faulkner, Thomas Clayton Wolfe, John Ernst Steinbeck, and Erskine Preston Caldwell.

Most important book collects 22 stories. The stories explore the inhabitants of a fictional version of Clyde, the small farm town, where Anderson lived for twelve early years. These tales made a significant break with the traditional short story. Instead of emphasizing plot and action, Anderson used a simple, precise, unsentimental style to reveal the frustration, loneliness, and longing in the lives of his characters. The narrowness of Midwestern small-town life and their own limitations stunt these characters.

Despite no wholly successful novel, Anderson composed several classic short stories. He influenced Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald and the coming generation.

Reviews

[AC]

While in general I'm a big fan of Sherwood Anderson, this book fails miserably. The idea is unbelievable and Anderson seems to keep typing hoping he can find a way to make himself believe it. This is clearly a point in which Anderson's skill in making us see the effects of the industrial revolution on individuals and societies does not hold up at all. It's hard to really connect with or care about the characters or their situations. The marching men explanation and execution really doesn't accomplish anything.

[Joy]

Loved it from beginning to end.

[elderfoil...the whatever champion]

One of Anderson's earliest novels that touches on many of his well-known themes, this edition includes some of his essays as well as his first published short story---"The Rabbit-pen" is a little jewel and shows once again that Anderson is among America's finest. As for the novel itself, it's easy enough to critique for its ragged, jumping, discombobulation on certain fronts, but still it includes wonderful stretches, great characterizations, and ample Sherwoodian soul.

[Dustincecil]

The introduction suggested that at least portions (if not all) of this book may have been written before Anderson's first published novel. I could see where that could be the case. Much of this book felt like unresolved sketches. The brightest points weren't enough to make me want more.

Interesting read though- in terms of taking a societal temperature during a specific time in American history. What a wild time, when every other neighbor could have easily been anarchist or socialist...

[James Govednik]

Some strong passages and sympathetic characters, but also a lot of rough edges. Interesting for its place in the author's development. I liked the depiction of Chicago labor c. 1900.

[Rob Branigin]

interesting juvenilia. the episodic, autobiographical glimpses into anderson's early life are fascinating and sharply drawn. the muddled politics only annoy.

[Pat Roberts]

I enjoyed Anderson's unique writing style. While it's not a cheerful tale, it is a good piece of classic creative writing.