レビュー

• Gran historia

  Harry Turtledove es uno de los mejores autores del género de historia alternativa, y How Few Remain quizá sea la mejor historia de este género. Los detalles en cuanto a la historia y como el autor los modifico para dar una trama creíble y emocionante es increíble. Recomendado 100%

• Okay.

  Okay to fill in time.

• A Masterful Piece of Alternate History

  Everyone knows that the North won the Civil War, which truly made our nation indissoluble and Abraham Lincoln a revered national hero (by most, anyway). But what if it hadn't turned out that way? What if Robert E. Lee pulled off a stunning victory in 1862 -- as could have happened if Lee's plans hadn't gotten lost and wound up in the hands of the Union army? That's the thesis of How Few Remain, Harry Turtledove's novel of alternate history. [Spoiler Alerts Ahead] The premise: it's 1881, 19 years after the South won the War of Secession (no longer called the Civil War), and things turned out VERY differently. Instead of being a national hero, Abraham Lincoln is a disgraced former one-term president; Samuel Clemens is not Mark Twain, writing about Tom Sawyer and Huckelberry Finn on the Mississippi River, but is instead an editor for a San Francisco newspaper; while James Longstreet was scapegoated for losing the Civil War in real history, he is president of the CSA in Turtledove's novel. Meanwhile, "Custer's Last Stand" never happened, so George Custer is alive and well -- first taking on rebellious Mormons in Utah, then defending the Montana territory from the invading British alongside a young and brash Theodore Roosevelt. The list goes on of known historical figures and how they fare in this alternate universe. The plot: Since losing the War of Secession, the United States have been stewing, and aiming for a chance to avenge their humiliating defeat. They get their chance when the Confederacy purchases two territories from Mexico, thus extending their empire to the Pacific Ocean and threatening US interests. The United States, under President James Blaine (who unsuccessfully ran for the high office in real life), declares war on the Confederacy, and the reader is treated to a series of epic battle scenes, confrontations between heroes of American history, and very believable dialogue. Strengths: Turtledove very masterfully works with known historical figures. His character descriptions, and especially the dialogue he creates, are very believable. This is especially true of his depiction of Samuel Clemens, whose rambunctious sense of humor is on full display, as is Lincoln's humble stoicism. Just as believable are Roosevelt on the Montana prairie, Confederate commander Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. One of the most powerful scenes is a confrontation between the latter two characters who, while being bitterly opposed to each other, walk away with a newfound mutual respect. I also like how Turtledove's President Longstreet handles the question of slavery in a rapidly changing world. Weaknesses: Perhaps the most controversial part of How Few Remain has to do with where Turtledove takes Lincoln: upon returning home after losing re-election in 1864 (to an unnamed Democrat), Lincoln gets bored with practicing law, reads and embraces Karl Marx's Das Kapital, then travels the country preaching his newfound gospel to the chagrin of his fellow Republicans. It's hard to see how Lincoln would take up Communism, which was so contrary to 18th century America. It just seems a bridge too far. Then again, anything is possible in alternate history, and so Turtledove said "why not" to this course, and took the plunge. And in fairness, I should note that Turtledove defends his decision by incorporating some of Lincoln's own dialogue from earlier (real life) anti-slavery speeches into his (fictional) pro-Communist rhetoric. Also, could the US Army be as incompetent as Turtledove makes it out to be? I don't share that struggle myself, but others who have read How Few Remain do. I don't think it's too far-fetched -- don't forget that in real life, the tide didn't turn against the South until after Ulysses Grant took command of the Union forces in 1863. In a scenario where the South won in 1862, a bungling Northern army in 1881 (with some of the best military minds now in the CSA) is very plausible. All told, it's a very satisfying read. Turtledove takes some risks, but they are very worthwhile. This is a very solid and entertaining novel, and it demonstrates why Harry Turtledove is the master of Alternate History. I recommend it.

• Pour les fans de la guerre civile Américaine

  J'ai mis un temps infini à lire ce livre; partie car j'étais en phase creuse de lecture, partie car il ne m'a pas plus passionné que ça. C'est pourtant dans le fond un bon livre, bien écrit, par une référence du genre, mais moins de très bien connaître la guerre civile américaine et ses différents acteurs, on passe je pense à côté de l'essence même du livre. Moi même pourtant pas indifférent au sujet et à la période concernée, j'ai du pas mal me documenter pour savoir qui est qui dans notre ligne de temps. Mais même avec ça, j'ai bien l'impression de n'être qu'un européen au milieu d'un roman américain...

• Excellent Read

  This is the story that HBO should be using for an alternate history of "What if the Confederacy had won the U.S. Civil War?" It provides a much more realistic portrayal of how the slave industry would have evolved than what HBO is proposing. The novel takes place 20 years after the Civil War, and we see the viewpoint of various historical figures including Stonewall Jackson, Frederick Douglass and Theodore Roosevelt, and I like how characters on both sides of the war were portrayed fairly, warts and all. I look forward to reading the next books in the series.

購入リンク