Rating: 
Summary: Probably the best book that I ever read!!!
Review: I read this book four or five years ago and it still is the book against which I judge all others. I am a fast reader and pretty much read all of the current literature, but this book took me about three weeks to read (even on the second go-round!!) I was amazed that somebody could know the head and heart of a woman so well and put it into words. I would read a chapter and reread it for the poetry and words. A few chapters stand alone as short stories. I was not surprised to read that chapters appeared in the New Yorker. This is just a beautiful book. It's too bad that the movie was so bad. I had to buy a brand new book because I wore the other one out. This book should be Oprah's book of the summer. Every woman should read this book. Take your time--it seems to move slowly, but enjoy the poetry of it. THE BEST!!!!!
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Summary: This book will forever be etched in my memory
Review: I read this book many years ago. Soon after reading it I found myself walking down an historical section of town where I found myself remembering so vividly a memory from the Civil War that occurred on that very street, to a family that lived in the house where I stood. I thought my remembrance of the past must have come to me in a dream. No, the memory was from a passage from this wonderful book. Gurganus describes a civl war veteran returning a fallen soldier's pocket watch to his family. The author writes with such clarity and detail that I thought I had been there myself. You smell the flowers and hear the sounds from a long time ago with Gurganus. He is a master of detail, nuance and character.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've every read . . .
Review: I was with my family at the South Carolina beach when I read this book. I was engrossed . . and so moved by the chapter which describes Willie shooting the young Union soldier. I asked my brother-in-law to read that one chapter(he's a history teacher and I thought it would be a beautiful passage to include in the teaching of the civil war). When I returned to the beach, he had read it and cried; my sister-in-law read it and cried . . . some of your reviewers suggest that he is not a good storyteller -- please ignor them --! As a daughter of the South and a girl who has been entertained by some of the best storytellers that the South has to offer, this man is one of the finest storytellers and this novel is a great example of that! If you want a life-altering experience, read this novel. I've never written a review for amazon.com and probably will never write another one . . but, I feel so strongly about the inspiring beauty of this book, that I just wanted to share it. . .
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read . . .
Review: I was with my family at the South Carolina beach when I read this book. I was so moved by the chapter which describes Willie shooting the young Union soldier that I asked my brother-in-law to read that chapter(he's a history teacher and I thought it would be a beautiful passage to include in the teaching of the civil war). When I returned to the beach, he had read it and cried; my sister-in-law had read it and cried . . . Some of your reviewers suggest that the author is no storyteller . . . (whether I go to heaven or hell, my prayer is that those folks won't be there with me). As a daughter of the South and a girl who has been entertained by some of the best storytellers of the South, Gurganus is one of the finest storytellers! If you want a life-altering experience, read this novel. I've never written a review for amazon.com and probably will never write another one . . but, I feel so strongly about the inspiring beauty of this book, that I just wanted to share it . . .
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read
Review: I wasn't really prepared for this to be a good book -- I was given an old copy by my Mom, who is from the South. 'Oh good, another war story' I thought. But once into the book, I was hooked. So many books lately seem shallow: they have one main theme and seem constructed mainly to make a good screenplay.This book will never make a good screenplay, but it makes a rich, intriguing read. Although the story is complex, I had no trouble remembering what was going on or who the characters were: they were so detailed and memorable. It doesn't really matter what you think about the Civil War, either: the book is primarily about people, and about a certain time in history. On a personal note, as a woman struggling with work and kids and house, Lucy's description of life at the turn of the century made me feel downright liberated, as well as proud of all the women throughout the centuries that have fed and clothed 'a mess of children' through good times and bad. Her description of getting up every morning to make a dozen sandwiches made me think of all the trivial little things Moms do to make life go on for a family, and how it all counts somehow in the end. It was amazing to me that Allan could describe the universe from a woman's point of view with such seeming accuracy and poignancy!
Rating: 
Summary: Oldest Living Confederate Widow tells too much
Review: In Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, Allan Gurganus' superb writing style and vivid vignettes makes it worth reading the first 250 pages or so. After that, however, the chapters become somewhat repetitive and seem neverending. His style is more suited for short stories, which he writes very well.
