Ane excellent story of 5 Harvard men and the women they knew and loved, and the elegant car that came to symbolize their youth.
Only a few times in a lifetime does a golden novel appear that captures the spirit of a generation and the heart of America. For millions of readers, that novel is The Last Convertible. This New York Times bestseller from the acclaimed author of Once an Eagle tells the story of five Harvard men, the women they loved, their coming of age through the dark days of World War II, and the elegant car that came to symbolize their romantic youth.
I first read this book probably 15 years ago, and I still pick it up and re-read it once in a while. It's so well-written, it makes me nostalgic for a time I didn't even live through! While it's about a group of college friends starting out in the 1940s, I think the story and its emotions are timeless enough to appeal to anyone. I saw parallels to my own experiences in college during the late 1970s, minus the war. The characters are so real, and they stay with you long after you've finished the book.
AMAZON.COM READER'S REVIEW
This is the story of five Harvard men and the women they loved-and the elegant car that came to symbolize their romantic youth. It is the story of their coming-of-age in the dark days of World War II, and of their unshakable loyalty to a lost dream in the decades that followed. It is the story of all our yesterdays.
Only a few times in a lifetime does a golden novel appear that captures the spirit of a generation and the heart of America. For millions of readers, that novel is The Last Convertible. This New York Times bestseller from the acclaimed author of Once an Eagle tells the story of five Harvard men, the women they loved, their coming of age through the dark days of World War II, and the elegant car that came to symbolize their romantic youth.
AMAZON.COM BOOK DESCRIPTION
"A golden novel indeed, A bestseller, this is the story of five Harvard men and the women they loved, and the elegant car that came to symbolize their romantic youth. It is the story of their coming of age in the dark days of WW2, and of their unshakable loyalty to a lost dream in the decades that followed. It is the story of allour yesterdays." (From the back cover)
Every so often, and not often enough, we find ourselves given a gift--a surprise gift. A gift of a novel, that changes the very way we look at ourselves and the world around us. Books alone seem to have that ability to transform us. The best of all are the books we don't expect to change things for us. The Last Convertible is one of those books. This book immediately takes it's place on my top ten list. I bought it because it was called "a coming of age" novel by one critic. Coming of age stories are among my favorite genres. I had just finished a nice coming of age story of the mid-90s, the Fundamentals of Play (which interestingly has a loyal narrator named George, a Currier type in Chat, and vapid Chris, with it's Kate--but this probably only interests me). A group of people who came of age in the times I had. It was good read. Myrer's Fusiliers (as the 5 men were called) were of the era of my grandparents, so I had no idea what to expect. What I found, pretty much from page one, was a story that would not let go. I finished the second half of the book in 2 days, refusing to put it down. I would read it, go out in "real world" and feel as though the characters and feelings were walking with me. These characters and times are no more--but the feelings are universal. Russ, Jean-Jean, Terry, Dal, Chris (the mysterious and ever deeping charm of Christabel), the infuriating Nancy, Ron, Peg, Irene, the sordid Kay Madden, the unforgettable Liz Payne, Amanda, and Teddy. Not to mention Dr. Mel, Opp, and the Countess. There are so many characters that flood through the years of this novel, yet they all touch you in surprising ways. And of course, the Empress--symbol and fact. Above them of all, is one of my all-time literary heroes, the seemingly ordinary George Virdon.
Grog, Vird, George, call him what you will...keeper of the flame, the steady, old reliable, the loyal, the blindly loyal (?) and truly heroic George. Sarge. Dad. Husband. and Friend.
George is what makes this story for me. As his friends fortunates rise and fall, as his marriage strains and soars, and his children grow, suffer, and live, he fights on. George is endlessly nostaglic, but as Chris tells us, he manages to grow up--somehow. George understands the importance of memory, the mystical power of letters and pictures and objects (even big ones like the Empress). He suffers enormously at times but always maintains his dignity. Nancy is no easy woman, but he endures. George does more than endure however, he maintains the eternal flame. While George is never rich, never quite poor...he is the wealthiest of all the Fusiliers of Fox Entry. He knows that what matters in this world is love. Love--with it's loyalty, pain, schisms, dreams--broken, borrowed, lost and sometimes won, losses, and profound moments...for George it is all about love, moments, and a bit o' stardust. George, as he tells several times, might take longer to understand, but he always knows the score. He denies himself, but he is really the glue of the novel and these men's (and women's lives). He saves lives. Literally and figuratively...if he is still with us, pushing 80 by now, he is probably doing the same. Young Ron, like a generation before him, is transformed by knowing George. And so was I. Thank you George and thank you Anton Myrer.
AMAZON.COM READER'S REVIEW
I really liked this book. It wasn't what I thought it would be. The characters are well done and the book really lets one see life in an era gone by.
Published 1978, 532 pages. "...a good, melancholy, unabashedly nostalgic yarn about the World War II generation."