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A Soldier of the Great War (Chunky Read) READING SCHEDULE INCLUDED
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Yes, that is what I was talking about. I am assuming that but I am wondering if there will be more on this. I kept reading that part saying to myself, well they couldn't have killed him because we meet him as an old man!
That thought will come back, Meg. He does appear indistructable.
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I found it interesting when he met the Milanese soldier and the conversation they had about how they have survived so far in the war.
Finished Part VIII and the book is getting a bit ludicrous. Don't get me wrong, the writing is still lovely. But, there are some strange sceens and situations. Frankly, it is dragging for me. There are wonderfully insightful moments that make me want to think, but they are not enough to sustain the narrative. It is as if the words are too many, too heavy for this slow moving plot and incrimental character development.
Do you think it is a bit draggy because there is a lot of description, especially about the war?Also, I am still not understanding why Italy got into WWI, there doesn't seem to be any presentation about the views of Italy and how they dragged them into this war (other than not liking Germans and Austrians)
Yes, I think that the lavish descriptions about the mountains, about mountain climbing, about clothes and sceenary, etc does make it drag. There is little that happens relative to the amount of description. Also, there does not seem to be much in the way of character development. Allessandro was amazingly wise and insightful from the start of this remembered period. He does seem to become a bit more cynical, but we do not have any dramatic shift.As for Italy in the war, I am trying to recall my high school history. But, to the best of my recollection, most every country got dragged into that war because of treaties of mutual support prior to the war. As soon as our archduke was assassinated and war was declared, the dominos began to fall. Treaties pulled one country after the next into a war they had no desire to fight and nothing to gain from.
I found this link to some history and it seems that actually Italy should have joined Austria and Germany since they all had a treaty since 1885, but Italy wanted some land from Austria, so they signed another treaty with England and Russia in 1915. Just crazy!http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/...
Thank you Lisa. No wonder I am confused!
Well, I ended up just reading through to the end. I am not very good with keeping my interest going over the long haul.
This book reminds me of a modern Iliad/Odyssey.
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I thought we were going to find out what those flowers were that were gathered by the soldiers early on. Also, I'm not sure the point of Nicolo. He is so nieve, so unformed, disproportionate to his age.
I am wondering if he is the son of one of the soldier's who died.
Mod
Can't be the son of one of Alessandro's comrads because he is too young. He would have to be the grand son or even great grandson, depending on age of father when born.
Irene wrote: "I thought we were going to find out what those flowers were that were gathered by the soldiers early on. Also, I'm not sure the point of Nicolo. He is so nieve, so unformed, disproportionate to h..."The flowers were later discussed when Alessandro's father was in the hospital. The DR. in charge was explaining that there was a medicine available, but the army confiscates the entire supply and doesn't allow civilians access. Then Orfeo "requisitions" some for Alessandro's father.
Irene wrote: "Can't be the son of one of Alessandro's comrads because he is too young. He would have to be the grand son or even great grandson, depending on age of father when born."well actually, grandson, thanks Irene
Lisa, I never connected those flowers with the medicine in the hospital.
Mod
I'm not sure that it gave a name for the flowers,except that they were blue. My mind always pictures digitalis because they are pretty and help with the heart.
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La Tempeste: In Mark Helprin's 1991 novel A Soldier of the Great War the protagonist claims the painting as his favorite and it plays a central role in the plot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Temp...
I was really happy to have the picture while I read the end of the book. It tied it all together.I felt that Nic's role in the book ended up like he was almost Alessandro's priest.
I liked the book and the writing style/vocabulary but at times it was almost too much details and I lost a bit of interest.
Mod
Nicolo did almost end up seeming priest like in the final pages. He was there for Alessandro to confess to, to get everything out in the open that he had never told anyone in his whole life.
I agree that the book was very well written, but also a bit too much, and I was hoping for more closure in the ending.
Nicalo felt like the canvas on which Alesandro could paint the image of his life. He was so ignorant, so unformed, so lacking in any ideas that had taken real shape. His ignorance is prominant in the opening chapter. It was as if Alessandro poured out his story onto this blank page so that it might, he might live on. He is an old man about to die and his story with its accumulated wisdom will die with him. Now his body will die, but the essence of his life will live in this stranger.
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Are you talking about the firing squad? I was under the impression that it was one of Orfeo's interventions. He did it as a favor to Lucinda, and maybe, out of a sense of loyalty to the family.