Rating:
Summary: Oldest Living Confederate Widow tells too much
Review: In Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, Allan Gurganus' superb writing style and vivid vignettes makes it worth reading the first 250 pages or so. After that, however, the chapters become somewhat repetitive and seem neverending. His style is more suited for short stories, which he writes very well.
Rating: 
Summary: Like the Emperor's New Clothes....
Review: Like the boy in The Emperor's New Clothes, I wonder if I'm the only person who DID NOT like this book? It was recommended to me by a dear friend whose book taste usually parallels my own. The reviews were grand, people loved it. And being a southerner, I thought I would just naturally enjoy it. NOT. Lucy Marsden is pitiful, her aged loony-tune husband is pitiful, and the other characters are no better. The stabs at comedy in this book were lost on me; I found the whole thing grim and depressing. And it's LONG and grim. Talk about diarrhea of the word processor. I am an avid reader and I enjoy ALL kinds of books, but I could never, ever recommend this book to anyone.
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Summary: One Woman's Perspective
Review: Lucy Marsden presents a unique perspective on the South as it once was. This book is a real testament to the past - one woman's perspective. Lucy's memories are long lasting and span an eternity reaching from the horrors of the Civil War right through to the frightening sight of the Challenger disaster. Though Lucy is 99 years old, blind, and confined to a charity home, her memory and insight remains astute. Lucy Marsden's narrative speaks vividly of her experiences as a child-bride, married to a crazed but earnest vet, of motherhood, of gender-dominance, and, of course, of love-making, the historic "battle of the sexes". She speaks of the popularity of love-making right through its title changes and shifting styles of the times, but still coupling into the same old shenanigans. She muses over how strict she and her man looked by day, and at church, and how wild were their night actions in their own "legal playpen for adults". Beware of feeling sorry for yourself, she advises. Its mighty tempting. War itself is a form of pouting and self-pity. She empathizes with the soldiers when confronted with the dire statement "South Loses It" and questions where the soldier is when his war is yanked from under him: he lies caught in the middle with no idea of how to behave. Lucy exposes a gallery of characters, aristocrats & free men, sharecroppers & slaves, blacks and whites, and offers her own unique perspective on folks such as General Lee and President Lincoln. In her own inspired, ungrammatical voice, she tells it all - as she saw it and as she lived it. This book is a "must read" for all who want a plain-folks perspective on life in the Old South. I enjoyed it. I think you will, too. Lois Bennett
Rating:
Summary: One Woman's Perspective
Review: Lucy Marsden presents a unique perspective on the South as it once was. This book is a real testament to the past - one woman's perspective. Lucy's memories are long lasting and span an eternity reaching from the horrors of the Civil War right through to the frightening sight of the Challenger disaster. Though Lucy is 99 years old, blind, and confined to a charity home, her memory and insight remains astute. Lucy Marsden's narrative speaks vividly of her experiences as a child-bride, married to a crazed but earnest vet, of motherhood, of gender-dominance, and, of course, of love-making, the historic "battle of the sexes". She speaks of the popularity of love-making right through its title changes and shifting styles of the times, but still coupling into the same old shenanigans. She muses over how strict she and her man looked by day, and at church, and how wild were their night actions in their own "legal playpen for adults". Beware of feeling sorry for yourself, she advises. Its mighty tempting. War itself is a form of pouting and self-pity. She empathizes with the soldiers when confronted with the dire statement "South Loses It" and questions where the soldier is when his war is yanked from under him: he lies caught in the middle with no idea of how to behave. Lucy exposes a gallery of characters, aristocrats & free men, sharecroppers & slaves, blacks and whites, and offers her own unique perspective on folks such as General Lee and President Lincoln. In her own inspired, ungrammatical voice, she tells it all - as she saw it and as she lived it. This book is a "must read" for all who want a plain-folks perspective on life in the Old South. I enjoyed it. I think you will, too. Lois Bennett
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