ruthypoo2's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This story encapsulates the horror of battle during the US Civil War, where violent hand-to-hand combat was commonplace, and the destructive weapons of the time could destroy a human body without immediately killing the person. Civil War warfare was horrifying and bloody, and the stuff nightmares are made of.
In this novella, author Philip Fracassi tells the story from the perspective of Henry, who’s describing the victories and despair of the Battle of Shiloh, fought with twin brother, William, by his side. As a tourist, I’ve visited Civil War battlefields and learned war history at museums, from graveyards, and through books and movies. The eloquent, and often frenzied, narrative coming from Henry feels genuine and is frightening to imagine how authentic it probably is to what Civil War soldiers actually experienced.
There’s a lot of legend and mythology associated with battlefield experiences, such as seeing the Angel of Death, probably originating from the minds of men sick with delirium, pain, regret, fatigue, physical illness, and fear. This novella builds on a handful of these myths and presents a supernatural story where demons and angels intermingle with humans during battle, and miracles mix with manic behavior. While reading this story, I wondered how much was really taking place versus what was more likely to be a fit of fantasy fueled by grief and straight up madness.
I found the prose to be poetic and impactful. Henry and William come from a well-to-do and educated family, so it’s no surprise Henry has an impressive vocabulary and is well spoken. The overly descriptive and detailed prose is in line with historic examples of personal letters and diaries written by officers and soldiers during the Civil War, and I enjoyed the writing very much.
In this novella, author Philip Fracassi tells the story from the perspective of Henry, who’s describing the victories and despair of the Battle of Shiloh, fought with twin brother, William, by his side. As a tourist, I’ve visited Civil War battlefields and learned war history at museums, from graveyards, and through books and movies. The eloquent, and often frenzied, narrative coming from Henry feels genuine and is frightening to imagine how authentic it probably is to what Civil War soldiers actually experienced.
There’s a lot of legend and mythology associated with battlefield experiences, such as seeing the Angel of Death, probably originating from the minds of men sick with delirium, pain, regret, fatigue, physical illness, and fear. This novella builds on a handful of these myths and presents a supernatural story where demons and angels intermingle with humans during battle, and miracles mix with manic behavior. While reading this story, I wondered how much was really taking place versus what was more likely to be a fit of fantasy fueled by grief and straight up madness.
I found the prose to be poetic and impactful. Henry and William come from a well-to-do and educated family, so it’s no surprise Henry has an impressive vocabulary and is well spoken. The overly descriptive and detailed prose is in line with historic examples of personal letters and diaries written by officers and soldiers during the Civil War, and I enjoyed the writing very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Minor: Animal cruelty
thomaswjoyce's review against another edition
5.0
The horror of war is very real. Hollywood went through a period in the aftermath of the Vietnam War where this was used to great effect, in movies such as Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon. The list is endless. The list of horror movies, or fiction, featuring the American Civil War as the setting is much shorter. But considering it is the bloodiest conflict in the history of the United States, it does seem to be fertile ground for a good horror story. Which is exactly what Philip Fracassi has delivered with Shiloh.
Throughout the story, we follow identical twins Henry and William, though we see the story through Henry’s eyes. Called upon to fight for the Confederate South, they take great honour in their duty and face their enemies on the battlefields of Tennessee. The battle scenes are horrific, Fracassi never once shying away from the details, forcing the reader to confront the horror of war head-on. We are given a glimpse into the warrior-psyche of Henry, that he is caught in a kill-or-be-killed scenario, but he seems to be the perfect soldier, the perfect weapon. He is duty-bound, along with his brother and the other men, to fight tooth-and-nail for every inch, even if it means his death. This is all beautifully described by the author in the opening pages.
However, events take a tragic turn and William is mortally wounded. This causes Henry to reconsider where his priorities lie and what he must do next. In the immediate aftermath, he continues to fight, vowing to return for his brother. But, when he does, he discovers a miracle. For the land the two armies are fighting and dying on has been altered. The word “corrupted” comes to mind, but when the outcome is positive, can it really be described as such? William’s wounds seem to be healing at an accelerated rate. But what is the green stuff that covers the wounds? And what part do the demons play, the demons that only Henry seems to be able to see on the battlefield?
