The Silent

by Jack Dann

From the critically acclaimed author of The Memory Cathedral comes perhaps the most powerful, haunting, and unforgettable novel of the Civil War--or any war--ever written. Provocative, poetic, and disturbing, it introduces us to a young narrator, Mundy McDowell, whose voice rivals any in literature, bringing poignantly to life the surreal horrors of battle and its spiritual cost to human survival.


I was scarce twelve the day the damn Yankees invaded the valley. I seen a lot that day I ain't never gonna forget.

Men blown apart, screamin' and dyin' all around me. I was wandering in the woods like I wasn't supposed to and wound up right in the middle of the battle. And that's what I suppose saved me.

When I got back home the main house was burning to the ground. I saw two men wearin' bits and pieces of 'Federate and Yank uniforms. They killed Poppa right off, and Mother they dragged into the front yard before they killed her too. I reckon that was the day I first got the knack of being invisible.

The spirit dog seen me right off, though. He was big and black and smelled like burning. His eyes were like red coals and everywhere he went, it seemed death followed. Him and me, we mostly traveled together after that.

I passed through midnight fields of dead and dying soldiers, reeking makeshift field hospitals worse than hell itself; climbed into the mountains where the runaway slaves hid; and walked through towns shattered by the passage of the war.

I met a lot of people, some of them living and some of them just memories. There was Jimmadasin, the slave who died on my account, and Mammy Jack, who taught me to see visions; the gallant Colonel Ashby, who let me ride by his side, and, of course, the mulatto whore Lucy, who saved my life twice.

Last but not least, there was mad but brilliant General Jackson, who was probably responsible for putting more men in their graves than any other during the Shenandoah campaign. Whether he was a hero or a demon I never did determine, but I wish I had never met him at all.

And through it all I remained silent. The power of speech left me the day my parents were killed and I first saw the spirit dog. You see, the whole time I was wandering through that valley of death I was deciding on whether to go back to being human or to become a spirit myself, and that's what this book is all about.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2015

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

A stream of consciousness account of a young boy during the Civil War/Shenandoah Campaign. He thinks he has become a spirit, has multiple adventures as one, and meets some historical figures (Gens Ashby, Jackson, etc.) Graphic descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of war.

[Laura Tims · Rating 1 out of 5]

Difficult to stay interested in but forced myself to finish it hoping it would have a really great ending. Which it did not. In fact,I don't even understand the ending. Would not recommend.

[Ryan Lantzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

when I first looked at the silent I thought it was going to be a book that I would really enjoy, turns out that I was wrong. there was nothing really wrong with the story I just did not enjoy it like I thought that I would have. I believe that the book is too long meaning they carry out the story to much there are a lot of things that didn't need to be added to the book that were. That is the main reason that I thought that the book was a boring read. If you need a book were something grabs your attention every once and a while I would not recommended reading this book. there are some parts that I had to force my self to try and finish the book. I believe that the book would be better if there wasn't so much just wandering around the woods it would be a much better book if it was shorter and had a little more action and excitement to look forward to but in this case it does not.

[Steven Paulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Silent is a wonderful book. Masterfully written, for me it had echoes of J G Ballard because Mundy McDowell, the protagonist, simultaneously traverses the strange war torn landscape of the American Civil War and his own 'inner landscape'. It is poetic and haunting. I had read it before but this time I listened to the audiobook and very much enjoyed Chris Kipiniak's narration and interpretation. Highly recommended.

[Krista · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Silent takes place in Virginia during the Civil War. The main character (Mundy) witnesses a tragedy and then leaves home. Mundy travels all around and meets many people; this book is a story of his travels. Long descriptions make the read boring and slow. I prefer books with a more exciting and entertaining plot.

[Ryan Petty · Rating 1 out of 5]

How this got published I don't know. I tried to get into it, but the story was lacking so I only read about half. I know it is written from the perspective of a 14 year old boy, but that shouldn't be an excuse for poor writing. I wouldn't recommend this book at all for a Civil War book.

[Janice Torrance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very graphic detailed description of the horrors of the Civil War as was told in this story. I enjoyed the perspective of the young man in the story. You felt you were along side of him throughout the book as he shared his experiences and every thought. Good research demonstrated throughout. It dragged on a bit, however, in parts, with repetitive themes that frustrated me a little. But I made it to the end !

[Melanie]

Very strange book. It was repetitive and I gave up. It portrays the horror of war quite well. I’m just not interested in finishing it. Made it to page 124.

[Heather Flannery · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never leave reviews but I had to leave one for this book. The plot line has so much potential but that's all.

I would not recommend this book at all.

[Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captivating story but just felt like something was missing. Kept me wanting more, which is the point, but even the end had me wanting for more

[Wini Fara · Rating 1 out of 5]

A DNF for me. Just way too graphic for my taste. I understand that the author is probably writing it that way on purpose, to showcase the atrocities of war. But it is too much for me.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. A stream of consciousnous style isn't normally my thing, but for some reason it worked for me here. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the "unreliable narrator", but I found the the observations of a shell-shocked teenager wandering the Civil War battle fields very realistic.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best fiction about the American Civil War that I've ever read. Ok, that's a bit like saying this is the best rock band in Normal, Illinois but it's still the best fiction book about the Civil War that I've ever read.



I had read anthologies edited by Jack Dann but was surprised to see that he's a talented and imaginative author in his own right (write.) The Silent is a book that does not fall neatly into any categories -- except, perhaps, magical realism. There's plenty of sex and violence, though. If you like horror books, then here is one about one of the most horrific events in American history. Can't get more horrifying than that.

[Kevin Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Silent is the story of a Virginian adolescent during the American Civil War. The reader goes with Mundy on all of his so called "adventures." The plot lacks excitement. A long book is fine if it is detailed, but The Silent is not. Jack Dann essentially rewrote a duller version of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn set in the Civil War. I do not recommend this book for average readers who are seeking an easy read.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Silent is the story of a young 14 yr old boy who lost his parents and everything he has ever known during the civil war.He experiences things so awful and he becomes so traumatized that his speech leaves him.the story chronicles the horrific events of the civil war thru the eyes of a young boy with PTSD.This is based on a actual person but the story is the invention of the author.Another story that points out the wrongness of glorifying!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book -- a 13-year-old boy gets caught up in the horrors of the Civil War. It is written as if it is a journal, set down to paper at a later date, telling of the boy's experiences in 1862. The book itself is brutal, which is to be expected for the subject matter. But beware -- it is very graphic, not just of the dead but also of rape. Ultimately, I found the beginning of the book brutal and the end unrewarding.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

See also "The Painted Bird."

[Jennww2ns · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up at chapter 6 - just couldn't get into it. The kid wanders and thinks he's invisible and imagine things the whole time. That's all that happens. It's boring.