Mary T. (MaryTheCat) reviewed on + 15 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Winner of the Prix Goncourt and the Prix de Roma de l'Accademie Francais, written from the research notes of Honore Balzac who had even interviewed participants, this book came crowned with glory for the writing and plaudits for accuracy by reviewers.
They must have read it in the original French.
The prose was so creaky, I got 46 pages in and started skipping. No doubt the quality of the writing itself was the translator's fault; however, the story follows a number of distinctly unappealing characters through brutal, nasty, and violent scenes. We see evilness enacted in every way possible by soldiers occupying a conquered city: looting, rape, and casual murder - and that's BEFORE the battle started, wherein the author lovingly dwells on all the ways to die in war: beheaded by a cannon ball, disembowelled by a blade, hacked to pieces, etc etc etc ad bloody nauseam.
If you enjoyed Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels", you probably won't enjoy this.
Strictly for the serious blood-and-guts lover, and it would help if the reader has a touch of sadism and enjoys seeing the confirmation of a VERY low opinion of mankind.
They must have read it in the original French.
The prose was so creaky, I got 46 pages in and started skipping. No doubt the quality of the writing itself was the translator's fault; however, the story follows a number of distinctly unappealing characters through brutal, nasty, and violent scenes. We see evilness enacted in every way possible by soldiers occupying a conquered city: looting, rape, and casual murder - and that's BEFORE the battle started, wherein the author lovingly dwells on all the ways to die in war: beheaded by a cannon ball, disembowelled by a blade, hacked to pieces, etc etc etc ad bloody nauseam.
If you enjoyed Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels", you probably won't enjoy this.
Strictly for the serious blood-and-guts lover, and it would help if the reader has a touch of sadism and enjoys seeing the confirmation of a VERY low opinion of mankind.