Fracassi takes a natural scene and injects the horror, revealing the nightmare lurking underneath, like a waiter presenting you with a silver-domed platter, only to reveal a plate of maggots beneath. But this book is far from maggots; it is yet further evidence that Philip Fracassi is a gifted storyteller. He begins by setting the scene using description with a perfect pitch, capturing the voice of the era with pinpoint precision. With Shiloh, we are at once immersed in the blood-soaked trauma of the Civil War while, in bonus story Soda Jerk, we are Carrie-Ann, fish out of water. But he wields his words like a master craftsman, hinting at the sinister undertone, filling us with unease and dread. We know that this way danger lies, but we never truly know what form it will take, until it is too late, and we are dragged beneath the waves like a swimmer caught in the undertow. The wonderful description and the brilliant interaction between his characters completes a perfect reading experience that we have now come to expect from one of the best writers writing dark fiction today.
To read the full review, please visit This Is Horror.
Throughout the story, we follow identical twins Henry and William, though we see the story through Henry’s eyes. Called upon to fight for the Confederate South, they take great honour in their duty and face their enemies on the battlefields of Tennessee. The battle scenes are horrific, Fracassi never once shying away from the details, forcing the reader to confront the horror of war head-on. We are given a glimpse into the warrior-psyche of Henry, that he is caught in a kill-or-be-killed scenario, but he seems to be the perfect soldier, the perfect weapon. He is duty-bound, along with his brother and the other men, to fight tooth-and-nail for every inch, even if it means his death. This is all beautifully described by the author in the opening pages.
However, events take a tragic turn and William is mortally wounded. This causes Henry to reconsider where his priorities lie and what he must do next. In the immediate aftermath, he continues to fight, vowing to return for his brother. But, when he does, he discovers a miracle. For the land the two armies are fighting and dying on has been altered. The word “corrupted” comes to mind, but when the outcome is positive, can it really be described as such? William’s wounds seem to be healing at an accelerated rate. But what is the green stuff that covers the wounds? And what part do the demons play, the demons that only Henry seems to be able to see on the battlefield?
Fracassi takes a natural scene and injects the horror, revealing the nightmare lurking underneath, like a waiter presenting you with a silver-domed platter, only to reveal a plate of maggots beneath. But this book is far from maggots; it is yet further evidence that Philip Fracassi is a gifted storyteller. He begins by setting the scene using description with a perfect pitch, capturing the voice of the era with pinpoint precision. With Shiloh, we are at once immersed in the blood-soaked trauma of the Civil War while, in bonus story Soda Jerk, we are Carrie-Ann, fish out of water. But he wields his words like a master craftsman, hinting at the sinister undertone, filling us with unease and dread. We know that this way danger lies, but we never truly know what form it will take, until it is too late, and we are dragged beneath the waves like a swimmer caught in the undertow. The wonderful description and the brilliant interaction between his characters completes a perfect reading experience that we have now come to expect from one of the best writers writing dark fiction today.
To read the full review, please visit This Is Horror.
max_renn's review against another edition
5.0
Don't worry, Philip, I liked this one.
Sincerely,
Magnus (also known as Some Dutch Guy on The Outer Dark Podcast)
Sincerely,
Magnus (also known as Some Dutch Guy on The Outer Dark Podcast)
aksel_dadswell's review against another edition
4.0
An absolute knockout of a novella from the always astounding Fracassi, Shiloh mates an authentic, palpable civil war setting with the supernaturally transcendent. A story as violent as it is heartbreaking. The accompanying short story in this chapbook, Soda Jerk, is also one of my favourite from this author, one of the most thrilling and skin-crawling shorts I've read in a while. I hope he sets a whole lot more of his fiction in the brilliantly realised town of Sabbath.
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