Doctorow’s new novel is set towards the end of the American Civil War and follows General Sherman’s epic march with sixty thousand Union troops through Georgia and the Carolinas, one of the major manoeuvres to bring the war to its conclusion. THE MARCH ranges widely over a diverse set of characters – each of whom is brilliantly realised – so that we see the war through the eyes of both white-skinned Pearl (daughter of slave and slave owner) and General Sherman; a deserting confederate who sets himself up as a photographer; a ruthless army surgeon who enjoys his reputation as an amputator; and the two brothers of a brutal slave owner who find themselves in uniforms facing Sherman’s forces.
Doctorow’s narrative brilliantly blends the intimate and the epic, sweeping the reader along the route of Sherman’s notorious march and making us care deeply about each individual’s fate.
Doctorow’s narrative brilliantly blends the intimate and the epic, sweeping the reader along the route of Sherman’s notorious march and making us care deeply about each individual’s fate.
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Reviews
marvellous, sweeping...The cruelties of war, the desperation, the rape and the pillage, the great rolling river of refugees and freed black slaves all comes indelibly to life.
Historical fiction is always a difficult balancing act for an author, particularly when he is incorporating the thoughts and actions of famous historical figures. Thankfully EL Dotorow is up to the task...
An entirely convincing recreation of a violent, frantic time, in which his cinematic technique of rapid, short scenes, works wonderfully
Doctorow has created a commanding, timeless meditation on war... Modern and prophetic, it is an astonishing achievement