Reviews

Long Remember by Jeff M. Shaara, Jeff Shaara, MacKinlay Kantor

lalukyle's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tarmstrong112's review

3.0

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. However I found it was long and the narrative was very slow at certain parts. And I really did not like the ending.

Touted as one of the most realistic novels about the American Civil War, I could certainly see that when it was published in the 1930s, but there are better places to start when looking at Civil War fiction, especially if you are looking for realism. Start at the Ralph Peters series (one that I find much more approachable and realistic) if you are looking for Civil War fiction.

zena_ryder's review

4.0

This is a great book, but I didn't love it like Andersonville. The reasons I didn't love it have nothing to do with any flaws in the book. MacKinlay Kantor did such a great job of the love relationship between Dan and Irene at the beginning of the book that I wanted more of them (and less of other characters) and I also wanted more of their relationship development (and so I couldn't quite get into the drama of the battle at Gettysburg). But that is, of course, not really a flaw in the book. The fact that a love relationship was interrupted is one of the many small ways in which a war is a terrible thing. And MacKinlay Kantor really does an excellent job of portraying the terribleness of war. The unbelievable horror and suffering, both physical and psychological — of those who are not directly participating as well as the soldiers themselves. How it destroys everyone and everything in its path. How it ruins the lives of those it does not kill.

A fantastic book.