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Summary: Helprin amazes again.
Review: _Soldier_ is the second Helprin work I've read, and I waited 6 years (and 5 re-readings of _Winters' Tale_) before I picked it up, for fear of spoiling the majesty of _Winters' Tale_. However, I believe Helprin has at least equaled the emotional power of _Winters' Tale_ here. The story of Alessandro Guiliani, a hero of World War One, and his surprising and varied life, is told from his perspective in his seventies walking through the Italian countryside with a nearly illiterate factory worker he meets along the way. His dissertations on beauty and love are alone worth the reading, but his story is fascinating, beautiful, painful, and amazing. With this book (and _Memoir from Antproof Case_, which I am presently reading), Helprin has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf next to Jonathan Carroll, Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, and Umberto Eco.
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Summary: Still in love after 8 years....
Review: Very few books merit a re-reading by me...Eight years ago I read the first edition hardcover of this novel. What a beautiful book! La Tempesta, a picture central to the tale of the book, adorns the book jacket. I have re-read all Helprin's novels, stories and fables over the years, they each hold a cherished spot in various bookshelves throughout the house. This was the last book to be re-read. I thought about it many times but my resistance came from a sense of not wanting to alter or destroy my first reading of the book. It was too wonderful and exquisite. The second time was more so, a more profound joy and understanding. This is the finest book by the finest writer writing today. I am still appalled when I mention his name in "learned literary" circles and there is no response or recognition, not appalled at the lack of taste and depth of most readers, but appalled at their loss for not having read this author.
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Summary: A wonderful masterpiece --- read it.
Review: This is a marvelous book --- it is a great story told in unforgettable language that is closer to poetry than prose. Best novel I've read in many years.
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Summary: Futility of War, Glory of Life
Review: Never has a book opened the mind to the beauty around you, especially of family. Something you sometimes only see after endearing hardships of which war is the greatest. The last 100 pages of this book made me review many things in my life.
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Summary: Moved me to tears
Review: This book made me want to cry, it was so dreadful. The hero reminds me of people I've met who just can't keep from telling lies about themselves; after a short while, it gets very tiresome.
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Summary: The finest book I have ever read.
Review: It is very difficult to put into words how moving this book is. Normally, when I read a good book, I can't put it down until I finish. This book was unlike any other; it was easy to put down, because I simply DID NOT WANT IT TO END!!! The meticulous detail of early Twentieth Century Italy, the endearing characters, and the magical way in which the author weaves it all together results in a book that will leave its mark on everyone who reads it.
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Summary: A spectacular visual feast. Amazing.
Review: I enjoyed the freedom with which Mark Helprin writes. It's pure fun, and a spectacular visual feast. The story is compelling and beautiful at the same time, with plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments. The characters are true - honest souls to the core.
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Summary: Our Greatest Modern Novel
Review: Some books tell a great story, some are beautifully written, and some have a deep meaning which lingers forever in one's soul. The great books have all three and Helprin has managed to pull off this feat with "A Soldier of the Great War."Why is this man not considered our greatest living writer? Because he is a conservative (the nerve of him) and the literary elite will never give him his due because of this. What a disgusting farce. I write this review on Memorial Day weekend, 1999. In "Soldier of the Great War" Helprin tells us that simply by remembering them we can give meaning to the lives of the young men slaughtered by the millions in the mud of France at the beginning of this century. He pleads with us not to forget the soldiers buried under the white crosses. I won't, Mark--I won't.
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Summary: I am moved each time I read this book.
Review: The best book I have ever read. I have read this book four times now and love it more each time. I cannot add anything in words that others haven't already written. My tribute to the book is that I named my son Alessandro (Middle name). My gift to him the day he was born was a copy of this book. Read it and you will understand.
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Summary: Quite simply outstanding
Review: This novel is a meticulously crafted and intricately woven tale of war, nature, grief, and most of all -- love. Helprin writes like a poet; his imagery is beautiful and superb. Truly one of our great authors, he has gone relatively unappreciated. If this were only a war story, it would be superb, but it is much more than that. A novel about life, the joy of love, and a man who did everything to the fullest. This novel is truly amazing and I can't recommend it enough. You will read it again and again.
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